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My father was called up after the War had started as he was older. The evening before he left home to go off to the War my mother put my younger brother to bed, but told me that as this was the last meal we would have together for a very long time, I could stay up and eat with my mother and father.

She made the table look very nice, with best cloth and cutlery and we were to have a special treat to finish with. My mother said I must eat it slowly and really enjoy it as it might be a long time before I had anything like it again. The special desert was served in a stem glass and was - a tin of mandarin orange segments set in a jelly, and in a silver jug she served a tin of evaporated milk.

What would today's children think of this for a special treat!!

When my father came home from at the end of the War he often said "If it had not been for my false teeth I would have been killed." He was in North Africa for about 4 years continuously servicing Beaufighter aircraft. He said very little about it as I gather things were a bit grim. He did tell us that he only had a cup of water for all his ablutions, when he thought we were wasting water. His favourite story was how he was ambushed in the desert by a group of natives who were out to kill him but he had the presence of mind to use one of the tricks he was fond of amusing the family with before he went off to war. He had part dentures top and bottom and by releasing them into the middle of his mouth he could make an amazing echoing rattling noise. When he did this the attackers released him and were so alarmed they ran off and let him go.

Some the letters my brother Colin Austin and I sent to my father during the war survived and copies are now in the Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood. Although many letters from overseas were kept by the family at home, the ones sent to serving forces overseas usually became so damaged that they disintegrated. The Curator at Sudbury Museum advertised for such letters, and she came to visit me to collect them. I can still remember at about age 6 being given a Form about A4 size to write the letters on. My mother arranged for the School teacher to supervise the letter writing. When they were sent they were photographed before being sent out to North Africa and the letters I now have are only 13cm long and 10cm wide. The Curator was amazed that my father had managed to preserved these letters in such good condition as he would only have had his Kit Bag to keep his personal possessions in. I think he kept them in a tobacco tin. My father wrote to us the most beautifully illustrated letters, looking at them now they are similar in style of Claris Clift china decorations. The writing is in very well formed 'copper plate'. In all I have 10 of these letters.This is a poem he sent to me for Christmas, I cannot make out the date but it was probably 1945.

Dear Yvonne, my little gal,
I miss you very much, old pal,
The way we used to paint and play,
To while away a rainy day.
I used to throw you into bed,
And tuck you in with your old Ted,
Lots of fun twixt you and me,
But now I'm far across the sea.
Enjoy this Christmas without me dear,
We'll have some fun another year.
My company you may now miss,
But soon you'll have your night-night kiss.

This poem was written to my brother from 97th General Hospital RAF B.N.A.F. 1944. My father had a very bad skin infection on his leg, and when he came home a good area skin was thin and transparent - it may have been caused by mosquitoes.

Dear little Colin it's your birthday today,
You are five years old I am happy to say.
Many happy returns I wish you my boy,
May following years bring you every joy.
Mother a few toys will find for you,
The fact that I cannot, I very much rue.
Perhaps this year will end the war,
And I'll come home to you once more.
We will romp on the floor and have such fun,
I'll swing you round and make you run,
Until then old chap be as good as you can,
Five years old! 'Your quite a man'

This is a letter I (Yvonne Austin) wrote to my father in 1945

Dear Daddy,
I hope you will soon come home, and make me some nice things. I want you to make my swing nice and strong again. (I was not allowed to use the swing as the top bar was weak). I have a little crocus out in a flower pot. It is a yellow one, and I give it water every morning. I like making things out of paper at school. Is your poor leg getting better. I send you lots of
kisses and love from
Yvonne.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

This is interesting as for many years I ran a craft business and designed things to make out of paper including flowers.

From Colin, Christmas 1944.

Dear Daddy,
I am at school now, and I like it very much.
Please come home soon.
I want a big engine for Christmas and I hope
you have a happy time. I am looking after mummy and
have grown a lot.
All my love from
Colin.

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