大象传媒

My Mum, brother(David) and sister(Myrtle), were evacuated to Peters Marland in North Devon in the early part of the war. My Dad was serving in the RAF. They were taken to the Church Hall. I always remember Mum saying that Auntie Ethel (Mrs Ethel Marion Hearn) chose them to go and stay with her on her farm Week Barton.

Mum returned to London where I was born early in January 1943 and named Marion after Auntie. Shortly after we returned to Devon. We were lucky that for a short while Dad was stationed nearby at RAF Chivenor.

Obviously being so young I don鈥檛 remember much of the war years, but I do remember the Italian prisoners of war helping on the farm for a while after the war. One memory is of me going down a slope on my scooter coming off at the bottom and being picked up and carried into the farmhouse by men saying the bambino is hurt. I would have been between 2 + 3 at that time.

Most of my memories are of after the war, when we returned to stay with Auntie Ethel and Uncle Jack. I always remember Uncle Ralph, Uncle Jack鈥檚 brother, saying that he would come to London to visit us. He said he would get off the train at Waterloo and ask for Mrs Smith. Having lived in the country all his life he had no idea of the size of London.

Auntie and Uncle sold Week Barton and they moved to another farm East Furlong, in Littleham near Bideford. This they passed on to their son William and they moved to Culver House further up in the village.

I continued to have many happy holidays with them both. Auntie and Uncle have passed away and are buried at Peters Marland Church. When I have the chance I go and put flowers on their grave and say thank you for what they did for me and my family.

My love of the area stems from this time and I try to return at least once a year but now having retired it is more difficult.

Marion Jenman (Smith)

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