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Our family lived in Liverpool during the war. I remember that the raids were horrendous. I remember a particular night when the tannery, the matchworks and the tar factory all went up, along the Mersey. Our family used to shelter in an Anderson shelter but many went to the Church Hall nearby. It was hit one night and 300 people died.

At school we had a public shelter above ground. It had a brick entry and inside were seats either side. My Grandad was shelter warden. He made sure there were buckets for when you were caught short. In one raid the school went up and we were so lucky that the shelter was not hit. After the raid we came up from the shelters to see what was left. Mum got fed up with it — all our windows were put out and there was soot everywhere, water gushing — it was awful so she said she wouldn’t go to the public shelter any more.

My father was serving in India and Burma and my cousin was in the troops too. We didn’t see them for 4 years.

My Gran was hospitalised during the war and wouldn’t eat the hospital food because of the cockroaches so my mum would make up plates of dinner for her and make my brother run with it to the hospital before it got cold. He said it was miles away but he did it!

Mrs McCredie told her story to Jenni Waugh, ´óÏó´«Ã½ People’s War Outreach Officer, at the ´óÏó´«Ã½â€™s ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ Roadshow in Kidderminster Town Hall on 5 December 2004. She is aware of and accepts the site’s terms and conditions.

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