I was 3 years old when WW2 started. My family lived in Selby Street in the East End. My dad, mum. Sister Doreen, Brother Peter and myself Joy. We had a small house in a row of houses, with an outside loo, and I remember people always sat outside on a sunny day on the low front window sill.

Everyone was so friendly and children always played outside —Tin can copper, Hopscotch, Wooden Tops, Skipping, everyone looked out for one another. The east end people would give you their last penny if you needed it, no one needed to lock up their doors people were honest then.

My dad was a corporal in the Air Force and I always remember when he came home on leave he would save up his rations and bring us chocolate and would spend hours making us dolls house furniture out of matches and match boxes.

My first memory of the war was when the air raid warning would sound and then there was great activity Mum would get us together and rush us to the Anderson Shelter, where we would all pack in as many as we could. Our neighbours were lovely people and some could play the accordion or the spoons and they would get us all to sing at the top of our voices to drown out the sound of the bombs. Then when all clear came we would all come out praying that our house was still standing there.

My worst memory was when the last rocket dropped. I had been to a birthday party at my friends who lived in the Blackwall Buildings opposite our houses. It was a wonderful day her dog had had puppies and although things were on ration they had managed to make a lovely spread of sandwiches and jelly. Oh what a lovely day.

That day my sister Doreen had decided to change her bed around in her room it saved her life. That night I remember waking up to the sound of things, the ceiling plaster falling all around me, I heard my dear Mum calling out for me, then finding me and then pushing through the rubble and screaming “Peter Oh Peter, wake up”. My brother had a wooden beam over him, but miracles happen he was still alive although very frightened. Then grasping Peter, with me holding on to Mum’s back we went to find Doreen, the wall where her bed had been that morning had fallen onto the bottom of her bed. But she was alive too. We all rushed outside to see the buildings where I had been to the party were alight and all I could see were, people screaming running along balconies trying to escape the flames, parts of the balconies were falling as they ran, I will never forget my friends family who had all gone. It was horrible.

The German plane had tried to get the railway which was at the bottom of the road but got the buildings instead.

We were dazed and shocked but my sister went back into the house to get our cat which had found shelter under a table. We then all walked through the rubble, smoke, fumes, and screams, ARP men directing us with torches to the safety of the W.V.S. Vans. I remember a kind person putting a blanket around my shoulders and giving me a doll. Then someone talking to Mum and giving us a drink of chocolate, it was warm and sweet and the blanket made me feel safe. I must have slept then.

‘WW2 People’s War is an online archive of wartime memories contributed by members of the public and gathered by the BBC. The archive can be found at bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar‘ Childhood by Essex Action Desk originally published on http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/02/a3958202.shtml