ĆŪŃæ“«Ć½

Extracts from Gladysā€™s Diary for 1940

Gladys lived in Bellingham, south London, with her parents and her grandmother. Her fiancĆ©, Arthur, lived in Stratford, east London, with his family. Gladys worked as a typist in an office in the City of London, and Arthur worked at Enfield Rolling Mills. Hence they met only at weekends, when they often stayed overnight at each otherā€™s homes. Gladys wrote a page in her diary every day, from which the following are extracts.

2/1/40 Last night the King signed a proclamation calling up men between 19 and 28, which means that Arthur will be called up this year. Still, we will at least have the summer together, I hope, and we must make the most of it.

6/4/40 Arthur registered today [for military service]ā€¦he told me heā€™s had a rise and they want to exempt him but he doesnā€™t want that.

9/4/40 Today came the startling news that Germany has invaded Denmark and Norway. The office day was spent more or less in discussing this new development and I did a little work in between, but not much.

8/5/40 Mr Chamberlain is being violently criticised in parliament , and there are indications that he will go. The whole Norwegian affair is a complete fiasco.

10/5/40 Awoke this morning to the sensational news that Hitler has invaded Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg. German planes have bombed French and Dutch and Belgian towns; also 4 incendiary bombs have been dropped near Canterbury. The Whitsun holiday has been cancelled. We have been told to prepare for air raids. This evening I planted some tomato plants that Mr Head gave us...tidings have been received of Chamberlainā€™s resignation.

15/5/40 This morning, with my morning tea, came the news that the Dutch troops have ceased fighting. This has had a depressing effect on everyone.

23/5/40 The war news is not good tonight. The Nazis have reached Abbeville, and there is fierce fighting in Boulogne.

24/5/40 Had a letter from Grace [Gladyā€™s younger sister, who had been evacuated to Ashford in Kent] this morning, and she still sounds happy, thank God. Iā€™ve had a fairly nice day today though the war news isnā€™t good (the Germans have got Boulogne) still Iā€™ve put it out of my mind as much as possible. Caught a fast train to Bromley tonight and went to ā€˜Jonā€™sā€™ and purchased two new dresses. Very extravagant but cheering.

26/5/40 Day of Prayer for victory.

27/5/40 This evening I saw Doreen. We went to Lyons and had refreshment. Got ā€˜told offā€™ by a waitress for talking about the war.

28/5/04 This morning just after my arrival at the office came the news that King Leopold of the Belgians has ordered his army to surrender! This is a grievous blow, and now the B.E.F. [British Expeditionary Force]are in dreadful danger. Still I am more or less immune now from the bad effects of news having become so used to it. At lunchtime went into St. Pauls to pray.

29/5/40 Today has been more or less uneventful. The British have captured Narvik. One bit of good news at any rate! ā€¦Went to try and get new filters fitted on our gas masks, but was unsuccessful.

30/5/40 The news is much the same this morning. The poor B.E.F. are still valiantly fighting, retreating towards the seaā€¦This evening the Animal Guard called, and I registered Wendy [dog] and Mick [cat], and put their discs on, in case of air raids.

10/6/40 Today the war news is ā€œnot so hotā€. Germany has advanced as far as Rouen. The weather has been ghastly, dark as night at times, and very airless. Most depressingā€¦.came the dismal news that Italy has declared war, that ships have been sunk, that French have retreated at more points. All very depressing!

12/6/40 The war news gets worse and worse. Today the Nazis are only 26 miles from Paris!

13/6/40 Things are worse this morning: the Germans are only 15 miles from Paris. ā€¦I did some gardening, then made little flags for the war map I purchased today. Did some darning. In the news learned that the French have advanced 5 miles!

14/6/40 ā€¦by lunchtime news comes through that the Germans are in Paris, the French having fallen back behind the city.

17/6/40 War news was pretty grim this morning. Worse was to come. At lunchtime came the news that the French had stopped fighting. Moral effect of this pronouncement is very bad. Gloomy faces everywhere, but Churchill says we go on fighting. This evening I planted more cabbages as a contribution towards victory. In the 9 oā€™clock news it was announced that children from Graceā€™s district are to be
re-evacuated to Wales. This has upset Mum.

20/6/40 Today has been uneventful except that a letter arrived from Grace this morning, in which she says she will go to Wales ā€” all her form are. There is not much news, except that last night there was more air activity over here, and more civilians have been killed. This afternoon I typed a letter to Grace to cheer her up a bit. Iā€™m glad to say that Mum is more cheerful; she went to her whist drive, and I washed my hair, listened to the news, read, and went to bed.

23/6/40 [in Ashford, to see Grace off on the move to Wales] We had an early breakfast. I went to see Grace on the bus for schoolā€¦later we went to Ashford Station to see the Datchelor [Mary Datchelor School] off. I saw many of the beaks [teachers] ā€¦It took us a long time to find Grace, but we did in time to kiss and hug her many times, and say our farewells. The girls all went very well, but, as the train drew out, they began singing ā€œWeā€™ll meet again, donā€™t know where, donā€™t know whenā€ ā€” and that made us cry.

25/6/40 A card from Grace has arrived. Sheā€™s in Llanelly, and says sheā€™s in a fairly good billetā€¦ Mr Churchill has made a statement, and the French fleet is apparently to be handed over to our foes.

4/7/40 A letter arrived from Grace this morning, in which she says theyā€™ve had two air raid warnings there, and she had to get up in the night and sit under the table! Poor kid.

15/7/40 This evening Mum and I had letters from Grace. She says they have had three more air raids and that bombs have dropped on Llanelly itself. I wrote a letter for Mum to Dr Brock [Headmistress of Graceā€™s school] hinting that we thought of bringing Grace home, and if we let her attend another school for the duration of the war, could she go back to the Datchelor afterwards.

6/8/40 Policeman complained about the inadequacy of our passage black-out.

23/8/40 ...the night passed without having an air raidā€¦

24/8/40 This morning we were summoned from our beds by the air raid siren. The raid didnā€™t last long though. ā€¦we had an air raid alarm about 4. p.m., and afterwards had teaā€¦had an air raid from about 11 to 1.30.

26/8/40 Another siren sounded at 12.20, and the all clear went at 1. a.m. I went to sleep, to be woken by terrible bomb explosions. We went back to the shelter and stayed there until about 5. It was very crowded with the Hā€¦. [neighbours] and most uncomfy. In the morning we discovered the bombs fell at each end of our street. No harm much was done, and there were no casualties. I arrived at work at 10.30, feeling very tiredā€¦Weā€™d just had time to hear the news tonight when the siren went. The ā€œall clearā€ didnā€™t go until about 3.30, stumbled into bed feeling more dead than alive.

27 ā€” 30/8/40 During these four days I had very little sleep, there being air raids every night except Thursday, when we had a quiet night. I didnā€™t have time to fill in my diaryā€¦

31/8/40 Had an air raid this morning before going to the office, and another sounded while I was on the train. Stopped a very short while at the office. Purchased an oil stove for our shelter. Another air raid came as I got off the train at Bellingham ā€¦Mum and I went to the shops and bought some cushions for the shelterā€¦the air raid alarm sounded at about 11. We had two alarms, and finally got to bed at 1.30 a.m., feeling very tired indeed.

1/9/40 This morning we bustled around getting ready for Aunt Min, Uncle Alex, and Edna, who came at about 1 oā€™clock. Just as we were going to have dinner, the siren sounded. We didnā€™t take shelter, but Iā€™d have preferred to as it was a real raid and one plane swooped right over roofs of opposite houses, making my tummy turn overā€¦

2/9/40 Felt very tired this morning. Had an air raid warning at 8.15, and this lasted about Ā¾ hr., making me late for workā€¦We had a raid alarm about 4.30, which lasted until 5.50 and meant an awful crush in the train. Spent part of the evening altering a pair of Arthurā€™s old flannels [cricketing gear] for a siren suit [Gladys also had a ā€˜siren suitā€™, presumably something old and warm, altered to make a sleeping suit for the nights spent in the air raid shelter]. We had a raid warning at about 11 oā€™clock, just as I was going to bed. ā€œAll clearā€ came about 3 a.m.

4/9/40 An air raid warning sounded just as I was going to catch the 9.26, so I went back home and didnā€™t reach the office till about 10.30! ā€¦Lunched in and went out for a walk in the sunshine. An air raid warning sounded whilst I was out, so I had to go back to the office but didnā€™t go in the shelterā€¦I stayed at the office fairly lateā€¦ After dinner did a bit of darning, and was just listening to the news when the siren went. Stayed in the dugout till 1 a.m.

5/9/40 This morning I had a busy time at the office. We had an air raid warning lasting about 1Ā½ hrs., but none of us went to the shelterā€¦ Another air raid warning this afternoon, but stayed in the office. Caught the 5.52 homeā€¦washed my hair and was putting it into curlers when the siren sounded. Repaired to our dugoutā€¦

7/9/40 ā€¦Arthur came about 4.30. Almost immediately there was a bad air raid, lasting about 1Ā½ hrs. Fires were started which lit up everywhereā€¦We all spent the night in the shelterā€¦the raid lasted until nearly 6 a.m.

9/9/40 All communications are dislocated and it took me 2 hrs. to get to work! I phoned Arthur and found he didnā€™t reach the works until 1 p.m. Did very little work. Got home at 5 oā€™clock, and had time to have dinner, play with the pups, and do a bit of mending before the siren went just before 9. A screaming bomb fell about 2 streets away shortly after the warning. It terrified Mum and I, but in spite of the noise of bombs, planes and gunfire we managed to get a bit of sleep.

12/9/40 Was late setting out for the office this morning, and the air raid alarm sounded as I arrived at the station. Had to go to Cannon St. found Miss B in a state of great excitement. A bomb had fallen in front of the ā€œTimesā€ and blast from it broken two windows in our office. Didnā€™t do much work. Had an awful job to get homeā€¦Spent the evening trying to line air-raid shelter with ā€œSisalkraftā€. Siren sounded at usual time. ā€œAll clearā€ went about 5.30 a.m.

13/9/40 ā€¦just as we got to Elfrid Crescent the siren went. It was a real raid all right, lasting four hours. We stayed in the dug-out. I eventually arrived at the office to find nobody else there. Phoned Mr. R. [the boss] who said we need not come in tomorrowā€¦Phoned Arthur, who was all right, but our conversation was interrupted by bomb explosions, so I went into the shelterā€¦Found no trains were going to South London at all so went home by taxi with five other people.

14/9/40 (Saturday) I helped Mum with the work today, as I didnā€™t have to go to the officeā€¦then the siren sounded and we went into the dugout. Arthur arrived and came there to us. After tea we tried to get some wood and wire netting to fix up a bunk in the shelter for Gran [Gladysā€™s grandmother, who lived with them, and was at this time very old and unwell], but could not. Mum fixed the deck chair shortways with some old wood we had at homeā€¦

16/9/40 ā€¦Dad had his night off tonight, so was in the shelter with us. We had a feast of cheese, biscuits and lemonade down there. Pretty bad raid.

18/9/40 This morning we discovered that we ought to have been evacuated, owing to the presence of land mine in Playgreen Way, but the police neglected to warn us. However they removed it so all was wellā€¦Air raid warning sounded about 8 oā€™clock. Was a terrible night, Mum said the worse weā€™d had, but I slept through it.

19/9/40 An air raid alarm sounded as I was breakfasting, but we did not shelter. It was soon over, and I went to work. Miss B was there. Sheā€™d not come yesterday as sheā€™d had to get out of her house for a while owing to the presence of a time bomb. I got quite a lot of work done todayā€¦.Purchased some ā€œSisalkraftā€ to make a new black-out for my bedroom, the old one being in pieces owing to blast from bomb. Air raid siren sounded at 8 p.m.

20/9/40 ā€¦Wrote to Miss R for Mum this morning asking her to change Graceā€™s billet, as we had a very unhappy-sounding letter from her. At lunchtime purchased more ā€œSisalkraftā€ to line dug-out. Rang Enfield and was horrified to hear that Arthur had not turned up all day, nor had they heard from him. Immediately I got a train to Plaistow. It had been dreadfully bombed ā€” I felt ghastly. Walked to Arthurā€™s place, and found it reduced to an awful state by blast from a land mine fallen behind his house. Nearly the whole of Amity Rd. the same. Was overjoyed to find Arthur O.K. He came to Bellingham with me.

24/9/40 There was an air raid alarm this morning while I was having breakfast. Didnā€™t go to the shelter, but dilly-dallied and went up on a Victoria train. Was rather late for work. Another air raid occurred about noonā€¦. Arthur phoned. He was on H.G. [ĆŪŃæ“«Ć½ Guard] duty last night, and saw a mine float down by parachute. He is still looking for a house, having found nothing suitable yetā€¦Air raid siren sounded went at 8.15. Bombs came first.

25/9/40 Had great difficulty in getting to the office this morning, and when I arrived found Miss B in a state of great excitement. Because of time bomb in St. Paulā€™s Churchyard we are not allowed in the office. Had an ice with Miss B in Circus Lyons, and she showed me her holiday snapsā€¦Siren sounded as per usual.

27/9/40 There was an air raid this morning before I left home. I could see the planes. The train landed me at Charing Cross in the midst of a raid, and I had to shelter for a time. Didnā€™t reach the office until nearly twelveā€¦Heard lots of gunfire this afternoon, so we went into the office shelter for a few minutesā€¦Siren went at 8.20.

30/9/40 Had two air raid alarms this morning, and I went out into the streets in the middle of the second one. Nothing was happening, though. ā€¦I arrived at the office about 11.45 a.m. An alarm sounded at lunchtime, so I didnā€™t go out, as the shops might have been shut. Doreen phoned: sheā€™s all right, but having a bad time with the air raidsā€¦Didnā€™t get home until 7 p.m.. Changed into ā€œsiren suitā€, had dinner, then siren sounded just before 8 p.m.

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