大象传媒

WARTIME MEMORIES

I was a child during the war so everything that was going on was accepted by me as the norm as I had not known any other world. I was brought up in Manchester and could see the centre of the town from our lounge window, I recall watching the fires at night but just thought it was all very exciting. There were barrage balloons in the sky over the fields behind our house.

I was one of the lucky ones; my father had a job, which was considered essential so he stayed at home with us, therefore my mother did not have to work. He joined the Home Guard and went to the 鈥淐entre鈥� every night after his tea. Most people had a shelter (Anderson Shelter) built in their gardens and covered with soil and grass but my father cut a trapdoor in the kitchen and dug out the foundations to make two rooms which he reinforced with big supports, he also cut an escape hatch into the outside wall. The biggest room he kitted out as a bedroom with bunk beds for my brother and I and a double li-lo for him and my mum. When the sirens sounded we went 鈥渄own below鈥� as we called it and were very comfortable. There was also a store of food, torches, and extra clothing.

During those years we did not have any street lights and there was blackout at all the windows so everywhere was very dark at night, in spite of this, I was allowed to go to brownies on my own with only a torch for company, there was no fear on the streets.

The nearest bomb damage I recall was when two bombs landed in my school yard and two other bombs hit houses in the adjoining street, the houses were demolished and the school playground had two great big craters in the boys side, we were fascinated by it all.

Our gas mask was another item of war, which we had to take with us everywhere, mine was kept in a yellow cylindrical tin with a strap to go over my shoulder, we had practices at school on how to use them and where to shelter during an air raid (in the school corridor).

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