A resident from HC-One’s Elmwood House Care Home in Boston, Lincolnshire, has been sharing his memories of World War II and VE (Victory in Europe) Day, to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII, on May 8, 2025.
Elmwood House resident George Phillips, born on 22nd March 1935, now aged 90 years old, who was aged five at the start of World War II and ten years old at the end of World War II, and lived in South Kyme, with his mum, dad, and five siblings (one older sister, a younger sister and younger twins, a brother and sister) in a cottage on a farm. During World War II, George helped his father by working on the land on the farm, looking after the cattle.
George’s father was in the Home Guard and used to go on mission on the weekends. George recalls his father being dressed in a uniform and his dad coming home and putting his riffle under the staircase.
During this time, George used to listen to the news on the radio as there was no television. He used to walk 1.5 miles to school, as there were no taxis or buses. George remembers the rations of butter and other things. The butchers and bikers used to deliver their food weekly to the farm and they used to have set days when they came around including Fridays. George remembers having a wood safe which was made up of a wood cabinet perforated where they kept the food. During the war, George also remembers being able to watch the Lancasters bombing at night from his grandma’s house.
On VE Day, George and his family celebrated by having a street party with the local community and feeling an overwhelming sense of relief that the war was over. An array of food was served including finger sandwiches, Victoria sponge cakes, sausage rolls, and jelly desserts alongside tea served in vintage cups.
After the war, George worked on a farm called Castles and when he was 18 years old, he joined the Royal Air Force for two years. George married Dorothy on the 21st March 1959 and they were married for 50 years following marrying at St Mary’s in South Kyme. As Dorothy’s mother died when she was young, Dorothy and George brought up her younger brothers. George moved into Elmwood House in September 2024.
George Phillips, resident at HC-One’s Elmwood House Care Home, said:
“It’s important to remember all the people who lost their lives throughout World War II as there were a lot of lives lost. 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.
“I used to sit in my grandma’s bedroom window and watch the Lancaster planes and spitfires go out from Waddington. Several of them never came back and they were blown out of the sky.
“My dad was part of the Home Guard. 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 planes was fun, they flew so low.
“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’s don’t matter. They have no idea.”
For more information on HC-One homes in your area visit www.hc-one.co.uk/carehomes