Memories of a WW2 Evacuee

Wed, Sep 4th 2019 at 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm

A talk by Newport Pagnell Rotarian John Neale

Newport Pagnell Rotarian John Neale was the club's speaker this week, giving a short presentation about his childhood reminiscences of growing up during the second world war.

John's story started at home in an as yet undeveloped Wembley, where he and his siblings grew up prior to being evacuated to Kidbury, near Newbury.

Being an evacuee was hard but life was made a little easier by his new home being with his grandparents, unlike many of his peers who were sent to strangers. He and his family were able to make the most of the war time rationing with chickens and rabbits bred by the family to supplement the meagre diet. Special occasions such as Christmas were often made brighter by being entertained by parents who played the piano and the violin.

John and his school friends were often also entertained by the goings on by American military staff who were stationed at the local airbase, watching the paratroopers jumping out of planes and trying to make their own versions out of handkerchiefs attached to stones and then throwing them up as high as they could, much to the chagrin of the locals who were then left with the debris hanging off of the local telephone wires.

John entertained us with his stories which brought up many questions and other stories from other members who’d lived through a similar era,.

We hope that John has managed to record these fascinating stories for posterity.

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