Bert Cathery

Tide-end-town 1939-1945 England the War Years Bert Cathery

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