Memories of My Son and I during the War

"This story was submitted to the People's War site by CSV/BBC Radio Nottingham on behalf of Phyllis Townsend with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions"

I was 22 years old in the war. I remember picking up my lad he was only 10 months old, I put him in a blanket and took him down the cellar, it had been reinforced.
The day they declared war I went all over Nottingham to get a gas mask for him, a tunnel one that you put babies in. I couldn’t get one anywhere. So whenever the sirens went off I took him straight down the cellar.
I used to have to queue for bananas for him and we were only allowed ½ lb of sugar on the rations, it was difficult. There was supposed to be half for him half for me but I’d make his food with my sugar.
It was frightening seeing bombs dropping, when they dropped caused fires. St Anns Wells Road and the Bakery at Trent Bridge got hit, all the men there were killed it was terrible.
My husband was away fighting in London on the guns — I didn’t see him for 6 years. So when he did come home our son didn’t recognise him as he was a little baby when he went and was about 5 or 6 when he came back. When my son saw him he said “Mum, who’s that man?”.

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