Letter to Palestine from London re the First Few Weeks

Nov 8th 1939

Dear Cecile and Chris

I am sorry to have kept you so long without any news, but the time slips by so quickly. There is no need to tell you what a pleasure it is to receive a letter from you especially to know that you are alright. You say you sent two letters since the outbreak of war, I only received one, but never mind I will try to tell you how the war has affected us here. I expect it made you think back to last Sept and Oct. Chris’ words have come true about “if we did’nt get it then we would next year”. The only consolation for the delay is that we are so much more prepared now than we were then. Tom was at home right up to the Sunday when war was declared, he had his papers the next morning Monday 4th Sept. We will never forget that Sunday morning. I believe everyone had the biggest shock of their lives, I am not referring to the declaration of war so much as the air raid warning that followed about 15 minutes after. Tom was in the garden sewing up sand bags and filling them with earth, he had to dig the garden up to get the earth to fill them with. He worked hard to get the air raid shelter finished before he went. Although the shelter itself had been up for some time we didn’t really think the time would come when we would be glad to make use of it. Lots of people hadn’t even started to put them up, but they soon got to work on them that week. To go back to the warnings, you know I couldn’t believe my ears at first, I was peeling potatoes, at the time. I went to the street door to see what was happening and people were running about scared, you remember Ada well she went off, hysterical. Her husband was out he’d gone to the Town Hall to get a gas mask for the baby. He came back without one and said it was murder up there because they said they hadn’t got any, we got the all clear about ½ an hour later. You know the sound of the sirens is enough to frighten people, I mean the wailing noise they make.
Edie had gone away with the children on the Sat before, she had a tough time of it getting a billet. She and the children had to be at the school at 8.30 a.m they didn’t get away until 12.30 p.m. Mrs Walker the lady next door to Edie was backwards and forwards making tea, and milk for the baby. Eventually they got away, they were taken to Weston Super-Mare. It was heartbreaking no one would take them in. Edie said one house they went to the woman turned her nose up said she wouldn’t think of taking boys, but when she spotted Linda she said “Ill take that little girl”. Edie replied “Oh no you won’t” so she went in and slammed the door on them. The school teacher drove them around in a car to several places, until at last she was getting really worried it was pouring with rain and what with the blackout and being tired and hungry they were all just about all in. Dennis started crying and that set the others off and the Edie started crying the car was leaking and Dennis was wet and cold, and they just didn’t know what to do or where to go next when an old woman came along and a voice came out of the dark and said come with me you’ll be all right, by this time it was about half past ten at night. They went home with this woman and though Edie didn’t like the look of the place she had to make the best of it, she bolted and barricaded the door and kept the light on all night she said she was nervous. Anyway the next morning she felt better they stayed there a couple of weeks when we got a letter to say she and another woman evacuee with four children had been to the Town Hall and asked the evacuation officers to let them have an empty house. They got a house and were supplied with the necessary furniture and so they seemed to be settled at last, but not for long. The children started playing them up, and then most of the mothers that went away were returning home, so they also decided to come back. They were away about seven weeks altogether. Bert was staying with me during that time except at weekends, so now they are back to where they started. I forgot to mention Edie had another boy, Brian by name. I let her read your letter and she laughed when she read that bit about “had she given birth poor soul” The baby is about six months old now. Edie said she would send you a photograph of him when she has one taken.
Lil’s two boys were evacuated from the school, they were taken to Swindon and are still there. Lil’s brother — in — law took Bill and Lil and Lil’s sister to Swindon in his car. The boys are in a very nice home, a modern type of house. The people have only an adopted daughter about 23 years old, who was orphaned in the last war. The lady told Lil how it was only by chance they had Michael and Colin. She said she and her husband hadn’t intended taking any children but this night her husband saw a coach draw up a little way from his house, he thought the driver had a breakdown and went over to enquire. The driver said no it wasn’t a breakdown but he didn’t know where to go next, he said look inside, and there was Michael and Colin with their teacher the last two left in the coach. The lady said her husband was touched and he signed the papers there and then with her approval and so took the two boys on.

Nov 11th.

Lil has found herself a job of work in a Police Section House canteen, serving behind the counter. She does 4 days a week in shifts. One morning she goes in at 6 a.m until 2.30 p.m the next day from 2.30 p.m until 11 p.m. Will hasn’t been doing much since the war started owing to the boats not coming in so frequently. Though I believe he gets his guaranteed weekly wage. Tom is on the trawlers Stella Leonis operating in the North Sea. He is stationed at Yarmouth. Tom wishes to be remembered to you and Chris and children. The last time I heard from him he said he was in the pink. He said the crew were all Scottish and when talking amongst themselves spoke Gaelic.
As for me I don’t have much time to feel lonely I have to go in Saturday mornings now. The first week the war started they made us work till 5 o’clock on Saturday, but that was put a stop to. When I get indoors at night I don’t go out again.

9 o’clock Nov 11th 1939

(The Queen has just been Broadcast did you hear her.)

The shops are blacked out except for the word “open” in different coloured lights, Blue or Green, Orange or Red and so on. Its really surprising when you push the door of a shop open to find it full of people and bright lights when outside to all appearances it is shut and in the dark. It all looks very mysterious you know dark figures moving about. If a man is smoking a cigarette all you can see is the glow of the cigarette coming towards you. It’s not to bad on the main roads for the lights on cars and buses though they have been dimmed, show a fair amount of light in the pitch black, and most of the people have torches which they keep switching on and off.
I got my ration book this week though I don’t think we will be rationed till after Christmas.

From Tilly

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