Germany after the war, 1945-1949
A contribution of CHDrake people in history Charles Henry Drake, Lily Drake Location history Wakefield, West Yorkshire Background to civil history Item Number A2642726 Contributed May 17, 2004.
In 1938, there was a real fear of war, and a collection was made at the school Wakefield Girls High School for Czechoslovak refugees, but despite the international situation, Miss Maris took some girls to Switzerland .
August for a 11 years old seems to have been a series of bicycle past warm days in Coxley Valley for picnics, swimming and tennis relatives spent a lot of time, as much later, listening to the newsletters and talk about the German invasion of Poland and the Baltic aREA oF Danzig and the corridor were a major concern while in school were informed by Miss Maris to lead quietly at school and with their own business in a normal far as the first Friday in September, was spent lying with his sister and friends on the lawn of the family home to watch a single-engine plane solitary fly over, which would then be the same Spitfire the last minutes of peace s 'strung from here the excitement grew, but parents became sadder and more resolved, remembered and fought in the Great war, the war to end all wars, and their memories were horrible and now it was happening again twenty years has been repeated again and again the family had no son, but cousins who were of an age to go, indeed the a Eric Bradley, had been called to the militia twelve months earlier.
Last Saturday and nothing No chapel on Sunday morning in the atmosphere added dark suspension.
The wireless was activated October 50 and all sat down to await the final minutes, an experience that many do not want to repeat then Neville Chamberlains deep voice came on the radio and we tell the world that the last hour of the ultimatum had passed and so we were at war with Germany and its allies for many life seemed to stop that day, as if we did not know what to do in some way the news was a relief the war began less bang for apprehension of a sob.
The blackout came, and we were told that in the case of an air raid, we ho under the table a large affair- sturdy oak or in the Piano- a large den with huge legs later the cellar was emptied and the marble slabs were equipped with blankets and pillows, recalling a morgue.
That night the air raid siren sounds almost all Britain, but it did not last long an old aunt, Ruth Harvey, lived alone on Dewsbury Road, and during the raid of one of his neighbors went see she was okay to be very surprised by just head that appears around the door in his gas mask.
Autumn term at school started again in the second week of September, 14, found that the greatest sin on the calendar was not to have your gas mask with you at all times for a while each lesson started with a gas mask check later became an enrollment ceremony that lasted until the last days of the war if you had forgotten you were sent home to recover drills- the gas mask put the first and chin straps over your head, staff checking their straps- They smelt awful, blowing to see that you have a good seal, move around a bit to get used to wearing them, is part of the Miss calendar Frampton was always meticulous paper sticky white crisscrossed the windows to prevent glass shards when the air raid drills, when we were asked to get our gas masks, became an hourly break Home; had everything in line at the door with their gas masks and quietly and silently walk to the wineries schools, which finally took benches to sit on, for those who do not have a cellar ankle, had to use the corridors , boiler rooms and school storage areas the students went to the cellar in the ongoing divisions, complete forms for the humanities and sciences, languages and mathematics groups composed of about a third of each of the two parallel forms the staff member concerned would register his group had taught her all this has become, as expected, the routine, but first there were girls in school who would become hysterical, but received little sympathy cellars had many through pipes and where the staff worried about their fracturing if the school being hit if the girls were in the cellar during an air raid and ga z and hot water pipes were broken would there have been a disaster.
The first thing taught in the first lesson of French wartime course was to learn the French national anthem Once the initial excitement had died down, all these things have become a matter of routine, and n ' has ever made in anger sedentary life to normal, for a 11 years old living classroom and watch every day the flags move around a map of Europe the war died almost to Dunkirk came and the battle of the great Britain after Dunkirk Wakefield started quickly filled with battered wrecks of men, all very nervous, and it was not advisable to come behind, quietly Pemberton House and Vincent House, Westgate near the station were full of men-often leaning windows and shouting.
The field Lupset and certainly others, all men were billeted on them and the blue pajamas hospital wounded men Pinderfields has become a common sight around town About 180 evacuees arrived from the Channel Islands and Miss Maris set up in the room of the Jubilee, pending the conclusion of permanent houses the only difficulty was where to go in case of an air raid or emergency.
Then came the bombing of London, Birmingham, Coventry, Manchester and Liverpool and the cost is unnamed city Hull and of course the all embracing the south coast Somewhere between what came Sheffield, when several hours to two nights, citizens Wakefield could see the reflection of the city in flames in the sky, and we heard the bombers circling and local spotlight, one being to Snapethorpe school quartered the sky looking for them the sky is dull, the flashes of exploding bombs would be seen and dull Crump Crump Crump, the explosions heard and the sky blazing again Drake Warters, part-owned by Ms Cresswell's father had men working in Sheffield, and they told stories to go in night shelters and out in the morning to find the city literally disappeared around them; just piles and wreckage smoldering batteries and old air raid wardens, firemen and ambulance drivers to adapt their best in three weeks, Ms Cresswell went to Sheffield, and saw the incredible devastation, piles of garbage with narrow roads cleared them, and the smell of fire still everywhere.
Leeds and Wakefield were very lucky Design Chief Drake Warters Hayden Suthill, was not afraid, but terrified of being called, and as it was a key member of staff, M. Drake moved heaven and earth to He booked it was only to die a few weeks later is clean exterior door in the raid on Thrones road on the night of Friday, March 4, 1941 explosion killed five people, ranging from a two-year a man of 80 years, 15 were injured, five seriously Suthill Hayden was replaced by Pete Mundy fate is much more important than fear or planning.
Leeds was bombed, but not in the concentrated form of a diversion Sheffield city was built to Leeds accessory right of the A64 where the road and the lights have been burned straw bales to confuse bombers.
The people of Wakefield hear our bombers out, hundreds of airfields collection of local and early evening outings, strong growling sound prophetic, which would be a little lighter when they return in the morning.
In high school girls, fire watch has been organized every night two staff members and two members of the sixth form would be in service later, anyone over 16 fired observation, which was to sleep at school about once a month, making coffee for staff in service and actually sitting in the room of the common staff when homework was completed Everyone does their fire tower look at their office or factory Wakefield was bombed September 17, 1940, were dropped 10 explosive and 40 incendiary bombs falling on Alverthorpe around the Westgate station, Ings Road and bombs Kirkgate station hit the wood store Drake Warters, and foundry near Williams and Womersleys, both off road Ings fast action guards ARP Drake Warters saved the store if the store had increased, while the surrounding area have been destroyed because of the amount of wood sto CKE the city had a remarkable escape, the only victim to be a firefighter.
An incendiary bomb could easily be if someone was there to give the alarm An unwatched building could be turned on before an alarm sounded There were alarms and warnings night of the air raid, but fortunately no were near the house Wentworth observers were either left listening to Eerie cracks and groans of the empty school or trying to sleep, the girls in a conference room, staff in the room personnel or other angle that was more practical in the raid on Thornes Road, one of the houses of the girl was damaged but not destroyed Ms Cresswell looked after his pony to Lupset firm when the raid began sirens rarely rang in 1942 and even less in 1943, while the war was taken away from Germany and Britain last sirens cried their lonely lament through the city March 17, 1945.
War really touched everyone in one way or another.
School activities had to be reduced because of the war, especially the black in the Spring term 1940, a conference was given by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel and the only event was the hockey team's Party dinner was shortened so that the girls could go home before night bus services were irregular, and the return trip could be a test there was no bus as possible has been installed in dinner time shortened, choir practice, focus groups, working meetings and groups Guide Dorothy Chatfield was the daughter of the vicar of Primrose Hill St Mary Wakefield, and as Ms Cresswell was a trained pianist, asked if she played for some services to the church of his father because of the absence of an organist focus was on music and sports in high school, the basic annual fee for costs piano tuition was about 12, in addition to singing lessons.
In 1939, very few people have had the chance to have a car and busiest, and usually not very far, either by bus, tram or steam train, in fact some still traveled by bus to horse or pony and trap due to restrictions on gasoline fuel for these have become rare because it was rationed bus windows were exploited or netted to prevent flying glass and the lights were still very low, so we could not read the bus ticket.
The services have been reduced very crowded bus private cars had a small basic allowance of gasoline and finally you had to prove your need for it, there was more rations for the essential work, but woe to you if you found outside your immediate area or most recently running the red gasoline, which was considered a crime most cars have been moth balled throughout the blackout hit all course the world and turn that light became a regular cry air Raid Wardens of fines were heavy for people not maintaining a strict ban that applied to cars whose head lamps should be masked with only three slots on each light and of course after 1940 all the sign posts, and in some cases, street names, signs the city limits and all that you could do rm an idea of where you were, were abducted in an air invasion with only a flashlight covered with a mask to help you find your way about, life became difficult for less you have your tin hat you have your gasmask you have your gas mask you have your torch Good night became a ritual saying and was heard almost everywhere.
Fuel of all kinds was precious and every effort has been made to save the coal was rationed, but gas, except for the reduction of pressure and electricity could not be, so in came the rule, if possible, a bath a week, and only 5 of water, it does not mean 5 boiling water to cool off with cold, 5 maximum Many people have measured a mark of five inches and painted on their baths Then save fuel, Saving lives has become a slogan war was full of slogans.
Food of course was rationed and hard to find while queued for all of onions, fish, sausages, liver and even nylons Anything that was not rationed had to be put on hold for the limited rations did not affect everyone, you ate what you were given the Fat ration was 4 ounces per week, as sugar meat was 1 - 1 shilling worth 5p, half an egg a week things such as dried fruit, powdered milk, dried eggs and some canned foods were on the point Each point was awarded a number of points and everybody was affected as a week, which could be used as you want, always provided that any were available, queues based life was very difficult and unfair to many, all who had something to exchange could generally have a barter system somewhere, e Does the black market was always there for those who had money and before the start of the war, people were encouraged to stock up on food as they could because the stores could not carry very big butter stocks was Prese rved in shards of saline, the eggs into a glass of water, canned goods purchased as well as many other essential elements seniors who had lived the previous war were more lively courses to do that the war will be over by the likes of Christmas.
The real injustice came when what was patriotic duty became regarded later as unfair and unpatriotic, and hoarding became almost criminal This has affected the middle class over the working class, many did not have the resources stock, why should we go without something when they became a state of mind for many people.
The diet may have been limited, but it was healthy, they were very little weight on children, and in some cases, improving the supply of certain families, and children of the real poor were fed better than this they would have been without war, except, of which there were a number of Wakefield, where mothers sold their ration books.
Rationing meant that more girls remained in school for dinner, before the majority had gone home to long time before dinner, but now school meals could be purchased in addition to the normal ration, so with rigorous rationing in 1941, when the meat ration was reduced to a value shillings a week, even girls who live nearby had dinners at school to get extra food.
Instead of school trips and outings, girls each year in a harvest camp in 1941, he was picking fruit in Huntingdonshire In 1943, the school was closed for a week in October while part V Uppers and VI Uppers went to camp V lowers and VI lowers had been the previous week, then got their holidays at the expense of rods work was either picking potatoes or pull beet girls sugar slept on straw mattresses and got up at 6 am, and still appreciated recreations tennis, table tennis, dance and march another group in the same Walton camp near Boston Spar, Lincolnshire, forgot to get up in the morning go to work the last camp was in October 1945.
Clothes were also rationed Many service men came back in very small cabinets where their pants had been cut for their son or turned into skirts for girls of fashion went to the bottom of the window clothes were shot , clothes were turned upside down and back to front and made the other side at least twice and of course lengthened became shorter and shorter.
One of the characteristics of the war years was the savings campaign as much money saved for themselves by buying Savings Certificates of war, and at the same time helped to raise money for the effort war by buying them in 1942 war the ship's week was held just weeks after a previous weapons week an ambitious target of 2000 has been an open day was held, where the admission of the was least six penny stamp savings on the stage was a model of a destroyer showing that total has been raised to date.
There were fewer trips to many outside the school, but the entertainment came to school instead In 1942, two concerts were given by North Philharmonia Orchestra in the hall of the jubilee, and 110 girls went to see the London Philharmonic at Unity Hall in February 1942, the women of the ATS gave a walking display in the lobby Jubilee During the war, school activities have returned to normal, but there was still no dramatic or sports day competition.
The evacuation was a great thing, Wakefield was lucky because he did not see the removal of fat children than London, Hull and other places saw emotional stress and fatigue was enormous, but people were stronger, there was little moaning, and most crying was done privately, people had their close family and supported each other.
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BBC WW2 People's War Wakefield and World War II, people, Wake, Girls High School, prevent flying glass.