91热爆

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Liz Gray from Chineham Learning Centre and has been added to the website on behalf of Jean Noble with her permission and she fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

My War

At the time of the war, I was Jean Clark, the daughter of Arthur and Nan Clark. We were living in comparative comfort in the suburbs of New Delhi, India. I was born into what could pass for an army family. My maternal grandfather arrived in India courtesy of the Black Watch Regiment and my father arrived with the Middlesex Regiment. My father left the Army and joined the Indian Civil Service. At the outbreak of war he was co-opted into the Indian Army.

Conditions for families in India were considerably easier than for those in Britain. Rationing was in force but was so generous as to be almost non existent. My father was sent on various trips but I don鈥檛 recollect them. In fact, apart from visits from several members of the British and American forces, life went on as usual.

The end of the war coincided with the British leaving India. All the wives and families were sent home prior to partition. We sailed on a cruise ship which had been restructured to hold the maximum amount of people. Also on board was a contingent of Italian prisoners of war who were being repatriated. Everyone slept in large dormitories and the showers were salt water and very hot or very cold. When it was to hot we would take our mattresses out on deck and sleep there. The main amusement for us children was watching the Italians getting soaked by the waves during their exercise period on the bow of the lower deck. I can vaguely remember going through the Suez Canal. We called in at Naples to disembark the prisoners of war.

The SS Cythia docked at Liverpool on 5 July 1946, my mother鈥檚 31st birthday. We were met by my father鈥檚 sister who drove us back to Surrey and the realities of post war Britain.

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