12th September 1940

We were all awakened with a big bang, next morning we heard from our milkman, a field with 20 cows which give us our milk, had been bombed, but without injury to the cows. Only casualty a tree! On another farm, quite near here, a crater 28 ft wide and 9 ft deep was made, also no casualties. A time bomb fell also in a big property. During afternoon, 4 bombs exploded in the distance. So we had a lively day. As Daddy says, "Every morning, when we get awake, one wonders if one has been killed". We take our baths in the morning now and go in with a prayer that we may get out before Jerry comes.
For three nights we slept blissfully, while London was getting the brunt of it. The children are getting up a sale for hospitals and Marion has been given all the hemming of dusters to do, as she is the only one of them who can hem.

5th September 1940

The general opinion is that 'we are on top' now and my husband and our neighbour say "Britain and US can lick the world" since British and US agreement over destroyers and bases.
Our tomatoes ripened beautifully in our garage. As Daddy is American, he says he does not grow "tomatoes" but "tom-ate-oes"!
Conversations between Anthea and Marion about Wiggles [cat] "Let us tie up Mrs Wiggles, she is eating the food out for the dolls". "Miss Wiggles", corrects Marion. 'How do you know'? "Well, she is not married!" "How do you know"? "Why she has not met any Mr Cats." "How do you know"? from Anthea again. "Except her brother" adds Marion. "Well, that does not matter", from Anthea. This was too much for Marion and subject was dropped. Next day Mrs Truman shoo-ed Sotty, a cousin of Wiggles, from her fish ponds. We do not want any gentlemen around here, she said. No, replied Marion promptly, we don't want any muddles yet!
A time bomb was dropped in Exeter not far from here and several rows of houses were evacuated for safety. I heard the crash of masonry at 1 p.m

4th September 1940

It is remarkable how we try and continue our usual routine of living, in spite of nightly raids. lst of this month 1 church, 4 thatched cottages burnt to the ground at 11.30 p.m., within view of Topsham and our fire brigade was sent for. Last night we saw flashes from a bomb falling on Exmouth. I have a cap of an incendiary bomb as a souvenir, rather a grim one, but everybody is collecting them, in the field. Today we are having whole Mitchell family to tea, 3 children will picnic on lawn, with Wiggles, under our big sun umbrella. No bread and butter, and saccharine instead of sugar, cannot use up our rations. Sirens are being used again.
photo shows Peter Mitchell

1st September 1940

We seem to be on Jerry's bus-route. Every night we hear them zooming around us. It is a strange feeling going to bed each night and wondering if 'you will be here the next day'. I now sleep on a camp bed in Marion's room and sleep better, being near her, in case of danger. We have put sheet iron trays, filled with sand, in attic over Marion's bed, as a protection against incendiary bombs and iron and sand bag protection at the windows. So now our bungalow is a little fortress! So we can only hope for the best.

23rd August 1940

They have started giving signals again for the raids. Bertie has built a shelter in our hall, into which we go and lie down, like rabbits when we hear the signal or the whoo-whoo of Jerry himself. We have a mattress on the floor, but it is jolly hard, and a tight squeeze for all three. I have decided not to wake Marion at night. Our kitten Wiggles is air-raid conscious, flies like the wind for shelter, even if only under a marrow leaf, when he hears the roar of planes. He is the one bright spot during a raid. Marion insists on having him with us in the shelter and puts his little red leash and collar on him, so he cannot bolt. After cutting capers for a while, he settles down between our feet and purrs so loud, we think he is a Jerry. We have made some silly mistakes such as missing air-raid signal and getting Marion up at 3 a.m. for the all clear. She is very indignant and says she will lock her door so we cannot wake her.

17th August 1940

They have ceased giving air-raid warnings, so now it is a matter of chance when you hear the loud drone of German machines overhead.

15th August 1940

Sirens went off at 6 pm. and during night, at 3.30am bombs could be heard dropping. The noise woke Marion.

13th August 1940

Daddy went to Exeter to buy anti-blast for windows and at 4.30 air-raid sirens were heard. He went into air-raid shelter in Queen Street with several hundred people. Marion and I, with Wiggles, tied up with us, lay down in the hall. Half an hour later all clear sounded. We now have stirrup pump, against incendiary bombs. Marion says: 'I don't see what there is to worry about an air raid, either you get blown up, then you don't know anything more about it, or you don't and it is alright, so why make a fuss about it all.' She always goes and fixes pillows and eiderdowns and torch and the kitten, in the hall herself during a daylight raid. I have spent 3 nights sleeping on floor in Marion's room.

8th August 1940

A midnight air-raid. Bombs dropped in Exeter. After an hour and half the all clear signal was given. We lay down in the hall and Marion talked like a gramophone, but was not a bit scared.

20th June 1940

Grandma died after six weeks illness with prolapse of rectum.

10th May 1940

Hitler invaded Norway and on 10th May there was an invasion by Hitler of Holland and Belgium

22nd April 1940

We gave a children's Easter party, inviting Peter, Mary and Anthea Pyne and Ann.

19th march 1940

Marion's birthday, there were 3 perfect rainbows, one in West and two in East. She got four books, Little Men and Little Women, Uncle Tom's Cabin, her Daddy made Marie Louise a pink bed. Just like her Mummy before her, she loves 'Little Women' and reads it over again almost daily. Her 11 year old criticism of it is that those writers wrote so much more naturally about real life, so different from present-day authors with their thrillers. She says she likes good books, not trash and her Mummy is gladof it.

24th February 1940

A storybook came to life for Marion, who had always led an indoor, hot house life. Anthea asked her to come over the fence and play in their field. 'Ihere were five of them and to Marion it was like a fairy tale, playing 'wild Indians', goats, bulls, etc.

Tiddles the cat got a swollen eye and we did not hear his faint mew at kitchen door again until 28th. To our great sorrow we found he had lost the sight of one eye. We and the cat were all awfully glad to see each other again, although she could not tell us so in words.

22nd February 1940

Our plum tree was brought over from Pyne's orchard, together with currant bushes and Mummy's climbing roses, which are called "Say Lady", for training over the front door. The plum tree is "The Czar".

27th February 1940

Finally, we heard of gas pokers, bought two and things went smoothly, for we were almost going crazy over the fires. In mother's bedroom we had installed a Cosy stove which heated very nicely, but hall and two other bedrooms were linke refrigerators. In the twm bungalow to ours live Mr and Mrs Truman, a childless couple, but they have a dog, Scamp, a cocker Spaniel and a car. On the other side Mrs Leigh lives, whose father owns large nurseries and fields all over Topsham. She has 3 children, Mary 14, Anthea 12, and Gilly, 4 years old. Next door to them is Anne Pyne 9,their cousin.

In spite of severest winter for 50 years in Devon, thermometer at 16 below freezing point, some little white-headed, green petticoated snowdrops peeped out of the garden middle of January. Our first flowers which we planted and put into the rockery to have them for Marion's birthday in March.

16th January 1940

Today came a severe frost which lasted for a fortnight and we had terrible trouble getting the fires to burn, as we knew nothing about lighting rules and forgot to buy pokers, shovels, brush and tongs.

6th January 1940 Topsham Devon

We wheeled Mother down to the bungalow and moved in. She liked her room very much.

23rd December 1939

To our surprise, Mark and Rowe brought our furniture to bungalow this afternoon. Floors had been painted and were still wet, so they had to return with it on 27th December. Our letters and those from Pitt & Scott telling of its arrival had crossed each other. After 27th we were terribly busy getting unpacked, which was very hard as everything could not possibly be put into the four roomed bungalow. Two huge Persian carpets could not be used, large mahogany writing desk, belonging to mahogany suite had to be put in garage, together with big round oak table, top of buffet, several chandeliers and three large armchairs. All this stuff was later sent to auction after Excise granted us permission to sell it, for it had been brought into the country free of duty as household goods.

5th December 1939

In the morning we went by taxi to Lloyds Bank, stopping on the way at Selfridges, where Marion went through Toyland and was given a present of Ludo by Father xmas himself. At 2 o'clock we left for Exeter, on 6th, arriving at 5.30 again in the black-out.
Arrived in Exeter, we went to Westem Hotel for 3 days, then we moved nearer town to Hotel Osborne, which was very nice. We stayed here till 21st December, moving to Mrs Mitchell, in Topsham, as paying guests, so as to be near the bungalow we bought.
We spent a very jolly Xmas, with Dickie (Hazel) and Peter Mitchell. Long table, in garlanded dining room, stockings hanging from mantelpiece. On christmas morning, turkey and plum pudding.

4th December 1939

The English visas came for Daddy and Marion, so we changed our plans and left for England. Very few people on board the Cross Channel steamer, Prince Charles. We had a first class cabin for mother, just opposite was Ambassador and his wife. One of the sailors asked Daddy: "Are you the Ambassador, Sir?" when we were going through boat drill. In case we struck a mine, we were shown lifeboat No. 2 on upper deck that we must go to. Our lifebelts were strapped on and worn during the whole trip. We remained close to French Coast as far as Cap Gris Nez which was silhouetted against a golden and glowing red sunset, as we passed. At this point, French destroyers came into view and close by two little fishing vessels. After dark we started to cross the Channel in a choppy sea, as a storm was brewing. Planes began to fly overhead, about six in all and across on the English side, were several British destroyers, chasing through the waters, with as a background the White Cliffs of Dover. An unforgettable scene. At this point, however, all but my husband became violently sea-sick. Marion was very surprised, as such a thing had never happened to her before. She sat very sstill and astonished. "It is by overcoming that we learn to overcome." Up till then the trip had been a joyous adventure for her. When we had to line up for passport examination, it was a pretty weak little girl whom the steward escorted downstairs and put into a deck chair. It was black-out before all the formalities were over, and by the light of a torch, we picked our way through the customs, along the quay, following the stretcher which two sailors were carrying, with grandma. We left Daddy at the customs and went on to our hotel, suddenly out of the blackness a policeman appeared with his flashlight and challenged us to stop. Finally a few minutes which seemed ages in the blackness, we found our hotel just across from the landing pier. Here we stayed one night and enjoyed our first big log fire in a huge lounge. Next morning we went on to London. A lovely 8 cylinder Packard ambulance met us at Charing Cross. Grandma, Marion and I got into it.

Daddy, Cooks man and baggage followed in a taxi. We drove past Buckingham Palace for Marion's sake and saw the Royal Standard flying. the King had just returned from a visit to France. He crossed to France the same time as we crossed to England, on 4th December 1939.

At Paddington Royal Western Hotel, we had two beautiful double rooms, with private baths and telephones.

10th November 1939

So to French Consul for visas for France as there is a scare in Belgium of a German invasion. Furniture packed and left the house on November 21st to entrain for France, we ourselves were going to follow on November 23rd.

3rd September 1939

England and France declare War on Germany. We have great difficulties about getting money sent over from England.

19th March 1939

Gave our first Belgian birthday party, guests were Jose, a Dutch girl who could hardly speak French, Georgette, the daughter of our Belgian proprietor, and Sheila Brown. Marion thought it a wonderful day and loved her presents, especially a Built-Rite cottage with furniture, we ordered from America.
Marion saw one of my bank letters from Lloyds and read the headlines Cox and King's branch. So making a pun she quick as a flash said: "Oh, I did not know "Cocks sat on King's Branches"!

8th January 1939

Marion, little monkey, came up behind me and put a mechanical toy Micky Mouse that somersaults into my hair, which I had taken down for a bath. The beastly thing somersaulted all the way up my head, winding my long hair tight ground its arms and legs. It took the combined efforts of my husband and Marion, with a lot of tugging and p@g, to disentangle him. I thought I should have to cut the hair off to get him out.

Another day she outdid herself in silliness, by putting her father's gold ring (which she had taken off his finger and run away with) into an envelope and stuck it in our letter box in the entrance hall She felt rather small about it though when she saw what a stupid thing she had done.

24th December 1938

We had our traditional Xmas tree and Marion was as excited as ever. The chief present was a martin fur for her neck, besides Snow White cut-outs, record and a long dress which she at once put on. To surprise me she learnt a French poem of 16 verses, after having pretended she could not learn more than 4 verses of it when I was teaching it to her, during her lessons. On Xmas -Eve she recited it without a mistake.
We had a White Christmas, deep snow and 12 celsius below zero.

16th September 1938

Aunty Molly came to stay with us. She sleptin the little orange room. When she left on 28 September she gave Marion some money to buy gifts for us all, instructing her to keep it a secret till she had gone. Eight days later Marion came into our room, saying, "Oh, Mummy, I have the tickles all over, I have such a wonderm secret." Then she told us about the money which she had put away, in the secret drawer of her antique secretaire. She intended buying presents for us all at christmas and keeping the secret about where the money came from forever. However, she thought if she bought us so many gifts, Mummy, might wonder if she had stolen the money from me to do so. Thus she decided it was better to tell me now.

20th August 1938

Marion started to learn the piano, her father is teaching her from "Smallwood's Tutor" book. In one month I taught her to play a little song called 'Robin' with both hands and by heart. For this achievement, I gave her a turquoise ring.
She continues to write stories and has a book full. Cat stories, she makes up to read to her little English friend, Sheila. We sent one of her fairy-tales to her school in Baltimore, who replied that she had a very good command of English. Her descriptions, they said, showed excellent imaginative ability. She is also passionately fond of her drawing, of which her school remarked that she had a very good of form. She has never had any lessons at all in drawing.

15th August 1938

Grandma's birthday we celebrated by wheeling her out on Dgue, then listening to the band on the Place d'Arfnes. We gave her a pink dressing jacket, handkerchiefs, a bunch of roses and a pot plant.

24th April 1938

Marion informed me she would rather not investigate her money in mines, you lose it too easily. She added, "I am learning so many big words." Last night, as she had a cold, I put a hot water bottle in her bed. It was very hot, so she asked me to take it away, then she stretched out her feet and said: "Oh, it is lovely and warm, where it is not!"
Whenever she is ill she says "Isn't it lovely to have a Mummy to take care of me and again "Oh, Mummy, what would my colds do without you."