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Interview with His Grandfather, Joe, by Luke, on 3 January 2005

Q Where did you live in 1939?
A Newcastle on Tyne

Q How old were you when the war broke out?
A Eight years old

Q Do you have any memories of the announcement of the war?
A Sitting with mother, father and my 4 brothers, listening to the wireless as Neville Chamberlain, Prime Minster, announced that ‘We are now at war with Germany’.

Q How were you affected by the war?
A Having to carry a gas mask at all times. Knowing that we had to get to the nearest air raid shelter, when the air raid siren sounded. Seeing brothers in naval and army uniforms, when they volunteered to serve in the forces. Schools were closed for some time. There were no chocolate, sweets or fruit. Mother and father were doing their best for the war effort. Father was in the Fire Service, mother was Street Air Raid Warden. Three of his brothers served in the war and one brother was killed in France.

Q Do you have any happy memories?
A People were much friendlier and more helpful. Following an air raid, the local folk would check on each other to make sure they were okay. My brother’s ship (Free French) being awarded the Croix de Guerre by General de Gaulle. My brother was the radio operator

Q Do you have any sad memories?
A A telegram arriving to say that my brother Tommy had been killed in France. He served in the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers and The Reconnaissance Corps. He is noted in the book ‘Band of Brothers’

Seeing houses destroyed by German bombers.

Remembering that my brothers, mum, dad and friends were in danger, night after night

Having to be evacuated and missing my family and friends

Q Were you evacuated and to where?
A I was evacuated twice. Once to Cleator Moor in Cumberland and to a farm in Whitehaven. I was very happy at Cleator Moor, but very unhappy on the Whitehaven farm, so I ran away. I was caught and taken back. My father arrived at the farm and took me back to Newcastle

Q What can you remember about being evacuated?
A The evacuees set off from Newcastle Central Station, travelling by train to their destination in Cumberland. The platform was packed with children and their parents; it was very emotional, kids crying, mums crying and dads trying not to cry. The journey on the train was both sad and exciting, not knowing what to expect and already missing friends and relatives

When we arrived at the train station in Cumberland, it seemed like one big muddle; children, grown ups, officials, all milling about on the platform. Eventually everything was sorted and we boarded coaches which transported us to the villagers and towns where we were going to live. I was in a group of about 25 evacuees who arrived at the village school, there waiting for us were the local people who had volunteered to house us until after the war

My brother Hugh and I went to a large farm, we were most unhappy, being homesick and having to work quite long hours. Even this proved too much to bear, so we ran away. We were caught by the police, who alerted our parents who came and took us back home

Q Any recollections of air raids?
A I remember that most nights there was an air raid, we lived not too far from Vickers Armaments factory, which was a prime target for German bombers. We had an Anderson shelter in our back garden. It was quite well fitted out with bunk beds and lanterns; it was quite exciting and also very frightening if bombs dropped to close. Following the ‘all clear’ siren, most of us children would rush out into the street, picking up pieces of shrapnel as souvenirs. My most vivid memory of an air attack was in broad daylight. I was in our local park, Benwell Dene, when a German aircraft came over and started firing at my aunt and I. He came in low, fired off about 10 rounds, then zoomed off. Neither of us was hurt, but it was a frighteningly near thing.

Q Did you join a service?
A I was too young to join up

Q What do you remember about the end of the war?
A There were massive street parties, everyone was hugging and kissing, the local army barracks opened up and soldiers were everywhere, taking the children for rides in armoured cars, showing them all over the barracks and mixing with civilians

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