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60 Storey’s Way

History of 60 Storey's Way

1939

Robert Steele Ball, b 1869, retired university lecturer (1869-1959)

Olga, b 1878

Eileen R E Gray, b 1917, servant

Robert and Olga had two children, Stella Elizabeth (1907-2011) and Robert Sturge (1909-1940). Stella married Robert Barnes in Kenya in 1943.

Robert Sturge Ball had been working as an agricultural officer for the colonial service. He married Kathleen in 1939 and had a son Robert Grant Ball b.1940. The elder Robert became a Lance Corporal in the Kenya Regiment and served with the EA Reconnaissance Squadron. He died in action near Wajir where there was a South Rhodesian air base, on 30th July 1940 aged 31. This was probably in combat with Italian forces who had invaded Kenya from Ethiopia.

The correspondence of Robert Ball to his daughter and other family members is kept by the Cambridgeshire Archive Service (K685/11/1/1). The following are excerpts from selected letters, as dated.

24.8.1939 to Stella (in East Africa): As I write things are so critical that, though it is not my usual day for writing, I am sending you a line … We have just listened to the Prime Minister’s statement in parliament about the situation and things do not seem too rosy, and we must prepare for the worst though hoping for the best. … I am thankful that you are far from any possibility of air raids … we expect to have children billeted on us should war break out, and I hope that may be tractable youngsters and not give Mum trouble.

27.8.1939 to Stella: The issue of peace or war will probably be decided within the next few days as far as we can see. .. we are preparing by carefully concealing all our lights by heavier curtains and other devices so as not to let a glimmer of light out to help an invader. The traffic lights have been reduced by shields to a tine cross which can scarcely be seen until you are close to it. Yesterday we had a visit from the Vice Principal of a preparatory school in London who is bringing all his scholars to Cambridge where the school will be conducted as a going concern in Lady Darwin’s house as she will not be there. The children are to be taken by the residents and two have been allotted to us. It was a strange coincidence that the wife of the master was a sister of the two Weiss girls who were here at College and is therefore a cousin of Olga’s. We did not know this when they called and it was only when Mum asked what her maiden name was that the connection was disclosed. It will make our dealings easier than if they were perfect strangers and no doubt they will select two tractable little girls for us. The Brands are housing two of the teachers in the school who will take the children back and forth to their school daily. How much better this is than having east end children thrust on us though of course Mum’s work is increased by having the two extra in the house as all the extra work falls upon her.

4.9.1939 to Stella: The die is cast and we are now in a state of war. There are every signs that such is the case. The streets are darkened at night, traffic lights almost extinguished, cars marked EVACUATION (of which mine is one,) taking refugees from London about to the billets allotted to them but everything worls smoothly and the organization is perfect. We will have either three children or two and their mother with us. Lady Darwin’s house has been turned into a school to take the scholars from a private school in the London district and the children are allotted places with the residents round about. The chief duty at present is to house the great numbers of refugees coming out of the County schools in London. These are taken into the homes of residents in the new roads and about the town generally and Mum has been helping with the work for the past few days. … We have been fitting light excluders to our windows, placing sand in readiness to put out fires … we take our gas masks with us on going out, and are ready for the air raid warning which comes from hooters in the town to fly to the nearest place of safety.

10.9.1939 to Stella: We’ve had rather a hectic week. There was much to do about the house. It is not such an easy matter to make the windows completely light tight and he Air Raid Wardens are very vigilant, prowling around the house and taping at the window if a spot of light appears from outside. We have subdued the lights in the house by means of sugar bags which can be obtained from the grocer. A hole cut in the bottom and slipped over the neck of the bulb makes an excellent and very cheap shade of the kind we want. … Then we have a lady and her young child here for our contribution to the evacuation plan. She is the widow of a sculptor and the little girl goes to the private school that has mved here from Highgate and whose pupils are distributed among the residents round about. She is however leaving us next week and we will have the double room ready for someone more permanent. A number of Government offices are moving down here. The Lord Chancellor and his staff which numbers 350, is coming to Caius. At first it was announced that they would only require accommodation for offices, accordingly the building over-the-way was emptied of all bedroom furniture and the staff were to be housed in the town. But not even the landladies would take them in for the sum offered for room and board was only £1 a week and as they expect student in October it was not unreasonable to refuse. They will have to amend their terms before rooms will be found for them. They are not allowed to bring their wives and families with them. Trinity has also a department to house and the Commissioners of Lunacy are to be accommodated in Kings! How delightful.

17.9.1939 to Stella (who has been in South Africa): We have now passed from the peace to war conditions and the streets, inside of domestic dwellings and the town itself wears an unwonted appearance. White curbs, white lines down the centre of the roads, sand bags piled against buildings and many other indications would make it seem strange to you were you to pay us a visit. I cannot say all I wish as otherwise this letter might be stopped, and strict care in enjoined by the authorities about correspondence abroad. Fuel, light and food are to be cut down and we expect food tickets to be issued shortly.

8.10.1939 to Stella who has been in Bulawayo: You would hardly recognize Bridge Street if you were to walk down it from Magdalen Bridge to Trinity Street. All the shops have been cleared away  on the South side and the new buildings of Johns are exposed.

23.10.1939 to Stella: We have a very nice little student girl with us from the Bedford College and Mum says she can well cover her board with the two guineas a week that the College pays. She is even a help in the house and is very self-effacing in every way. .. The visitor at present is studying modern languages and she had just returned from France when war broke out.

5.12.1939 to Stella: The term comes to end this week an pour two girls depart until next term.

22.1.1940 to Stella: We have quite settled down to the give and take of war and have adjusted ourselves to the conditions prevailing. The rations are ample and the restrictions imposed by the black outs have become part of the daily round, so we think little of them. I have a room at my disposal in town where I take pupils who are like lost sheep with their shepherds gone on ware service.

8.6.1940 to Stella: We have had air-raid warnings here but that is all. A nightingale was heard singing after the siren had sounded (the first one this year).

3.8.1940 to Stella: We were shocked at the tragedy of Rollo’s death as I am sure you were. We received a cable from Kathleen ……. News has been received that Rollo is a prisoner in Germany. This is Official and is a comfort to Aunt Frida as she has had a long period of suspense.

11.8.1940 to Stella: The truly tragic news of poor Robin has driven everything else out of our minds except the thought of you an how to help Kathleen. It is some consolation to us to know that we have a little grandson to cherish if only in memory of our dear son.

15.9.1940 to Stella: We are settling down to war regime here and I suppose one can become accustomed. … The Leys schools have just been moved to Scotland to one of the big hotels there.

6.10.1940 to Stella: We are having an outpouring of refugees from London. But indeed no place is safe as we know in Cambridge. I am so thankful you are out of it for it is a time when ones nerves are on the stretch. We are taking in two Bedford College students in again, not because we want anyone but to save us from something worse in the way of evacuees. I keep on with my ARP work. As the days are now shortening it means two circuits instead of one. The first at sunset and the second about the time when people are taking to their bedrooms and consequently are likely to expose lights.

20.10.1940 to Stella: Your generous parcel arrived safely and I thank you very much for the socks so beautifully knitted. They will be invaluable during the winter months. A purchase tax amounting to one-third the value of all purchases comes into force tomorrow so there has been a great rush this week to buy all that we require and the shops have been crowded. Your socks therefore have gone up in value 33 per cent in the last few days! … It is clear that people outside England think we are suffering shortage of food. Well there is rationing but we really would not know from the appearance of our table or the amount of good things available that we were restricted. We have settled down to an economy which is no serious bar to our requirements. … We have alarms almost every night but if you were to take a walk through the town you would have to grope about for a long time before you could see any damage and that would be found in districts that are remote and outside the main current of ordinary comings and goings. We sometimes hear distant explosions, especially at night if we happen to be awake, but we sleep soundly unlike the London inhabitant who is disturbed every night by the roar of gunfire. Do you remember the Merz family? Mr Merz (pere) Robert, and his sister and two servants were killed in their house in London and Mrs Merz was injured. … We have the nicest of all the girls we have had in the house at present. Josephine Henderson is the daughter of the Dean of Salisbury and Rosemary Deck’s father is a retired Colonial Civil servant, now teaching in a prep school as his contribution to the war effort by releasing others to fight.

22.3.1941 to Stella who has received a small legacy: Mum and I have received rather a shock by Eileen declaring that she wishes to join up for war work. She has applied but so far not been called. As it is impossible to get a substitute it places mum in a difficulty and I don’t know how she can manage to run the house for a substitute is not available. Eileen has been with us nearly 3 years and is a most excellent maid in every way. All our neighbours suffer in the same manner and most people do their own cooking etc. Aunt Frisam [?] is also losing her staff for the same cause. Of course Eileen has to pass a medical test which gives us a hope that the application ,may be refused. Our temporary gardener is at present digging up part of the tennis lawn for vegetables. We will put in potatoes, greens and peas which will help us along considerable.

22.7.1941 to Stella: We were most grateful for your generous gift of butter and jam which arrived a few days ago … Do not think that at present we are short; indeed the rations are quite ample in all things. A glance at our Sunday dinner table would make you wonder, but then the joint has to be spun out in fine yarn to stretch over the week, even though reinforced by sausage and “offals”. … We hear a lot about blood transfusion from our guest. It has become a very important medical branch and wonderful research is carried out. They find that milk bottles are the best containers when properly sealed. One of the chief difficulties is concerned with the sharpening of the needles!! Of course they are not like an ordinary needle as they have an aperture at the point and hence ordinary sharpening will not do.

31.7.1941 to Stella: We were greatly touched by your gift of sugar … We though of dear Robin yesterday; the anniversary of his deeply lamented death…. We had a visit from Mrs Hamilton (Carmelite Nuttall that was) together with a friend Lady Inchiquin, wife of Lord Inchiquin, or the Irish Peerage. … The war in Russia has made things easier for us here and may accelerate the end.

14.9.1941 to Stella in Nairobi: Since my last letter we have received a parcel containing 2lb sugar and 2 lb tea from you. … There has been a further drive lately to secure the services of all women within prescribed ages for war work so we would have lost Eileen in any case even if she had not joined up before the call came. Her substitute (above the age limit) carries on fairly well though is not so efficient; but we are lucky to have anyone. My nightly patrols continue, beginning earlier as the days shorten. Though most residents take care not to expose lights some curtains and blinds show wear which lets the light through. One gets a good notion of the habits of one’s neighbours by the patrol, snooping round the backs of the houses tells a complete story of the times that meals are taken, the putting to bed of children in the nursery, and the final closing of the house by the last inhabitant shekin [sic] his (or her) repose. … We have not been away from the house for a day since the war started … people do not like to leave their houses unattended and as most have boarders or evacuees they could not do so. … We have our own Scotch lady who is no trouble at all and fits into the household like the skin on an eel. She has now been with us for nine months and seems to have settled down. 

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7.7.1945: Letter to ? from?: Hotel Royale, Paris. Back in Paris after another progress and I will be flying to England on Sunday to see Brigade and. I hope, Shell. then returning here to finish this job in Burgundy. I hope I shall be able to gt home for a night, the time is a bit short and I write this in case I don’t. The future is at the moment uncertain as ever, they keep telephoning from Norway to ask when I am coming, but happily those in authority say that this work mst be properly finished first and this won’t be till August 15th or so. I hope to et something precisioned when in England but am beginning to doubt if we will be wanted in the East. I do definitely want to go for a year if th job is on. No reply from Shell to my letter asking for an interview.

12.11.1945: Letter to Robert Ogle Barnes (son in law) in Kenya though the letter is addressed ‘dearest child’ so seems intended to be read by Stella: We have Uncle Charlie with us for two nights…..