The Penton From 1939 Until 1951

A Memory of Penton Grafton.

When the Second World War was declared, my family consisted of Mum and Dad, my elder brother Bob and my baby sister Ann. I was four, Bob was eleven and Ann was three. My father was a staff sergeant in the RAMC. We were living in married accomodation at Kempton Barracks, Bedford (the depot of the Beds and Herts Regiment).
When war was declared my father along with the rest of the regular army was immediately mobilised, and he was posted for active service. Within days my mother was told that we had to vacate the accommodation, which meant we were homeless. Mum and Dad had spent their entire marriage in army quarters.
Mother's younger sister, Auntie Olive, lived with her husband Albert Eggington in Penton. She agreed that we could move in with her for the time being. They didn't have any children and offered Mum and us three children her spare room. We eventually stayed with them until 1946 when my Dad eventually left the army.
Auntie Olive lived in the thatched cottage opposite the bridge and the village pond, next to the village hall. I don't know if it is either in Penton Grafton or Penton Mewsey. We always said we lived in Penton.
I have fond memories of the six years we lived with Aunt Olive. I can recall that during the early years of the war, we often slept in the air-raid shelter belonging to Mr Bert Russell, who lived in the bungalow next door. (At that time it was the only bungalow on the Weyhill Road.)
I can recall the many convoys of army vehicles that were using the road outside the house. As the war went on these convoys increased in size, and we would spend hours waving to the soldiers. From 1943 onwards there were many American soldiers in the area. We got quite cheeky asking the yanks "Got any gum, chum?". They were very generous with sweets, gum etc. We also sometimes cadged cigarettes, until PC Trent the village bobby from Weyhill came down and had a word with the 'Yanks'.
Mr brother Bob attended Andover Senior Boys' School, he travelled to school on the school bus that came from Appleshaw via Clanville and Wehill Bottom. I attended Weyhill C of E School. The head teacher was Madame Miguette who lived in the school house with her French husband. The infants' teacher was Miss Pragnell.
I have memories of many people who I played with. Two girls lived in the school house, their names were Valerie and Ann Johns, I don't recall where they originated from. Two boys who, with their mum and dad, lived in a caravan on the gravel pit site on the Charlton Road, were Cyril and Roy Ellinger. A boy who regularly stopped next door with Mr Russell was Bobby Palmer. Geoffrey Mitchell who lived with his mother was from London. All these people were evacuese.
The village lads I knew were Donald Guyatt, Michael Gibbs and Jim Sturgess. I think by 1945 I would have known everyone who lived in the two Pentons, although I cannot recall all their names now.
In May 1944, my young sister Ann passed away. Ann was born with a hole in her heart. In those days unfortunately the cure for that problem had not been found. Ann is buried in the Penton churchyard, she was seven years old.
My Mum had decided that when the war was over she intended to stay put in Penton. My Dad, who had over six years of war and twenty eight years of the military, agreed with her. Apart from two years living in a flat at Weyhill (with me) they both spent the rest of their lives in Penton. Dad died in 1972 and Mum died in 2003. My brother Bob also spent the rest of his life (except for 7 years service in the navy) in Penton and died in 2007. Bob has two daughters and three sons living in the area.
Myself, I joined the Navy straight from school, aged 15. I served for eleven years, got married, have three sons and five grandchildren and live in healthy retirement in the north east of England.

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