大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War website by Sue Sutton on behalf of June Kirkby, the author and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

I was born in 1938 in London and evacuated in 1941 to a residential nursery, in Tunbridge Wells, run by the London County Council. there were about 50 of us altogether. I was evacuated at the age of 5 to a private house to be with my sister, Margaret who was 8. the home was in Five Ashes in East Sussex. In the nursery there were carers who took us out for a walk, crocodile style, every day come rain or shine. We didn't see much of the bombing but if we were out on our walk and there was an air raid we used to hide in the hedges until it was clear. We were scared as we knew what was happening and didn't know the outcome. My father was in the ARP (civil defense) and rescued people from the bomd sites after a raid. Unfortunately, being out and about during the raids he, was in a building ehich was bombed, he died 3 days later. My mother had TB and passed away the following year.

When I moved to Five Ashes I was cared for by a couple called Tremayne who lived in a farm cottage. They're daughter's name was Mary and she was 13 and worked on the farm together with her aunt and uncle. I loved it there. They were a loving couple who tried to be like mum and dad. My sister and I really enjoyed it there. Margaret was a 'bossy boots' and liked to take charge. During haymaking in the summer we would stack the corn stacks and we would also chase the rabbits out for killing for food. The food was plain but good, we always had milk, butter and cream. It was very basic - no electricity or a bathroom - oil lamps and outside privy at the time; cesspits rather than sewers. I much preferred the countyside to London but had to go home to London in 1945 and lived there with my grandmother until I was 19.

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