Authors: Jeff Smith
Polly (14 page)
Mind you, the locals weren't too sure about it all. One night a couple of bombs were dropped just outside the village. It must have been some sort of accident, the pilot got lost or was shot up or something, because nobody could have deliberately bothered to bomb such a nowhere place. Next day I was proudly pushing my new baby through the village in the pram with one of the other girls when, a few yards ahead, a door suddenly opened and this old woman stepped out on the pavement with a face like thunder. She shook her fist at us, and until then I didn't realise that people shook their fists in real life and not just in books. She shouted out that it was all our fault â âHitler's bloody followed you!' she screamed. Goodness knows why she thought Hitler would order his bombers to follow two young pregnant women out of the East End of London so as to bomb them in the country as well.
My younger boy was born at the other end of the war when the only remaining hazard was the rockets. By then I had been evacuated to rural Cambridgeshire, but when I looked at the local hospitals I decided I would rather risk the rockets. Somehow they seemed a lot less dangerous than a country hospital. Fred wasn't very keen on the idea and tried to persuade me not to come back. He wrote a letter over three days listing all the incidents as they happened and what the
results were [Editor's note: the complete text can be found at the end of this chapter]. I still thought that it was safer than a country hospital and so I returned to London when the baby was nearly due. Our house had been destroyed a few months before by a doodlebug and we were living in the downstairs half of a requisitioned house a couple of streets away.
Well, this day I suddenly started into labour. So I had a quick bath and then called Mrs J â she was the lady who had the other half of the house â and she came with me off to the hospital. We had just got off the bus in the Broadway when I got the most almighty whopper of a pain and I was doubled up with it in the doorway of the cinema when the warning went! Well, we couldn't help that, and once the pain had passed we walked the last couple of hundred yards to the hospital.
Now, whenever an alarm sounded the hospital went onto standby, so by the time we arrived all the doors were closed and there was no way in. Anyway, we went up to the door and rang the bell. After a couple of moments an irate nurse appeared and before either of us could speak began to read the riot act to us. There was a war on, didn't we hear the warning?, no visitors could possibly come in, what about possible casualties, at which she paused for breath and I managed to get in that I was ânot a visitor but a customer'. That quite caught her fancy and for the whole of my stay I was called âthe customer'. Anyway, her arm shot out, I was pulled in, and the door slammed shut leaving Mrs J standing outside. There was no time for ceremony.
I was rushed through to maternity, helped into a hospital gown, put on the table but, just as the nurse was about to examine me, there was a tremendous bang. A rocket had landed just a couple of streets away. I was blown up in the air and felt as if I was on my way across the room but the nurse's reflexes were up to the occasion and she just managed to catch me and push me down onto the table again. In moments the alarm bell rang â this meant major causalities coming in and the staff had to drop whatever they were doing to get down to the reception area. So she just told me to hang on and rushed away.
So there I was. After a few moments I realised that the woman in the next cubicle was having a terrible time, or so it sounded. She was moaning and groaning. Every now and again she let out an awful animal noise. But still nobody arrived. My pains were getting much more frequent and I was getting nervous, so I started shouting for help. Eventually a nurse came and started to examine me. I tried to get her to look at the woman next door but she sternly replied that I had to deal with my own problems, not hers. Within a very short while the baby was born. The nurse cut and tied the cord and, lacking anything
else, wrapped the baby in a dirty towel and gave it to me to nurse. Then she rushed out again back to casualty. It must have been at least an hour until anybody reappeared. I thought I had been forgotten. Obviously the immediate casualty crisis had been dealt with and the staff were a bit calmer now. They started cleaning me up, and suddenly realised that there was no afterbirth! Another panic, but eventually the midwife managed to massage it out.
All that remained was to get me up onto the ward. Fortunately a bed had âjust become vacant', only when they got me up there the bed was still in the same state as the last occupant had left it and they realised they had no clean sheets. After a hurried consultation they decided to use the dirty sheet on which I had just delivered the baby, saying that âit was, after all, her own dirt.' So in a couple of moments there I was, sat in bed waiting for the nurse to bring my new baby. Suddenly a woman, another patient, arrived at the end of my bed, looked at me in horror as her mouth dropped open â âBlimey' she said, âI know that they are short of beds but I only went out for a wash!' She was due to leave that day but the nurses had got a bit ahead of themselves.
When that was eventually sorted out the nurse appeared carrying my new baby, tightly wrapped in a piece of blanket. As soon as the nurse had gone I unwrapped him to have another look. I had never seen anything like it. He was dressed in two woollen matinee jackets. They had obviously been over-washed, over and over again. They were matted and stiff like cardboard. One was put on the right way round and tied with tapes at the collar. The second was then put on back to front over the top and tied again. I was pretty annoyed because all the family had been collecting wool oddments and knitting for me, so the baby had a wonderful âwardrobe' ready and waiting. I had a go at the nurse, and said I would get my own clothes in but she said that was against the rules because they got âlost'. I suppose they got pinched. I did dress him in his own clothes to go home though. All the nurses wanted to give him a cuddle because he looked so lovely. Well, I had all the clothes left over from the eldest and all the stuff the family had got together. He looked like a real baby going home and I suppose a lot of the nurses hadn't seen one of them for years!
My only thought then was to get back to the safety of rural Cambridgeshire. As soon as I left the hospital I sent a telegram to Aunty Blinco [Editor's note: the lady of the house where Polly was evacuated to escape the V1/V2 campaigns â see also p. 101 and p. 108] and asked if I could go back. By return came a telegram saying, simply, âCOME COME COME COME'. So I came.
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The unchanged text of a letter from Fred reporting incidents over a three-day period in an effort to dissuade his wife from returning to London.
77 Keogh Road
Thursday
Dear Poll,
Have arrived home safely after a rather quick trip getting to Mum's about 5.50 and hearing a terrible tale of the past week, and living in the shelter which seems to be the wisest thing. They have had 5 or 6 warnings up to then, and I arrived in the middle of one. Since then up until midnight there has been 4 more, making a total of 9 or 10 warnings but have lost count for sure. A warning has just gone shortly after midnight and I suppose this is the all night one so I am off round the post.
Friday:- Have arrived home from work about 5.45 and there is a warning on now the 5th today. First one at 7.10 lasted until 8.35 and we had 4 take covers. The second warning went at 8.50 and lasted until 1.10 and we had 8 take covers. The third went at 1.35 and lasted until 2.45 nothing doing. The next went just after 3 and up until leaving we had 3 take covers making 15 all day, not bad really. I didn't notice the time of the all-clear but it was before 6. The fifth warning went at 6.10 and we have just had a fright; one went right over the top in full view of us all lining the railway fence and dived with a terrific crash in full sight of us somewhere around the Thatched House or Harrow Green â may have a more precise position later. Another one followed about 5 minutes later but he has travelled over much further and we haven't heard the crash although it was quite plain going over. Mrs Butcher is leading off about a lifetime to get a bit of home together and then it gets smashed in a second.
Its quite like blitz times to see everyone in the back yards looking at the sky. It is now just 6.50pm and the 5th all-clear is sounding so I will have to resume with the next warning. Until then a little news. I arrived at Mum's and she made me a cup of tea and I gave her the lettuce & onions and started trying to persuade her down to Son's but it seems pretty useless and I have come to the conclusion that the reason is, that the neighbours are waiting for her to turn her back and then they will flock in & rob her of her home. At least that's what her excuses sound like to me. Jane has offered her the fare. Tiny has as well. Bob sent her £4 to do something about it and I gave her Son's offer but it seems that she won't
do anything about it. I am going to ring up Bob & Maud later as I believe it has been hit badly around there. You remember that rather nice looking blonde girl who we saw when we went over there and you spoke about me blushing. I've heard that she is dying and they have sent for her husband from the Navy. Tell Son that Sister Silwood from the surgery has been killed by a direct hit he will probably know her, the tall one who took over from the old matron. Here goes the 6th to-day and its 7.5 so he doesn't lose much time in between. Mum gave me a tomato last night and that together with the cheese and a lettuce I kept, has made me a nice tea just now and I will be able to have a rake round tomorrow afternoon for something else. I hope you will like this letter Poll but as I promised to let you know exactly what happens I am just putting it down and leaving it to
you, what you wish to do, although everyone says you would be mad to come home. I am now going to clear the table have a wash and change and go round the post for a while and will continue with anything that happens later. By the way George Tiney has been to see his wife and kiddies off to Torquay to-day and seems rather worried about it. The 6th all-clear is now going and it is 7.25. Here goes the 7th one and it is now 7.55 still time to beat yesterday's total. Have just returned from the post as one has dropped very close and I think the railway works or Temple Mills got it. Saw it go over and dive, engine still running when it hit. The all-clear for this one went at 9.10 but the 8th warning went at 9.40 and have heard a couple more go down a bit further away this time. The 8th all-clear at 10.10.
The first page of Fred's letter
.
I rang Bob up and both he & Maud are quite OK although they were badly blasted on Tuesday night. He told me that he had been to Stevenage (Herts) today and they have had 2 of the bombs there. To resume the next alert has gone at 1.45 Saturday morning and things are a little warm, plenty of banging around as they fall. At 3.45AM one sounded loud enough to send me round the post but it is further over. Another one even louder followed, by one that beat the lot at about 4.30AM so I am staying round the post and giving bed the go-by for tonight. It fell by Manor Rd. station and sent a gas main alight but I think it is mainly a factory area and not a lot of houses around by âBerks'.
Saturday: left home at 6.20 A.M. warning still on and arrived at the firm to be greeted by a âTake Cover'. For breakfast I had cheese on toast & bread & dripping which was quite tasty. Worked until 11.45 A.M. with 3 more âtake cover's making it 4 in all. Had Spam & Salad with baked jam roll for dinner and then went straight on to Bearmans from Woolwich but Robert's shoes have not yet arrived and I will call again next week. Arrived home about 1.15 to do a bit of washing and continue this letter and in the meantime we have heard 3 more come down somewhere around. The all-clear has sounded at 1.50 P.M. making that warning a 12 hour one. Another warning has just gone at 2.15 P.M. and it seems crazy to me as to why they sound the all-clear. Two more have just come down, Mrs Jones running for the shelter with her dinner in her hand sure looks funny. 3 o.clock Poll another one down. All-clear sounding now at 3.50 P.M. Here we go again 3.25 warning number 3. All-clear Poll 3.50 P.M. nothing doing this time. Sweet music again number 4 sounding at 4.20 P.M. One down somewhere at 4.25. There goes another tearing over-head like a roll of thunder and it seems to have travelled on for some way by the sound of the crash 4.28 P.M. I was changing my shoes to go out and had to nip just then. All-clear for number 4
going at 4.45 and I think I will go down Mum's for a stroll. The milkman seems late. 5th warning 5.10 one crash all-clear at 5.20. Warning again 6th at 5.40. One more and all-clear at 6 P.M. 7th warning 6.25 2 or 3 bangs this time and the all-clear at 7.30. 8th warning 8 P.M., again one bomb somewhere near and the all-clear at 8.30 9th warning 8.55 very short this time all-clear at 9.10. Here goes the 10th warning today 10 P.M. 2 bombs right over and again the all-clear at 10.30. Plenty of time for more to-day. The 11th warning went at 11.30 and they are coming over at about 5-minute intervals. 5 have crashed down fairly loudly before 12 P.M. A short quiet and then another not so terribly far away. Now after that I get a real scare one is coming straight for me as I am patrolling Louise Rd I dive and a terrific crash brings loads of glass out and I charge off to the Electric Light Office which has got a direct hit. Lots of damage and plenty of houses blasted but I am pleased to say that we have only 16 casualities none of them terribly serious as they were nearly all in shelters. Vicarage Lane is looking very knocked about and we have been working with a searchlight to straighten up a bit At 4.30 A.M I have a lay down and sleep until 6.30 when I go home to go to work.
Sunday:- Arrived at work 7.30 to get a take cover for No 1 warning 7.10 until 7.35. No 2 warning 8 A.M. until 8.20 I take cover and something fairly close. No 3 warning went 9.20 and up until the all-clear at 9.45 there were 5 take covers and plenty around. No 4 warning at 10.35 lasted until 1.45P.M. and again 9 take covers. No more warnings from 1.45 until 5.15 and that is going to be enough for this letter as it will make it exactly 3 days since I got back. It may sound bad Poll but I have given you an exact diary no exaggeration & no kidding I am rather tired as you can guess but I am going to get down to it round the post early tonight and believe me I shan't come out unless it is bad. Hope you and Robert are O.K and would like to think the weather has improved but it is lousy here pouring heavens hard. I will be sending a little parcel for Robert in a day or two and have some Mars & chocolate and one or two little toys. By the way Saturday there were 22 take covers Friday 15 and today 16 making a total of 53 since I came back. You must make your own decision Poll about staying or coming home but if it is any guide to you Salway School has opened up to take evacuee names and the Government are again evacuating people from here. Take care of yourself Poll hope Robert is a good boy and believe me when I say I am quite O.K and will be seeing you for the week-end very shortly if convenient to Son & Els. Tell Bill Plum that so far I have heard nothing about round his way and will write if I do. Let me know if you want anything. The milkman is leaving me a pint
every day and I am doing O.K for grub Lots of love to you and all as I can hardly keep my eyes open I going to close and will write again very shortly. All the best Poll don't worry about anything as it is not so bad
Love to All
Yours Fred
Xxxxxxx
Robert from Daddy
xxxxxx