Babs Samways tells the stories of what happened when the World War started in 1939
Where to start?
Today being the 1st of September I thought it was about time I got going on telling everyone about what it was like to be evacuated seventy years ago today.
I was in bed listening to the radio when the announcer reminded me of the date , I then thought yes time to get started .
Our mother had some days previously taken the three of us, my brothers, Micheal John and I to somewhere in Balham where gas masks were being distributed , we were fitted for them and even today I can still remember what it was like to try and breath through it, it was dreadful and after all this time I stillcan't bare to have anything place over my mouth.
She took us to a shop to buy a gas mask case in mock black crocodile skin which we then slung around our necks feeling very important.
A day or two later John and I were taken to the railway station at the bottom of Bedford Hill , we lived in a basement flat No 131,in that street so only a very short distance to walk , full of excitement we boarded the train being given several items for the journey , a bottle of milk and two packets of what seemed to me dog biscuits, they were certainly hard enough , I remember sitting on the seats of the carriage swinging my legs in great excitement.
We were going to the seaside .
I was nine years and two months old and Johnny as we called him in those days would,be eight in two months time October the 31 , the carriage was full, with children being taken away from what it was thought a city about to be bombed flat.
I remember clearly being taken like a herd of cattle to a school in Bognor Regis where we all sat waiting for someone to collect us. Johnny and I mated up with a couple of boys Freddy Case and Billy Bosher , A tall woman dressed in green with a wide brimmed hat on the top of her head collected the four of us and walked us to our accommodation. The two boys to be lodged in the next street to where we were to go us.
We arranged to meet them the following day to go and find the sea.
I remember the two of us walking to the house that we had been to the previous day to meet up with the boys , however I am running away with myself in haste to get this all down.
The people we were billeted with went by the name of Reynolds, they had two children, a boy and a girl, who's name I can't remember. A bed had been made up for us in their room. I remember suddenly realising I wasn't going home and, standing in the room we all lived in, burst into tears. As I sobbed Johnny wrapped his arms around me saying ," Never mind Babsie I'm here ".
I cried I want to go home to Mummy.
The very large Woman who had a wrap around apron on, looked down upon us and frightened me to death. We were given a bed in the room and I sobbed myself to sleep.
The following day the two of us set out to find the other two boys and the four of us trotted to the sea front .
We came to the pier with great excitement,"We were here" ! and almost forgot we were away from home , such an adventure , John and I wanted to go on the pier but the other two boys wanted a donkey ride each of us having threepence each. We watched the other two ride the donkeys, it was raining and thought how silly to get wet .
In the centre of the walk way on the pier stood a very large Jute Box , it had about five girls stood around it and over and over again they played Gracie Fields singing " Wish me luck as you wave me good by".
It was only a day or two later a letter arrived from Mummy and I remember reading it and busting in to tears , We had been given a number of self addressed stamped envelopes to write home.
It was only after Mum had died I was in the cottage sorting out her papers when I came across one of the letters very badly written saying "Mummy I hate it here please take us home " It was such a shock to find that she had kept it all those years, I had a job to not cry.
Another thing I remember was only a day or two after we had been left at this house the grown ups all went out leaving us alone , I suppose people did in those days, went to pub but leaving kids at home .
It had got dark and we switched the light on in the room we lived in when there was a loud knock on the door and a Man called out " Switch those lights out " the four of us were terrified not knowing what to do so grabbing all the coats we could find slung them over the expanding wire that the curtains were hung on and sat there waiting for the Reynolds to return.
Not a nice woman Mrs Reynolds.
I remember Mummy and Daddy came to visit us and Micheal who although had been evacuated to somewhere with a nursery had been collected and taken back home. He had been given a bar of chocolate in the car and it was all over his; face, coat, leggings, and hands, after they had gone home Mrs Reynolds looked down at me and said " What a Dirty little baby that was".
I was very cross at her saying that.
It wasn't lon g after that before we were collected and driven back to Balham .
That's all for now - more tomorrow.
