Hearn, John (Oral history)

British schoolchild in Stepney, London, 1939-1945 and evacuee in Cornwall, 1941-1943

REEL 1: Background in Stepney, London, 1931-1939: family; childhood; memories of Jewish community and Mosley’s Blackshirts; reaction to outbreak of war, 9/1939. Recollections of period in Stepney, London, and Cornwall, 1939-1945: evacuated to Egham, Surrey, 9/1939; ran away after three weeks and returned to London; various memories of bombing raids on London; education; evacuated to Penzance, Cornwall, 11/1940; selection procedure; opinion of accommodation in hostel with Jewish boys; problem of bed wetting; returned to London, 1943; story of house being destroyed and father killed in air raid, 4/1941; story of V1 hitting school; education in Stepney; story of running errands for headmaster Mr Bloom; career ambitions; problem of paying rent; living conditions; compensation for war damage; post-war life and employment in London; further comments on period of evacuation in Cornwall. REEL 2 Continues: attitude to being evacuated; comparison of living conditions in country and town; memories of black American troops playing jazz music; recreational activities and childhood games; memory of fishing for eels; cinema and theatre; rationing; memory of mother making conga eel stew; black market; awareness of progress of war; story of post-war visit to Tower of London; description of V2 attacks and casualties; story of hop-picking in Kent; memories of VE Day, 5/1945; effects of war on daily life; further comments on death of father; opinion of evacuation process. REEL 3 Continues: Post-war life and employment in London: daily life; rationing; bomb damage; opinion of housing redevelopment; employment prospects; story of five months National Service with RAF in GB; attitude to National Service; opinion of Germans; reflections on Second World War.