Yesterday marked the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. To commemorate, 90-year-old George Phillips shared his experience with members of Elmwood House Care Home.
‘It’s important to remember all the people who lost their lives throughout World War II as there were a lot of lives lost,’ George explained. ‘A lot of machinery was lost and home of them who got out into the water didn’t make it to the shore. It was terrible, it was awful.’
Image: George Phillips.
When the Second World War began in 1939 George was just five years old. Despite being so young, his memories of the harrowing experience are yet to fade. Throughout the tragedy, he lived on a farm in South Kyme with his mum, dad and five siblings where he would often help out by looking after the cattle.
‘My dad was part of the Home Guard.’ George said. ‘He used to come home and put a rifle under the stairs, I was only a child. We thought “oh dad has got a gun”. We were children so we didn’t fully understand, seeing the plans was fun, they flew so low.’
Despite not fully understanding the situation, George explained that he had to grow up a lot quicker than most children, as a result of his father’s involvement in the war. He said that while his dad was away, he would listen to the news on the radio to make sure he was safe and walk himself the 1.5 miles to school.
What’s more, George recounts that he would have to greet the butchers and bikers that would deliver food to their home. He said they would come every Friday, and his family would have to store the goods in a wood safe.
However, being put to work was the least of George’s worries. He further shared that what he witnessed has stayed with him for life and completely shaped the way he decided to live.
‘When my father was away, we used to visit my grandmother, and I used to sit in her bedroom window and watch the Lancaster plans and spitfires go out from Waddington. Several of them never came back and they were blown out of the sky,’ George remarked.
‘Our ignorance was bliss but as I grew older, I understood more and it’s really upsetting. You can’t believe what it was like then and now, they don’t realise. Nowadays, people can be so grumpy about things that don’t matter. They have no idea.’
When the war ended in 1945 George was just ten years old, but he claims that the very first VE Day celebration was one of the best days of his life. He added: ‘The feeling of relief that flooded the streets is unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed. Families and friends gathered to celebrate the end of the war by dancing, shouting and eating. We had finger sandwiches, Victoria sponge cakes, sausage rolls and jelly desserts alongside tea served in vintage cups.’
This positive tone projected onto the rest of George’s life. In the recent years after the war he continued to work on a farm called Castles and when he turned 18, George joined the Royal Air Force for two years.
Meanwhile, George likewise made efficacious strides in his personal life, similar to his work. On 21st March 1959 George married his wife Dorothy at St Mary’s Church in South Kyme. The pair were together for 50 years and helped raise Dorthy’s younger brothers after her mother sadly passed away.
Image: George and his wife Dorothy.
While George carries some unhappy memories, he never unflags in his efforts to remind residents and staff at Elmwood House Care Home – which is where he moved to in September 2024 – that they have shaped him into the man he is today.
Images supplied via George
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