大象传媒

I was about 12 when war broke out and very excited about being evacuated as I had always dreamed of living in the country.

My sister aged 9 and brother aged 4 were also being evacuated and mum and dad said that I should go with their school to look after them. This meant of course that I was parted from my school friends which was a bit sad.

We set off on 1st September and after what seemed an endless journey we arrived at a village called Stewartby near Bedford. At first we were told we would be sleeping in the village hall but were moved on the next day as this village had been earmarked for a Girls High School (could have been mine, I never found out). However, after much discussion it was decided we should stay and the "selection process" began. No-one wanted three children so you can guess who was left until last. They tried to split us up but I insisted I had been told we should stay together. Eventually one lady said she would take us and so began a very miserable 3 months especially for my brother. This lad had a little boy of 2 and a new baby and at the beginning treated me quite well as she wanted me to do housework and laundering, but when I started to protest about the way she treated my little brother everything changed and we were all badly treated. I wrote to mum and dad telling them about it. She got in touch with the Headmaster and by Christmas my brother had returned home and my sister and I were re-billited separately. I went to a middle aged couple (Aunt Betty and Uncle Bert). They were lovely, they treated me like a daughter and the next 3 years were the happiest of my life. I used to help out on the local farm and loved it, especially the haymaking.

When I was old enough to start work, mum and dad said I should come home. I was devastated, cried for ages, so did Aunt Betty, that I had to go.

After I came home I was unhappy and missed my foster parents, my friends and the country. I did not have any friends in Walthamstow, but after a time I joined the Girl Guides and things got better. I made new friends and we teamed up with a Sea Scout troop and helped out at rest centres, making tea and sandwiches and giving little concerts etc.

After I came home the V1's and V2's started coming and I had many rows with my dad because I would not go down the Anderson shelter. I am still slightly chlaustrophobic to this day.

I had some narrow escapes during this time. On one occasion I was staying with a friend after a party. Two of us were in a single bed and the blast threw us on to the floor.

Another time I was with some friends in a rowing boat and a doodlebug landed further up river and the blast turned the boat over. We got very wet but laughed about it.

I still wanted to get back to the country and asked if I could volunteer for the Land Army, but dad would not give his permission, so I settled to wait until I was old enough to be called up. I had just got to 18 when the war was over, so that was that!

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