Joyce McLure's Story |
I have lived in the United States since 1961 and have never met anyone who was evacuated during the war. My younger brother and sister and I did not leave England, but were sent to Northamptonshire. We were living in Wapping, my father moving us there to be safer! Of course, living right next door to the docks was one of the most unlikely places to find safety. That first day of the bombing is still so vivid in my memory. I actually saw the first bombs drop from the planes and can remember every detail of that sunny Saturday afternoon and of the many nights of bombing that followed.
I also recall the day we were evacuated, although I have no idea where we boarded the busses that took us out of London. We were at the top of the bus and the only thing I can recall most clearly is that my five -year old sister wet her knickers. We arrived at a small village and were taken into the village hall where the villagers were waiting for us. A very pleasant grey haired lady spoke with us and, after reading on our identification labels that we did not have lice or nits; she examined the contents of our small bags of belongings. She found them to be clean and mended and asked if we would like to go home with her. That was the beginning of our life as evacuees. There is much more to this story, of course - my brother was no longer with us having put himself onto another bus! This is my first attempt to communicate with anyone, other than my nieces, on the internet but having read in 'This England' some of the accounts written by others sent from home during the war decided to take the plunge. Joyce
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updated 12/21/2000
Updated 11/4/00 |