1939-1945
Memories of 50 Years Ago
I was born in Clement Park in 1943. I lived in the square in Shepherd's Loan, in my Granny Ogilvie's house. It had four rooms and a toilet. I went to Hawkhill School. My grandfather Hall lived under Cox's Stack in a big grey house. One of my friends was Jean Navickas she lived across the square. There was Mary Gatley and Helen Davies who lived above us. We emigrated to Australia in 1951. I told my friend Jean that I would be back in two years for a holiday but didn't get back for another 50 years and then my memories were all gone.
Food for Thought
Remember wartime ration books
The ingenuity of wartime cooks
Nothing allowed to go to waste
Porridge becoming a familiar taste
Tatties and neeps (stomaches-full)
Peas from the kailpot to chew at school
Remember tops of eggs being taken
For tea – it was no joke
Kids then seldom tasted yoke
Powdered egg in a tin
Less sugar and sweets (more saccharin)
Baked rice, raisins, curds an’ whey
Custard and rhubarb – desserts of the day Read more......
Memorial Memories
I was born in Charles Street on October 2nd 1942 and moved to 43, Hill Street the following year. From our house, if we leaved out we could see the war memorial on top of the Law. I remember my Mum putting up this black sheet every night, so it was obviously war time. The best memory however was seeing the flame lit on the memorial, so I now presume it was VE day.
Party Memory
52, William Street, Dundee, end of World War 2. Huge bonfire in the court yard, 5 storeys high, one tenant organised a party of tenants to get together and make all the children costumes out of crepe paper. Mine was orange and white. Now that was a party! Must have been to remember it all those years ago!
Memories of Dundee - Part Eleven
There was another potential danger that had to be considered and guarded against, poison gas! That was used on the battlefield in the First World War so the chances were that it could be used again, against civilians this time. Thus everyone had to be issued with a gas-mask. Read more......
Memories of Dundee - Part Ten
In some ways, the war had an immediate impact on our lives. The Blackout, which I mentioned previously, was imposed by law on every house, street and premises nationwide. All vehicle lights were curtailed, with black paper stuck on them, allowing only a half-crown sized circle of light to show. Torches became almost a necessity, but even they were restricted to a small circle of light showing. As a result, torch batteries, owing to demand, became somewhat scarce and if work got round that a certain shop had some there was a rush of customers at these premises, eager to buy. Read more......
Memories of Dundee - Part Nine
The coming of war brought many changes to our lives. However, I felt the very first impact of war, two day before it started. On the evening of 1st September 1939, the day Germany invaded Poland, a country whom we had pledged to help if they were attacked. I went to see a film about the Dionne Quintuplets, born to a French Canadian mother, who roused a lot of public interest at the time. When I came out of the cinema, I thought it was very dark, but I didn't realise that there were no street lights on. It wasn't until I got home that the truth was brought home to me. I assume this was the first ever blackout and I guess, a practice for that which would later become commonplace when war was declared two days later. I assume the Government was then resigned to the fact that war was inevitable. Read more......
Memories of Dundee - Part Six
The year 1939 was memorable for a number of reasons. First of all there was the Mrs Jordan sensation. Of course it didn’t mean very much to me at the time, but I can understand now how big a thing it must have been. Read more......
Magdalen Green
I was born and brought up in Bellefield Avenue and to me and my generation both here and on Magdalen Green this was to be our playground. Read more......
Occupied Groningen
It was September 1944, I was a student nurse in Apeldoorn and I had been at home on sick leave as I had TB. The cure was bedrest and good food. We lived in occupied Holland, Groningen, not far from the German border. My father worked there on the railway and he was told by the Underground that we had to leave our house and go underground. We put what belongings we could in an empty room belonging to a neighbour. The rest we just had to leave in our house. Father and Nico, my brother, dressed as workmen and cycled to Makkum, the village where my parents were born, and where we had a lot of relations. Nobody wanted me as I was ill and did not have a ration card. Read more......
