Tide-End-Town 1939-1945 England the War Years

About the Book

Bert Cathery promised that he would tell what life was like for a young boy, as he remembered it, in the age of horses and carts, gas lights, no television, no cell phones and no computers, but he had freedom. Of his love for his mother and father, and what he shared with his siblings. In addition, living in the greater London area in time of war, the rationing, the bombing and the pride in his fellow Brits for not succumbing to Hitler’s terror. He originally planned to write these memories just for his grandchildren, but during a guided tour of the beaches of Normandy, France, he was surprised to learn how little his fellow American tourists knew about WW11 and what happened both in Britain and Europe. A French guide informed group what it was like as a young boy in Normandy during the war years, so in the event that any American should read this, the author decided then to include a little of the English history. In order not to bore the reader too much, He intentionally kept the tales simple and the passages of background history brief. The book covers some of the events leading up to the war, the declaration of the war, the introduction of rationing, the conscription of personnel into the armed forces, the evacuation of Dunkirk, civilian preparation for air raids, the battle of Britain, the Blitz, typical meals, a description of Teddington, the locks, Bushey park, Waldegrave road, his house, what schools were like at the time, how he made pocket money, transportation (mainly horse and carts), going to the movies, walks, fishing and swimming in the Thames, games and hobbies in the absence of TVs, computers, telephones and other electronic devices, the defense of Britain, the Baby Blitz, VE day, VJ day and many other historical events and memories. The author now has five grandchildren with another on the way. It was while watching the growth of his grandchildren that the author realized the enormous difference between his young life and the life of children today. By reading this memoir, the author hopes that you too will recognize some of the differences. During the war, children had much more freedom than they do today. Because their fathers and sometime mothers were conscripted into the armed forces or into obligatory factory work, manufacturing munitions they were often without parents to worry about them. In author’s case his father was in the army and his mother had to work to supplement the poor army pay. That meant he could more or less do what he wanted. Play in the streets, walk in the park or by the river, visit friends and not be concerned about being home at any particular time. They had no phones, so once out of the house, they were gone. They did learn to be responsible though, and he does not recall ever to cause his mother to worry. When it came to food, they only had to make one decision, eat it or leave it. They were never asked what they would like for breakfast or any other meal, what ever was available was what they had. And they ate everything, nothing was ever left on the plate, which, when their mother was not watching, was often licked clean. Apart from cards and snakes and ladders, most of their games we made or created themselves. The battery operated radio they had was very popular and the family would sit around the kitchen table and be entertained with music, comedy shows and thrilled with stories and mysteries for at least a couple of hours every night. Having no televisions or computers meant there was also more time for reading. The shortage of photographs is disappointing, but the author simply could not locate any that were not copyrighted and where the owners could be contacted. In books and at the local libraries he could find photographs of Teddington taken in the 1920s and after 1960, but none of the war years. He was told that no records were kept in the libraries during the war.

About the Author

Bert Cathery was born and educated in England. He followed his parents to the United States in 1957 with his wife Marlyse. Married for 48 years until the death of Marlyse from cancer in 2005 they had three children and lived in Portland, Oregon; Marseille, France; Hartford, England before finally settling again in Portland. Having lived with his parents in Teddington, Middlesex at 131 Waldegrave road during the war years, 1938 through 1945, he often recounted to his children some of his experiences, observations and thoughts during that period. He promised his late wife that he would put on paper some of the stories he told his children for his grandchildren.