Memories of the Blitz

[Duncan_Barrett]

Hello all,

Yesterday we dropped in on one of our Sugar Girls, Betty Southgate, and while we were there we got chatting to her husband Henry, who grew up in Canning Town and whose house was flattened during the war.  He told us some great stories about what it was like in those days - and even gave us each a piece of shrapnel to keep as a souvenir.

The full story is on our blog:

http://www.thesugargirls.com/memories-of-a-sugar-boy/

If anyone else has similar stories to share - Tate & Lyle related or not - we'd love to hear them!

Best wishes,
Duncan

[MBrennan]

Too young to have any war stories, but I remember when I was small in the 60s, kids used to have shrapnel. I don't know if it was a craze but I remember my brother having some.

I can't imagine what it is like living through it. It is so often romanticised in books & films but the reality must have been hell. I was living in Goswell road in the 90s for a while (next to the old Gordon's Gin distillery) - it was when the Nat West tower, about a mile away was blown up. My elderly next door neighbour said it was just like the blitz.

The only other bomb I have heard go off was at London Bridge station. I was on the train pulling in as the bomb went off; luckily for me, in the last carriage that day as I was late for work and had hopped on the train at Charing Cross as it pulled out. Even that sent people into shock. I remember a man in his sixties asked me if I would stay with him for a few minutes as he needed to pull himself together and he started crying.

[Michael H]

My Mum lived in Muir St, Silvertown and was evacuated to Cornwall. She tells this story:

A young girl evacuee sent a letter home to her family and signed it with 'Home Sweet Home' lovingly written in little kisses.

Her brother, back in Silvertown sent a reply with a picture of a pile of rubble, also written in kisses.

[pamela mather]

i cant remember the blitz ,but dad use to show rabbits and he ways told us about coming through the high street when it was all on fire it must have been when    they hit the docks they use to take me under the stairs as a baby when the bombs were dropping      pam

[EX CUSTOM HOUSE]

HELLO PAM,
STRANGE YOU SAYING ABOUT BEING TAKEN UNDER THE STAIRS.

Mum and I lived upstairs in Elsenham Road, Manor Park and about 2.0am one morning we were hit bye
a "Doodle Bug".
In 1945 there did not seem to be any rush to get out to the shelter as most Siren Alarms were false or
not in the area.
That night Mum and I were very late, she was at the top of the stairs and I by then had reached the bottom
all of a sudden there was this noise like a Train coming straight at us and then a silence.
Next thing I knew was being thrown through the air and landing goodness knows where at the time.(It turned out to be the
pavement) Mum was thrown down the stairs and  landed where I had been standing

Most of the neighbours had gone down earlier than us and were either caught in the long back gardens or in the shelters.
We never did find out how many lost their lives that night, or how our friends downstairs with two children faired.
Mum and I got pulled out bye ARP Warders and did not suffer any serious injuries.
Your Mum and Dad were very sensible, as it has been proven the stairs are one of the safest places.

Louise

[pamela mather]

i lost my mum about 6 years ago so i have much admiration for her generation  mums kept the home fires burning with none of the trappings we have washing machines and trying to keep there children fed must have been a nightmare i sulute you
pam

[KenM]

I agree most wartime mums were never given the credit they deserved.
Many with husbands in the armed forces were left to cope with caring for young children, & sometimes their elderly parents, sick & distraught  neighbours, rationing, air raid damage, fire warden duties, disruption to water & electricity services. They were real heroes & I cannot recall them holding their hands out for any family support.
Ken.

[MBrennan]

The book I am reading at the moment, although fiction, mentions that a lot of women had breakdowns after the war. It says that during the war, they had to 'get on with it' but the stress etc caught up with them afterwards. (The character turned out to be pregnant )

[Michael H]

What about the people who took on all the evacuees?

My Mum was one of 14 kids from Silvertown who shared a bungalow with a woman in Cornwall.

There were 6 boys and 8 girls. They took turns, with one week the boys sleeping in the shed and the girls indoors, and the next week vice-versa.

There must have been some kind of financial compensation, but even so!

[KenM]

Yes Michael these people did a wonderful job, but it was voluntary, for the parents there was no choice. As M Brennan quite rightly stated "they just got on with it" & paid the price in later life.
Ken.