|
The
"We Remember" Booklet 2006
CHILDREN’S CORNER
MAY’S WAR
 May
lived with her family in Dover, where her Daddy delivered
barrels for Leney’s brewery. One day May was told that England
had gone to war, and everyone was very excited about it. Soon
Daddy and Mummy told May and the rest of the family that he was
going to fight in the war.
Her eldest brother John was going to fight as well.
Daddy and John went together to
sign up for the army and were given their packs and new
uniforms. May thought they looked strange. Even their church
clothes weren’t as smart as these.
Daddy told the family that they
might be gone for a long time and he said to May that her bear
would keep her safe while he was gone. But when the day came for
Daddy and John to leave everybody was very sad.
When May and her family waved
them off she noticed that there were a lot of other families
there too. It seemed as if all the men in Dover were going to
France. But Mr Waverley the doctor stayed behind, and May heard
him tell Mummy that he wished he could be there too. For some
reason this made Mummy cry.
It was very different without
Daddy and John around. They saw a lot more of May’s aunts and
all the ladies who lived nearby. A lot of their husbands and
sons had gone off to fight as well. Mummy and all the wives had
to do a lot of things that the men did. When May’s little chair
broke a woman from down the road mended it. They were gone so
long that they weren’t even back for May’s birthday.
One day May helped Mummy make a
package for the boys. They put in some biscuits and some pairs
of gloves and some  tobacco. Mummy told May that these would be
things they were missing.
In the summer they got a letter saying Daddy was coming home. May was
very excited but Mummy asked her not to show off in front of the
other women.
When Daddy finally arrived home
he seemed very different. He was sad and his uniform didn’t look
so new any more. He found it difficult to walk because his leg
had got hurt. He wasn’t the same, but having him home made it
easier to wait for John.
Alistair Pound
pictures by
Bruce
| 