War memories

With an ever-diminishing number of Second World War veterans still alive to keep the memories of the conflict alive, it falls to the ‘younger’ generation to ensure this momentous event in our history doesn’t fade from public knowledge.

Every day, memories of the War are disappearing from living history with the men and women who fought in it now in their 90s or older.

Therefore, with the 80th anniversary of the end of the War in Europe (VE Day) happening in May, we took the opportunity of asking the ladies and gentlemen at Bramshott Grange what memories they had as children during the time.

Doreen was 9 years old when war broke out and lived in Nottingham and remembers her father coming in after the Prime Minister gave and address and telling her mother “it is war”. Doreen recalls only one raid during the whole of the war. The family slept in an Anderson Shelter in the garden. Her father was 38 and was a fire watchman.  He would go to the city (3 miles on the bus).  Doreen recalls getting a gas mask and it becoming seemingly quite normal to wear one.  Gas masks were issued to every adult and child and they had to collect theirs from a depot.  She never recalls being hungry despite rationing and was given sweet rations from an older couple living next door.  Doreen can remember hearing the noise of engines that were going to bomb Birmingham as she sat under the stairs of the house.  Doreen remembers her oral interview for her 11+ exam.  The university had been bombed and there was no paperwork.  Doreen wondered if that was why she passed!  There was a shortage of paper and no toilet rolls and they had to use newspaper.  Doreen belonged to a dance group, who danced in the park to celebrate the end of the War.

Ann was living in Leeds at the time and remembers sleeping in a cupboard under the stairs with her twin brother. She had previously lived in Sheffield which was bombed.

Julia remembers watching aircraft shooting at each other. Her sister was a year older than her and was nervous of war but Julia was not. She recalls at times hiding in alcoves next to the fireplace. Julia remembers being given additional food from fellow villagers during rationing.

Pamela was living in the centre of London and was 12 years old when war broke out.  She was in Church when they were told and some of the other girls were crying.  Pam’s school were evacuated to Dorset and they shared a school building with another school. She recalls being evacuated to Dorset many times during the war and one occasion, there was a raid in the middle of an algebra exam she was sitting.  Pam remembers when the first Germans came over England and they were told by staff at the school to ‘not look up as they will see you and bomb you!’  She didn’t regard war as fun, but was not overly anxious.  Her family then sent her to a school in Scotland.  Her mother drove an ambulance during the blitz. Her father refused to have anything to do with it and stayed in the upper quarters of the home. He had previously fought in the World War One and was very bitter about it

Pat recalls living in a small terraced house at the time of the war.

Lady Zochonis remembers going to Ireland with her mother until the war ended.  She was 1 year old.

Sheelagh  lived in East Horsley and was 4 years old at the beginning of the war.  She remembers doodlebugs going over the house.  They would suddenly stop and she would wonder where they had landed.

Peter was 11 years old when war broke out and lived in Wethersfield, Essex.  There was an airfield there and their house was at the end of the runway.  The house was sold and Peter went to look at the house at the end of the war.  He moved to Tunbridge Wells to live with his grandmother in a first floor flat.  He would look out of the window and see fires all over London.  His mother looked after 5 evacuee children.  He can remember listening to the broadcast that war had broken out and everything around him was silent.  There were barrage balloons to protect from low flying aircraft 500-600ft high.  He can remember one breaking loose.  He can remember the first doodlebug coming over.  There were lots of guns around Tunbridge Wells which were moved to the coast.  Peter used to enjoy cycling with his friends and he and his friend Eric found an incendiary bomb which was unexploded.  They made a long ‘rope’ with their ties and belts and pulled it.  Eric picked it up and took it to the nearest gun.   Everyone was horrified!  They would often find bullets and shrapnel.  During the war Peter, as a scout, would collect paper.  He remembers people bringing books to donate and there being miles of books down the road. Peter’s mother was called up.  Women were called up to make munitions and bombs and the farmworkers were women.  Peter said clothing was rationed but rabbit was not rationed!  People were issued with identity cards, each with a number and this number is still used for National Health and ISA’s.  Gas masks were also issued to every adult and child. After the war, Peter bought a house for £250!

Peter was 2 and a half when war broke out and caught TB and spent 9 months in a sanatorium before going home to Epsom.  Every night was spent either in a Morrison Shelter under the bed or in an Anderson Shelter.  He then went to stay with an aunt in Godalming where he learnt to ride a bicycle.  He was evacuated to the house of a train driver and he was taken on a steam train near Guildford.  He also let him drive an electric train! Peter can remember a doodlebug landing in the back garden and they lost their roof. They had a temporary covering over the whole roof.  1 person was killed in their road.  Peter thinks people worked harder in and post war.  He remembers going to Tolworth Odeon Cinema and a doodlebug flew over the top of the building before dropping and exploding. Peter said he also remembers that sweets were the last thing to come off rationing.  Rationing lasted until 1954.

Jean was born in 1943.  Jean’s mother married her father in January, her father was sadly killed in September and Jean was born in November.  Her father was in the RAF and was shot down over the English Channel ‘missing presumed dead’.  Her mother gave birth to Jean at her father in law’s house in Marlow and then Jean and her mother went to live her great aunt for about 10 years in Bucklebury and then East Sussex.  Jean’s uncle drowned trying to rescue the crew of a bomber that crashed in the harbour.

Jen was born in 1926 and lived in London.  Her brother was 18 months younger.  They were evacuated to Melksham, Wiltshire to a Mr and Mrs West.  Mr and Mrs West had grown up children, so Jen and her brother were the only children living with them.  Mr West was a baker and they were both quite strict.  Their mother would visit them occasionally. Jen’s mother requested that Jen and her brother come back from Melksham as things were fairly quiet at that time and she felt it would be safe for them.  However, when they returned to London, the bombings started.  Jen can remember hearing the sirens.  Jen and her family used to sleep at night in the Anderson Shelter at the end of their garden.  Their father was injured in the war but made a near complete recovery.