大象传媒

I remember the outbreak of the war on sunday morning, september 3rd, 1939. My Father was gassed in the first world war and also injured his leg. I had never seen him cry before, as he did from the news on our radio. That night the sirens blasted forth and we didn't know what to do when the air raid warden out in the street and the hand-clappers. Having been issued with gas masks, did we put them on or not? I'd soon found out, as the war progressed - no gas masks though.
My family and i lived on the Nacton road, an area known for the bombing etc. During the war, thank goodness a load of bombs landed on the heathlands, now built on. I understand there were decoys placed on the heathlands and the bombs were dropped as enemy aircraft returned to Germany. Many nights were spent in our Anderson air raid shelter, sometimes with our neighbours. My father was in charge of a public air raid shelter on a spare piece of ground at the side of our garden. I remember my mother making up a bottle of salty water and a bottle of Gicarbonate soda to keep in the shelter for first aid use. The school opposite has many a hit with incendiary bombs. There was also a period when Jerry dropped canister bombs, very dangerous if picked up. The barrage balloons would be raised to prevent aircraft getting too low. We used to sing some nights when there was no chance of falling asleep for noise from guns and aircraft. Our neighbour many a time when aircraft went over would say, 'only one of ours dear'. One day my father was up on the ladder repairing the greenhouse , being a market gardener, when a German Dornier aircraft came over, machine gunning very low. I have never seen dad move so quickly. I was in Woolworths one day when bombs were dropped on the docks. In the shock of this raid I had my purse taken from my hand by some kind person - a purse I cherished as made by myself, in leather, embrossed and dyed. It was amazing what mother made with food rations; we always had a dinner of sprouts, even to wild rabbits. What would we have done without dried milk and eggs. Dried milk made lovely pepper mint creams. I never knew how Mum saved enough precious rations to provide a good meal on Christmas Day. One meal I hated was "spanish eggs in the nest". Mashed potatoes in a pie dish and egg popped in a little hole made in the mash, this was placed in to finish off. Father would not eat corned beef, or "bally beef" as he called it - they had so much of it in the first world war.
There was a time when my two sisters and i went to stay with mother's friend at Newark-on-trent. So many canisters had been dropped, children were being evacuated. I had left school and was waiting to join my time at art school. While my two sisters went to school (at Newark-on-trent) with Auntie Maud's three. I had the job of looking after three childern not school age, from Ipswich. Auntie Maud was lovely and told us lovely tales. One thing i remember, on cooking cakes: Auntie Maud said put a currant on top so we know they are plain buns. We always had sweet pudding with gravy first, before our dinner. All cooking was done on a range fueled by coal.
In my youth i joined the girls training camp . We had training in various subjects such as first aid, morse code, make-do and mend items of war. We also had our own mine sweeper at the docks and made socks etc for the sailors. I loved going on a visit; ship chocolate was a real treat. We also visited other units of war. I played a lot of hockey and enjoyed playing against the forces as well as local teams, both ladies and mixed farres. Sometimes we ended up with a "bun fight" sharing tea, then finished up playing table tennis or darts. At this time, i must state, i was working for my living in a drawing office.
Clothes - of course we had very little and to get hold of some wool, or yarn, was great. We made jumpers etc. I must say some went a funny shape after a while. Many a thing was cut down from old items, something added - if lucky, a piece of new fabric, to have a new outfit. From the drawing office we used to bring home old tracings. These were covered in some sort of wax and when soaked in water for sometime would re treat a nice piece of cotton, very useful. Also in time there was the parachutes. Some really lovely dresses and undies were made out of these. I made a bedspread once out of a gold silky material. Another thing i made was a pair of fur gloves with gaunlets. The fur was from rabbits my father used to rear. The fur was cured by treating with alum salt, rolled up in one of the green houses until ready for use. I was indeed very proud of my gloves until i had a fall, one heavy snowy day, grazed all one side of the thumb on the glove.
Entertainment was mainly going to dances, occassionally to the pictures of course at home we played cardes and games, or played music on make-do instrument to my middle sister's accordian. One particular local dance hall was always very sociable, run by a gentleman with one arm. In the (Paul Jones) when music stopped, i would be standing opposite a soldier about 7 feet tall. I was only 5ft2in. I'm sure this stop was always deliberate. I met my husband at such a dance, he was stationed at Ipswich airport in the fleet air arm at the time. After a couple of dates he was posted elsewhere. I must tell you, while he was stationed at Ipswich on duty one day, complete with rifle at the sentey box at the entrance to the site, a V.I.P happened to come along. Silly billy. He did not step forward before doing his duty - where did the rifle go? Straight up through the top of the sentey box. We used to write to each other, but my letters from him were never private. There was always a funny little sketch, and the family always wanted to see 'interest' of course.
We married in 1948 and still everything was rationed; i even had to hire my wedding dress. Things were difficult, jobs scarce, food short but we were happy.

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