Ruby's Memoirs

12. The Height of War

By this time we had been in the thick of the most devastating news of lost battles, Battle Ships of our Great Fleets sunk in minutes. German Cruisers had escaped from their hiding places and were now at large to do more damage to our merchant navy which had suffered enough already from German U Boats. This had been reduced a great deal by the convoy system, new and more terrible bombs on our towns and cities, but amidst the gloom things were happening. Hitler had gone to war against Russia and was having to withdraw some of his might from the Western front as he had met with more opposition than expected, our fleet in the Mediterranean, was preventing Rommel from getting supplies for his troops through Tobruk for his army held up in the desert at Alexandria. Meanwhile our troops were resting and being reorganised under a new General named Montgomery. He was little known to most people but soon became the most talked about in the army. He was small but had great energy, he expected the almost impossible but got it out of his men, he mixed with them, lived in a caravan with them, dressed like them in battle dress, and was the first officer in command to wear a beret. He was put there by Churchill to get “Rommel out of Africa”.

After the Japs attacked Pearl Harbour and caught the Americans out in their rather cavalier attitude to Britain at War, they then realised that their war with the Japs would become our war as well so now we could rely on their support to help us finish off the war in Europe and help them in the East. So our hopes rose that soon these dark days would be over and people could sleep in their own beds again.

But we had a long way to go, we still had rationing of most things and now clothes coupons caught up with us so there was no window shopping, the food shops had little to tempt you, there were queues outside a shop if they had anything other than the normal commodities, such as onions, or offal from the butcher, sausages etc. I dread to think now what was in them. The black market flourished and more or less anything could be obtained if you wanted it and could afford it. Our appetites had grown much smaller now, puddings were given up mainly during the week. I can't remember drinking much coffee but there always seemed to be enough tea. Sugar was rationed but I don't remember bread being so but it was an awful grey colour. Rationing was very frustrating especially in clothing. It was a case of mend and make do. Everybody knitted, if you could not buy the wool you undid something you didn't want, washed the wool and knitted it up again. I can remember unpicking some rather flowery curtains to make a skirt for a village dance. I don't think we bothered too much about such things until an American woman I met said “You are all so dowdy” . I could have killed her.

Over the last two years we had got the old Cricket Club going again, the pitch was on the large Common with the convenient Pub close by. My husband, a cricketer raked in as many able bodied men who were still in the village, and they worked on the pitch which had been neglected and by this time we had quite a healthy side going and were playing cricket matches every weekend. We had guest players at times and some quite notable cricketers came to show us their skills. Even the American Soldiers had a go but could never understand why this crazy people padded up for batting but not for fielding as they did in America for Base Ball. Of course the ladies had to see to the teams teas and also lunches for the all day Sunday Matches. I never had a summer holiday during these times as Cricket always came first. I was the secretary and had to fix matches for the following summer, during the winter. This was quite a social job as most contacts could be found in the Local Pub. Usually it was all plain sailing but there were times when a slip up occurred and the opposing side didn't turn up so we had to make do with a scratch team made up on the spot. Even sometimes they had to make do with the ladies who volunteered. These matches were hilarious, with dropped catches and a jump over the ball when it was coming far too fast for your liking.

So the years went by, but now with the better news the wonderful doings of the 8th Army at Alamein under Montgomery who drove Rommel back and out of Africa as he had been directed to do by Churchill. Hope came again and the preparation for the invasion of Europe instead of the invasion of our own Island.

Ruby Bullock

• to be continued.