大象传媒

Did It do us Harm

They have counselling now for every little problem or mishap that occurs in to-days world. My query is why we did not get it during the war years, were they too busy were there not even the councillors around then to do it ?. Anyway we survived and I don鈥檛 think we finished up any the worse people for it nor would we have done if we had been given it. .So much for counselling.
I was born in 1934 and so was 5 when the war started I loved it as far as I can recall until the bombing started and sweets were rationed. I collected shrapnel like every other kid and knew all the types of guns planes ,tanks and ships of ours and the enemies as well I watched planes dog fight ,saw searchlights and night bombers,doodlebugs and smashed down houses and our school flattened. Saw the mobile guns rush from place to place fire off a couple then dash two streets away and repeat it as lived just outside the Albert Dock and the other side of us was the beckton gas works. Both prime targets but I did not know this at the time.
Then came Evacuation . I can recall being sent to a place I thought was called Walthamstow with my sister and Mum we were put above a funeral parlour shop but had to go straight to the shelter when we came out we had to go in the back entrance to the flat ,when Mum saw the coffins in that yard she e said that鈥檚 it were off and took us straight home. We were then evacuated to the country I have never known where but Mum couldn鈥檛 get on with the lady we were sent to live with so home we came again. In the meantime I can remember being sent away from cyprus on the last bus on that bad week end of bombing and we all had to get off the bus at the beckton railway crossing walk around the crater then the bus driver was coaxed to drive the bus round the hole and just made it, so on we got and carried on up to vicarage lane to my aunts.

A day or two passed and we were back home again .Then all of a sudden we were off again only this time without Mum, it was a bus then a train then a coach and we were in Markham school a cup of tea and a fish paste sandwich whilst we awaited to be picked up by the people we were to live with. We went to a Mr and Mrs Dai Lewis of 23 Abernant Rd, Markham nr Blackwood, Mon. I must have been about 7 and my sister 9 but a nicer family we would not have been able to find. They had a son in the Air Force and a daughter a nurse in London Hospital soon to be a Matron a real lovely lady and a married daughter who had a small son. They looked after us real well and even Mum was happy with them, in those days the ladies could not go in the Miners Clubs and that did annoy my Mum when her and Dad Came to visit us and Mr Lewis took Dad to his Club for a pint. Anyway things seem to ease off in London and home we went.

I don鈥檛 know how long we were home when back we had to go , in the meantime Lila Post their other evacuee had been joined by her two sisters so I could not stay there but my sister could. They decided to put me about three streets up in the village with an elderly couple named Mr and Mrs Abernathy who as far as I knew had never had children but I am not sure about that, as I say they were elderly and it must have shocked them to have a small boy thrust upon them and Mr Abernathy had to go back down the mine because of the manpower shortage. They were good people though and looked after me, I can remember her having to wash his back when he came home from work in the little tin bath in front of the fire .I don鈥檛 know what happened to them after I came home the last time. The kids in the village were not very keen on us and many a battle was fought there but no real hurt was ever done. I had the whole village after me one week end when I said they were all pudding heads because their Mums put a pudding basin on their heads and cut round it to give them a hair cut, they caught me on Monday when I went to school but they chased me all over the local mountain behind the pit and all over the village. Brindley Holly was the ringleaders name I will never forget it. Olga the nurse and Gladys took us to Newport and once to Barry Isle land, and we used to go to Bargoed and Tredega or Blackwood. We went to the local flea pit in Markham and I can remember seeing Mutiny on the Bounty starring Charles Laughton I think that鈥檚 what made my mind up to go to sea as soon as I could.

We came home again from Wales and I vividly remember the troops all nations lining up along the front street at Cyprus waiting their turn to be called to be stowed aboard ship Mums giving them cups of tea and bits to eat and us kids pulling the old 鈥済ot any gum chum鈥� routine, and trying to climb up on various types
2
Of vehicles some of which we had not seen before. I remember climbing all over a German Messerschmitt fighter which I think was on show in Trafalgar Square and really enjoying that. I saw many a Doodlebug flying and heard the engine stop and knew what followed but like everyone else was too fascinated to run for the shelter until you knew it was not going to drop on you or too near for that matter. We were all in the street watching the girl Treeweeks getting married when a Spit chased a Doodlebug over Cameron St just as she was leaving for the church, there was quite a stampede for doorways I can assure you, with I believe Queenie Fanakapan as my Mum called her being first in our doorway. She was the local newsagent and would not let my Mum have any under the counter fags unless she could not avoid to, Mum hated her more than the Germans I think.

I was sat in our kitchen one Saturday morning when there was a terrible bang the walls shook the windows rattled and broke, it was a v2.No warning no plane noise just this crash. I rushed into the street and someone said it was in the dock but it was not I with some mates despite cries of come back rushed up the road to see what we could see and arrived at the bascule bridge entrance to the locks to see it had actually hit the bridge and there was just a bit of one side left.They then started to bring out the wounded lock keepers who were on duty at the time for it had also took out their huts as well I don鈥檛 know how many dead there were as the law chased us kids away so we went home to tell Mum.It was a number of years before it was repaired and it did not stop the ships still arriving and departing from the Royals. In the meantime the North Woolwich buses had to have an inspector and a barrier to stop people getting on or off whilst the bus went through the Docks to get to Woolwich and back the same way to get to East Ham.

These events are all that I can recall Other than nights of sleep loss fear of harm or death damp bedding in damp shelters lack of some foods and small pleasures of sweets and fruit clothes footwear sugar butter and many other things but I was only a child it must have been a lot worse for the adults but as I said when I started this we and they got no council ling at all and would have laughed at the thought of needing it .My children still laugh and say Granddad never saw an orange till he was 11 and did not know what shape a banana was till then as well .But I still think of those kind Welsh people who looked after my Sister and Myself and thank god for their kindness, compassion I call it loveability. Thank you

F.J.Perry.

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