´óÏó´«Ã½

What I did during the War

I came to this country in May 1938 fleeing Hitler in Germany and atrocities in Germany. We had to leave High School. We came with the Kindertransport. I was 13 years old and was supposed to get education in London. We were not allowed to work. But I worked at a hostel for Refugee Boys who came from Vienna in a condemned building for three months, cooking and helping the person in charge. When war broke out, the boys went to Gateshead. I was stranded, there was not benefits in those days. I got a furnished room and lived on babysitting. I got in touch with relatives and were sent with nine children to Burnham on Sea away from London. It was alright and I came back to London as I needed money. Found a job in the City where we made soldiers’ uniforms and lived as a companion of an elderly lady. That was when the Blitz started, the lady I lived with went to her daughter who lived near an airport and I did not get permission as she lived near an airport as I was a friendly alien. So I went back to furnished room. I met my husband who was terrified of air raids and bombs. He was called to the Army we married. We went to work in the City, buses stopped half way and there were fires and broken buildings everywhere, frightening. My mother in law’s sister lost her baby while in the shelter from the blast. Before he went abroad he was stationed in Derby to get away from the bombs. I was six months pregnant at that time, I could not find accommodation. Exhausted, I met a policeman and asked and he took me to a family. We kept in touch for many years. I only stayed the weekend. I walked to the army camp and spend two evenings with my husband. The raids got worse, they send expecting mothers to the country we went to Northampton. Myself and another lady were billeted. I told her I was vegetarian. I brought sandwiches and she cooked potatoes but when she dished them out she put gravy on and I did not eat them. She then took me up to the bedroom. 1 single bed. I slept on the mat with a blanket. I had pains in the night and went to hospital. When I got warm there was no more pain. A nurse got me a ticket the next day and I came back to London, cleaned our flat, went to the market shopping. Surprise my husband was home for the weekend. Saturday night we went to the Empire for Music hall, there was only gallery seats, enjoyed the show, at 3 o’ clock at night I had labour pains. We had no phone, outside one’s out of order. Dr was called up his wife called emergency no ambulance, they all went where the bombs fell so got to hospital in a police car. I had a small premature baby. No incubator so she was wrapped in cotton wool and washed in olive oil. I was difficult getting coal, the nurse said the paraffin stove was dangerous so I moved in the kitchen and heated it with the oven. The fire when I got coal only the cat got warm. We moved to another flat when I had my son born in an air raid. When the guns were shooting at the planes it woke the baby and the neighbours complained. My husband was abroad and I and the children were evacuated to Rochdale and Crawshawbooth with a nice lady and her son. They were starving, her husband was a deserter and no shop would give her anything to eat or credit. We cooked at the open fire soups veg. It was rainy there all the six months I was there. We came back to London and slept in the cellar. One morning after the all clear, my husband came home. We went to the bedrooms. I heard the doodle bug stop and it came down two houses away. The kids were alright but my little daughter’s cot was full of glass, she played with it from the window. The ceiling came down downstairs. Everything was rationed, a friend helped me out. I got her butter, she got my marg. She cooked for lorry drivers and they enjoyed the horse meat she cooked for them and the marg. maid pies and cakes. I had my demob baby after Victory day when the kids had a party in the cellar as it was raining. And I had all the parents as we were the only flat with a television.

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.