大象传媒

A Childs Memories

I was born in Croydon Surrey on 6th June 1940
I did not realise how many War memories I have until this moment watching the March Past at the Cenotaph.
I was not brought up with Nursery rhymes my songs were the tunes the veterans are so proudly marching to
Run Rabbit.Col Bogey Christopher Robin Bless em All, There'll Always be an England etc etc

My father was one of 5 brothers from an immigrant Jewish family who all volunteered to serve in the Forces. To counter balance the anti Semitism which was so rife in Croydon the local paper printed an article with their photos. '
Nat was invalided out of the RAF
Jack was a Cpl in the RAF
Philip was a Major in the RAMC
Benjamin was a Pte in Kings Royal Rifles & served in El Alemain
Percy was in (I believe) The Paratroops

I only knew my father as a photograph .He was, fortunately, posted with the RAF in Canada. When he returned I was the one who recognised him at the station and cried out 'There鈥檚 the man in the photograph''
Later that night I went running to my grand mother to tell her 'Mummy is in bed with a man篓

During the war we lived most of the time with my grandparents above their dress shop in Croydon .We slept in the basement and I used to have nightmares that Hitler would come down the coal hatch!
Life was orientated around family .Lots of aunts, & cousins.We did have fun times and I can remember going to a wedding at the Greyhound Pub in Croydon & my mum losing her French knickers with Jack emblazoned on them in black lace!!!!

At one time we were evacuated to Hadnam in Cambridgeshire to stay with my fathers aunt who had had 2 children killed when a bomb fell on the shelter at the gas company in Croydon.They were the oldest (18 yrs)& youngest (9yrs) of 5 children and in retrospect, the family never recovered from their loss.

We had few toys and my first doll was a dummy from the local drapers shop.
The first banana I saw was shared between 4 cousins and we didn鈥檛 know how to eat it!!!!

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