大象传媒

I was three years old when the war began ,so I remember nothing of this time. The earliest memory I have was starting school in 1941, and having to take a 'special' box with me.Later I found out this was a gas mask.
Some time during the day the teacher would play the game of running down into the cellar of the school,'in an orderly line but quickly.'I remember not liking this as the smell down there was awful and the place was dark and lit with candles. Later it was obvious that this was a practice for air raids.I remember telling my mum this after one of the pratices,and why did this seem to make her sad? and why was she wiping her eyes on the tea towel?
I remember that my dad would buy the magazine JOHN BULL to send to my brother,he was the eldest of five of us,and was in the army. My two sisters, mum and dad and me would write in the columns of the pages , I thought it good fun,though all I could write was that I loved my big brother and lots of xxxxx's.This would then be rolled up ,wrapped in brown paper and sealed with red wax.
One sad memory was of one day when the telegram lad was seen coming up the street.
Many women were on their front door steps watching us kids playing and having a gossip.
A telegram lad was coming up our street!! where he was going?
I was standing with my mum outside our front door ,he stopped in front of us,got off his bike.I remember to this day my mum putting her hand to her mouth and saying 'Oh God no'.and when I looked up ,the look on her face frightened me.
The young lad then walked towards us and knocked on our next door neighbours front door.
Mr Kelsy I remember,came to answer the knock ,and without a word took the telegram from him.
My mum shoowd me inside our house.The walls were thin in our house and I recall hearing a loud crying sound coming from the Kelsy's.
I remember my mum and dad and my three elder sisters crying that evening after coming home from Players where they worked.She had told them what had happened that morning. When I asked what was the matter I was told 'never you mind'
It was a few years later that I found out that their only son Len, had been killed whilst flying over Germany.
The evenings too were a mystery for me.Why did we have to leave our clothes on the bannister rail when we went to bed ?
Why did we have go into the cellar when that horrible noise started ?
Where did my dad go in the evenings wearing that daft tin hat?
And later what were those things called oranges ?
There were some soldiers on our local park,Wollaton park.I asked why they were behind the barbed wire fence .I was told they were 'prisoners of war'I didnt know what that meant and I didn't ask again.
When one day our head mistress told us that tomorrow we didn't have to come to school because there was something called VJ day. My mum didn't believe me.I couldn't argue with her because I didn't know what it was anyway.
And finally I remember my bother Bill coming home.I got some brown paper and wrote in big red letters ( my sisters lipstick) WELCOME HOME BILL and stuck in in the fan light of our front door.
And I remember I was the first one after my mum that he hugged and hugged till it hurt.
I didnt really know this man after all it was a long time (three years) since I'd seen him last.
Then of course how could I forget the singing and dancing and all the crying in the street later.
The war wasn't a very disturbing time for me I must admit.I was too young, but the sense of sadness of others is something I will never forget, though I couldn't understand why at the time.

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