#ellen howard

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Francie, by Ellen Howard

Laura

American Girl Magazine, November/December 1994

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[agheaven]

Francie by Ellen Howard

Laura

American Girl Magazine, November/December 1994

[mostly-history]

Ellen Howard, a 37-year-old woman living with her husband and children in south London, had 'hardly digested the news when the sirens started wailing.'  Her husband 'heard them first, or rather was the first to realize what they meant.  We all flew to our tasks.  I filled the bath tub, closed the upper windows, got down the tins containing our gas masks, prised them open and soaped up the eye-piece [to keep the glass visor from steaming up], carrying my oiled coat and a box of precious things down to the shelter.  K. had put earth on the boiler fire, turned off the gas, filled the kitchen sink, drawn the lower curtains and closed the windows and also put the dog's harness on him.  We were all down in the shelter in four minutes.  It was our first rehearsal and we were well pleased.  I'd not got out the axe, K. had forgotten her gas mask and I hadn't turned on the radio [as instructed to do in case there were announcements].  Nothing happened so we took stock of ourselves, had a drink and found we'd also forgotten the oil cape to wrap the dog in [supposed to offer protection against poison gas].  H. decided to stay outside until he heard gunfire, soe he went out and the All Clear went.  K. and I felt a bit shaky but decided that it was excitement as much as anything else – it had all been such a scramble.  Suddenly we smelt gas.  It was several seconds before we remembered that no one had turned off the 'fridge before turning off the main tap.  A note to remember and we also decided not to put out the boiler fire anymore – burning earth smells horrid.'

Wartime: Britain 1939-1945