M
Manyula
Guest
I was 11 years old when I found out that I was to be evacuated with my 12 year old brother Arthur. I couldn’t believe my ears. Mum told us to pack a suit case each. I put in a toy dog, water a little sandwich and on my clothes I tied on a label putting down my details and in my hand I held a rubbery horrible gas mask.
When we got to the station a large coal covered smokey metal dragon with burgundy livery stood in the sidings and rolled up to the platform. There were children crying and screaming, parents crying too. The driver pulled a chain resulting in a shrill whistle. The guard yelled in a deep voice, “all aboard” and children climbed aboard the carriages yelling and waving. As we rumbled through dark tunnels the coaches swayed from side to side. After we left the tunnels green forests, large fields of yellow and orange flashed by.
Lots of children were screaming , not many were being quiet. I looked at Arthur, who was still upset and he was sobbing loudly. I hugged him tightly and he just gave me the “don’t worry” look. When we got to the station we were taken by the billeting officer to the town hall. There we were lined up till we were picked. A woman in her mid forties came up to myself and my brother, she smiled and said we could go with her.
When we got to her cottage she gave us a room each,. The rooms were large, each had a single bed. She didn’t make us work, instead we got to play on the farm all day.
Because our parents house had been bombed we stayed at the farm after the war. When the woman died we took over the farm and we have run it for 50 years now. I am very pleased with it although I miss our foster Mum .
When we got to the station a large coal covered smokey metal dragon with burgundy livery stood in the sidings and rolled up to the platform. There were children crying and screaming, parents crying too. The driver pulled a chain resulting in a shrill whistle. The guard yelled in a deep voice, “all aboard” and children climbed aboard the carriages yelling and waving. As we rumbled through dark tunnels the coaches swayed from side to side. After we left the tunnels green forests, large fields of yellow and orange flashed by.
Lots of children were screaming , not many were being quiet. I looked at Arthur, who was still upset and he was sobbing loudly. I hugged him tightly and he just gave me the “don’t worry” look. When we got to the station we were taken by the billeting officer to the town hall. There we were lined up till we were picked. A woman in her mid forties came up to myself and my brother, she smiled and said we could go with her.
When we got to her cottage she gave us a room each,. The rooms were large, each had a single bed. She didn’t make us work, instead we got to play on the farm all day.
Because our parents house had been bombed we stayed at the farm after the war. When the woman died we took over the farm and we have run it for 50 years now. I am very pleased with it although I miss our foster Mum .