teenage memories

I was at school cycling to the bus stop which was a mile, always carrying a gas mask. i saw the battle of britain, it was clear skies, not realising we were in danger because there was falling shrapnel. they had a dummy airfield on our land and air force personnel with us. The bombing of london started and it got very nasty. my father made an air raid shelter in the middle of a haystack. it was lovely and warm but it wasn't very safe because of the incendiary bombs. i slept under the billiard table because it was made of slate. when i was about seventeen i'd cycle about 5 miles to dances and young farmers clubs. my father was a home guard and my brother became a dispatch rider in the home guard because he was only sixteen. then i met a handsome sailor who was on a minesweeper so i used to go and meet him whenever his ship came in. i was married in 1945 just before the end of the war, with coupons borrowed from my father for the wedding dress. on VE day i was in portsmouth and my feeling was 'thank goodness the war was over' but i was frightened because there was still a war going on in japan.

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