A 96 YER OLD SISTER WITH AN AMAZING STORY OF WORLD WAR II

SISTER EVELYN MAYNARD - 96 YEARS OLD

Evelyn Maynard

Sister Maynard is a member of the White Chapel ward.  She does not attend now because she is 96 years old.  She is almost blind and hard of hearing, but she is one sharp lady.   We were contacted by her home teacher because she had some concerns about her Family History, which she had worked on a few years back.  She was struggling with an ancestor in the 1700’s. 

 

In visiting with her, we found that she had spoken to schools about living through world war II.  She was

Twenty-three years old.  She also had recorded her story on tape.  We have been encouraged to help ward members with their personal history.  This opportunity was handed to us.  WHAT A STORY!

A few points from her history:

·        Her brother was in the Navy hit by a torpedo.  The life boats were dropped with men, but because the sea’s were so rough, many were washed out of the boats.  After watching this, some made a decision to stay with the ship (which did not go down).  They were the only ones that survived.

·        Sister Maynard told of not being able to get nylons through the war.  Being 23, this was a bitter-cup.  They improvised by colouring their legs.   If you are old enough you know that nylons back then had seams up the back.  She describes it:  “If the seams were not perfectly straight, you were considered very messy,”   There solution to the seam problem was to take a crayon and colour a (very straight) seam up the back of their leg.

·        The “blitz” was fearsome.  They were bombed 57 nights straight.  In one night thousands of people were killed.  They went to a shelter the first night, but the conditions were so miserable and bombs so close (one shelter had a direct hit next to them) that they decided to tough it out at home.  Evelyn, her sister and mother moved their beds in together and prayed for safety.

·        Stories of food shortages, clothing shortages, (she dyed a blanket and made her own coat) lack of electricity and heat.  They cooked at times in the fireplace with a little coal that also kept them warm.

·        She tells of the Battle of Brittan being the turning point of the war.  When the war was declared over, she tells of a great celebration.  Bells ringing all over England, GI’s and English girls dancing in the streets.

If your interested, I’ll get it transcribed (I hope- trying to do it from a recorder is pretty tough) and send it to you.  Bill and I sat fascinated while we were recording it.   I feel like we’ve caught a bit of history that will no be with us much longer.