大象传媒

When war was declared on 3rd September 1939 I lived at Strood in Kent. I was 10 years old and was evacuated to Whitstable with my brother who was 13. I can remember standing on the station with all the other kids clutching a carrier bag containing a sandwich, broken biscuits and a tin of corned beef. When we arrived at Whitstable we were marched round knocking on people's doors asking them to take us in. They found us a place with a lady who took in four boys. On the 8th September it was my 11th birthday, I felt very upset away from home and no presents.

We went to school for half a day, one week in the mornings, and the next in the afternoon. When we were not at school the teachers, who were evacuated with us, took us for walks and games. My brother and I only stayed about six months then we went home.

When the air raids started we used to sleep in an air raid shelter in our garden. When we heard the planes going over we would poke our heads out to see the German bombers going over towards London to drop their bombs, and to watch the dog fights between our fighters and theirs. Later on in the war we would count our bombers going out, then count again when they came back to see how many were missing. When they sent the Doodlebugs over with flames coming from them everyone cheered, they thought our guns had hit them. After the all clear went in the morning I would go round collecting shrapnel, bullet cases and shell caps. At thirteen I joined the ARP as a messenger boy, when there was a raid I put on my tin helmet and went down to the local ARP post. Once a month I did a week of night duty at head quarters. I got paid for that, twelve shillings and sixpence (62 陆 p) for the week, then at 14 I started work in a ship yard.

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