Items relating to Maureen McKinney

<p dir="ltr">The contributor brought a poem and song that they wrote about the war experience during the war - Silent bombs memories [sic]. She brought it to share with infant school. The song was written for students to entertain them in the school bomb shelter.</p><p> "This bracelet survived in the pocket of Billy Hedley, a RAMC soldier who had to swim to the rescue boats when the British Army were trapped on the beach at Dunkirk in World War II. He lost everything else. </p><p>Billy and Bessie lived next door to the contributor in Hunt Avenue; as a child, they made a fuss of her. They were newly wed and went on to have two daughters. The bracelet was gifted to the contributor. She believes there was a sense of community in WWII, which still exists today. Tragedy binds people."</p><p>The contributor recalled a plane bomb which killed 45 people, and mining beaches outside Southampton. She heard flapping of a parachute, which could be German, and there was a landmine which shook the house. It missed the initial target but hit a pub. There was nobody in it, but it blew the doors off the bomb shelter. There were red warnings for air raids. </p><p>At school, they were encouraged to make things to sell (shells). The interviewee made brooches, which were 7 and 6 pence for selling.</p><p>The contributor also brought her ration booklet from World War 2.</p>