ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½

This story has been submitted to the People’s War site by Janette Hill (volunteer) of Age Concern Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, on behalf of Chris Magner (author) and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.

Extracts from
Shropshire Wartime Memories (2004) by Christopher Magner, as quoted in a report by Rachael Lowe in 'Shropshire Life'.

The book Shropshire Wartime Memories, by Christopher Magner from Bridgnorth, is a collection of real life stories, letters, and poems, from past war evacuees. The majority of evacuees who came to Shropshire were from Liverpool.

An extract in the Shrewsbury Chronicle on September 1, 1939, read: “Bridgnorth is ready to receive its quota of the evacuated population, and when the first batch arrive today from the Liverpool and Wallasey district they will find that all the arrangements have been made for their comfort and for their speedy transference to their new homes.
“The number coming to Bridgnorth is 1,700 women children and cripples. After detraining they will go to the reception centres — the Grammar School, Town Hall, St. Mary’s School, and St. Leonard’s School.�

An example of an evacuation story taken from the book is by Joan Dempsey (née Thompson) from Liverpool, who recalled her memories of her and her siblings’ evacuation. Joan lived in the dock area of Liverpool in a run-down terraced house riddled with cockroaches and bugs, in a street next to where the British American tobacco factory stood:
“ ‘Who would like to go away on holiday?’ asked dad. It sounded very exciting but scary. We had not had a holiday before.
“There were five of us — four girls and one boy: Nell, 12, Bill, 11, Fran, 10, Joan, seven, and Teresa, six, who set off on the trip to Bridgnorth. We could not understand why our parents looked so sad when they had made it sound such a lovely adventure for us.
“With great excitement we all piled on to the coaches, clutching our haversacks and gas masks, and off we went to the memories of a lifetime.
“We never realised that in more than 50 years time we would still be talking of our stay in Bridgnorth.
“On our arrival five cold, hungry and very bewildered children were led into a big hall. As we passed a desk we were each given a paper bag. Inside, to our delight, was a packet of biscuits and a bar of chocolate. We sat on the floor weary and afraid as strange men and women stared at us walking between the groups of children.
“Then a lady in a fur coat came over and said: ‘These children are mine.’ She moved us all forward to a big table where our names were entered into a book. We followed the lady out into the street and stopped outside a building which didn’t look like any house we had ever seen before. The big door was opened by a lady in a white cap and apron whom we came to know as Nellie the maid.
“The home we were staying in was the manager and his wife’s of Lloyds bank in High Town, Mr and Mrs Cottrell.�

If you would like to read more of such memories, the book is available for £7.00 (post free) from the author:
Christopher Magner, 21 Dunval Road, Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV16 4NA;
tel. 01746 761124; email: chrismagner45@yahoo.co.uk

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