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This story was submitted to the People's War site by a volunteer from Bletchley Park VE Day commemorations on behalf of Carole Accorsini and had been added to the site with her permission. Carole fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

"My earliest memory ever is when I was aged around 20 months. I was living in Southend and the year was 1944 and we moved into our house on D Day.

I remember lying in bed under the Morrison shelter and seeing white flashes through the black out curtain. Mum used to put me under the shelter and sleep beside me, to make sure I was safe.

My husband’s father — Giullio Accorsini was Italian and came over in England before the war as a young man. When the war was declared he had his own restaurant in London with his wife but he was interned as they classed him as the enemy. His wife tried to keep the business going but because customers would flee at the sound of the sirens they used to run off without paying and the business went under. When he came out of internment he had no business, so he had to start again. And a funny twist my husband — Russell — Giullio’s son was a chef in the British Army!"

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