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This story was submitted to people’s war site by Kanika Darby of the Back in the Day project on behalf of Doris Johnson and Virginia and as been added to the site with their permission. The author fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.

The following extracts are taken from an interview, which was conducted by the above named persons on the 27th of October 2005.

These two women both lived similar life styles. They both went through the same events as each other. Here is their story.

Doris and Virginia don’t remember much about World War 2 because they were at a young age when war was declared.

At the time when the war was in action Doris and Virginia were living in Jamaica.
When the war was first declared Doris was living in St Andrews with her family and Virginia was living in Port Morant with her family.

Doris mentions how scared she used to be when hearing the planes fly overhead. She recalls: “When it’s dark, you hear planes flying up and down…all the houses dem did in darkness and if they see the light dem might drop bomb on you, you see.

“At night we had to turn off we lights, couldn’t have light and we couldn’t get most things to buy because the war on… things were rationed.�

Virginia adds: “I don’t think that the war did come to Jamaica! No, no war did come to Jamaica…the men did come to England and dem was fighting here.

“Ships only came to pick up the men dem and come over here and they fight.�

The British would come into Jamaica and take some of the men to fight in the war but most refused. Doris had a boyfriend at the time that didn’t want to go to war because he was deaf. He reasoned that it was the British men in England who should do the fighting. Some men from Jamaica went to war but Doris and Virginia both said that they didn’t know anyone who went to war.

Virginia and Doris were both social people, they would go out with their friends and travel to different parts of their island. Virginia had lots of friends and went out with them a lot. She loved having fun and spending time with people. She loved socialising.

If anybody in Jamaica died people would wear white to the funeral. This is how they create a good send off.

The Queen of England came to Jamaica and announced that her country was open for one and all; meaning people from Jamaica could come to England.
Doris and Virginia both came to England in 1961.

When they arrived in England the sight was all right, but there was nowhere to live. Doris recalls: “The queen came to Jamaica and said that `England open for one and all’…that’s what dem say and that’s why I come.

“What the queen said attracted me…it was all right when we came first but we didn’t have no where to live. We should ask her if they built house for people to live in…but they didn’t.�

Although Doris and Virginia were glad they didn’t meet with any racism when they arrived in England they did tell me about how fearful the youths were of the ‘Teddy Boys’.

“Teddy Boys was on the street, you can’t walk too late…youth hear about teddy boys…dem beat you up.�

Doris went and lived in Lenton in Nottingham when she arrived here in England. She already had a husband here so she was okay for a place to stay. After settling in Nottingham Doris went to work in the women’s Hospital. She worked in the unit where women go to have their babies.

Virginia lived in Cromer Street. She recalls: “Came to Nottingham because I thought I would come and get a job…I lived in Cromer street. Nottingham was alright you know, it was small when you go out.�

Several times Virginia has thought about going back home, but the only reason she came to Nottingham was so she could get a job. Virginia found a job in Chilwell at the ‘Victoria laundry’. At work she had to fouled towels, which people use to wipe their hands and she had to press them in the right way.
It was a very hard job and the heat was unbearable. She couldn’t take much of it.

Like many people, Virginia was attracted to England by the work and the money. In her laundry job she was paid £5. She worked from 8am- 6pm and all she came home with was £5 but in those days that was a lot of money for people who was trying to keep life well for themselves.

Virginia doesn’t think that she would ever go back home because things are worst than they were before, but that’s not the only reason. Virginia is sick and she says that they wouldn’t want sick people in Jamaica now. Virginia feels best staying in England.

Virginia and Doris say they are never going to go back home England is now their home for the rest of their lives.

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