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This story was submitted to the People's War site by Lin Freeman of Radio Derby CSV on behalf of Mrs Margaret Freeman and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

I was fifteen and a half when the War broke out. My school (Holly Lodge High School, West Derby, Liverpool) was being evacuated to Wales. I did not want to be, nor did my parents want me to be. In 1940 I started work at the Imperial Tobacco Company (Ogdens) in Liverpool in the Traffic Claims Department. I cycled to my job and cycling through the Watertree area it would often be past bomb damaged houses and I still remember the smell.
My sister Sybil joined the Women’s Army (WRAC). She was a Plotter, stationed near Andover, Hampshire.

I joined the Girls’ Brigade (mostly marching), knitted socks for soldiers and helped served breakfasts on Saturday mornings at the Gordon Smith Institute for Seamen.

My father was in the Home Guard and loved it. Mother made petticoats and blouses from parachute silk. We queued up for nearly everything at the shops. We still had good meals, thanks to Mother. When the air raid warning sounded we went into the cupboard under the stairs.

There was great camaraderie in the War years.

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