Glad To Be A Baby Boomer

Cherry

By skinner_jennifer

Wed, 31 Oct 2018
  • 3797 reads
17 comments
 

Dear diary Remembering.

 

At this time of Samhain when thoughts go out to the loss of loved ones, I want to light candles and especially remember mum and dad, but also send out loving thoughts to those that lived through those terrible times of war.

 

Sirens blared out that night of 2nd November 1940, over what must have been a panic stricken city, as the blood-curdling drone drifted through the atmosphere, a sinister warning of what was to come.

 

Bleak images sit in my mind when I remember mum telling me of being huddled under the stairs with gran, granddad, sister and two younger brothers, while overhead the terrifying sound of bombers flew across dark sky tainted with their destroyers, it leaves me with sinister thoughts of how destructive war can be and how glad I am to be a baby boomer.

 

Mum lived in Bower Ashton just on the outskirts of Bristol city, close to the suspension bridge and Ashton Court. Their home was an old Coaching house leaving them well away from the descending, highly explosive bombs...they were the lucky ones.

 

Mum told me the sky was lit up with flames rising like dragons breathing fire across the city, she was only eleven and terrified as granddad tried to keep them calm while the booming continued, telling stories of mystery and intrigue...strangely enough he was born in July, the same as me and was blessed with an imagination.

 

Bristol was now left in devastation, old buildings blasted to the ground, a lost city unable to cope, as hospitals worked around the clock tending to the injured. Then there were the brave firemen who risked their lives.

 

Imagine loosing everything you've worked hard for, feeling the grief of the injured, or even worse lost loved ones, some never stood a chance. It must have been devastating hearing of wasted lives, where innocent men, women and children just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

 

***

Then there was dad who at just ten on that dreadful night again thankfully lived even further out of Bristol city. He shared a council house in Sylvan Way, Seamills with his four brothers, sister and mum and dad. To think that at this point mum and dad's lives hadn't crossed and they had no idea that the other existed.

 

It was the Spring of 1944 as G I'S were billeted on Sylvan Way Seamills, courtesy of the U S Army in preparation for the invasion of France.

 

Patti Patierno third from the left in the photo became good friends of my dad's family and especially dad's sister...my Aunty Jean.

 

As I see it, many strong relationships must have come out of the war, where men and women lodged at houses and built up strong bonds, though I often wonder how many actually kept in contact by letter after the war, distance being a big problem.

 

There isn't a day goes by that I thank my lucky stars that I've lived through peace times. My dad joined the army in 1949 and did national service grateful he was too young to go to war.

 

Let's hope we never have to experience atrocity's of such terror, let us not forget how lucky we actually are. Let us hope we never have to go through what they did.

 

Love...Peace and Happiness to you all.

 

 

 

Photo's my own.

Certificate U
Biography
Dear Diary
Biography
Opinion

Comments

Submitted by Nolan on

Your story is very interresting and told in beautiful sensitive way. The format seems to work really well. My grandfather was also in the war, in North Africa and he was POW of the Italians and the Germans. I have his name. People then prayed only for peace as in your story, peace which we now so easily take for granted.

&&

 

Submitted by airyfairy on

A lovely piece, Jenny. My mum lived through the London Blitz. That started on the night of 7 September 1940, and her 13th birthday was on the 8th! The family was bombed out later. My dad lost his father to a UBoat torpedo. Like you, I'm glad not to have been of that generation, and also grateful that I'm not from one of the many places in the world where war is still a way of life.

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Interesting that you have those family details. I'm just in the middle of yet again working on my father's letter describing to his fiancee as he travelled home where he'd been during those years. Very ordinary work but interesting experiences, and readable and so I'm trying to get into a format to print as a Christmas gift for his grandchildren ,who never knew him. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

A really interesting read Jenny - I like the way you let your thoughts take you from one subject to another. As another baby boomer, ww2 was always very present in my childhood, did you find that too? At the time, growing up in the sixties, I couldn't understand why that was as it seemed to me to be ancient history, but really it was very recent!

 

Submitted by celticman on

these things are still happening in places like Libya and Syria and on and on. 

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

And Yemen, Britain makes the weapons that are causing children in Yemen to have the same experiences that our parents suffered. Because weapon making is one of the very few well paid manufacturing jobs we have left and "it's good for our GDP"
That was excellent writing not like a dry text book, full of emotion and experience. Could do with some of that in decision making in government

 

Submitted by Stephen Thom on

Thoughtful, reflective and compassionate piece, beautifully relayed. An important reminder. 

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Nolan,

it was interesting to hear about your grandfather being a POW of the Italians and Germans and living through war in North Africa. We can only try to imagine what it must have been like...gives me the shivers just trying.

I suppose we all have our stories to tell and it's good to be able to share, it helps put what we have now in perspective don't you think?

I'm very pleased you found the way I wrote this to be readable and many thanks for letting me know.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hello airyfairy,

your mum must have gone through a similar experience living through the blitz. Having to endure such fear on her 13th birthday must have been so dismal. Being bombed out too, what a terrible nightmare and not to be able to wake up...just can't imagine it.

Your dad's father loosing his life to a UBoat torpedo, I'm sure he will be remembered as a hero.

Like you say, I'm so glad not to have been of that generation too. Even though wars are going on in other parts of the world, we can only thank our lucky stars it isn't us that have to see war as a way of life.

Thank you for sharing your story and many thanks for reading.

Jenny.

 

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Rhiannon,

I so admire you taking the trouble to work on your father's letter to his fiancee as he travelled home during those years. I don't think it's ordinary at all and I'm sure the grandchildren will read with great interest.

It's sad that I never really knew my granddad on my dad's side as he died when I was very young and I only have photos to remember him, but we spent a lot of time at my mum's parents house and have fond memories of him taking me to his allotment where he'd bury money and get me digging, I used to think I was digging for treasure...smile.smiley Fond memories indeed.

I do hope your grandchildren appreciate the effort you've gone to and I wish you good luck with the format.

Thanks as always for reading and sharing what you are doing.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi insert,

I always remember my my mum telling me about ration books and not being able to buy sweets, but I was born in 1954 and had no comprehension of war at the time. It's only later in life that when I look back I relalize how precious a childhood I had in the 50s, 60s and definitely the 70s.

Like you, in the 60s at such a young age, war did seem like ancient history, it's amazing how quickly the country got back on its feet. I sometimes wonder how mum and dad managed living with me in a condemned cottage, it was so damp and mice would be crawling on the windowsills, but I suppose we never knew anything different.

I'm glad you liked the way my thoughts took me from one subject to another, it was my intention to write as a diary entry, so glad it worked for you.

Many thanks for sharing your experience, much appreicated.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Jack,

I know this terrible violence is happening in other parts of the world, but I'm so grateful we're not experiencing the same. I just feel so lucky, but my thoughts do go out to those innocent victims that have no choice, it must be hell to live in such torment.

Thank you for reading and I do understand where you're coming from.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hello Di,

I'm so pleased this writing has made such a strong impression. I never realized Britain made the weapons that's causing children in Yemen to suffer the same experiences as our parents, that is so shameful.

To be honest I try to steer clear of politics. Not my cup of tea at all...sad loved that the emotion came through though, it's just so good to be alive and able to share with all of you, smiley big smiles from me.

I'm very grateful to you for reading and letting me know your thoughts Di.

Thank you.

Jenny.

 

 

 

 

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Stephen,

it's always good to reflect on lost loved ones at this time. It's also nice to share with others too. I'm so glad you liked this piece of writing and your words mean a lot. 

Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts.

Jenny. smiley

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Editors, the cherries were such a nice bonus to this piece of writing, and have made my day.

Thank you so much.

Jenny.smiley

 

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

This is really interesting Jenny. They seemed such dramatic times compared with today and although there was great loss of life perhaps there was more of a community spirit too? The many social problems we have today are insidous and it's easy for people to turn away. As others have said other parts of the world remain war zones and it makes you wonder what is it that makes humans so keen on wiping each other out on a grand scale.

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Good morning Jane,

you know I'm sure you're right about community spirit, people would have wanted to help their neighbours in times of trouble, unlike now where you can live in a house all your life and never really communicate with the people in your street.

When I was growing up in the late 1950s, it was nothing unusual to leave your door unlocked and for a neighbour to pop in for a cuppa. Or even chatting over the garden wall while hanging the washing out, but it just doesn't happen now with so many women having to go out to work.

I don't want to even think about what drives people to wipe each other out on a grand scale, but my feelings are that with power comes control and it's sadly always the innocent that suffer in the end.

I do appreciate you stopping by to read and share your thoughts.

Many thanks.

Jenny.