大象传媒

For me and many of my school chums, World War II started on the 1st of September,1939, when we embussed at Langstone Junior School and were taken to Portsmouth's Town Station. There, all carrying some sort of haversack (my father had had mine made up in canvas by a cobbler, he called a "snob") and a gas mask in its cardboard case, we entrained. After what seemed a very long and circuitous journey, we arrived at the charming Hampshire village of Shawford, through which the River Itchen gently flows. While waiting near the station for allocation by our teachers of our new temporary homes - our billets - many of us raided the local sweet shop and spent our few pennies of pocket money on "Smarties" and other in vogue sweets and chocolate. Soon, though, we received our "marching orders" and Sidney Smith, Norman Straker and I had not very far to walk along the road leading over Shawford Downs to the large, imposing, detached house belonging to a doctor. We were, as I recall, graciously received but I can now recall nothing about our accommodation, nor about events of the intervening day before Sunday, September 3rd, when War was declared. The other two were somewhat homesick but I was less so, having had the benefit during the Summer of a Scout Camp away from home.
I think we had overheard some of the radio broadcasts leading up to war's declaration and, so, were not really surprised when the doctor's two maids came crying and told us that war had been declared.The dreadful import was lost on us and we jumped for joy at the news, convinced that
we'd soon beat old Hitler and "the Jerrys", who had been causing so much grief. Although I did not hear it at the time, Neville Chamberlain's famous words are as familiar to me as though I had and they always bring instant recall of that day and time.
The news, though, caused the very sudden departure of our doctor host as he was immediately "called to the colours" and we were told that we could no longer stay in his house. This meant that alternative billets had to be found for us and in a hurry. Norman and Sidney were quickly placed with a Mr.and Mrs.Thompson but I was offered accommodation with an elderly couple who lived in a cottage next to the river. On being shown where I was to stay, my heart sank for, though good-hearted and kindly, my prospective hosts were elderly and unappealing and the interior of their cottage was dingy, smelled of paraffin and was a great contrast to my own, relatively modern home. I must have shown some distress - though I don't think I cried - for I was quickly taken from there and, to my great relief, told that I could join my chums.