大象传媒

I was born in Woolwich, south London, in 1929. In the first days of September 1939 my father (my mother had died in the previous February) took me to Winchester, where my aunt lived, 鈥渢o be away from the bombing鈥�. The headmaster of my first school asked, 鈥淎re you sure you belonged to the 鈥楲ondon County Council鈥�?鈥� (To be able to receive monies from where I came). 鈥淵es鈥�, said I. 鈥淟ondon County Council, was stamped on the pencils we used鈥�. A very lonely time for a little boy.

During May and June 1940 I remember so many British and French soldiers arriving at Winchester Railway Station. As schoolboys we went to view. They had survived the Dunkirk evacuation and were to be housed in the the local army camps. On Christmas Day of 1941 I would looked out of the window of where I lived, High Street, Winchester, to see so many Canadian soldiers, nowhere to go. I felt very sorry for them, I still do, in a foreign land. I know now they were the raiding force of the 2nd Canadian Division (and British commandos) for the Dieppe assault on the French port. 3670 casualties from a force of 7000. But valuable planning for 鈥楧鈥橠ay. My uncle told me he listended to 鈥楲ord Haw Haw, traitor, broadcasting from Berlin. He told of a large British ship which had been sunk! During WWII the head-dress of sailors only showed 鈥楬MS鈥� no name. The ship which had been 鈥榮unk鈥� was a training establishment which was shown on sailors鈥� headdress (hat).

As the bombing became less in 1942 I returned to Blackheath (London) to live with my sister. I joined the 2nd Company, West Kent Battalion of the Boys Brigade. When the V1 rockets came and I was delivering newspapers, early morning, one could hear when the motor stopped. The rocket was due to land/dive and much damage, I would stop in a doorway.. A number of my comrades from the Boys Brigade died on such occasions. When the V2s (no sound until they hit, so fast) came, my sister thought, 鈥︹�漷his is the end鈥�.She took some bedsheets. She had married in 1940, her husband was now away with the RAF Regiment. As was the custom the sheets were mark with the initial of their surname, maybe a wedding present. At least something would be kept from her home. We went to Dursley, Gloucestershire, to friends. I worked on a farm part time. Later I worked full time on a farm in Peters Marland, north Devon. My father visited at Christmas 1944 and brought his sugar ration. In May 1945 I returned to commence an apprenticeship as a dental technician in Woolwich. On VE day (Victory in Europe). I was given a day off work! Everywhere so much damage, darkness and gloom. But Londoners,

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