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This story was submitted to the People's War Site by a volunteer from CSV on behalf of Jean Watt and has been added to the site with her permission. Jean Watt fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

I can remember going away and waving good-bye to my mum. I was crying as I didn’t want to leave. I first went to a place near Kettering . The people I stayed with were quite nice. The husbands was a baker and I shared a bedroom with his two children. We had lots of heat and dust coming up from the soot that was coming up from the chimney.

But I remember my mum would send me clothing she’d made, dresses and socks. But the lady I was staying with would give it to her children — and she’d just give me the left-overs. This went on until my mother came to visit me. She asked me where the clothes were that she sent me, and said that I looked like orphan Annie — I was wearing dresses that were too big and huge socks on my feet. My mum took me home soon after this had happened.

I was at home for a little while and then went with another lot of evacuees to Somerset. The Billeting Officer was a farmer and wanted two girls who could walk long distances. So he asked me and another girl to a farm in Somerset. When we got out of the car the first thing I saw was a pen with chickens inside. I couldn’t believe my eyes I’d never seen chickens before. I couldn’t believe it!! I loved animals. I’d forgotten all about leaving my family behind — I was just enthralled with these chicks.

The other girl that came with me didn’t really stay very long. We had a three mile walk to school everyday. The family I stayed with were farmers. The man was a widow and his sister looked after us. That must have been quite difficult because she didn’t have any children of her own. It must have been really hard to adapt to us and our ways.

It was quite a big farm with two work-horses that I adored. I had a pet lamb and in the spring when the sheep had lambs they’d bring them in to the kitchen and keep them in the oven so that they could keep warm! Then they’d switch the fire oven off and I’d help to feed them with a bottle. It was lovely!

I was in Somerset during the Blitz and then when the V2’s started These were the big rockets from France. You didn’t know where these bombs would land because the noise switched off — and then you’d hope it wouldn’t be your home that was hit.

I then went back to the same farmer until nearly the end of the war. I kept in touch with that family — I had many happy holidays there. I kept in touch with them until 1973 — when the lady who looked after me died. I still keep in touch with her niece who’s now 80. And I’ve still got a plant that she gave me — 35 years on.

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