大象传媒

Recorded at Surrey History Centre
for Joan Boschier

I was nine years old when war broke out. We were living in Woking. Lived with Grandmother. I went to school in Goldsworth School in Woking all through Juniors and Seniors.

I remember a landmine going off where Weatherspoons is now- a man we knew was going home from work and passing the site and got his clothes blown off. I remember incendiary bombs in Brewery Road, and along the canal. The school had its own shelters - 6 long shelters built under the playground with earth on them and we planted nasturtians all over them. When the air raid sirens went off we all went down with our gas masks. We used to practice using the gas masks and doing lessons with gas masks on. We thought it was a bit of a laugh as we got out of lessons.

At home we had a brick shelter above ground behind the garage. It might be still there! We never used it! We went under the big mahogany Victorian table when there was a raid. We could see the fires in London from my bedroom window and also see the searchlights. Sometimes bombs were jettisoned from planes on their way back to Germany.

I was conscious of food shortages. Long queues at the greengrocers for bananas or any fruit that came in. Grandmother was good at making do. We kept chickens and grew vegetables. Also kept rabbits. Grandfather was looked after the rabbits and hens; we fed them scraps and potato peelings and corn meal. Dad worked for Vickers Aircraft and then worked on Aldershot and District Buses taking the soldiers to Portsmouth and then bringing the injured back again.

Used to go to Saturday morning pictures with Arthur Lord at the organ and sing along, at the Ritz and the Astoria. We liked Flash Gordon films. We listened to the Radio 'In Town Tonight'. I enjoyed reading and belonged to the library and did a lot of puzzles.

Left school in 1944 and worked for a Jewish firm in Woking opposite what is now the fire station. Worked as a seamstress making blouses. Then worked at Unwins and when the doodlebugs came over we went behind the huge bales of papers and stayed there. My step-mother made rock cakes for us and we used to hide there and eat them.

Step mother used to knit a lot. Remembers rationing but the old couple next door gave me their sweet and clothing coupons. For make up we used Bourgeois and Phulnana powder and lipsticks. We used to set our hair by rolling it in rags or pipe cleaners.

Remembers the Canadians at Inkerman barracks. My uncle was a Canadian, and worked at the barracks. We had lots of food from the Canadian barracks particuarly at Christmas where we lived off turkey and chicken giblets for a long time. The Canadian soldiers only ate the white meat - we ate everything else!

Remembers the parcels which came over from Australia and New Zealand. Tins of fruit and raisins - goodwill packages.

We had a car - a Riley and the police came round to say that they would take the tyres. So my Dad sold the car and they never did come back for the wheels. The Riley had running boards. He thought there was no point in keeping the car with no wheels. We walked everywhere and cycled - I had a sit-up-and-beg bicycle.

I remember the Grand Theatre in Woking and the trams in Woking. I enjoyed the Theatre - but it was very smokey. I remember them taking all the railings from the old Victorian Houses in Woking for the war effort. The old Atalanta Dancehall and all the soldiers would be in uniform so you knew all the different regiments. We had a British Restaurant in Woking and my friend and I went there at lunchtimes because we liked the roast potatoes. We didn't like school dinners.

I can remember the evacuees from London who stayed at Lismore House. I got on well with them and we were friendly with a family called Knighton. Tommy Knighton was my first boyfriend.

There was a house that had a family called Wrights and we all got on very well with them too.

The Rose Cottage Laundry in Horsell Moor had a shelter built for the laundry staff and we used it. Especially on the night when the bells tolled and we thought there was going to be an invasion. Everyone ran out in the nightclothes.
This ARP warden had a great big chopper and he said 'if any of them come over the bridge then I'll chop their heads off'. There were Italian prisoners of war working in the nursery over at Ottershaw. They used to be let out to mix in Woking and security was not really very tight.

I remember Liberation Day in Woking - we had big street parties where everyone bought out whatever food they could. There was a good feeling of camaraderie between everyone. In those days people were more friendly and supportive than they are today.

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