War Reminiscences: -
I was six years old when war was declared and these are some of the events that I remember. I hope my brothers and sister will add to these reminiscences.
Rationing: -
The first thing on my mind is the rationing. Mum could only buy small quantities of certain foods and she had to give coupons to acquire them. We were given individually and weekly in a small pot, no bigger than a yogurt pot, jam to last us for that week. Butter was also rationed and spread very sparingly. We never saw a banana and I’ll never forget the excitement when the first van past our gate, going to the village, to deliver bananas. We shouted to mum and dad and ran to the village to buy some. Sweets were very scarce and I recall that mum kept a large jar of toffee bonbons that her dad had given us from his sweet and tobacco shop in Twickenham.
Christmas: -
At Christmas time four chairs were placed in the living/dining room to receive our presents. We always had an apple and an orange and one or two other small gifts from aunties. One year was very special because grandma had sent for my sister and me beautiful glazed chalk faced dolls. They would break if dropped and we looked after them for years, they were extra special because grandma was an alcoholic and they divorced then mother’s father forbade her to see her mother. So those dolls were a bit secret as we later learned.
Blackout: -
Many planes from Germany flew overhead at night and dad would shout out ‘no light don’t take the torch´. I always felt very frightened going to the toilet just outside the back door it was so dark and scary. Sometimes I think we thought that if we shone a light the aircraft they might drop some bombs and miss the town that they were heading for. We were very careful to make sure that the black curtains covered the windows totally so that the light from the oil lamps wouldn’t escape and be seen from outside.
Searchlights, Gas masks, Dugouts and Evacuees: -
Other features of the war were Searchlights, Gas masks, Dugouts and Evacuees.
The searchlights were stationed along the top of the hills above Ham and Shalbourne. It was quite a sight to see them searching the sky at night. We were sent to school with gas masks and learnt how to wear them but always hoped that we wouldn't need them. As it happened we didn't need them. Each house was advised to build a dugout. Dad made one for us, it was situated about six or seven yards from the front door. It was approximately three yards by four yards. It was supplied with rations so that if we had to use it for our own safety we could live in it for some time. Evacuees arrived from London, dad was asked to take two unruly boys but as he already had four of us under his wing he refused. They eventually resided with our neighbour Mrs Mander; their names were Tommy and Teddy Marue. (Until recently Mrs Mander’s daughter was still in touch with Tommy in Australia).
The Bomb: -
One night dad was returning on his bicycle from his visit to the local pub and he heard, from the direction of Andover, some bombs being dropped. As he neared home they were being dropped spasmodically and getting closer. In bed mum and dad decided not to wake us up to take us to the dugout. Dad listening said to mum. ‘The next one is ours’ and it was. It landed a few yards from the front door, moved the bungalow on its foundations, filled the front porch with mud, knocked some pictures off the walls. The miracle was that we were not in the dugout as that was completely destroyed and we think it took a lot of the blast out of the explosion. We had all been asleep on mattresses on the floor because that was the safest way to sleep. We woke of course and dad went outside to look around, mum made cocoa for all, then the boys went back to bed with dad and the girls with mum, so that the problems could be faced in the morning.
The next bomb: -
That was dropped knocked the side off of a house and left a boy in his bunk bed, when he opened his eyes he could see the stars.
Haw Haw: -
The next day Haw Haw on the radio said that their planes had bombed the garrison town of Hungerford which was not true. Also our teacher Mrs Stanley Walters, from Shalbourne who had to pass our bungalow on her bicycle to go to Ham school was upset because we didn't go to school next day, saying ‘well we all heard the bombs last night they have no excuse not to come’. On the way home she called to see us and was shocked at what she saw.
Another eventuality: -
Was that some relations were due to visit us so that they could have a rest from the bombs in London. Mum told them not to come and she always said that they were very upset about this, as in the country you had nothing like the bombs that they experienced in the towns.
Convoy: -
One day we woke to hear a convoy of armoured vehicles travelling along the Salisbury road towards Hungerford. They continued for hours and hours we couldn’t at the time know what was happening but later learned that it was the troops going to the East coast for the D Day invasion into France. At about this time I know that mum and dad were worried for our safety. I can remember them talking about UK being overrun by the Germans and dad saying that if that did happen we would go into some woods near to us called Stype woods.
Fun days: -
I remember one day dad asked us to go into Shalbourne, across the fields to look for some jerry cans, he could use them for taking water to the chickens. We found some and returned passing through a field of cows. Now these cows had been quiet before but as we got towards the far end of the field we heard them stampeding towards us. We dropped the cans and ran to get through the fence, just making it. What a scare, I can’t remember if we collected the cans later or not. We think they ran at us because they thought we had something for them.
VE Day: -
The day the war ended was very special and full of excitement, I think this was the day we had been with neighbours for a day fishing and playing in a stream not too far from home. It was a very memorable day. When we returned to the neighbour’s house we all went wild and I recall trying to swat moths that were flying around the lamps everyone was so happy.
Bus didn't Stop: -
A final note about food, I always say that because we lived in the country on a poultry farm and mum kept a good garden we always had food available. I know that our parents didn't always find life easy but they could usually keep us young ones fed. Probably the winter times for them were the hardest as there were no refrigerators or food shops as now. I can see mum now with a bucket full of peas to shell and remember the pig that was killed and the salted to preserve it. I never liked the bacon from it. Mum used to catch the local bus to Newbury, on Thursday being market day, to shop for the family. Yes just once a week, one day she was waiting for the bus and guess what, he didn’t stop just left her standing there, mum was livid.
A final story: -
During the war many villagers were in the home guard, to help in emergencies. Now I've lost some of this story but I can picture it in my mind, one summer night the chap from the top of the hill (you know his name) was drying corn. He took the bags off the end of the dryer and stacked them. Every time he returned with another sack the previous one had fallen over. Now he was puzzled and a weenie bit scared. After some time he shouted Jim is that you. You B. Now Jim Spouage was a home guard and he knew that the chap from the top of the hill had illegally killed a pig. So he said I’ll stop doing this if you give me some of that pig you've just killed.
I've just remembered that some prisoners of war were brought daily to help dad on the farm and at lunchtimes we were sent over to them with plates of food.
Next episode Summer and Winter Months and Poultry Farming
