Pamela Russell - Liverpools Children in the Second World War

PAMELA RUSSELL

This book is for my husband, David, my son, Christopher, and my daughter-in law, Sarah, all of whom are post-war Liverpool children. Also for my brother-in-law, Harold Russell, and my cousin, Brenda Bryce, ne Wright, both of whom were Liverpool children in the Second World War

Pamela Russell (M.Phil.) is a retired Senior Lecturer of Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, Lancashire. She has lived in Maghull, Walton and, for over thirty years, Lydiate.

First published 2009

The History Press

The Mill, Brimscombe Port

Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL 5 2 QG

www.thehistorypress.co.uk

This ebook edition first published in 2012

All rights reserved

Pamela Russell, 2011, 2012

The right of Pamela Russell to be identified as the Author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the authors and publishers rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

EPUB ISBN 978 0 7524 8018 3

MOBI ISBN 978 0 7524 8017 6

Original typesetting by The History Press

My thanks to all the people who wrote to me with their stories of their wartime childhood, or lent photographs. James Abram, on behalf of Winifred Abram;Victoria Bradford, on behalf of Joan Stables; Linda Leaworthy, on behalf of Stan Lewis and Renee Rose; Mrs J.M. Taylor, on behalf of Phil Taylor.

Mr W Backshall

Mrs M.E. Barber

Mrs E. Barooah

Mrs M. Bentley

Mr A. Bentley

Mr F. Berwick

Mrs P. Blamire

Mr B.F. Browne

Mr R. Brundrit

Mrs B. Bryce

Mr D. Buckley

Mrs P. Burns

Mrs J. Campbell

Mrs A. Chapman

Mrs E. Charles

Mrs I. Collinson

Mr W. Courtliffe

Mr R.A. Cox

Mrs M. Crimmins

Mr G. Crompton

Mr H. Croston

Mrs D. Dalrymple

Mrs E. Davies

Mr D.E. Davies

Mrs E. Doyle

Mrs P. Fawcett

Mr D. Ferguson

Mr D. Finney

Mr A.E. Forster

Mr H. Gaskell

Mrs J. Gillett

Mr A.P. Graham

Mr A. Gahan

Mr T. Grayson

Mrs J. Greenhalgh

Mrs M. Greenwood

Mr J. Greer

Mr G. Halligan

Mrs M. Hardman

Mrs A. Harrison

Mrs B. Harrison

Mr D. Hartley-Backhouse

Mr B. Hefferan

Mr B. Hill

Mrs M. Hoban

Mr F. Holcroft

Mrs D.M. Hudson

Mr D. Hunter

Mrs J. Ireland

Mrs F. Jennings

Mr J. Johnson

Mrs E.A. Johnston

Mrs J. Jones

Mrs K. Kenyon

Mrs S. Landrum

Mrs P. Lawrenson

Mr A. Lewis

Mrs M. Luke

Mrs P. Martin

Mrs R. McArt

Mrs T. McAsey

Mr P. McGuinness

Mrs J. MacLeod

Miss J. McMurtry

Mr J. McMurtry

Mr J. Middleton

Mr R. Molyneux

Mrs S. Moonan

Mrs J. Morley

Mr F. Nelson

Mr A. Parks

Mrs S. Part

Mrs B. Patten

Mr B. Pearson

Mr R.J. Pedersen

Mrs D. Pemberton

Mrs B. Redfern

Mrs P. Rider

Mr R. Rigby

Mr B. Riley

Mr S. Roberts

Mr P. Robinson

Mr D. Rusling

Mr H. Russell

Miss M Ryman

Mrs M. Salthouse

Mrs D. Scott

Mrs O. Serridge

Mrs P. Sharkey

Mrs M. Sheehan

Ms P.A. Silcock

Mrs G. Skinner

Mr V. Smith

Miss L.G. Smith

Mr F. Smith

Miss I. Stephenson

Mrs E. Sweeney

Mrs J. Taylor

Mrs J. Tisdale

Mr P.D. Walker

Mr B. Webb

Mr T.E. Wells

Mr L. Whittaker

Mr A. Williams

Mr J.Williams

Mr M. Wilson

Mr T. Wood

Mrs O.L. Woods

Mrs M. Wrench

Mrs P. Whittington Richardson

Mrs B.Yorke

Photographs and Illustrations

Thanks to my husband, David Russell, without whose technical and photographic expertise none of these photographs and illustrations would have appeared at all.

Photographs and illustrations appear courtesy of: Vic Smith, Pam Fawcett and Gillian Skinner; Christopher Russell; Diane Courtney of UK Good Housekeeping and the National Magazine Company; Anne Gleave and National Museums Liverpool (Merseyside Maritime Museum); The Stewart Bale Collection; Mark Sargent and the Local History Unit, South Sefton, Sefton Library Service and The Imperial War Museum.

This is the story of Liverpools children during the Second World War. It is a real attempt to tell the full story and to include as many peoples memories as possible, told in their own words. Included are numerous aspects of life in wartime, as they affected children at the time. Many of the people who have contacted me have never told the story of their experience before. Most of them make light of the less happy aspects of those times, even when they are recounting quite sad or frightening events. Almost all the stories told or sent to me include some humorous or light-hearted anecdotes, which have been included to illustrate that most children will usually rise above the worst of times. Liverpools children in the war years did not lose the sense of humour for which the city is justifiably famous. It is clear that the desire not to whine which was adopted by many of the children has become a lifelong habit for many of the wars younger generation.

At the same time, there has been an eagerness and an enthusiasm about the opportunity to tell their stories. Sometimes there was surprise that anyone is interested, suggesting that a great deal has been bottled up for too long and for a whole host of reasons personal pride, patriotism, consideration for others and, perhaps, the simple desire to forget such a confusing and complex part of childhood.

Marguerite Patten OBE, in her commentary on some aspects of the war experience for Channel 4s The 1940s House, points out that many people did not want to talk about the difficulties and fears of those years in their immediate aftermath. They just wanted to forget. By the time they were ready to talk, there was, for most people, no one to tell. This was particularly true for children. The general view then was that children should not be allowed to dwell on things they should be kept busy and would soon forget. But they did not forget.

In fact, the memories of those years are sharp and fresh and surprisingly detailed. This book began with the younger people who are interested in the experiences of the children of the war years in mind, but as it progressed, it became increasingly apparent that the re-telling of those times was a good experience for many of the narrators as well as for their audience.

The personal stories that appear throughout this book were responses to my request in the press for the wartime memories of people who were children in Liverpool during Second World War. Childhood has been defined for this purpose as under the age of eighteen in September 1939, and born before September 1945. In the grammar schools, sixth-formers could be eighteen years old and evacuated with their schools to the reception areas.