A Schoolboy's War in Cornwall

Although only children at the time, Britain's schoolboys have the memory of living through the Second World War indelibly inscribed on their minds, and now, in their seventies and eighties, they open this treasured box of remembrance for the first time. Living through the Second World War was a unique and difficult experience, but for the nation's schoolboys it was often seen as an exciting adventure. Watching a country preparing for war and then being immersed in total conflict brought encounters and events that some will never forget. In this charming book, Jim Reeve recalls some of his vivid memories of life during the war in Cornwall where he was evacuated and lived with his mother and brother with twenty or thirty other families in the Atlantic Hotel, Newquay. With the same fascination that grips many men of his generation, he recalls some of the extraordinary events he witnessed as a young schoolboy, from witnessing dogfights over the sea and the rescue of airmen to watching Plymouth light up the night's sky in the distance.

Résumé
Although only children at the time, the Second World War had a permanent effect on the schoolboys who lived through the conflict. Watching a country preparing for war and then being immersed in the horrors of the Blitz brought encounters and events that some will never forget. Now in their seventies and eighties, many are revisiting their memories of this period of upheaval and strife for the first time. In this poignant book, the author shares vivid memories of his evacuation from war-torn London to the comparative safety of places like Newquay, St Ives and Redruth in Cornwall. From touching recollections of enjoyable days spent with loved ones to the dark moments of falling bombs, this is an honest account of a wartime child's formative years. Together with rare images and accounts from fellow evacuees who were sent to Cornwall to escape the ravages of war, this book reveals how these experiences are indelibly inscribed on the minds of wartime children.