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TWO EVACUEES

Place - Market Square, Minchinhampton
Date - 3 September 1939

There we were, two little girls clinging to each other, waiting to be chosen and looked after for the duration. Our name tags pinned to our coats showing that our names were Patricia Thomas aged 8 years and Marjorie Thomas aged 6 years. We stood in the Market Square, waiting 鈥� but our journey began in Birmingham, St Luke鈥檚 School, where most of the children were gathered in the hall. Parents anxious to get their little ones to safety but not wanting to let go and children, not really understanding what was happening, were excited and more than a little afraid.

Now it was our turn. As we stood in the Market Square, two ladies came towards us, took our hands and kindly said to go with them. They were Miss Eva and Miss Jessie Kirby and here began the most memorable period of our young lives.

We must have been two of the most fortunate evacuees, as theirs proved to be a most loving and caring family and we spent most of the war years in this warm and happy environment.

The first thing we saw was the lovely village, a walk down the High Street to Well Hill and Miss鈥� Kirby鈥檚 home. This was a cosy cottage with a beautiful garden, something we didn鈥檛 have at home. When evening came we were given a lovely warm bath, a glass of milk and a biscuit then taken upstairs and tucked into a huge bed. As we lived in a back-to-back house in Birmingham where there was no bath, it was all a real treat.

We both have so many memories. The lovely village, the church and children鈥檚 corner there 鈥� the school and common and of course seeing a real live cow for the first time, we were terrified! We had picnics, walks and our first car ride.

We used to come home for lunch and Auntie Eva always cooked and after school we would have tea in the garden. There was a larder in the cottage (no fridge鈥檚 then) and it was always cold and well stocked. Auntie Eva used to bake, bottle and make jam and wine and the most delicious fruit juice, that stood in a huge pitcher in the larder.

We used to visit people and have tea and games. Everyone was so kind. Apart from not being with our parents we really didn鈥檛 miss Birmingham and being at such a young age we adapted to country life rather quickly and after all we did write and receive letters from home.

We realised that there was a war on when the sirens sounded, Auntie Eva and Jess would wake us and we鈥檇 go downstairs where there was a mattress already made up for us under the stairs. This was wonderful 鈥� we had drinks and biscuits and thought it was a party!

The first Christmas at the cottage will always be remembered and I for one always tell about it, first to my children and now to my grandchildren (actually nobody escapes the story of our evacuation 鈥� ever!). We had lots of presents, it seemed everyone in the village had sent us a gift. We had never had so many and never did again once we returned home.

Marjorie and I have so much to be thankful for! All these wonderful memories of the years spent in Minchinhampton. The Misses Kirby who worked hard to care for us and guide us.

We kept in touch on a regular basis over the years and we visited often 鈥� although not nearly so often as we would have liked. We hope dear Aunts Eva and Jess knew how much we loved them and appreciate the loving care they gave us. We certainly realise how much we owe them.

When we returned to Birmingham our lives changed again. We missed our Aunts even though we were with our own Mom and Dad. We also missed the greenery, the garden and the lovely bed in the attic. When the siren sounded now it was down to the cellar or our neighbours 鈥淎nderson鈥�. We had to go to a different school 鈥� St Luke鈥檚 was bombed. A lot of our friends and neighbours were killed when a land mine was dropped in the next street. My Gran was 鈥渂ombed out鈥� three times. She lived to be eight-five years old.

Both Eva and Jess have now sadly passed away at ages 97 and 91 but they will always be in our thoughts.

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