This Is Guernsey

By Jess Stevenson

Guernsey-Glasgow evacuees at Saturday’s exhibition/reunion at St Andrew’s in the Grange. (Picture by Steve Sarre, 0857150)

MORE than 100 islanders relived being evacuated to Glasgow at an exhibition on Saturday.

Held at St Andrew’s Church of Scotland in the Grange, the exhibition/reunion, saw all kinds of memorabilia given by the evacuees on display.

Photos, evacuee tags, letters and pictures of the ships that had taken many children from Guernsey to the UK were met with a mixed reaction from those who had experienced being evacuated.

While most had good memories of their time in the Scottish city, for two sisters, their five years away from home proved less than happy.

Dulcie Mack and Marguerite Francis, now aged 80 and 79, had been evacuated aged 11 and 10 as part of Amherst School.

After an initial placement they found themselves living with a Mrs Grebble, who made their lives a misery.

‘She got paid for us and she never gave us any money. We had to work for it,’ said Mrs Mack.

‘I had to go out to clean houses and she almost starved us. There was never much food and we had to wash in cold water.’

Mrs Grebble, who claimed she was a Christian, rented out virtually every room in her house and slept with her daughter in the kitchen.

During blackouts the girls were not even allowed a candle – even now they do not like the dark and their cupboards are kept well stocked.

‘She never hit us but the abuse was mental,’ said Mrs Mack.

‘We were terrified of the dark. When the air raids came there were shelters, but we had to stop in the building. One night the church [down the road] was hit with incendiary bombs and one of our neighbours came to get us to go to the shelter.’

Mrs Grebble initially refused to let the girls go but gave in when the neighbour protested.

‘We could hear the buildings falling down, we were so close,’ said Mrs Francis.

‘After the war the first thing she said to my mother was “I suppose the girls have been telling stories about me”.’

It was not until years later that the sisters told of their experiences, after Mrs Grebble and her daughter had died.

But despite their experience there, both have visited Glasgow several times and plan to go again in April as part of a trip being organised by the Guernsey/Glasgow evacuees.

Mrs Mack went on to marry a Glaswegian, having first spoken to him when working as a telephone operator in Guernsey. Mrs Francis married a Cornishman who worked in the island.

Ann Morris, who organised the event, said it had gone well.

‘Their faces light up whenever you mention Glasgow. They have come not only to meet others but to clarify their memories.’

* Mrs Morris is still gathering information for a book she aims to put together on the subject. Anyone who has a story to tell, information, photos or other connections to those evacuated to Glasgow can contact her on: 247572 or write to her at Le Menage, Les Gigands, St Sampson’s, GY2 4YX.

Article posted on 19th October, 2009 - 2.29pm