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This story was submitted to the People’s War website by Justine Warwick and has been added to the site with the full permission of the author. The author fully understands the terms and conditions of the site.

I can remember being at my Grans house and the radio announcement to say we are at war. I was only eight and I didn’t think it was serious. We went back to our home in Warminster, an army town, and because our house was fairly large we had two evacuees and two Americans come and live with us. Americans had a gun which really frightened my mum. The two evacuees were really nice girls and their mothers used to visit them from London.

The Americans used to give us parties in the village — they were fantastic. I remember that the worst thing about rationing was the lack of sweets! We used to have about 2oz of butter and it didn’t seem like much to go around. I was in the little girls club — and the Americans sent us clothes! I remember I had a dress which was fantastic which came from America.

We had to have an Anderson shelter in the kitchen under the table. It had cushions and blankets in it. The whole family and the two Americans had to get in it. I used to think it was great fun to go into it.

The school had to have blackout on the windows and strips on the window in case they smashed. I went to school all through the war and we had to have air raid practices with gas mask and go in a big out door shelter. The air raid wardens used to knock on the door if there was any light showing.

I was 14 when the war finished.

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