大象传媒

Before War was declared, the houses round School had air-raid shelters, and the children were told which houses to go to.
Gas masks were issued before the war, to the school children, and I helped my Dad, who was a Policeman, to deliver gas masks to the houses.
When the war started I was evacuated to West Kirby having discovered a Great Aunt and Uncle, and I stayed with them. My Mum had packed my things, but when I got to Aunt Carries I was made to have a bath, I'd only had one the night before !
I was very disappointed that the local children were not very friendly.
My brother Donald (Elston) was at Birkenhead Institute, which closed at the beginning of the War, but he was sent to Oswestry, he was two and half years older than me.
After the first 6 months my brother and I returned home (The first 6 months were called the 'the false war')
On returning home to Prenton, the air-raids started in the May, the nearest bomb to our house was an incendiary bomb, which landed in the road, and the ARP Warden dug up Mothers Wallflowers to get at the soil to put on the bomb. Mother was very cross about the flowers.
Back at Temple Road School, children would arrive at school saying that they had been bombed out it was very sad.
My brother and I used to go out after the raids, to see if we could find any shrapnel.
We used to watch the raids from the back of the house, the explosions and the fires in Liverpool and Birkenhead Docks.
I can remember going over to Liverpool with my Mother and we saw the pipes laid down to the river, because of the shortage of water.
The worst thing I can remember about the War was always being hungary, and I hated the Whale meat and the Horse meat.
I can remember going to the Market and my Mother getting me to buy a Rabbit, at that time there was no paper to wrap it in, it was just handed to me, it felt cold and stiff, I had to wait for Mum to take it off me I couldn't move, but I have to say, it was lovely when it was cooked.
'Dig for Victory' meant digging up the garden we had turnips, potatoes, rhubarb,carrots and tomatoes.
Just before the end of the War, my dad left home, and we moved to Egremont. We even took in Evacuees from London a Mother and Daughter the mother had been a flower lady in London. Her daughters Husband was in the Merchant Navy he used to arrive home with bananas and chocolate from America but he gave them to his wife, we unfortunately did not have any.
I was 16 when the war ended, we used to go dancing at the Tower NewBrighton and the Grosvenor Liscard.

'This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by 大象传媒 Radio Merseyside鈥檚 People鈥檚 War team on behalf of the author and has been added to the site with his / her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.'

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