Mrs Cockie, a teacher of the war years.

During the Second World War Mrs Cockie started teaching in Wickford Senior School.  When the siren went off the children formed an orderly queue and marched silently down to the shelters with their books under their arms and their gas masks across their shoulders; sometimes they remained there all day. In a corner, behind a curtain, was a bucket which they used as a toilet.  During the war the school was lucky as it was not damage.  If there were too many children in the infant and junior school opposite for their own shelter, they would share the Senior School’s one.  Mr Rose, the Headmaster, would look out of his window at the crocodile line of children crossing the road and would say, ”The PBI (poor blessed infants) are on their way.”

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  • I WAS ONE OF THE ‘PBI’ CHILDREN. I REMEMBER IT WELL, IT’S SURPRISING HOW WHEN YOU GET OLD HOW SOME THINGS YOU REMEMBER, AS I HAVE WRITTEN HERE BEFORE.

    By bob croot (28/07/2012)

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