A 91 year old Sunderland man recalls his memories of WWII.
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00:00 It's said that the D-Day invasion was actually planned for June 5th 1944. However, it was
00:06 postponed until the day after as, in true British fashion, it was reported that the
00:11 weather was in fact too bad.
00:13 There was no celebration for D-Day because the war virtually had come to an important
00:20 point where they invaded Normandy. Nothing was done really until we reached VE Day, where
00:29 victory in Europe. But D-Day wasn't recognised at all really.
00:35 What was day time like? Did you still go to school?
00:38 Oh, I still went, yes. I was at Hilton Road School. But we were there. The only time when
00:46 we weren't there was when they were digging up the school playground to put in the area
00:51 shelters. There was infants, juniors and seniors school there. Infants and juniors went into
00:59 the area shelter in their school grounds. The seniors had to walk up to the football
01:05 ground in Hilton Road.
01:10 So the war came to an end and there would have been celebration then to know it was
01:15 all over.
01:16 Yes.
01:17 But rationing went on.
01:19 Well I helped organise a scout camp down at Whidbey. And in 1952 I still had to collect
01:29 the ration books in of the lads to be able to get the meat from the local butcher. And
01:34 that was 1952, still rationing.
01:37 That shows you the extent that it affected the world.
01:40 I mean, the country itself was near bankrupt because of the war.
01:45 Yes. But for you, if you remember, you were a young lad.
01:50 Oh yes, yes. Still enjoy my life.