大象传媒

Bourn 20.4.36.(same birthday as Hitler!)St Giles hospital Camberwell S.E.5.
Address 21 Westmacott St. S.E.5 Remember the day war broke out,even though I was only 3y 4m. A bright sunny day,my father took me to the shops to buy a newspapper,he also bought me a toy sword.On the way home he stoped to talk to his brother in law,Joe & some frends,(in Pickton St.)I was slaughtering all the Germans with my sword!The next I recall was being evacuated to Cherhill Wilts,we where in a thatched cottage,all the family seem to be there at one time or anouther,just like Hopping.the school I went to had one class for all,& one teacher.This must of been the "Phony War"I dont think I stayed there long. One day I was in a country lane with a frend when a car came a long,I think he was free wheeling down hill,my frend & I didnt,notice it,we where only about 4,we throwing gravel across lane,& we must of hit the car the driver got out & slaped me across the face,I went down & grazed my knee,my Gran,who was staying there at the time sued the driver,& he was fined 10 shillings,I still remember sitting in the court.The worst was still to come,the driver happend to be the husband of my teacher.I also recall playing my first football match there it was played in a field,with two coats for the goal,& my position was behind the goalkeeper I had to get the ball before it ran into the road when it went behind the goal.I was verry good at it.We returned home,I have no idea of dates.The next I recall,is being evacuated to Sherborne Dorset.At first I was billeted in a house where I had to sleep on the floor,the when my Gran found out she managed to find me accomadation with a Mr.& Mrs.Picture.Loverly people.I went to Sunday school every Sunday & also Chapple .Mr. Picture worked in the water works in Sherborne,on shift work.So we went to the evening service when he was on early shift & the morning service when on late shift.This from a little toerag from Camberwell .Mr. Picture organised the wine & bread for the service,I managed to get a taste of the bread,but I couldnt,get anywhere near the wine. went to the local school which was opposite the Sherborne Public school,had to walk two miles there & back every day,no 4wheeldrive to take you.One day on the way to school I found in a field opposite the public school a strange shaped football(it was a rugbyball) I picked it up & took it to school,in my book it was finders keepers,but the teacher had outher ideas & made me take it back.On the way to school I had to pass a
US.Army camp,we(I had made a some frends by now)lernt a few of the facts of life,I also invented a 18 year old sister,so when I asked the GIs, "Got any gum chum" & they asked if I had a sister I said "of course & she will meet you on the corner at 7pm." I dont,know who was kidding who.I do believe it was very exciting in town at weekends as there was a Fleet Air Arm base at Yeovil &
I believe there was some rivalry between our Navy & the US army.I wasnt,allowed to watch.
Remember calling on a frend(we called him singsing)I was told he was "down the lane"I went looking for him & when I couldnt,find him,I went back to his house to find out where the lane was.I was looking for a lane like East Lane,or Peddicoat Lane. My father who was not in the military(unfit for some reason he was about 34)was at first in the Rescue Squad,then the fire brigade,& then the police.My mouther worked in Samual Jonses in Camberwell on munitions in a foundry making shells.They would come down every so oftern to visit,& bring food parcils.One day they came it was harvest time & the farmer was harvesting the corn out the back,& we where trying to catch the rabbits that ran from the corn,my frends & I used cudgels,with not much success,but at the end of the day we all got a rabbit to take home to put in the pot to subsidize our rations.It was a very different life to what I had left back in S.E.5.& one I enjoyed very much,In fact I lernt after that if anything had happend to my parents I would of been adopted by Mr.Mrs.Picture.There was one very sad day in August 1944,I remember when a telegram arrived saying that my uncle Harry(my fathers half brouther) had been killed when the bomber he was in coming back after a raid on Germany had crashed in France and he was "missing"but inactual fact he had been killed,my wife & I,with my aunt (his sister) have been to his grave in a small village near Arras in France He is in a grave with two more from the bomber(a Wellington Ibelieve)the outher four I think bailed out ,& where hidden by the resistance till the end of the war,when we lernt for certain he had been killed.I must say there grave is kept in pristine condition & who ever does it we thank very much. One day my father came on his own,& he asked me if I would like to go home I agreed packed my bag(with my broken air rifel)& left on the train for Waterloo!!!I can still see the search lights,& hear the noise of the bombs & guns even now as we waited in the train outside of Waterloo station for the air raid to end,also my father saying "your mother will kill me for bringing you home".Anyway we got home & I had to start school again at Cork St.Now with shelters in the playground we also had them in the street outside our house,& a "Anderson" shelter in my outher Grans back garden who lived next door.When my mouther was at work my Gran used to look after me,I recall once when a siren sounded my Gran came looking for me I ran in the frount door & slamed it shut leaving her in the street fortunately we had shelters in the street but that didnt stop her giving me what for. As I said earlier I have no idea of time or dates,it all seens one to me,so I cant give the exact order of events,I remember the bombing OK.When the 大象传媒.got hit. Sitting in the Odeon or Regal watching a black & white film which we had qued for to see,when on the screen we where told tat an air raid was in progress,& nobody moved.We had a little Gang of us boys from Westmacott & Edmond Sts & we spent most of our time in the street,no TV,wireless Computers,or play stations,we didnt even have electricity!so we had no reason to stay indoors,but one of our gang,I will all ways remember him "George Tayler" the same name as one of my Grandsons,he could tell a story,he was a bit older than the rest of us,but as I recall sitting on the kerb listening to one of his tails,when a V2 came over,we could hear the rocket,but nobody moved,untill the engine sound stoped then every body scatterd to the shelter,but the Blitz was bad(thats stating the obvious)but it was exciting aswell,I had as I said a uncle Harry in the R.A.F.& a uncle Ted his brother in the army,I believe he went through North Africa,Italy,& the Normandy landings into Germany where he was wounded I remember them saying they could not wait to get back to there baracks it was to dangerous in London!! The girls around used to do shows in the shelters,one was named Rosie Duffet.as I said we didnt have electricity so thay made do withcandels,
very professional.On the outher side towhere we lived,next door but one,was a pub,The Rose,& that an extention we called the Jazz Hall where dances where held most Saterday Nights & weddings,but you had to be careful of the black out,& I understood from my father beer was on ration, If I do manage to add a picture It will be one of the ones of our VEDay parties in the Jazzhall

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