Charlie Fenton’s Reviews > Christmas at War: True Stories of How Britain Came Together on the Home Front > Status Update

‘One of the most enjoyable features of Christmas was the discarding of the rather rigid formality of a hospital, and finding what human and friendly souls many of the people I’d rather feared really were. It made us feel very like a family - especially with the babies!’

‘They had nothing left but life itself. Neither of them knew the other had survived. They were reunited on Boxing Day, their first wedding anniversary. They had no home - they had to move in with my cousins. It’s a miracle that my sister and I were even born and that we are alive today.’ (3)

‘My mother lost the baby she was expecting and woke up in a padded cell in a psychiatric hospital because there was a shortage of beds. Nobody told her this was the reason - she was terrified, thinking she must have gone mad. My father had to have an operation on his back and on that very day he had a letter from the government telling him he was a deserter...’ (2)

‘My parents were married on Boxing Day 1939. They’d brought the wedding forward because it was the only day that everyone could get the day off. In November 1940 they were in Southampton and they had a direct hit on the house. My grandparents were killed, my uncle was killed, another uncle was blown - in his bed - out on to Southampton Common.‘ (1)

‘Mum had announced ‘I’m going to make a cake.’ We all looked at each other. ‘A what... what with?’ Dad exclaimed.
Not being involved, I have no idea of the ultimate ingredients, but I do know that carrots, powdered egg and National Wholemeal breadcrumbs featured strongly. It certainly looked good. Taste? Well, debatable is the word, but we scoffed the lot.’

‘Our neighbour must have seen us, because she called out to my other, ‘Hilda, what are you doing in the shelter? There hasn’t been a siren.’ ‘No,’ said Mum, ‘but we heard the guns going off.’ It turned out the crashing she’d heard was snow falling off the rood - and we’d been sitting in the shelter for about two hours for no reason at all.’

‘Sunday, 13th
Thought I was going to be clever and get some Chinese figs for Xmas. Waiting in shop for ten minutes only to be told: A sweet ration and a half! Ruefully left the shop. Don’t know what they will manage to get at home. As long we we have Bread Sauce with an onion, I don’t mind.’

‘Mum worked very hard looking after us all and I remember one Christmas my big sister and I decided to bake a cake for her as a treat. Mum was out at the shops - queuing up for something, no doubt. We were so proud at how the cake turned out. When she came home and saw it, she was absolutely livid, as we had used up the whole of our ration of sugar for the week.’