大象传媒

This story has been submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by a volunteer from CSV Berkshire on behalf of Daphne Greenway and has been added to the site with her permission. Daphne Greenway fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

I remember Reading when it was bombed in 1943. I had gone to Oxford with my grandmother when the sirens went off and when we returned Reading had already been bombed. I remember my grandmother looking at 鈥榁indens鈥� (fruit and vegetables shop) and saying 鈥渓ooks as if somebody has thrown a brick through this window.鈥� And a gentleman standing near us said 鈥渨ait till you get around the corner my dear鈥�. That is when we saw the damage. The bomb had damaged:
a) Wellsteeds department store (I think that鈥檚 where they have Costa coffee now)
b) People鈥檚 pantry
c) St Laurence鈥檚 church
d) and the Town Hall

When we got home (Orts Road, Reading) my mother had been walking up and down the road worrying about us. My father had just come home on leave (he was with the RASC). I remember how relieved they all were that we had arrived home safely.

The typical Wartime diet consisted of; Whale meat,dried eggs and drinking chocolate, which we ate regularly.

I remember that we had to take a jar to school to collect drinking chocolate which was being sent to the UK from Canada.

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