ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½

Having lived in Hadleigh all of my life I have seen several changes. Overall having changed for the worst with the geat rise in population, not as friendly or having such a feeling of being in a community.

My job was to work with the Red Cross, staying on diuty three nights in a fortnight, from 10 pm to 8 in the morning. I just felt like I had to do it, not feeling as though I could sleep in those difficult times.

I remember the evacuees that came to Hadleigh, meaning to have some of them but as my mother owned a business she felt that she couldn't cope with having three children.
So she chose a soldier to have stay in our house,but he soon found a girlfriend meaning that we saw less and less of him!

There were several evacuees , many of whom stayed in Hadleigh after the war, getting married and settling down.

Another of my memories was of the doodlebugs.
These were scary, unpredictable bombs which whizzed through the air and then fell silent as they dropped to cause more chaos.
I remember having a doodlebug hitting near the mill, down Tinker's Lane, resulting in a woman's death, due to shattering glass from the impact.

I was only 14 when the war started but 21 when it ended, having my 21st birthday celebration at the Church, drinking out of mustard pots instead of wine glasses. This was one of the nicest memories of the war.

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