大象传媒

World War II Notes

I was nearly 15 years old when the War started, living in Torquay, South Devon, until I joined the army later in the war.

The day that war was declared was on Sunday 3rd September 1939. Everybody had been anticipating the announcement for some time. Preparations had already been made to provide some public air raid shelters in the town. Windows has been fitted with "black out"material and the effect had been tested before the declaration.

Gas masks had been issued to everybody (Horses had masks too). Young children has masks in the shape of a "Mickey Mouse".

On the morning of the 3rd September I was at home and we all listened to Mr Chamberlain's broadcast on the radio, telling us we were at war with Germany.

I can remember my grandparents recalling the Great War which had ended only 21 years before, and how my uncles had fought in that war. If I were honest as to how I felt on that day it would be excitement - fifteen year old boys had been listening to old soldiers tales, not only of the Great War of 1914-1918 but my grandfather often regaled me with stories of the Boer War too. Grandmother said that at least it would be all over before I had to go, which proved to be wishful thinking.

How often did we wear gas masks? Well we carried them in a cardboard box with strings over our shoulder. I can recall having the mask properly fitted by somebody from the ARP (Air Raid Precautions) and can still recall the rubber smell as it was fitted over my face. We practised putting them on at school when we had air raid drill. I do not recall feeling uncomfortable in the mask.

Because Torquay was not considered a prime target for air raids we did not have a shelter built in the garden which was known as an Anderson Shelter and was supplied to major towns and cities. Instead we had a Morrison Shelter. This was a rectangular box, the top of which was a solid steel sheet and the sides steel mesh. This took the place of the dining room table and was actually used for that purpose. We had a mattress inside and a torch and during the big air raids on Plymouth and Exeter when there was plenty of air activity at night we often spent ours lying inside the shelter. I can recall using the top to play table tennis on too! We would have a book to read by the light of the torch but we would be waiting all the time for the All Clear to sound and then we could get back upstairs to bed.

Many of my friends fought in the war, all of us were called up at the age of 18 - I think all of those I knew felt it was the right thing to do.

Some of my friends were killed in the war, these tragedies were daily occurrences and when friends were lost it was often difficult to come to terms with. Looking back over those years I can honestly say that we never dwelt on the subject of getting killed - we carried on from day to day doing our civilian job, hoping to get a raid free night and in the forces with our own comrades with a good team spirit that usually got us through the bad times.

I knew some evacuees - a London School, St Olaves came en bloc and shared our school which meant staggered hours for lessons and worst of all Saturday morning school some weeks! We got on all right with them. Some of them remained in Torquay and two of the London lads married cousins of mine.

You ask about the "scariest time"of the war for me. There were times when I fervently wished that I was anywhere else but stuck in an air raid with heavy clumps over falling bombs too close for comfort. Probably the worst episode was the first "Buzz Bombs"(the V1 Rockets) which fell around London where I was stationed for a time with the Royal Signals. A group of us were in Kings Cross Station when a V1 fell close by - the effect was shattering - all of us there ourselves flat on the platform, smoke and dust was choking and our ears were ringing for hours afterwards. None of us had so much as a scratch but it was "scary" moment.

All of us thought that England declaring war was the right thing to do. Hitler had gained power in Europe and the Nazi party had done terrible things to the Jews. He had already taken over Austria and was threatening Poland.

We never had any doubts that the Germans would be defeated. Even after the defeat at Dunkirk it was unthinkable that Germany could conquer our Island - ask any member of the Home Guard!

Ordinary life changed in many ways. Food was strictly rationed, shop windows were unlit and no neon signs were lit. Windows were taped into squares to avoid large pieces of plate glass shattering. Clothing was rationed and styles were plain to conserve material. The streets at night were unlit and car headlights were covered with cardboard so that only a small area of light was showing. We appreciated a moonlit night in those circumstances - although the bombers often did as well.

I do not think that one consciously dwells on the fear of being killed. Most servicemen would tell you it only happens to other people, never you! To say one was never afraid of the unpleasant things that happened would be totally untrue, but there was a tremendous spirit of "camaraderie" which helped us all through the war. When the last shot was fired in 1945 I can only remember a feeling of intense relief that it was all over at last.

THE ABOVE WAS SENT BY MY UNCLE TO HELP MY SON WITH HIS HISTORY PROJECT AT SCHOOL, ABOUT 8 YEARS AGO. A.J.STENNER.

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