大象传媒

In 1939, aged 9 and a half with his 6 and a half year old brother, Cliff was told he would be evacuated when the war began. Two days before the start of the war his school was evacuated to Northhampton. As they left the school, they saw all their mothers crying, and were puzzled as to why as they thought it was more of a holiday than anything else! They reached Euston station where they boarded a train to Northampton. On arrival they were greated by many ladies in grey, from the Womens Voluntary Service (WVS). Cliff and brother Leslie were billitted with two elderly spinsters who had little experience with children. After three weeks they were moved to a different house where they stayed for another two months before moving again. From here they were moved to a hostel meant for German boys, of which there were only three, so it was able to take many London evacuees. They were divided into three groups fo ranging age, and they very much stayed within their age group as they were nervous of each other, however they soon found friends and settled in. The hostel was run by a German Jewish refugee who had had to leave his wife behind. It was not until 1940 that they were allowed to have a radio because the German organiser had not until then been trusted. Cliff stayed here until 1944 when he came back to London after D-Day, only
to be greeted by flying bombs and rockets!

Cliff's view of the war was that it was very exciting and would be like what he had previously read in comics! He avidly followed the progress of the war on a map he had above his bed at home until VE-Day and then VJ-Day, when he felt disappointed and flat - he thought he had missed the most exciting parts!

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