大象传媒

I was evacuated as a 4 year old in 1939 with my brother (Peter) who was 6. We were at White Hart Lane train station. I don't have a clear memory of the journey, but on arrival I was hurried across to a bus station that transpired to be in Chelmsford. There was a table full of goodies on our arrival too! When we arrived in Great Baddow, the Gas Masks were handed out and ftted in what is now known as the Kings Head pub. It was an ARP base.

I thnk we were transported down to Great Baddow in a car and eventually to 5 Sandford Mill Cottages to stay with a Mr and Mrs Marchent. We had no electricity,water or gas avaliable. We had a well situated outside that we chucked a bucket in to gather water. One of my clearest memories was going to a local school before being sent to a Parish hall for lessons.

At the Baddow School there was Mr Baker the Headmaster and a couple of teachers, Miss Mardel and Miss Potter. One memory of having arrived, was the frantic activity of the block houses. There was one opposite the cottage, and when the air raids took place we spent the evenings with our neighbours in the block house.

We shared this with Miss Shurgold, Mrs Peek & Mr Miller. There was also a Mr and Mrs Cowell, Mr & Mrs Perry and their son, who worked at the water works and Mr & Mrs Meacock and their daughter.

Mr & Mrs Meeds. John, Ted, Ross and Diane were our immediate neighbours. I remember looking out to the west of the cottage and seeing Chelmsford on fire whilst asking what a bomb was! The morning after myself and my brother saw a Barrage Balloon floating down the river. We started playing on it but were soon told to stop!

There were plenty of Dogfights over Chelmsford that lit up the sky and they dropped a bomb over Beehive Lane. My wife, Brenda who I met in 1955, was also evacuated to Chelmsford and lived at 36 Prykes Drive, down the bottom of Coval Lane which at the time was an un-made road and fields. There was also a Prisoner of War camp located near by. It was a large camp and we spoke to those held in it. I believe they were Italians.

During the War I was visited by my Nan who decided to go shopping on the eastern edge of Great Baddow. She got off the bus and went to a shop which turned out to be a block house with a rather large gun pointing towards Danbury. It was painted to look like a shop.

I don't remember being scared of the War but the shrapnel was frightening!

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