大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War Website by Elizabeth Perez of Stockport Libraries on behalf of Roy Waude and has been added to the site with his permission. He fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

During the Blitz, when I was around 7 years old, in an air raid, I, my parents and neighbours had to take refuge in nearby Wilsons Brewery, which was less uncomfortable than the Andersen Shelter. Wen we left the Brewery in the morning, many of the houses in the locality had been demolished by bombs. We then just had to get on with our lives - there was no such thing as counselling in those days.

My next recollection from this period was a the nearby Acme Tin Stamping factory catching fire. I automatically assumed it had been bombed but, in fact, it was an accidental fire. The sky glowed bright orange with the flames.

I used to go out at night-time on occasions, armed only with a torch. Looking back I am surprised that I was not filled with fear, since the torch was the only illumination - everywhere else was blacked out.

There was less traffic about in those days, but being a bit of a day-dreaming child, I still managed to get run over by a car on my way home from school. My Mum complained to school for not taking proper care of me, but the teacher soon put her right - it was my fault for not paying sufficient attention to the only car that was on the road at that time!

My final recollection occurs after VJ Day. My mate Harry had been a prisoner of the Japanese and was released at the end of the war. When he arrived home, he was suffering from malaria and was in a terrible state, weighing virtually nothing. My brother, Joe, and I visited him one afternoon and he was soaked in sweat. We used wet towels to cool him down and we carried him piggy-back to Ancoats Hospital. The hospital praised us for the actions we had taken, and Harry was prescribed quinine. Notwithstanding Harrry's horrific experiences, he lived to a ripe old age dying at the age of 83 years - a testimony to the wartime spirit and the determination to survive and get on with life.

Looking back now I think it is remarkable how I and my generation survived the war and got on with life.

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