Childhood Memories of the Second World War

The contributor described her experience of the Second World War as a child. The contributor recalled going to an air raid shelter, which left her with claustrophobia, and seeing a "doodlebug" bomb flying overhead. The contributor's father joined the Air Force, and her mother joined the Air Raid Precautions nursing auxiliary. The contributor was raised by her grandparents during the war, and she did not live with her younger brother or see him during this time.

The contributor's grandfather was a coal miner from Mexborough, South Yorkshire. Outside of the wartime, the contributor's father was an area manager at a commercial firm. He was stationed at a hospital in Iceland for a portion of the war, and the rest of his service was spent in Cologne, Germany. For a year after the war, the contributor's father was allocated to "cleaning up duty," at which time he worked as a dietician and cook. The contributor noted that her father was open about his stories of the Second World War, while her grandfather was not open about his experiences of the First World War. The contributor advised that she did not have a close relationship with her mother and did not hear much about her wartime experiences.

This story was shared during an in-person interview at a Digital Collection Day. A transcription of the interview is attached to this record.