大象传媒

It was a very hot day and during the previous two weeks or so we had seen military equipment piling up in the local areas. On this particular day, I had taken the babies to the beach, when suddenly, without warning, lines of Army recruits started to march past. They looked very hot in their khaki uniforms- and so we offered them water and lemonade. We women didn鈥檛 know what was happening, but the men looked hot and unhappy. We were only allowed a few minutes to speak with them, squeeze their hands and in some cases kiss them goodbye. They were loaded into a type of landing craft (there were lots of them in fact), and we waved and threw kisses! Later we found they had been sent to France.

I actually lived in London before my marriage. I worked as a secretary at Roman Wall House, Crutched Friars. My husband-to-be was in the Navy 鈥� having to endure the bombing in the Isle of Dogs, Fleet Street and other areas. I would go home to Willesden, sometimes walking as all the transport had ceased. I would then make my way to an ARP Centre (which was under Gladstone Park) and continue my secretarial work. I got fed up being underground and wanted to be where the action was! Reluctantly, they let me work on an ARP Post (in the local cemetery). I used to get so tired and tried to nap between the air raid warnings, and sometimes I did not know if I was waking up to the 鈥淎ll Clear鈥� or if it was, in fact, a warning!

It was after my marriage, and the birth of my two children, that my husband arranged for us to rent apartments in Southsea, in the Fareham area. I was there through the worst raids (Buzz Bombs etc). We didn鈥檛 like it, but used to say 鈥淚f it鈥檚 got our name on it, we鈥檝e had it鈥�! Money was very short and a neighbour and I used to sew dolls from old coats! We used to earn two shillings and sixpence per dozen!!
Luckily, we all survived and I am here to tell the tale 鈥� Oh happy days!!

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