Re: Questions for Cleveland, Ohio USA
Arthur Pay (arthur@ARTHURPAY.DEMON.CO.UK)
Fri, 21 Nov 1997 00:05:37 +0100
On Thu 20 Nov, Liz Langan wrote:
> We are a 7th grade class in Northfield, Ohio a suburb of Cleveland. We
> would like to ask you some questions about your WWII experience.
>
Hello Liz Langan and Northfield Ohio. My name is Arthur Pay and I was born
in London in 1915 so I am a bit older than some of the other Elders, and
was, 23 years old when the War started. I am also somewhat unusual because
I was one of the 100,000 young men who (according to the Encyclopaedia
Brittanica) refused to do military service.
To the questions
> 1. Did you have enough food to eat? >
Yes, we did have enough food to eat, but the nice things were on ration, and
the diet was a bit boring. The things that I missed most were fats (Butter
margarine and dripping, and of course meat) It is surprising now, because I
am Vegan, but I used to drool over the prospect, after the war of eating
roast breast of lamb. Ugh!!! There were places called British Restaurants
which were subsidised, where you could buy a meal off the ration, but the
food was pretty awful, there was a concoction called Woolton Pie, after the
Minister of Food, which was made of vegetables, and was revolting
> 2. Were any of your family members in the War? >
My father was a retired London Metropolitan Policeman and was recalled to
duty on the outbreak of war in 1939, but constabulatory duties were too much
for him after a bad fall in the Blackout. My brother was also a
conscientious objector. My Brother-in-law served in Egypt, six of my uncles
served in the 1914-18 war, and two were killed.
> 3. Was money worth anything during and after the war? >
Working class people, didn't have much money anyway and lived from hand to
mouth on their weekly wages, which they were allowed to earn, during and
immediately after the War. Before the war there was a lot of unemployment,
and many people were better off during the war than they had ever been
before
> 4. What were your schools like? >
I was fortunate in having won a scholarship to a High School and had
finished my education befor the War started, but if you were unlucky to be
affected, education was severely curtailed during the war years , and many
young people badly missed out.
> 5. What were your hobbies during the war? >
Cycling and politics I was getting ready for the New World when all the
nonsense was at last over.
> 6. How were women treated? >
Badly, but they were coming to their senses, as were working people
generally. We were all looking forward to a better world.
> 7. What things did you do for fun with your family? >
Not much, we were all looking forward to the ending of the war. You can't
realise how we ached for it!
> Thank you for answering our questions. >
It was nice to be asked.
> Liz Langan > Computer teacher > >
Arthur in London, England.
-- Arthur Pay.