Memories of growing up in Oxford during WW2

My name is Ann Russell Raper, and I was born to R.D. and Hilda Russell in 1935 at their home on Smith Street. Two sisters were waiting for me: Muriel [15] who later married George Henley and Beth [13] who married Edward Wortman.

Dad was the owner of Russell’s Rexall Drug Store on Water Street. Mum, Hilda Riekie Russell, was a WW1 war bride who met and married Dad in London after he was injured at the Battle of Amiens.

When WW2 started both of my parents immediately became highly involved in all the town war efforts. Dad volunteered for the reserve army and eventually became the local Captain of the 2nd[R]BN, North Nova Highlanders. Mum who had family living in the heart of London, immediately joined the Red Cross and started knitting socks and scarves for overseas troops every time she sat down.

The following are a few of my memories of those times beginning when I first went to school in 1941:

My parents glued to the radio each night for the war news, especially when the bombing of London went on. Getting word that my Aunt Doris and grandparents had been bombed out of their flat in London. They survived but grandfather had been going down the stairs and had to be pulled from the wreckage.

Church services both morning and evening on Sundays were always packed. I have a vivid memory of cuddling up to my mother’s black fur coat at winter evening services at Trinity United.

Remembrance Day parade and church service especially one held at the Baptist church in either 41 or 42 when soldiers in training from Debert came to march. The church was packed, and people were standing outside.

Practice air raid drills when streetlights were turned off and folks kept their homes in darkness. Dad was in charge of these and would blow the fire siren located in the telephone office above Umlah’s Store for the beginning and the all clear.

As the war progressed there was a great need for R&R homes for sailors and airmen who had been injured in our areas. Mum jumped in to help and we had a number of these men stay at our house many times. One in particular was Colin, a sailor from Prestwick, England, who stayed with us twice for extended periods after being torpedoed. I loved him, it was like having a big brother, I secretly hoped he would marry sister Beth and stay with us forever. It didn’t happen. Another weekend I remember was a group of RAF men who were training nearby [ Debert or Moncton?] came to stay. A friend or relative of Mum’s in England had put them in touch. We later learned that all these fine chaps were killed while fighting.

As the war progressed, rationing came in and drives to buy Victory Bonds were common. Newspapers were saved and collected, I do not know why, although one town gentleman who bought many papers from Dad’s store would not give them up.

There were some fun times during these years too. Here are six highlights that I remember:

STREET PARTIES to raise funds for the War effort. Water Street would be blocked off from the corner to the garage, a band played at one end and bingo was the main attraction at the other end for the older folk. I must have known my numbers well by then, as one night I won a bag of sugar. Mum was delighted as sugar was one of the things rationed.

RIDING in the army jeep with Dad. One trip stands out, we went to Northport for Dad to review the reserves in that area; it was quite the trip on gravel roads!

A MILITARY BALL was held at Armories in Amherst. Seeing Dad in his full-dress uniform along with Mum, Muriel and Beth in beautiful long gowns and fancy hairdos as they left for Amherst.

CHRISTMAS TREE on the front porch of our home. Mum got this idea that our usual big tree should be seen by everyone during the darkest days of the war. She convinced Dad, and that’s how the biggest tree came to sit on our veranda with all the lights and ornaments she could find. We must have been the talk of the town.

BIG BIRTHDAY PARTY: my sister Muriel turned 21 in 1941 and as was the custom at that time, especially in England, she was given a big party. It was held in the K of P hall above Dad’s store and although I was only six, I was allowed to attend. I remember a large crowd both young and old enjoying a band, dancing, [although there must have been a shortage of young men as many local lads had enlisted] and food. Beth turned 21 in 1943 but had to settle for a smaller celebration at home. Dad managed to save a large container of ice cream from his fountain quota for this party, and I remember several young men in the kitchen dinette making short work of it.

ICE CREAM on Saturdays. Before the war Dad had an ice cream parlour in his store that was always busy, especially on Saturday evening when the country folk came to town and the stores stayed open until 10pm. When rationing happened his ice cream quota was cut drastically so he took out the tables and chairs and settled for serving cones, milkshakes, floats and pop. Best of all he saved his quota for Saturdays so the country kids would have an equal chance to that of the town kids of getting a cone.

VE DAY May 8,1945. We were all seated in school that morning when the news came on the radio. Then the big school bell and all the church bells in Oxford started to ring. Students and staff all ran out to a glorious day and began to cheer and shout, no more school that day. Unfortunately, life had changed for the Russell family on the evening of April 27, 1945.  Mum died suddenly, after cooking a Sunday dinner and going to lie down. She was not going to be there when all the celebrations happened. We were shattered as we were all looking forward to the better times of peace in our lives, when Mum, Dad and I could sail off to meet the folks in England. In the end only Dad and I got to in April 1946. We went on a troop ship, that was a far cry from the luxury liner I had been expecting to take across the Atlantic.

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Ann Russell Raper, is the daughter of former Oxford Mayor (among many other things) Ralph D. Russell and Hilda Riekie. After her schooling, she married Harold Raper of Springhill. Harold worked for Enterprise Foundry in Sackville, where they raised their three children. When Enterprise closed, they moved to Fredericton where she lives now, spending her summers at Heathers beach.