Civilians in War-time

When I was a boy,Mr. and Mrs. Ormison had a small grocery and newsagency at the corner of the road in Belle Vue, Wakefield. Troops rescued from Dunkirk were being camped in any available hall, and one afternoon an officer arrived at their shop.
He had arranged sleeping accommodation for some of the Somerset troops but had not been able to arrange to feed them, so could the Ormison’s help.
Mr Ormison went into town to a crockery shop for pint-pot mugs and to Hagenbachs, a wholesale bakery, for tea-cakes and buns. He called at the
Conservative Club where he was secretary, and obtained a bottle of rum from their stocks.
Benches were arranged around the small shop, and then the lorry arrived with the men.
Rum laced tea, potted meat and fish paste sandwiches, and buns were on offer.
The troops were told not to worry about paying but when the shop was emptied Mrs. Ormison found coins tucked under jars etc.
She ran that canteen for several weeks while the troops were stationed nearby. Tea and a
wad ever ready for the men after doing drill on the nearby piece of ground. She kept her shop open late at night, so that those men who were not using the local pubs could come and have a tea while sitting and writing letters on paper and envelopes that she provided
I was given this information from Mrs Ormison as I had known her for many years as a boy, and when I retired I started to collect material for a local history
She still lives in Wakefield and is in her nineties.

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