Archive (17 life histories found)
It was like a carnival. Everyone could breathe again,the peace had finally come
In 1944 my father was lucky enough to be stationed in Ballyhalbert with the R.A.F. We all went as a family and lived in a coastguard cottage right on the beach. It was idyllic. I went to the little country school in the village. We only had two…
Tags: carnival, end, grnadmother, parties, war
Some people overdid it and it was in all the papers that a few people died from eating too many
During the war everything was rationed,we were issued with ration books; cream for groceries,red for clothes and another one for sweets. I was a great treat being given a silver sixpence (2 p) for 2 ozs of sweets,which was all we could buy with…
Tags: bananas, food, overeating, rationing, war
We children didn't understand the danger and looked on it as a great adventure
I remember the night of the big blitz in Belfast. We could hear the terrible sound of the sirens telling us that the German bombers were overhead. Although there were shelters in the street,very few people used them. My mother insisted we all…
I can honestly say my grandmother was the most important influence in my life
Thus started one of the happiest periods of my childhood years. My father was away with the RAFR. My mother took a job in a munitions factory,like so many other women at that time to help the war effort. My aunt worked in a large city centre…
Tags: grandmother, munitions factory, RAF, war
'During the war things were very tight. The tea was very scarce so my mother used to buy it blackmarket from someone she knew'
In those days there was no such word as diet as I think we never suffered from too much food. We got good wholesome food. Bread was baked every day and that is why flour was bought by the big bags which were utilised for sheets. On special…
Tags: black market, food, food shortage, fresh products, war
'When war was declared seemingly the concensus in the village was that no one supported the Hotel, but Daddy donned his hat and walked down the main street and into the Hotel as if nothing was wrong'
We played a lot around the barracks and were a bit afraid of the black hole - the cell. After a fair if somebody was the worse for drink the sergeant gave him lodgings for the night. At that time there were five garda and one sergeant in the…
'It was like a carnival. Everyone could breathe again, the peace had finally come.'
In 1944 my father was lucky enough to be stationed in Ballyhalbert with the R.A.F. We all went as a family and lived in a coastguard cottage right on the beach. It was idyllic. I went to the little country school in the village. We only had two…
Tags: carnival, end, grnadmother, parties, war
'Some people overdid it and it was in all the papers that a few people died from eating too many.'
During the war everything was rationed,we were issued with ration books; cream for groceries,red for clothes and another one for sweets. I was a great treat being given a silver sixpence (2 p) for 2 ozs of sweets,which was all we could buy with…
Tags: bananas, food, overeating, rationing, war
'We children didn't understand the danger and looked on it as a great adventure.'
I remember the night of the big blitz in Belfast. We could hear the terrible sound of the sirens telling us that the German bombers were overhead. Although there were shelters in the street,very few people used them. My mother insisted we all…
'I can honestly say my grandmother was the most important influence in my life.'
Thus started one of the happiest periods of my childhood years. My father was away with the RAFR. My mother took a job in a munitions factory,like so many other women at that time to help the war effort. My aunt worked in a large city centre…
Tags: grandmother, munitions factory, RAF, war