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Eileen Westbrook —´óÏó´«Ã½ Oral History.

Eileen and her sister jean were evacuated from London just before the 3rd of September 1939, she was 12 when this happened, and Jean was 9 at the time. They were sent to Salfords in Surrey, it was about the same distance as traveling to Salisbury. She was billeted with a Belgian couple and their son. They were registered for identity cards and Eileen’s identity number was DNDG25.4 the family were 1, 2, 3 and her sister was number 5. The lady found it too hard coping with 2 other people so Eileen and Jean were sent too other families further down south. She was happy where she was because they were a nice family but the husband came home drunk and beat up his wife.

Eileen’s parent had her and Jean brought home because there were no air-raids going on at the time. Eileen went back to school, but this was only in the morning because some of the teachers had been called up by the forces. When there was the danger of air-raids the government decided to re-evacuate all the children. Eileen’s parents sent her and her sister to Biddeford in North Devon. Eileen and her sister wanted to be billeted together but the best they could do was 4 doors apart. She was sent to number 4 Park Avenue and the family was Mr. and Mrs. Lucas and their daughter was Vivian who was 18. Eileen viewed Vivian as a big sister and they got on very well. There was a temporary school set up in a Church.

Eileen didn’t receive a proper education because there were mixed age groups. Children from Plymouth came to join the school and they brought the teachers with them so that their education was not interrupted, and Eileen soon found out that her schooling had not been as good as the education in Plymouth and that she was way behind them.

She left school at the age of 15 and was employed at Croyde bay near the Nat. association of local government offices, who by that time had evacuated their staff from London to their holiday camp. Eileen was paid 63 pence a week and her keep was paid for. Eileen’s accommodation was in chalets which were very comfortable. Twice a week there was a dance in the ballroom with RAF personnel, who came from Chivenham. Some weekends Eileen would go back to Biddeford to see the Lucas family. She was very happy at Croyde, she made a lot of friends, she was able to swim and go for many beautiful walks along the nearby cliffs.

She returned to London to be a Bridesmaid for her Cousin. The war was not over when she returned to London and she experienced the 6th and 7th rockets, but luckily her and her family were safe. She was working for S.H.Benson a Paige advertising agency. When the war ended the men who had gone into the forces returned to the office so the firms had to give the men their jobs back. There was too many people working in the office so people started looking for other jobs.

She met her husband when he came back from the war. They both moved from Bensons to an American advertising agency who set up a London branch, the pay was much better and so Eileen and her husband were saving up to get married. She got married on the 3rd of September 1949. Mr. and Mrs. Lucas Vivian Lucas all went to Eileen’s wedding. When Vivian Lucas died she left her £500 in her will, which was requested by her late mother. Eileen considered herself very lucky to have met such nice people who welcomed her into their home.

Interviewed and written by
Mathew Jones
and
Michelle Diane Nicolson

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