��ѿ��ý

I was 18 when the Second World War started. I can remember the sunshine and blue sky of the day of Churchill’s speech. Then the siren went immediately after. My main feeling about the War years was first ‘keep going’. I can remember particular slogans such as “Careless talk costs lives”; “Be like Dad- Keep Mum”; and “Is your journey really necessary?” Another one I took particular comfort from was one I saw whilst waiting at a trolley bus stop, and this was “One day nearer the end of the War”, which was written round a rainbow in a shop window. I travelled four times a day on a trolley bus to get to and from my place of employment. For awhile my mother was going off early in the morning deputising for an aunt who was sick, cleaning offices. One day she hadn’t come home before I left, so I was worried. Then my bus didn’t turn up so I started to walk. I met her half way with cuts on her face from broken glass. We just greeted each other and kept going, one just did. I discovered a bomb had fallen near my place of work, but one just carried on. I knew people who came out of their shelter in the morning and found their houses demolished and still went to work, because it was expected of them.

This story was entered on The People's War website by Stuart Ross on behalf of Nora Harris, who fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.