ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½

A Happy Evacuation

My Grandad was two years old when war was declared in 1939. His first memory was helping his dad dig the Anderson shelter in his back garden. This is what we call a Air Raid shelter and it is where people went to when the bomb sirens sounded to keep them safe. My granddad can remember going into the shelter with his Mickey Mouse Gas Mask.

In 1940 my granddad was evacuated with his mum. They went by train to a small market town called Peterborough. When they arrived they were the last family to be chosen because most people wanted to chose little girls as they thought they would be quieter and better behaved. Eventually my granddad and his mum went to live with a lady called Mrs Cook. They lived with Mrs Cook for four years and were very happy there. My great grandmother died before I was born but my granddad remains very good friends with his ‘evacuation’ family to this day.

My great granddad worked for the Railways which meant my granddad and his mum could travel back to London by train for free. My granddad started school in Peterborough and when the time came to return to London they were both very sad to leave. My great grandmother had been very happy in Peterborough and had become very independent. She found returning to London and normal family life quite difficult.

By Millie Turner

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