Jean lived in Great Bardfield in Essex. Her father dealt in Fine Glassware, although the Glassware company had a German owner who was sent to the Isle of Man as an alien.
Her Parents then moved to Chingford. The ARP system was in operation with a man on a bicycle with a whistle. Life went on as normal but there was no electricity or gas for lighting. They used Oil Lamps plus Candles. The toilet was down the garden and her older brothers used to shoot at bottles there, Jean cut her knee on the glass (she still has the scars).
Every Sunday they had Winkles for Tea as a treat. They were well off for food with birds, rabbits and other garden produce. She went to the local village school where the Headmistress had two teachers and a pet dog. They received Evacuees from East Ham who brought Nits with them and they were taught all subjects by the same teacher. The local Policeman was exempt from military service because of his age and he stayed in the village all through the war.
In 1941 a German Fighter Plane crashed nearby and all the village went to see him hanging in a tree by his parachute. He was clearly dead. He was buried in the Church yard and a wooden Cross marked the grave.
She had stayed with her Aunt but after one year at Braintree High School her Aunt died and she went back to Chingford where they had a Morrison Shelter in the front room. The top was solid but they preferred being under the stairs at night.
Her father worked by day at the Board of Trade and was on Fire Watch at weekends. He took Jean one day and a V1 passed them on its way to destruction nearby. Her sister-in-law’s house was badly damaged by a V2 Rocket and Jean’s father went to see her and came back with a baby in a drawer taken from the wardrobe.
They were a very Victorian family, played lots of Tennis with other girls from School. A favourite game was Canasta. The girls used to suck Polo Mints and have a competition to see who could make the circle last the longest. She had a strict upbringing with instructions to be home ON TIME even from Sunday School at the Church.
Her husband was interested in Archaeology and in discovering Artifacts. Her son inherited the interest and found an ancient Dagger which is now in the Chelmsford Museum.
Of her two brothers, one worked on Searchlights and was present on D-Day 6th June 1944. The second brother worked on Radar at Middle Wallop RAF Station to give early warning of approaching enemy planes.
For 3 years she was a Brownie and had an Aunt in the Women’s Institute who had extra sugar ration which was regularly used to make Jam. She collected large amounts of Acorns to feed the Village Pigs. Her Uncle was a Pork Butcher in Winter but a Thatcher in Summer. There was no refrigeration available, hence being a Butcher in Winter only.
Her lasting memory of World War 2 is seeing the small bottles of Milk warming round the coal fire in the middle of the classroom at Junior School.