A Few Short Memories

MY MEMORIES OF THE 2ND WORLD WAR

IN SEPT. OF 1939. I WAS LIVING IN SUBURBS OF SOUTHAMPTON, AND ON THE FRIDAY
BEFORE WAR WAS DECLARED ON THE 1ST SUNDAY
MY HUSBAND HAD HIS CALL UP PAPERS AS A RESERVIST IN THE GRENADIER GUARDS.
WE HAD ONLY JUST HAD NINE MONTHS IN THE RENTED HOUSE AND BEGINNING TO START TO LIVE A NORMAL FAMILY . HE HAD BEEN IN THE GUARDS FOUR YEARS AND PUT ON THE RESERVE LISTIN 1938 . WE HAD MARRIED IN 1935 ,
AND HAD A BABY GIRL THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
I HAD COME SOUTH TO LIVE IN LONDON , AND MY HUSBAND JOINED THE RAILWAY POLICE AT WATERLOO STATION.IN 1938.
SIX MONTHS LATER AFTER CHRISTMAS WAS OVER HE WAS TRANSFERED TO SO'TON DOCKS .
WE FOUND A HOUSE AND LIFE WAS BEGINING TO BE ENJOYED NEW FURNITURE ETC. A GARDEN FOR BOB TO ENJOY PRODUCING VEGETABLES , HE SPENT HIS POCKET MONEY ON SEEDS GARDEN
IMPLEMENTS LIFE WAS GOOD AND PROMISD MORE.
I WAS SHATTERED AT HIS REJOINING THE COLOURS , BUT HE LAUGHED AND TOLD ME TO COOK THE SUNDAY DINNER FOR HE WOULD BE HOME AGAIN THEN
OF COURSE HE WAS'NT AND CHAMERLAIN SPOKE
OVER THE AIR TELLING THE NATION WE WERE NOW
AT WAR WITH GERMANY.
BOB LEFT AND MY BABY AND I WERE ALONE IN A STRANGE PLACE .WE NEW NO ONE EXCEPT THE LANDLORDS OF THE HOUSE WE RENTED , AND
THAT WAS JUST A MONEY TRANSACTION.
I FELT LIKE A LOST CHILD AND WANTED MY MOTHER .AND I CRIED AND CRIED FOR TWENTYFOUR HOURS OR MORE. THEN I THOUGHT I WAS A MOTHER TOO , SO I`MUST USE MY HEAD AND WORK OUT HOW BEST TO GET HOME TO THE WIRRAL IN CHESHIRE TO MY PARENTS HOME.
BOB ALSO HAD COME FROM THE WIRRAL AND HAD PARENTS UP THERE IN THE NEXT VILLAGE TO
MINE. THE RAILWAY MOVED OUR HOME AND POSSESSIONS ON THE FOLLOWING THURSDAY AND MY CHILD AND I TRAVELLED ON CONCESSION TICKETS BACK TO CHESHIRE. OH! IT WAS SO WONDERFUL TO BE HOME AMONGST RELATIVS AND FRIENDS THEN.
I HAD LETTERS EVERY DAY FROM MY HUSBAND,
AND I WROTE A LETTER EACH DAY TO HIM.
HE WAS STATIONED IN WINDSOR BARRACKS , AND I MANAGED SEVERAL WEEKENDS THERE TO BE NEAR AND WITH HIM. ON CONCESSIONARY TICKETS ALL THROUGH THE WAR YEARS.. THE SOUTHERN RAILWAY WERE WONDERFUL TO US THEY MADE UP THE DIFFERENCE FROM £1.15s.00d THE ARMY ALLOWANCE FOR WIFE AND ONE CHILD WKLY.
TO THE £3 WAGES THE POLICE WERE PAID WEEKLY. WHICH GAVE ME A VERY COMFORTABLE LIVING IN THOSE ANXIOUS DAYS .
I MANAGED SEVERAL TRIPS DOWN TO WINDSOR ,ANS BOB HAD XMAS LEAVE SO THAT FIRST XMAS WAS A NORMAL ONE IN THE FAMILY FULL OF GOOD CHEER.
THE WEEKEND HE WENT OVERSEAS I HAPPENED TO BE DOWN THERE WITHOUT BRENDA MY DAUGHTER , MY MOTHER LOOKED TO HER NEEDS FOR ME.
ON THE SUNDAY OF THAT WEEKEND HE TOLD ME THEY WERE OFF THE FOLLOWING MORNING THIS WAS OUR LAST WEEKEND TOGETHER.
THE NEXT DAY I WAS ON THE STATION PLATFORM WAITING FOF MY TRAIN TO LONDON AND MY FURTHER TRAIN TO CATCH FROM EUSTON STATION TO THW WIRRAL. WHEN SUDDENLY A LOT OF
SOLDIERS MARCHED ON TO THE PLATFORM , AS I WAS THE ONLY PASSENGER I WAS IGNORED EXCEPT FOR THE CHUMS OF BOB WHO RECOGNISED MEAND THE WHISPER WENT UP THROUGH THE RANGS TO HIM THAT I WAS THERE. THE BOYS PUSHED ME UP INTO THE SAME COMPARTMENT AS BOB AND HIS FELLOW GUARDSMEN WERE IN AND THE TRAIN LEFT WINDSOR WITH ONE WOMAN AMONGST THE TROOPS EXPRESS TO WATERLOO . IT WAS THE FASTEST EXPRESS I'VE EVER BEEN ON BOARD
I WAVED THE BOYS GOODBYE FROM BEHIND THE TICKET BARRIER AS THEY LEFT FOR FRANCE.
AND TEARFULLY ARRIVED AT A FRIEND'S FLAT WE USED TO LIVE ABOVE THEM BEFORE MOVING ON TO THE SOUTH . THEY CAME TO EUSTON WITH ME TO SEE ME OFF HOME.
TIME PASSED ,I WAS WORKING IN A FACTORY MAKING CATTLE FODDER AND BANDAGES TOO FROM LOCUSTBEANS OF THE CAROB TREE. WHEN THAT SUMMER THE GERMANS CROSSED INTO BELGIUM AND HOLLAND . I WAS IGNORANT OF ALL THIS AS MY FAMILY COULD'NT AFFORD A WIRELESS SET
SO WE HAD NO FIRST HAND NEWS OF OUR FORCES PREDICAMENT OVER THERE UNTIL THE FOREMAN ASKED ,"HOW IS YOUR HUSBAND ELSIE?"
HE THEN TOLD ME OUR MEN WERE BEING BROUGHT HOME SOON. SOMEHOW WE MANAGED TO ACQUIRE A RADIO AND LISTENED TO THE NEWS.
WE HAD A TELEGRAPH ON THE FOURTH DAY OF THE EVACUATION OF OUR FORCES FROM DUNKIRK.
MY HUSBAND WAS SAFE IN ENGLAND NEAR FOLKESTONE. HE CAME HOME WHEN HE WAS REFITTED OUT IN NEW UNIFORM.
FROM THAT TIME TO THE DAY THE FORCES CROSSED OVER ON D. DAY. JUNE 6TH 1942 ,
( DO YOU KNOW I CANNOT REMEMBER WITH
ACCURATENESS THE DATE THAT OCCURRED )
IT IS SO LONG AGO , BUT I FOLLOWED HIM ALL OVER THE SOUTH AS THE BRIGADE MOVED ON AND ON MAKIING FRIENDS OF THE PEOPLE WHO WELCOMED US INTO THEIR HOMES BECAUSE EVERY ONE OF US WHERE BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE COMMON CAUSE TO MAINTAIN OUR FREEDOM . I
HAVE REMAINED FRIENDS WITH THEM ALL THRIUGH OUT THE PEACE YEARS BUT SADDLY SOME HAVE PASSED ON TO THEIR REATING PLACES
I SHALL BE 90 IN FEBRUARY NEXT YEARS AND HAVE OUTLIVED THEM. ELSIE SCOTT.

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