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When World War started I was 16
years old and living in the then
Village
of
Verwood
in
Dorset
. I remember the blackout when no lights were allowed and all windows had to be
blacked out. If a light was showing through a window the Air Raid Warden or his
messenger would knock the door and demand that we "PUT THOSE LIGHTS OUT'. No
lights were allowed on our bicycles or cars although not many people owned cars.
I worked in a local grocery store where
I was in a "reserved occupation" (which meant that I could not move to another
job). It was my job to control incoming and outgoing food coupons. I collected
and counted the food coupons exchanged by our customers when they bought food
from us, and forward them to the local food office which then issued us with
paperwork so that we could purchase more stock. Our customers came from the
village
of
Verwood
and our delivery vans visited the villages of Three Legged Cross, Horton,
Woodlands and Edmondsham. Rationed foodstuffs in our grocery shop included -
bacon - sugar - cheese - tea - butter - eggs - marg - lard and preserves. Ration
books of coupons were issued for each person and the above foods could only be
purchased by handing over coupons (as well as the cash!).
We lived in the country and kept
chickens, so we had our own eggs, but chicken food was rationed! Other items
rationed included clothes, fuel and meat.
My job also included bookkeeping and
balancing the cash and accounts - I often also helped with putting up orders for
delivery. We were always short staffed because employees were being called up
all the time.
After normal working hours I was an Air
Raid Warden Messenger and had to deliver messages whenever asked. On one
occasion I had to cycle (with no lights) in the pitch black to fetch a doctor to
attend a child involved in a fatal bombing. I frequently had to cycle across the
common (over some very rough ground). On another occasion I tried to report sick
but the Warden insisted that I must still be ready for duty - illness was no
excuse!
One scary time was when bombs dropped in Verwood and the
gorse/heather all around Stephens Castle was alight. The Germans dropped bombs
called Molatov cocktails - a large bomb which opened up showering a lot of
fire-bombs. Another time, bombs were dropped near the Church - all services were
held at the Vicarage until the Army gave the all clear.
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