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This story is submitted by a volunteer on behalf of Radio Bristol Active Dest at City of Bristol college.

I was 4 in 1939, and people said it had started. The war, I didn’t understand what it was about until Dunkirk, and then the bombing of local factories. There was a cloud over us it seemed, everything was referred to as before the war. It was sad and depressing every morning at school, the announcement of ships going down in their thousands and crew with them. We used to sing hymns such as ‘peril on the sea’.

We were not allowed to show emotion no tears while the war was on. You had to be strong for everyone else; everyone reminded you that there were people worse off than you.

We were very short of food, until Pearl Harbour, when the Americans arrived. They all looked smart and well dressed I had never seen toothpaste or a toothbrush until the Americans arrived. With them they brought food and they gave some to me, which I took home.

When my birthday arrived which is on the 4th July, which unknown to me was American Independents Day. I received lots of presents and sweets from the soldiers.

I went out one day to see my friends; I walked out in the street and saw no one. They had all been evacuated; it was like a dead zone it was weird to see the streets so bare.

When I found out that the war was over it felt like that cloud that had been hanging over me though out the whole time had lifted.

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