Preparedness for when

GreyQueen

It's very popular still. And a recognised way of keeping in touch when other systems fail. Getting into ham radio is recommended by hardcore preppers.

In WW2, a branch of my family were in the uncomfortable position of being Brits resident in an occupied city in Europe. That branch of the family tree had been born and bred there (2nd generation at that time) but still had British nationality and the Gestapo took a lively interest in them. They had extra restrictions imposed upon them inc having to report weekly to the local Gestapo headquarters and were not even supposed to have a radio.

But they did. And being bi-lingual, were secretly listening into broadcasts from the UK and passing them in written form to the neighbours.

Imagine one morning when the Germans turned up bright and early to take a 16 y.o. girl away from her family as forced labour. Her Mum was standing with her back to the fire, pinny on like a good housewife, tossing the sheets of paper transcribed from the radio backwards into the flames and telling the soldiers they couldn't take her daughter away until she'd had her breakfast.

Cool customer. They got her back as she was only 16 and there was some rule about them only being able to take British Citizens for forced labour if they were 18. They took her elder brother as forced labour to a German factory, though. He came through it in one piece. The family has some hairy tales about living under occupation............

And the only reason they were there is that they were a few days too late in running to the coast to take ship to England; not all the family were fast enough to grab-and-go. Some made it out and some spent a lot of scary, hungry times.

Dippypud

prepareathome wrote: »

I want a paracord bracelet,

I do have paracord,not much but how would I make a bracelet from it. Mind you its olive green not exactly stylish.:cool:

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=making%20a%20paracord%20bracelet&source=web&cd=6&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CEQQFjAF&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.operationgratitude.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F04%2FHowtoMakeaParacordSurvivalBracelet1.pdf&ei=zDdSUMGLFOTA0QWayYDIDQ&usg=AFQjCNHswDHjeNxZ9mffSrrlnggWBuUV1w

http://edcforums.com/threads/making-a-paracord-belt.89228/

alltrustgone

Grey Queen, its horrific to read about it now, let alone to have had to endure it at the time. Did they stay in Europe after the war ended, or did they just feel a need to come "home"?

GreyQueen

alltrustgone wrote: »

Grey Queen, its horrific to read about it now, let alone to have had to endure it at the time. Did they stay in Europe after the war ended, or did they just feel a need to come "home"?

Yes and no. What happened was that one relative went over with his employer in the earliest years of the 20th century. Met a local lady, married, stayed, his son had British citzenship via him and passed it down to the children.

The original emigree got caught up in WW1 and when he saw the way the wind was blowing for WW2 and wasn't prepared to do that again, hightailed it back to the UK, and stayed. His son and wife and their two children were tardier and ended up with a lot of desperate people bunched up in a channel port trying to get ship for the UK. They were there several days but the window of opportunity had closed, there were no more ships out and they had to return to the city.

The Gestapo didn't seem to know quite what to make of them, they were Brits but not-Brits, with English as a 2nd language. They used to make the entire family report every week to make sure that they hadn't run off anywhere but towards the end of the war, it was only the Dad who had to report. The woman who was the 16 y.o. at the time died in her late eighties last year. I called her Auntie L. She said that towards the end the people in the occupied city (a capitol city) used to taunt the Germans as they all realised that it was nearly over. The Germans understood it too and were a lot less swaggery.

Auntie L met her Brit husband when he came into the city as part of the liberation. If she'd married someone from her own country, she'd've lost her British nationality but she married him and kept it and passed it down to my cousins (in their early 50 and early 60s now). It's a weird situation as that part of the family has been over there for 100 years, and they're British citizens. Some of my cousins work for the British Embassy over there.......nothing at all glamorous, just trade-related stuff. No ambassador's parties with heaping piles of Ferrero Rocher...........:rotfl:

Joking aside, Auntie L was taken away twice and was got back twice by her family but the shock of it caused all her hair to fall out. She never expressed anti-german hatreds but she did once tell Mum she couldn't even hear German spoken without getting cold chills after all that time. I really don't care to imagine what would have befallen a young girl in the hands of enemy soldiers for days at a time but these things can't be asked of an old lady. Like a lot of worst war stuff, people couldn't bear to speak of it. Some of the veterans used to throw their medals into the fire when they got them, they were so sickened by it all.

She did have some very funny stories about how they used to sneak out at night and cut limbs off the street trees for firewood and sneak it back home where it all had to be hidden. They were in a suburb and at that time (not now) there were adjacent fields. There was one guy who farmed a field of onions and everyone was desperate to buy them but he kept holding out to drive the prices higher and higher.

Well, the neighbours sorted him out. One night, en masse, they went out to steal them. Auntie L said the children stood lookout, all along all sides of the field, whilst the adults dug like crazy. By dawn, there wasn't an onion on the field and none to be found in anyone's homes, of course.:whistle:

I've often thought of that greedy profiteering !!!!!!'s face when he realised he'd lost the lot.:rotfl:

Hehe, just realised it's remotely-possible one of the family might read this over there and recognise themselves. If you do, hunnies, phone my Mum, OK? Or we'll cut you off the Christmas card list...........only kidding.

katieowl_2

This popped up today via a link on my Facebook page.

Reposting as it may be of interest to those following this thread... apologies if it's teaching grandpappy to suck eggs

http://www.grandpappy.info/hbasics2.htm


Kate

cbrown372

I'd go back to bed with my kindle and a bar of chocolate just where I am now
:j

ginnyknit

Thats very interesting katieowl, some of his items seem very expensive don't they? Domesday preppers was very interesting last night, the jarring and canning looks good.

alltrustgone

How brave and resourceful people can be. And the resiliance - its hard to imagine being able to pick up the reins of everyday life after wartime experiences.

I'll think of that farmer too, and salute the onion liberators.

prepareathome

Haven't caught up so not read replies to Mars scenario, but thought I would mention it is still law that all phone boxes must be kept on no matter what in case police have no other means for contacting their base, I would presume this means the police station phones would still be on. I guess you could use one to phone abroad to see if anyone there has heard what is going on or to find out if its just a UK thing or world wide.

I personally would hope family turned up as requested,or we would go to theirs to get them and bring them to ours, if things go bad and we all stay put till we know more, getting out alternative cooking,heating and lighting. Put radio on to see if any news. While taps were supplying water I would fill up everything I could.

I would not want any family out wandering the streets to find out what was going on, not unless it continued for days maybe even a bit longer as there would be plenty out there panicking so better if we can stay safe inside with maybe doors and windows barred if need be.

meme30

DH would probably be at work already and would know more than me because he works in public transport, he would come home even if he was told he could not. he is somewhat of an immovable object!
I know we are told to stay at home but what's going on could be anything from disease to riots or invasion. Sitting still won't keep me warm and I would have to be up and doing.
DD at bottom of garden is easilyy checked on, DD 5 minutes away I would go to and suggest they come to ours. My brother is ten minutes away and I would confer with him about our Mam. She is twenty miles away but has a good stock of food and medication. I know she would be ok for several days. If needs be Brothers would go for her in his Landrover, it would get through the snow ok.
Before leaving the house, I would collect as much water as I could inside the house. I have some of those large plastic bucket type containers I keep the Grandchildrens toys in, they would go outside and be filled with snow and covered with plastic, not sure how drinkable if boiled but can be used for other things. We have a small one of these
http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/outwell-notebook-bbq-p99460

They work great as a fire to sit around and cook on. We always have wood in the shed and there are plenty of woods around us. Living room floor would have to be covered to use it but that's not difficult to do. Both SiL's are getting these for Christmas. (My way of ensuring they will all have heat!)That would give us heat and cooking. Lights are easy enough to sort, we would have a radio on and plenty of food so we would be ok for a while. Old neighbour next door has son and daughter living in street so I know she would be ok.
Bags would be handy if we had to leave quickly and once I felt we were as sorted as we could be, I would just wait it out.

Edited to say...BBQ fits into our fireplace when gas fire comes out. I would turn off gas at meter and at tap inside fireplace. This spits ash and burning wood so we would have to cover carpet near the hearth. We only have a nursery fireguard which is no good for spitting fires but is good for safety and drying things! Realised it sounded like this was going to sit in middle of the floor. :eek: