大象传媒

In 1943 I was living in Ashford when a bomb hit my school (Victory Road County Primary) destroying much of it. After that I was evacuated by train to Oxford to escape the bombs that the Germans had been dropping on and around us.

I remember that we were all a bit frightened and didn鈥檛 know where we were going at all. It was a simple matter of being put on the train and wondering where you were heading as it pulled away. When we arrived we were all taken off the train again and lined up, feeling very nervous and a little confused. Rather than people coming to see us and pick who they wanted to take in as was the case with many groups we were actually paraded through the streets of Oxford going door to door. We鈥檇 arrive at a house and the people living there would come out and walk up and down the line and choose which child or children to take. We all just went where we were told and didn鈥檛 really know what was going on we were so young.

After we鈥檇 all been billeted we started school again which took place in a converted shop. I remember missing home and my family so much, and it was awful not knowing what was going on at home, if it had been bombed again and if everyone was OK or not. I was with one of my sisters, and we had a brother and another sister billeted in other houses, but we all missed our mother the most.

Occasionally she would come and visit us, and every time we so wanted to go home with her, we didn鈥檛 care about the bombs we just wanted to be home with our family, together again in the place we knew. After a long long time our mother finally did take us back, and I鈥檒l never forget what a relief it was to be back home.

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by James Barton and has been added to the website on behalf of Jennifer Tilbee with his/her permission and they fully understand the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

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