大象传媒

THE DAY WAR BROKE OUT

I was six years old when war broke out, and I remember sitting round the wireless in early September, and I couldn鈥檛 understand why the adults were so serious.

Dad was working as a 鈥榗licker鈥� (a leather cutter) at Cinderella shoes in St Johns, and was then moved to the old Cadbury factory at Blackpole, making munitions. He was made a warden with the A.R.P. (Air Raid Precautions).

The noise of the sirens was very scary, because it meant the heavy bombers were on their way to bomb Birmingham and Coventry. I was very frightened of the bombers. Dad said 鈥淚f it鈥檚 a heavy sound, it鈥檚 one of ours鈥�.

The raids were a bit of an adventure, we would squash in under the stairs. Sometimes there would be six of us. A neighbour would join us and bring all of her 鈥榯hings鈥� with her. The bit under the stairs was what we called our pantry.

I only remember one bomb falling on our side of the river, on Tallow Hill. I must have been 7 or 8 years old. Mum and Grandma were at home, and as we didn鈥檛 have a 鈥楳orrison Shelter鈥�, we just dived under the table. Later on we went to see the huge crater, just below the old Workhouse at Shrub Hill Hospital.

We had some relatives staying with us from Birmingham, a Mother and Son. That was when a bomb was aimed at Meco Ltd, on the West side of the river. I don鈥檛 think anyone was killed.

We all had gas masks, and because my Dad had worked at the shoe factory, mine was made of leather. We were told if there was and air raid we were to run home from school as quickly as we could.

We used to fetch our rations from the grocery depot at Trinity House, which consisted of 2oz bacon, and a little bit of cheese, not much really. Mum always told me to ask if there were more than two eggs. I did this once, and the lady said 鈥淵es, how many would you like?鈥� and I replied 鈥淭wo dozen, please鈥� 鈥� and I got them!

I was twelve years old when the war ended, and there was a big party on the old Mortuary Car Park by the River Severn. We walked down Broad Street and there were all the tables and chairs laid out, sandwiches, jellies and everything.

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by June Woodhouse of the CSV Action Desk at 大象传媒 Hereford and Worcester on behalf of Brenda Powell and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions

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