Born in Winchester, Hampshire, England in 1942.
First 10 years Gosport .second 10 years Glasgow, Scotland.
Just prior to WWII
Would you tell me any memories that you have of 1939, please? Fear of war? Any preparations for war being made? Air raid shelters being built? Housing-for your family and for others. Food?
Healthcare? School? Parent's work? Any holidays? Films, play, entertainment in general?
Was not born in 1939
Early Days of WWII
What do you remember about the announcement of war? How did you feel about the onset of war? Did you talk about the war with your friends? What did they say? What do you remember (if anything) about the sinking of the Athenia? What can you tell us about your awareness of people going off to war? The changing role of women? Can she describe any memories around munitions factories? People moving to Glasgow to work in them? The air raid wardens, blackouts, school? 602 Squadron.
Early days spent in Gosport, mother was invited to the Queen (mother's) garden party at Buckingham Palace due to her war work selling National Savings stamps to the people of Gosport.
Rationing
Could you tell me about any memories of rationing? Sweets (Gls with sweets?). Fish and Chips. Recipes, 'Dig for Britain'? Clothes rationing - Coal rationing. Soap rationing? Etc. The end of rationing? Do you remember it being phased out?
My parents used their ration books until the fifties I believe. .
Evacuation
Were you evacuated? Can you remember any friends that were? Would you say there were more or fewer children at your school? Can you tell us about seeing evacuees leaving/coming home? Any children coming to Glasgow from other places?
We were not evacuated from Gosport even although we were close to Portsmouth naval dockyard and on the flight path of the Luftwaffe when flying overhead to blitz London. Often they would dropped unreleased bombs on the Gosport Lee-on-Solent area.
The Blitz
Can you describe how you felt when there was an air raid? Do you have any memories of a siren suit? The place you went to shelter? Did it change over time? What people chatted about in there? Were you aware of any other shelters in the area? Did you hear of anyone that died? Did you hear about the blitz in Clydebank and Greenock?
Recall being carried down the garden to the Anderson air raid shelter complete with gas masks which smelled really bad and gave one a claustrophobic feeling. A neighbours’ house just down the street was demolished by an incendiary bomb and its occupants killed.
Housing during WWII
Do you have any memories of people being made homeless by bombs? Can you remember bombed out buildings?
I do recall bombed out buildings in Gosport and Portsmouth that remained derelict until the late forties. One cinema in Gosport called the Ritz was destroyed by an Incendiary bomb and we kids played in the ruins for a few years after the war ended.
Impact on Family of WWII
Did you have any family members that went off to war? Do you have any memories of friends whose parents were in the army/navy/air force?
My father (Royal Navy) was a Sick Berth Petty Officer on HMS Formidable, an aircraft carrier, and told my brothers and I about bodies being collected from the flight deck and prepared for burial.
Schooling and bits of war work
Born in 1942 I did not go to school until 1947. Many local families had allotments where they grew vegetables long after the war ended.
Children’s understanding of events during WWII
I was too young to be aware of the war in progress and any special events. As a young boy I do recall seeing big grey barrage balloons in the sky over the dockyard. They always reminded me of “elephants in the sky”.
Cinema and play and other entertainments and leisure activities
I always enjoyed the Newsreels of the war, most likely in the aftermath more than during the hostilities. My friends and I played war games and the usual cowboys and Indians. We also played in the old tanks and the AA guns that had been installed along the beach in Stokes Bay in anticipation of German invasion that never came. The old rusty machines remained on the beach until the late forties.
The end of WWII
Don’t recall the euphoria of the war ending
Schooling Post-War
Do not recall any changes of note to school routines as I was not exposed to school until after the war.
