A Teenager’s War

I was 15 when the war broke out, but two days before the declaration I was evacuated to Blaenau Ffestiniog. (1.9.39) I stayed with a blind music teacher and his family. After 3 months, I came home for Christmas and found out that I would be the only one in my class going back to Wales after the holiday. So I didn’t go back!

During my Latin School Certificate exam the sirens sounded, so each pupil taking the exam was allocated two junior girls to watch that we did not cheat. I passed the exam but think it may have been because I wrote on my paper that the sirens had gone off while we were taking the exam.

I lived in Thornton Street, Birkenhead and we were under the stairs when a ‘floating’ sea mine was dropped. It landed on the Avenue Picture House and destroyed not only the cinema but also a lot of the property around. In later years a pub called The Avenue was built on the site. A house, near The Avenue, was partly destroyed, and was being guarded by an armed soldier. When I looked, I could see a cupboard with it’s door blown off, at the top of the stairs, — exposed to view were pounds and pounds of sugar (obviously hoarded by the owner) hence the ‘guard’

I went to work for the Ministry of Supply in Oceanic House, next door to James Street Station in Liverpool. I had only been there a few months when the building was demolished by bombing. The Department then moved to Derby House. While I was in Derby House I came face to face with King George V1, who must have been visiting ‘Western Command’ which was housed in the building. I also saw Winston Churchill ‘inspecting the guard’ who were lined up on Exchange Flags outside the building.

In 1951 I married, my husband was a disabled soldier, I was therefore allowed half an egg a week for him!!

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