大象传媒

This story has been written onto the 大象传媒 People鈥檚 War site by CSV Story gatherer Jessica on behalf of Liz Perring. They fully understand the terms and conditions of the site.
I was born on the Rame Peninsula in S.E. Cornwall and was about 3 years old when the war started so was obviously too young to appreciate what was happening. I do remember watching planes caught in search lights and digging up pieces of shrapnel with an older cousin - a miracle that nothing dug up was live! There was an RAF site between our cottage and Fourlanesend School and it was not unusual for off duty personnel to come over for a game of cards or just to get into a homely atmosphere. Mum used to do some of their washing too - a few pennies extra for her. My Dad worked on a nearby farm and we spent many hours out in the fields with him. We used to have a lot of milk puddings, bread and milk and oxos with bread to fill us up and I can鈥檛 ever remember being hungry. Sweets were on ration so our teeth were saved! Towards the end of the war ice cream came into the village - in a cold box and strictly rationed one per person. It was the size of a present day T light and was enjoyed to the very last lick. This was a once a month treat. Fruit was not available so we did grow up not knowing what a banana looked like. Apples were around if the farmer wasn鈥檛 around to catch the scrumpers!
A bomb was dropped on the RAF site and two were dropped in the village (on the green) but thankfully no one was killed. I remember the earth around the RAF site bomb taking the shape of a bear and the day the barrage balloon came down in the school playground. From the hill near our home we could see Plymouth burning but of course we were too young to realise the consequences.
I remember V.E. Day because there was dancing on the cleave - a wind up gramophone provided the music - and we had a street party in the middle of the village. I remember the Americans in a big tent in one of the farm fields, the lorries with tanks on passing the cottage on the way to Mt Edgcumbe where they were stationed. The Italian P.O.W.s did work on the roads around the village too.

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