A Seven-Year-Old's Memories of 3 September 1939

Harold Tokins Wartime Memories

It was a sunny Sunday morning in Hayes Middlesex, September the 3rd 1939. My Parents had gone two roads away to visit Grandmother Silvester. I was playing in our front garden with my playmate David Bainham and playing in the rookery with our Dinky Toys. We were 7 years old. Our toys being model Army Cars, Lorries, Tanks and Soldiers. We were engrossed in building roads and defensive positions for our game. We had for many months in 1939 been taught and educated in the possibility of War. The Building of Air-Raid Shelters, Sandbagging of local Civic Offices, Air Raid practising by the Police, Fire service and ARP. The fitting out of Gas Masks and Identity Cards. Those awful Mickey Mouse Red and Blue Gas Bags for the very young. Enough to frighten anyone.

Our game was suddenly disturbed by the sound of the Air Siren. That sound that over the next few years we grew to fear. Next thing my Father arrived on his pushbike to put me on the crossbar, sending my playmate David home around the corner. We Cycled around to Grandmothers and I remember on the way we passed a Policeman cycling the other way. He had a Board over his Shoulders, AIR RAID. He had on a Blue Tin Helmet with the word POLICE painted on in white.

My Father and He waved at each other as they passed.

Arriving at Grandma's, already there my young Sister. We were put under a Morrison Shelter that had been erected in the Kitchen. The Morrison was a Table Type Shelter, built of steel with 3 sides covered in steel mesh. My Sister Shirley and I sat fascinated as my Father and Mother rushed about putting Brown gummed paper crisscrossed on all the windows. Listening to the Radio, with reports of the Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain saying we were now at war with Germany. The Radio was battery run on a glass Accumulator that had to be re-charged at the local Radio Shop each week.

Later, I think about 1 p.m. the Siren sounded the ALL CLEAR a wonderful sound and feeling to hear that single note. We found out later that it had all been a false alarm and that our Parents anxiety about hoards of German Bombers coming overhead to blow us to smithereens was not to be. The Germans were far to busy Bombing Warsaw at that time. We all had heard about the Bombings of the Spanish Civil War and the Italians in Abyssinia.

That was the first day of war for us. Unfortunately the War got a lot worse with the Blitz, Rationing, Unexploded Bomb in our Garden, Doodle Bug destroying our Home and Killing my Mother. So many sad, bad memories of those years.

Then there are also some funny memories of a young boy who grew so fast. Watching the Polish Fighter Aircraft scramble takeoffs from RAF Northolt just 2 miles across the fields from our home. Searchlights at night. London Burning and the nights in our garden shelter. Learning to knit and play games in the Street Brick Shelter when our own shelter became flooded and damp. Shrapnel collecting and swapping at school. Part Time School with over 50 in a school class. So few Teachers that kept changing and passing on. School Shelters in darkness with Spelling Bees. Still cannot spell very well. So many Uniforms. London bomb sites that later grew wild flowers that we had never seen before. The War Exhibitions in Oxford Street that for a 10 year old were fantastic to play on real Guns, Tanks and Aircraft. Was it any surprise that a few years later I was to join the Fleet Air Arm and become an Aircraft Fitter to play with these things for real.

Best of all memories must be that Victory in Europe Street Party. Bonfire, Piano in the Street, Crates of Beer and the Dancing, then the final Victory a few Months later in the Far East where I went up to see the Royal Family on the Balcony at Buckingham Palace, the crowds and the crush. A joyous memory that I will live with forever.

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