- Contributed by听
- Liverpool Libraries
- People in story:听
- Sally Benbow (nee Crimmins), Joe Crimmins, Ted Crimmins, Mary Crimmins, Tony Crimmins
- Location of story:听
- Liverpool and Ireland
- Background to story:听
- Civilian
- Article ID:听
- A5043494
- Contributed on:听
- 13 August 2005
In 1939 my father (who was born in Southern Ireland)went to Belfast, Northern Ireland to join the British Army again. Two months later my eldest brother Joe turned eighteen and did the same. That left my Mum, my seventeen year old brother Ted, my thirteen year old sister Mary, myself (aged 5) and my three and a half year old brother Tony in Ireland.
At the end of April 1940 Mum decided we should come to England where the men were (although in the event it was a few years before we all got to see each other)
We arrived in Liverpool with a tin bath full of dishes and pans, mum's sewing machine, a case of clothes each and best of all my doll's pram (which Mum could have sold over and over again) My seventeen year old brother Ted could not come over as he had to have a job to come to.
We went to live in rooms in Hawthorn Road, Bootle (North Liverpool)We didn't know anyone and we spent most nights in a shelter in the local park. One night there was no house to go back to. (This happened twice to us!)
We then went to share a house with an old flame of my uncle (who was in the RAF)Then we got our own house in Tuebrook. There were plenty of empty houses then and people just moved anywhere to get away from the bombing.
My brother Ted then arrived from Ireland as my mother got him a job. He was only there for a few months and then he joined the army. Poor Mum, she had come to be near the men and they had all gone off to fight.
Each Thursday Mum, Mary, Tony and I went to Tuebrook Police Station with our identity cards. We went every week until the war ended. Mum didn't object she thought it only right.
Any woman who didn't work, the police would knock and ask if they would look after children whose mums were doing war work. Mum looked after a few, she wouldn't take payment, she said that was her war work.
I could go on and on - Mum was a real war hero as far as I'm concerned.
Contributed by Sally Benbow (nee Crimmins)
Liverpool 2005
漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.
Recommended story
Story with photo