Watched the programme about the one hundred years war – World War 1 on the 11th of November.

I remember reading and interviewed one Deaf couple who worked at the aircraft manufacturing plants in the USA during my holiday.

Did you know that many Deaf people were able to work in the factories across the countries around the world?

Many Deaf people – men and women, worked at the aircraft manufacturing plants, rubber and tires factories, shipyards and other war production plants during the war. Why?

Many men went to the war and to fight for their country. They left their work behind and leaving their family to feed themselves or to find work. People with disabilities including Deaf were not allowed to join the army, air forces and navy due to the health policy law. I know a few Deaf men went to the war without telling the medical doctors or nurses through storytelling.

Yes, there were many Deaf men and women worked in the factories until the men came back or not. Not many people like you, know about another side of the story in the Deaf community.

https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-ouch-29846154

In the communities, there were many Deaf family, young and old people living in their homes, working at the factories, catching the buses or driving a car down the road. How their lives met the danger of bombing in the city, air raid warning, or read the new papers except cannot hear the talkback on the radio etc?

Several years ago, in  Hamilton, New Zealand I was a deaf health carer/nurse for one deaf peculiar woman – Mary and her husband who arrived from London via Kent, England to Hamilton. Her husband was an army in Europe and in South East Asia then he served in the POW camp where he captured. He returns to London after World War 2 and caught up with his lovely deaf wife and the youngest daughter. Mary loved telling me her stories about surviving in the war in London and Kent. She knew that I am a deaf historian and she wants me to keep her stories for other people.

She forced to lay down in the gutter – very close to the edge of the kerb which allowed her to feel vibrating and keep away from cars, buses, trucks etc. She always keeps close to other people so she would not feel left out because she can not hear what other people calling out or talking to her. Another time she went down to the Metro – underground Metro where she meets other people as an air raid shelter places. Every window covered in blacks and taped over the glass to prevent crack or glass splashing over people’s body. Mary was very good with food rations and able to grow vegetables during the summer days inside the warm room. She cooked any vegetables into chutney, boiled cabbages, carrots etc and keep it in the preserving jars for the winter times.  the winter times, it was so harshest for her and other people in London. She worked for one of the churches by doing sewing socks, head covers, bags, mittens and helped other people.

Her husband does not talk about his experience in the POW camp because it was a nasty and horror trauma for him along with his close mates. He lost many friends, family and brothers during the wars. He said he had an enough with wars until his death.