My Portchester Shelter

We lived in Newtown, Portchester. I remember some of the bombing raids when the Fire Engine came round telling us to 'take cover'. Mum and Dad would gather all the kids and take us out to the tin shelter which was built in the back garden about 20 feet from the house. Later on another shelter was built into the ground close to this one so we had a choice of which one to go in - the most preferable was the one built into the ground as we felt that there was a bit more cover. These were furnished with wooden boxes, rugs, sleeping bags that we made out of old sacks, a gas burner for the kettle, a bucket of water, a food tin which could contain biscuits, tinned milk, sugar, tea, cake etc. which we would replenish the following day. Outside the shelter we kept 2 buckets, one as a toilet and the other to rinse your hands. We could be in the shelters all night and even all day long depending how bad the raids were. Eventually dad made some bunk beds from bits of wood he had in the greenhouse but these were not very comfortable at all - many times the kids said we didn't want to sleep down in the 'dungeon' as we called it but would prefer to sleep in the greenhouse amongst the frogs jumping around, tomatoes and chrysanthemums Dad would grow to sell at Portsmouth or North End markets. What money he got from selling these he would use for buying extra clothes or food. We had to wait for the 'all clear' signals. I was in household service work nearby and would often spend all night in the shelter to come out in the morning to go straight off to work and on the way see what places had survived the night. Sometimes we spent the night in Portchester Fire Station because mum knew the Worly's who owned the Fire Engine because she thought we would be as safe there as anywhere else. Life was hectic, but people were all very friendly and willing to help your neighbours even though you probably did not get on with them before the war.

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