Mammie’s (Becky) Diary

These days I spend most nights listening to the wireless for news of the war in Europe. It is so frustrating that I know more about what is going on there than how my daughter and sister are managing in London. It is months since I have heard from either of them and I feel helpless because there is nothing to do except pray.

We now know Germany is bombing London relentlessly and the loss of life and injuries, as well as the devastation to the city, is enormous. I read in the Gleaner of how people have to go to use the underground tube stations to shelter from the bombs. They often sleep there all night and then have go off to work the next morning trying to avoid unexploded bombs or fractured gas mains. How dangerous is all sounds.

I wonder if Olga has to do this too.

What amazing people Londoners are, what spirit they have. The paper said it’s not true about people starving in England because there was no food. Irrational, I know, but the thought of Olga starving worried me almost as much as her being hurt.

England needs more fighter planes badly because she is up against such terrible odds and Jamaica has agreed to send a squadron of twelve planes. Six have already been sent and another six promised. The whole island is being asked to rally together to collect money so we can supply the promised six as soon as possible.

The Daily Gleaner has set up the Jamaica Bombing Planes Fund and is encouraging communities to raise whatever money they can for the Fund with dances, concerts, fairs, sports events, etc. and every time £5,000 is raised it is sent to London to purchase another plane. There have been some unusual ways of collecting money. One elderly lady who has a dog called Pip had the bright idea of strapping a collection box to his back.

“Pip’s own Bombing Plane Fund, please give generously” it says on the collection box. It’s difficult to walk past Pip without putting a penny or two in his box. I find it heart warming to see how even the poorest people are giving what they can towards the Fund; their generosity is humbling.

The mother country tells us that the Germans don’t regard black people as proper people and see them in same light as Jews and their fate would be the same as the Jews so thousands of men enlisted to help Britain win the war. Thank God Sydney is too old to fight, and Boysie failed his medical because of his asthma.

There are now United States air force and military bases in Jamaica and I see soldiers driving through Kingston and often hear planes flying overhead. People are very afraid because we’ve been told that the Germans want to get control of Jamaica because it is a stepping stone to the coast of America. The war is affecting us here on the island. Some goods like petrol, butter, flour, rice and oil are in short supply so we are only allowed to buy small quantities at a time.

Of course, the cost of goods has also gone up a lot; but the rich are still able to afford most things. Thank goodness, Lucy is able to supply us with fresh food and we have plenty of fruit we can pick from the trees. We burn candles at night because, like London, we have blackouts too and have to keep curtains closed at night so that planes going over can’t see our lights although I don’t understand why if they are American planes.

Sydney said tonight he was sure Olga was safe; he says if there was bad news the hospital would have informed us and, of course, he is right. That is some comfort. I pray to the Virgin Mary every night to keep my daughter safe and well.

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