大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Stoke-on-Trent Libraries on behalf of Edna Wilson and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

My strongest memory is of the day my aunt received a telegram concerning her eldest son who was killed at Anzio.He had already been injured and had received treatment before returning to active service.We went to her house to comfort her. Her second son survived,he was on the minesweepers and came back from "hot countries" bringing lemons and bananas which i had never seem before.I took them into school and they went on display. I was 7yrs old then and thought them magical.
I remember the Americans arriving driving doen Porthill bank in late 1942 and we were shouting at them
"HAVE YOU GOT ANY GUM CHUM"
We noticed that all the drivers of the lorries were black men but not an issue for us then.
My father was a joiner and so had a reserved occupation but he did work away alot on bomb damage sites.
I remember the bomb on top of Wolstanton hill when a few houses were dedtroyed and was standing on Middleport canal bridge watching the fires from them.One time we slept through an air raid alarm and were waking up when the all clear was sounded so stayed in bed!
our school caretaker used to check the rubber strength in our gas masks every month. Vitamin C boxes were brought in and we got a tablet handed out accasionally.I remember the Cod Liver oil and Concentrated Orange bottles.
"Tell your mother the oranges are in" was a shout from the green grocer to me as I passed one day.
The chip shop was open on a Thursday and the queue for chips was the highlight of the week,

I saw some prisoners of war from Japan and I was terrified of the skeletons,it was avery clear image that lsated a long time.
Edna Wilson,Stoke-on-Trent

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