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I remember learning to use a stirrup pump, Dad teaching me and some of the other children on Greenwood Avenue. We had to be on the ground then aim the water into and around another bucket.

Collecting shrapnel. I was very proud of part of a tail fin from a German plane which I found.

The system of having orange diamond shapes nailed to the gate to show that anyone/children could ask for shelter there if caught in an air raid. (it may have been for children as we lived near a school and most of the gates had these coloured shapes nailed on). Searching around local bus stops for coins dropped in the blackout when looking for the bus fare.

Buying ‘sweets’ from the chemists - word got round the area that there were sweets available without coupons. They turned out to be flavoured sulphur tablets and most of the kids had bought and eaten them without quite unpleasant results for the next few days.

School summer harvest camps in Warwickshire. Great fun but hard work - not least for the school staff. I topped beans, picked tomatoes, harvested plums, hoed rows and rows of salad, veg and help to catch sheep. I had fun.

Used huts on Warwick airfield camped at Wellesbourne and for the last year had hutted accommodation on Wellesbourne airfield.

How good I felt in my first pair of wooden soles shoes the foot was hinged.

Mom telling us stories before we settled down to sleep in the air-raid shelter. Being ‘chased’ by a loose barrage balloon one night. It seemed to go on for hours, very scary and my mum was carrying my 4-year-old sister wrapped in a blanket whilst we were told to get into the covered ‘entry’ and run from one end to the other until the RAF man in his blue jacket and pajama trousers, tucked into his boots was able to shoot it down.

Going into the bus station when mom was taking us up to grandma’s following our house being badly damaged in one of the long raids on Birmingham. Just smoke red glow jumping over hoses being redirected by policemen and at intervals and finally arriving at the bus station. Mum came back the following day as dad hadn’t come home the morning that we left and he’d been on duty that night.

Later I became aware of john piper’s pictures, they reminded me of that scene.

Leaving school, low flying aircraft, machine gunning, sister over ledge responsibility, Acocks Green and Tysley. Eating biscuits in the air raid shelter.

This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Anastasia Travers a volunteer with WM CSV Actiondesk on behalf of Joyce Smith and has been added to the site with his permission. Joyce Smith fully understands the sites terms and conditions.

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