My Wartime Memories of Kenilworth

I was 19 years of age and lived with my parents and brother and sister at "Stanley House" High Street, Kenilworth. My parents were caretakers of the Parochial Hall.

We ofcourse like thousands of people heard the dreaded news on that September day with numbness, disbelief and fright. I still carried on planning my wedding for September 1940 as ofcourse all the young men thought call up was very near.

I was married on September 7 1940 and in spite of severe rationing there was a reception of sorts. Daily life carried on everyone helped each other at home and at work, queuing for anything and everything and in streets and community.

Then came the shock and horror of November 1940. (I had just left my office to hurry to Pool Meadow for a bus home). When the sirens had just sounded and the "blitz" had begun 5.45p.m. Our driver drove through Coventry that night with a look of terror and dedication. Unless you actually saw and heard all that Coventry was suffering you could not believe it. It was non-stop dozens of German planes unloading everything they had on the city with such ferocity that the noise rocked us here. But imagine our utter disbelief when a column of old people disabled people children and animals all came up High Street and came into Parochial Hall to sleep on the floor. They had left their homes in many cases in ruins. Some grabbed a blanket, coats, hats, scarves and some just brought the cat or a bird in a cage, dog, and a rabbit in a hutch. My parents, sister and myself did not know what to do (my husband was fire watching at Baginton Aircraft Factory). We had very little food, but wanted to feed them as ofcourse they had not had any tea. We raided our cupboards for soup, tinned fish etc but it was not long before all our near neighbours realising what was happening came over and in to the hall with gifts of food and before too long a hot meal of sorts was provided. After their long walk from Coventry they set off next morning to walk back to see what if anything they had left. I too set off to walk to work and as I got to Greyfriars Green, I could not believe what I saw. It was utter desolation, destruction and horror. ARP wardens, police, nurses, firemen were still finding bodies and parts of humanity in the centre of the city and everything that was there the day before had gone, including ofcourse the wonderful cathedral. I expected my office at the council house to be gone as well but it wasn't - a miracle really. To see the cathedral still burning and everyone working away to salvage anything and looking tired and exhausted was a follow on from the night before.

Our refugees came every night for several weeks but thanks to our tradespeople in High Street, Dennis Bausor, butcher, Syd Fancott, baker and Bill Moss, grocer. Things got a bit easier and then the WRVS took over and all was well.

But in only a few weeks our lovely town was blown apart by one of three landmines landing in the area. Two dropped on farm land but the third dropped outside The Globe Hotel killing over 20 refugees from Coventry and quite a lot of our own townspeople.

My husband was called up and served in 1st Airborne Division. After the long years of war I suppose the next trauma was seeing a few of our school friends come home from being POWS of Japan. Horrendous - Forgiveness not a priority.

Mary Thompson

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