91�ȱ�

This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Bernie Hawkins and has been added to the website on behalf of Alice Hanson with her permission and she fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.

I was nine years old when the War started and living in Rawtenstall. My elder sister was married and worked in a cotton mill making uniforms for the services. Her husband was a miner. Everything was geared to the War effort then.

When I was about thirteen, I remember going to her house for tea. After we had eaten our pickle sandwiches (or whatever), she said, “Would you like some sweet.” Of course I said yes. She brought out some fruit and when I had finished asked me if I liked it. I told her I did. She said, “Do you know what it was?” I told her I had no idea and she replied “It was bananas!” Bananas were unheard of in wartime!

Back home I told my mother that I had eaten banana. When she heard this, she was astonished — how had my sister got hold of some bananas when she hadn’t seen any for years! Next time she saw her, she asked her about it, and my sister came clean: what she had actually given me was parsnips soaked in banana essence!

From where we lived we could hear the bombs falling on Salford fifteen miles away, but we only had one bomb in Rawtenstall. It fell on the hills above the town. Lots of people, including me, went up to see the crater it made.

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.