大象传媒

Born in January 1930, and raised in the delightful tree lined avenues of Chiswick, West London. I was 9 plus when war was declared on Germany, on September 3rd 1939. At the time I was in my second year at Latymer Foundation Junior School. The school was located on Hammersmith Road, opposite West London hospital. We were also very lucky to have "Fullers" chocolate factory and shop next door, and the girls who worked in the factory would on occasions slip a chocolate or two to us little boys.

Evacuation by the school took place in the early hours of the morning shortly after war had been declared. We were formed up outside the school, said goodbye to our parents, and then marched across the Broadway to the Metropolitan station, and then on the train to Paddington. We all had our cases, gas masks, and were suitably labelled with our names. Then onto the main line train pulled by a steam locomotive , on a journey we knew not where. Most of us saw this as an adventure into the unknown. We passed through countryside with sheep and cows grazing in the fields, all very new to us. Our journey's end was High Wycombe station in Buckinghamshire. Once again we were assembled on the station platform, where we were duly allocated to our various foster parents. I was to be on my own with a lady who had a young child. The house as I remember was situated to the east of the town, and was one in a terrace. I remember being not very happy with my situation, but was determined to make the best of things. However, my foster mother must have been very poor, for she sold all my clothing with the exception of what I was wearing. On a visit my own mother discovered what had happened and immediately removed me. We spent the day with the vicar and headmaster, a Mr England, finding alternative accommodation for me. My next foster parents were a Mr and Mrs Knock who also had a young son. They were to prove a delightful family, Mr Knock was a hairdresser by trade, and once a month he would cut our hair. I was very happy with them and kept in touch until his death in the 1990s. School was in the adjacent village of Sands, situated in a valley to the south west of the main town of High Wycombe, a walk of about two miles from my home. We shared it with the local children, they had lessons on the morning and we in the afternoon. It was a pleasant walk past the recreation ground and the watercress beds. Although the winter of 1939/40 was very cold we had long spells of snow which we enjoyed. Our local church was in West Wycombe, and is well known for its golden ball. It was from here we were to see the bright glow in the sky as the blitz started in London. We were some 36 miles away, it was shortly after that in 1941, following my eleventh birthday, that a number of us returned back to our parents in London. It was felt by many of the parents that they preferred their families together.

I was now of an age to go to the senior school, Upper Latymer in Kings Street, Hammersmith. Part of the school had been bombed, the gym had been destroyed. It was also the situation where part of the school was still evacuated to Gerrards Cross. However, I commenced my first term in the second form in the house of Digby. Prayers were taken each morning in the main hall by the headmaster Mr F. Wilkinson MA. The years thar followed were to be quite traumatic. 1941 was to see the blitz intensify with the bombing both during the day and night. Sleep deprivation was one of the major factors for most people during this period. So many factors played a part in our everyday lives at that time. People were made homeless overnight, maimed, buried or killed. One of my school friends was excited because his brother was coming home on leave from the navy. That night he and his family were all killed during an air raid which affected the whole school. The standard of education at Latymer was very high and the extensive curriculum meant you needed good powers of concentration, which under the circumstances was very hard to maintain. The end of term exams were taken in the basement of the Polish church opposite the school during the raids.

The playing field in Wood Lane had a barrage balloon set on one part of the field whilst allotments were sited on another part. However, football, cricket and athletics were still vigorously encouraged by the staff. Round the river runs each and every week whatever the weather to keep us on our toes. By the end of 1942 most of the school had come together. 1943 was to see part of the V1 or buzz bombs as they were called dropping on London. We watched these jet driven pilotless aircraft fly across the until the fuel ran out and they dropped as a bomb exploded causing large areas of devastation. Throughout this time classes continued without interruption. By 1944 things were improving from the allies situation, but were to face one more horrific situation with the V2 rocket. I was to be extremely lucky at this time. I had ridden on my bicycle to see a school chum who had been unwell. He lived with his parents in Staveley Road in Chiswick. After my visit I was riding home via Burlington Lane and was just outside the main entrance gates to Chiswick House when there was a tremendous explosion behind me. I retraced my steps to find a giant crater and complete areas of devastation. Houses were blown apart and there was dust and debris everywhere. I was stunned, really unable to take it all in. The blast from the explosion must have diverted past me on my bicycle by the curved boundary wall of Chiswick House. Whilst I was wondering what had happened a policeman rode up on his bike, pulled up beside me and asked me what I was doing. I told him I had just ridden past the site, he said you have been a very lucky lad now get off home.

It was first announced on radio that it was a gas main explosion but this was denied and we were told it was the first V2 rocket. Recently a plaque has been erected on the site and was reported on a 大象传媒 television programme.

I remember that on the announcement of the end of the war in Europe in 1945 a school friend and I joined the crowds outside Buckingham Palace to see the Queen and King George VI wave to us all from their balcony and then being swept along by the crowd to Northumberland Avenue off Trafalgar Square to see Winston Churchill make a speech of celebration and thanksgiving. Then there the street parties and bonfires in the middle of the road which melted the tarmac. People were delighted to see the war at an end and give thanks for their survival and to await the return of their loved ones.

Mr D. Hinton
16 Flacca Court
Field Lane
Tattenheall
Cheshire
CH3 9PW
01829 771478

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