大象传媒

Because I was so young, and because I had no idea at the time that I was living through such an important time in world history, memories were allowed to fade and I never thought to ask my parents for their recollections. Perhaps they would have been reluctant to reveal all!

Being so proud and fond of my city, it has always been a disappointment to me that in only a very few books is any reference made to the important part played by the great historic city of Londonderry in WW2 in regard to the Battle of the Atlantic. But at least Churchill acknowledged the contribution made by its people. Incidently, Churchill was made a Freeman of Derry at the end of the war. It is also worth mentioning that over the years I have been pleasantly surprised by the number of men (and one or two women) who have been proud to tell me that they have been very grateful of the hospitality received from Derry people at the time. Some people joked about going across the border to tuck into a good feed of ham and eggs with plenty of Guinness and butter. There was a great rumour many years later that one of the young sailors to also do so, was the future Duke of Edinburgh. I have wondered where he went to eat? In those days Buncrana was not exactly coming down with restaurants, nor was anywhere else renowned for haute cuisine.

I am not sure of my first memory of the war. My family lived in the very heart of Derry in a well known working class area. In those days we did not know that we were deprived even though I can recall barefoot children and many people in poor health. There were obvious food scarcities, butter and fresh fruit (along with sweets) being the best known items. Relatives who were farmers would supply eggs鈥攁t a price. One cousin who sold eggs and other farm produce to sailors on a nearby base was successfully prosecuted for breeching rationing regulations.

Among my earliest memories is of a bomb going off in Hawkin Street. It was immediately thought to have been an attack on the nearby B Special Hall. In fact, the explosion happened at the Fire Station. Another Derry casualty of this campaign was the Opera House. The site remains unoccupied to this day and is used as a car park.

After the German bomb fell on the city, my father evacuated the family to Ardkill to a derelict farmhouse. It was extremely basic鈥攏o light, but candles. No bathroom and no running water, and only one bedroom for the entire family. During one night, I heard my father ask my mother her age. She replied, thirty-four. This meant that the year was 1941. The noise of rats running in the ceiling used to wake us up. Heaven knows what worries my parents had in trying to manage the house, keep a job with the threat of invasion very real at this time.

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