Evacuee Boys E-Book

John Forbat

• Herausgeber: The History Press
• Kategorie: Sachliteratur, Reportagen, Biografien
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

Brothers John and Andrew Forbat had been happily living in England as patriotic British boys since 1936. When the Second World War broke out, however, the brothers found themselves evacuated to a disadvantaged part of Melksham in Wiltshire, cut off from home and family, and in straitened circumstances. Added to this, on Pearl Harbor Day 1941, Hungary, along with other countries, joined the Axis and the Forbat family became Enemy Aliens. Their many letters home throughout the war, with details of their schooling, bullying, friendships and constant pursuit of more pocket money, form a humorous and at times tragic testament to the hardships of war. Interspersed with diary entries made by the boys' father back home in Blitz-ravaged London, and letters from Andrew when he was interned on the Isle of Man, Evacuee Boys is as full a record of war-torn Britain as one family could provide.

Leseprobe

Contents

Title

Introduction

1Dear Mum & Dad

2Alone in Melksham

3Internment and Illness

4Life and Limb in Wartime London

Epilogue

Afterword by Andrew Forbat

Copyright

Introduction

In August 1939 I had just finished a glorious holiday with friends in Cambridge, for the first time in my life experiencing a real detached house and garden (complete with luscious plum trees). Little did I know, the Second World War was about to be declared.

On 2 September 1939, a day before the Second World War began, my brother and I were evacuated along with thousands of other children from London – our destinations kept absolutely SECRET. Nearly 11 and still a keen Wolf Cub, my evacuation from the anticipated bombing of London, together with my brother Andrew (nearly 15), would be with my school, West Kensington Central School. Reminiscent of the film Hope and Glory, mother took us to High Street Kensington station on the District Line, where a milling crowd of evacuees and their parents churned on the platform while authoritative teachers barked orders and tried to keep control. We were each issued with a gas mask in a brown cardboard box – the use of which had been demonstrated amid hilarious farting noises as they breathed out with extra vigour. More interesting was the carrier bag with several large bars of Cadbury’s Fruit & Nut chocolate and other goodies to see us through our train journey into the country.

Contrary to the film Hope and Glory, mother did not change her mind and, after the District Line took us there, the train pulled out of Ealing Broadway station with the loud steam chuffing of the period, almost drowned by the excited chatter of children embarking upon an adventure. After emigrating from Hungary in 1936, now came another ‘emigration’.

Evacuee boys with their gas masks. (Public information)

We arrived in the small Wiltshire town of Melksham, our worried parents remaining in London. The letters that we sent them, which form this book, graphically depicted our daily lives, the vital importance and difficulties of keeping in touch, and our urgencies and needs – without telephone communication and largely without money for daily necessities. Andrew was the highly conscientious, responsible and thoughtful elder brother who wrote most of the letters, and I was the little tearaway who tried to be good (as far as I was able). Our parents’ normal import/export business was made impossible by the war, so they ran a bridge club in their Kensington rented house and were rather hard up.

Our sporadic letters and postcards still survive. Some are written in Hungarian, some in faded or tattered handwriting; all illustrate our life, trials and tribulations away from our parents and our maternal grandmother, Noni. Often poor spellings and punctuation are reproduced, essentially as we wrote them. Some letters are (childishly) repetitive, others are historically priceless.

Amongst the rest of the contingent from London’s West Kensington Central School, we arrived in Melksham by the train from Paddington station. Carrying our suitcases, gas masks and issue of chocolates in bags handed out before the journey, we boys were taken round to various houses where we might be billeted with local families. The government would pay the families 10/- (10 shillings) a week per child. In our case, the first billet only lasted one day, and then we moved into a longer-term billet.

The school had no premises in Melksham, so the location of our schooling was also a problem to be tackled. Most of the younger teachers had been called up for military service, so many of the teachers also moving to Melksham were elderly, some brought out of retirement.

At the Kellys’ with Rosemary. (Author’s collection)

Despite being a fully embedded cockney, with Hungary on the wrong side of the war I soon became classed as an Enemy Alien. The Wiltshire burr was also quite foreign and the locals received us Londonerrrs with mixed reactions – from ‘Do we have to have them here?’ to ‘Yes, I’ll look after these two’. Not unlike the slave trade in reverse, we were taken around house to house where potential foster parents looked us over and, by the end of the day, all of us had somewhere to sleep among families willing to take us in return for 10/- per week. After the first day, Andrew and I were billeted with the family of a (to us) well-to-do factory manager, who aspired to a detached house and their own car, an Austin Ten.

Our letters commenced on 3 September 1939, the day the Second World War was declared.

1

Dear Mum & Dad

3 September 1939

Dear Mother and Father,

Fernleigh, 13 Sandridge Road, Melksham Wilts.

First of all, I have to tell you that I changed address as above & I think I shall be much better off in this house. The reason that they put me here is that we only had one single bed for the two of us, & were not very comfortable. I shall come to that later, as I will tell you what I was doing all the time since I got here.

I had quite a pleasant journey, although we were a bit crowded in the tube as you saw at the station. Then at Ealing Broadway, we changed to the GWR [Great Western Railway] which took us right here, without a single stop (except of course at signals).

When we arrived at Melksham, we went to the school buildings & waited there to be put into our billets. While we were waiting, we had tea, milk or water, as we chose. I was called out to talk to a Czechoslovakian girl who has been here for three months. I had to speak to her in German & got on quite well.

The billet I was put into at first was 2 George Street. I had a very nice & kind old lady & she gave me tea as soon as I arrived, that was about three o’ clock. We then went for a little walk & came back to put our things into the drawer.

Later in the evening, Mr. Williams & Mrs. Hirst called upon us & asked if we were all right and comfortable. I told him yes & they asked if we had tea, what it was like, what our beds were like & if the landlady was kind.

I told him that we only had one single bed for both of us (which he noted down as a complaint) & that we received tea, which was all right. I told him that I was satisfied otherwise & that the landlady was very kind. We were told to assemble at the Recreation Ground from where we might go the Church. They also asked me if I had any objections to attending a Church of England service. I told them that I was Jewish so I’d rather not. That was arranged too. Mr. Williams seemed to be exceptionally kind yesterday.

We slept quite well in the single bed – not too much & we got on all right. For supper, we had cocoa, bread and butter. I shall write you, what I was doing today, tomorrow, as I want to catch the nine o’ clock post.

The address is c/o Mrs. Kelly.

Your loving son

Andrew

… continued by John – his added ‘letter’ was not quite as informative!

Dear Mum and Dad!

We moved to-day to a better house. Here we have got a lovely big bedroom and a lovely big bed. Mr. Kelly has a car. They have two big gardens, one is full of fruit and vegetables, and the other one has just grass and some trees. There is a little girl of seven years old. Will you write as much as you have time for.

From your loving son,

John

5 September 1939 – a letter from a local gentleman who helped with the billeting of children

I thought you might like to hear from me that both your sons are well, happy and comfortably placed.

They were a little unfortunate in their first billet, but were transferred after the first day or two to a very nice house in one of the best roads in the town.

The people here are wonderfully kind, and cannot do too much for our boys. The lady in charge of the billeting told me that she could have placed almost another thousand of our boys in billets, the people think so highly of them. She was most anxious that every boy should be thoroughly comfortable, and offered to transfer any boy who was not. I have asked the boys over and over again if they are quite happy and comfortable, and they assured me that they were.

This is a quiet little town about 100 miles from London, set amidst some very pleasant scenery.

There is no need for you to feel any anxiety about your sons; they are quite happy and comfortable.

Kind regards and best wishes,

Yours sincerely,

Fred. R. Norton

9 September 1939

Dear Mum & Dad,

I have so far been very disappointed in you for writing so little. I am so anxious to know what is going on at home, & if you don’t write, I am worried. I keep on supplying you with fresh news daily & I get no reply at all.

Before I go on writing about myself, I shall urge you to do the following:-

1.Send me a postal order for about half a crown, for I have only got four pence left (& the lucky 3d bit which I don’t want to spend).1

2.Give my best wishes & compliments to Grandfather,2 Granny3 & Mariska4 & tell them, that why I did not write is because I want to confine all my correspondence to English. If they are prepared to have a letter from me in English & have someone to translate it, then let me know by return of post.

3.Send the parcel (containing shirts, bathing costumes & Scout & Cub uniforms) immediately if you have not already done so.

4.Write regularly & keep me informed of what is going on in London.

5.Don’t forget to get a gasmask for Grandfather if he has not already got one.

6.I have asked one of my friends (Billy Childs) to call on you occasionally. Receive him kindly & remember that he is one of my best friends & one whom I always wish to keep, for I know that I can count on his help when I need it, just as he can count on mine.

7.I you are in the street during the black-out, be sure that you have a white strip round your arms & waist; it is so much safer.

… continued on 10 September 1939

Up to now my usual daily programme was to get up at about eight, assemble with the school at half past nine to receive instructions and announcements, go for a long walk with the school. In the afternoon I have a rest & read. After tea I go to the swings as we call it. The food we get is excellent & plenty.

For three days (Wednesday, Thursday & Friday) I went to a farm to help getting the hay in. I did not like it too much because it was rather far & the fields were very big. Thursday morning the farmer made us (four of us went, John did not, because he is under thirteen) scrub the stables with long brooms. The most unpleasant part is in that was the smell, & the stuff we had to scrub off. However I am not going any more. We only worked three hours a time.

Friday last (the last day on the farm) I had a rest at the wheel of a hay carriage & tried to make a backwards somersault. When I got home I found that I had lost all my money. Luckily I remembered this somersault & next day, I went back to the farm & found every penny of the money which fell out of my pocket. Now I have only got 4d because I had to get a shaving set at Woolworths in Bath (as there is none in Melksham) & a nail file.) Please send money immediately, because after posting this & another letter to Childs I shall only have a penny to spend left.

I met Mr. Norton this morning & he told me that he was corresponding with you & that he wrote you that I was in a nice place.

That is quite true for you could not imagine a nicer couple (except you). Mr. Kelly gave me a shilling for postage right on the first day & 6d to both of us last Friday to buy sweets. I bought a box of chocolates for Mrs. Kelly on my 6d for her birthday on Saturday. They both said I should not have done it, but I am sure she was very pleased.

As I wrote before, we went to Bath yesterday. This is a very nice town, famous for its Roman baths & for its buns. We were in the park & had a look at the Botanical garden.

We have a nice garden in the house (front & back) & in the back garden we have two big apple trees, one for eating & the other for cooking apples.

Mr. & Mrs. Kelly have a very nice LITTLE daughter (7 years old) only a bit wilful & spoilt. We are getting on quite well though.

School will start on Monday. Write me as soon as possible & send money. How is the club & business?

With love and compliments to all,

Andrew & John

24 September 1939

Dear Mum & Dad,

I don’t think this letter can be quite as long as I promised in my last card, as there is hardly any news to write about.

The most important thing is rather unpleasant but I think you will agree. Mrs. Kelly today said, that the money she gets for billeting us is far too little (17/- for two boys) & that she would like you to contribute with a reasonable amount to our keeping say 5/- for EACH boy a week. She said she hated to do this & she would not have done it were it a question of a few weeks only, but the war might last for years & prices for food are getting higher & higher every day. She said that the other people have said the same – to ask for help from the childrens’ parents.

I told her that I understand her position that I shall write home & see what can be done about it, but that I shall NOT promise any regular payments (knowing Daddy’s financial position), sometimes the money may be in delay. She said that she would not expect it very regularly, but it would be a great help to her as she has to add a considerable amount to the 17/- from the Government & that she has a lot of extra work in the way of washing, ironing, mending etc.

I think you will understand this & try to send down 10/- a week as often as you can to ease the Kellys’ task. You must remember that you have not got to spend money on our food now. Please reply immediately to this as the matter is important.

While we are on the subject of money, my money is gradually going away & probably in a few days’ time I shall write for some more money on my last penny. (I shall change the last 2/- now for this letter). I am afraid I could not have my shoes mended this time. It should cost me 3/6 to sole, 1/3 to heel & 4/6 to sole and heel. They said it would be about 4/- for John to have his shoes soled & heeled.

This afternoon we went blackberry picking in the car we came to a hedge which was absolutely full of them. We filled a whole basket from the two sides of the hedge. They were nice big & black ones too.

I fasted from Friday night about 8.30 to Saturday afternoon about 5.30 – just about 21 hours. It was quite easy.5 I was only hungry at mealtimes. Of course I did not have clear soup & chicken as at home but it was all very nice.

Please do send the bicycle quickly because it would be so nice to have nice long rides in the country. Some boys have already got theirs down.

I told you that I joined the Scouts here, now they elevated me to Patrol Second (next to a Patrol Leader) but this is only for a month to see if I possess natural leadership & I have not got much chance have I? But – at least for a month – I have chance of becoming Patrol Leader as mine said that he did not want to stay in the Troop, so that I might have to take his place. But these are only hopes. By the way, John is a Scout now & not a Cub. He will pass his Tenderfoot soon, when he will be eleven. He is in my patrol too! I am afraid I shall have to do my Journey again as I have not finished my report & so I could not pass it in London & I must do it here. I shall have to re-pass everything I have done in the First Class.

Another thing I must have is my case. I should like you to send me my school case with everything in it but make sure that the blue shorthand book is inside. If it is not, look in my drawers & in the wardrobe but be sure it is there.

I do not think there is anything else to say so I shall close the letter. Excuse John not writing but he is late & I have to be at home at 9.30 & it is 9.20 now so that I shall have to go to the post office in the meanwhile. Give compliments to all, I shall write Noni next time as I am in a hurry & million kisses to you from

Andrew & John

9 October 1939 – at last a card from John

Dear Mum and Dad,

I am only writing a post-card because there isn’t any news besides that the bicycle has not arrived yet. In the last few days it has been raining a terrible lot. My finger is much better and there is nothing to worry about. I miss you very much, please come as soon as you can. How is business? How is Granny, Grand Dad and Mariska?

I got a letter from Mr. Young yesterday and answered it to-day.6 I left room for Andrew on the other side.

Yours dearly loving son,

John

… continued by Andrew

Dear Mum & Dad,

I have asked John to write the main part of the card today. It will do him good. There is no other news besides what John writes.

Thousands of kisses from,

Andrew

23 October 1939

Dear Mother & Father,

Mrs. Childs probably told you already that I had a quarrel with Mr. Kelly, but I want to tell you that since then, things have been much quieter again. As to what I can make of it, Mr. Kelly has many moods. Sometimes he is in a good mood & sometimes he is in a bad one. He was very angry about me taking Mrs. Childs up into the unfinished room & he used this occasion to say everything that he wanted to say. He did not shout or use nasty words. He said it all in a quiet polite tone. He accused me of not being straight forward because I did not tell either him or Mrs. Kelly about your coming, about Bill coming, & instead of asking first I just brought Bill & his mother in. All they knew about the arrival of Mrs. Childs was what they could pick up from conversation between John & me. Secondly, he accused me of taking everything for granted & that I have no consideration for Mrs. Kelly. As an instance he put forward that I did yesterday morning. He also said that I did not offer any help to her & took all I could.

He had no grudge against Johnny, because he was too young to know these things, but he thought I was old enough. He kept on sermonising for about an hour mentioning that he definitely objected to me talking about him as landlord & Mrs. Kelly as landlady. He said he was no landlord to us until we paid anything like £2 a week. As we are now, we are only in his house through his charity & kind-heartedness.

As a final point he mentioned something I did not understand saying: ‘When you came here I did not take you as Jews, but as children in distress. If your conduct has been such as to alter this attitude, it was your own fault.’ What do you make of that?

After dinner I saw Mrs. Childs again and told her the whole story asking her to give you a note & to tell you all about it. It is a pity you were not here yesterday. I was very sorry that you could not come, but it was comforting to see some of my old friends.

At tea-time, Mr. Kelly seemed to have forgotten all about the quarrel but I did not. I pretended to be very distressed, & only had one cup of tea & took no cake. Of course he noticed it & when he got up he said, ‘What I told you at dinner does not concern you now’ & he stroked my head. After tea I have done the drying for Mrs. Kelly & everything was OK. We have not talked about the quarrel since.

Before I forget, will you please send that card which I gave you before I left London, to be completed when National Registration takes place, to the Schoolkeeper in London [to W.K. Central School].

Thank you very much for the things you sent down. The cake is excellent. I am afraid Daddy’s pullover would do as a skirt for me. It is so big.

Will you please send the money down for this week soon, as a week has elapsed since the last 10/- to Mrs. Kelly. I shall not have much left when I bought another lot of stamps for postcards. By the way – Mrs. Childs gave us 1/- to share and I put in savings. If you think I should not have accepted it, give it back to her.

Make sure you have your seats booked at Mrs. Shaw for next month, as I want to see you soon. What about me coming down for the half term holiday? I could spend two whole days with you.

Mrs. Kelly said that if we were to go down for Christmas week & stay at home for a week, she would give us the weekly Government allowance of 17/- for fares. I thanked her very much though I said that I did not think Daddy would take it.

For a long time you have not told me how the club was going. I am interested in that. Do not think John can sign this letter & I want to send it now, as I do not want to read it to John in case someone in the house overhears it.

I do not want to be moved from Mrs. Kelly for I do not think I can get a better home than this one, although I should not like to have another quarrel like this one. I tried to defend myself but he interrogated me whenever I started to speak.

Write me soon & lots of love & kisses,

from Andrew

26 October 1939 – a postcard

Dear Mum and Dad,

I am very sorry I am so late in writing but I was awaiting your reply to my letter and the something you going to send. I hope the something stands for money.

I hope when I get the letter, it will say that I can come down for the weekend, for this is a chance not likely to recur before Xmas and I am very eager to see you.

If I get your ‘yes’ before to-morrow morning’s school, I shall come straight away. If I get it after school I shall come on Saturday. If I get a ‘no’ than I shall be ever so disappointed.

There is no other news. Mr. & Mrs. Kelly are still very kind. I wish I could see you this weekend.

Lots of love from Andrew

… continued by John on the back of the postcard

Dear Mum & Dad,

I miss you terribly come as soon as possible. I feel very well, how are you? It has been rather cold the last few days what is it like in London? Is everybody alright? Please send money as we are very hard up. If you have already sent it take it as unwritten.

John

28 October 1939

Dear Mum and Dad,