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My father,Gordon Stephens was a keeper on the Hanois Lighthouse when the war started and we lived in the Trinity Cottages in Pleimont. Two of us, Michael and I went to the school at Torteval. Tony hadn't started at the beginning of June 1940 when we were evacuated with others from the school. Michael and I were taken by bus to St Peter Port, carrying our tiny suitcases and gas masks, and put aboard a ship bound for England. (Southampton?) Tony left with our mother, Mabel, on his birthday the 17th June and ended up at Cadgwith in Cornwall, Gordon's parents home.
Michael and I went with the school to Rochdale and were billeted in a big old house in the town. It took my mother two or three weeks to find where we had gone and arrange for us to travel to Cornwall. We went to Manchester and were put on the train with labels 'Penzance. Care of The Guard' attached. Can you imagine two young lads ten and seven being sent like that these days! We got there safely after a lengthy journey and went to a rented house just up the hill from Cadgwith.
After six months in Cornwall Gordon was posted to Beachy Head where he served for most of the war years. We lived in Cowes on the Isle of Wight and saw some action during the numerous air raids. Later we saw the ships and troops gathering for the invasion which was an exciting time for us young lads.

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