大象传媒

"This story was submitted to the People's war site by James Road from Staines Library and has been added to the website on behalf of Mrs Peggy Terry with her permission and they fully understand the site's terms and conditions."

I was evacuated on the 2nd of September 1939 (which was a Saturday).
My brother and I were left at a school (after travelling by train to the Midlands). We were the last ones there to be billeted as no one seemed to want us. My brother, Ron (who was almost 12 and I was 10 years old), had been told by Mum "keep hold of Pegs hand (that was me)" and the ladies were choosing me but Ron said that we have to stay together. The ladies did not want two evacuees.
We had a packet of Garibaldi Biscuits between us which I soon devoured and Ron said 鈥測ou shouldn鈥檛 have eaten all of the biscuits they were supposed to last us, Peg." We did not get billeted till late afternoon. This lady, Mrs Wright, said alright I鈥檒l take them both and then at Christmas decided she didn鈥檛 like boys and my brother, Ronald, was re-billeted to a house that had already taken 5 boys. Consequently they were over crowded and after a year in this condition my mother, a Widow, was able to take him home to London. I stayed at Kettering for 4 years and when I was 14 years decided I had had enough and borrowed the train fare from Mrs Cooper (Mrs Wright鈥檚 mother) and returned home to my mother and brother in London just in time for the flying bombs). I loved being at schools in Kettering at the Central Schools (amalgamated) but as far as my billet was concerned I was fairly miserable!

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.