大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by (Helen Smith) on behalf of (Faith Waldron) and has been added to the site with his/her permission. The author fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

My mother was widowed on VE Day. He wasn't a war hero but he died of a medical operation. A lot of women were alone without children didn't have anyone to share it with.

I was asleep in bed. She was shouting with joy that it was over. I didn't learn at the time what a happy time it was. She must've heard about it in the early evening as she didn't have the radio on. Before she died I mentioned it to her six years ago and she said she had no memory of it. Sometimes we block off extreme emotion. I had to when he was 5 and I was 7. We were briefly evacuated and went to stay with Quaker families. Mother was conscientious, one in Yorkshire and one in Lancashire. We lived in Chorlton, they were hiding under the table when we heard the bombs overhead, hiding under my stairs with granny. About 4 adults and 4 children crowded under the cubby hole. I couldn't understand why my aunty was crying.

Sweets were coming off the ration. Remember tins of codensed sweetened milk. We used to have paper bags with cocoa powder and sugar like a sherbet dabb. Also used to make sandwiches with butter and sugar. things were so rationed it was a real treat. Americans billeted in Chorleton, they used to bring us sweets from the Nafi.

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