Wartime memories

As I remember it

By Pauline Baker

Photo:Sitting outside the shelter.

Sitting outside the shelter.

Donated by Pauline Baker

I was born in Middleton Road in 1936 next door but one to the council offices. I wonder if anyone else remembers the bomb falling in Malmesbury road in June 1944 when I think 7 people were killed? We were in the shelter in the garden but as an 8 yr old I remember standing outside combing the dirt out of my hair. An ARP warden was carried through the back gardens on a stretcher as he had had all his clothes blown off in the blast. My dad went into the house to use the toilet only to have the cistern fall down on him, he didn't realise how badly damaged the house was. I understand it got a direct hit 3 weeks later but we had been evacuated by then.While we were waiting for help, the Brown Owl (Olive Dean) from the Brownie Pack at St.Peters Church came along with a tray of tea and biscuits. I loved Brownies and was pleased to go back to them when we were rehoused in Carshalton after the war. Does anyone remember buying their sweet ration from a house where they had the sweets up the side of the stairs? We eventually moved to Essex and I now live in Yorkshire not too far from where we were evacuated to during the war. I went back to Morden in the 1980's to take pictures to send to my brother in Canada. Hearns butchers, I believe they were known as Dirty Dick and Filthy Richard to the locals, they could always be trusted to serve kids with the meat ration as fairly as they served our mums.We spent many an hour queuing. In spite of the War and being bombed out I have many happy memories of those early years and was pleased to find your website while looking for proof that the Littlehampton childrens outing was as I remembered it.

This page was added by Pauline Baker on 22/07/2012.
Comments about this page

I remember when the bomb fell on Malmesbury Road next to the school. We lived just across the road at 38 Netley Gardens. According to some stories,the doodle bug glided through the gap between our house and next door on the corner of Malmesbury Road. The house where we used to buy sweets was on a corner of Malmesbury Road, the sweet man was Mr. Taylor. He looked stern but he was kind. I went to the Holy Family school ( known as the holy horrors ). Sometimes, as a dare we would sneak into Saint Peter's church and ring the bell and then run like hell. In 1957 we moved to 300 Bishopsford Road and to Cambridge in 1960. While in Cambridge, I married a local girl and after having two sons we moved to Australia near Adelaide in 1974.

By Mick Adley
On 22/08/2012

I remember coming out of the shelter after the v1 dropped in Malmesbury Road and seeing the houses opposite all demolished and seven people reported dead. And one being a telegraph boy found by our front door number 62.

By Mick Orford
On 29/12/2020
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