Chloe's+Personal+History+Project

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Lithgow is located in a valley named Lithgow’s valley. It is on the Great western highway, about 150 km west from Sydney.

My grandmother and grandfather lived there as children and as adults. This book is a series of fictional diary entries based on my grandpa’s life during World War 2.

 __Small Arms Factory __

 The Lithgow Small Arms Factory is a military factory located in the town of Lithgow, New South Wales. Opened on June 8, 1912, the factory made Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Mk III rifles for the Australia military during World War I, and expanding production during World War II to have Vickers Machine guns, Bren Guns, various artillery pieces and field guns.

__Zig Zag Railway __ The terrain of the Blue mountains and the expense of building long tunnels required the construction of the Zig Zag Railway between 1866 and 1869. The line was opened in 1869, and closed in 1910.

 27/3/41 My name is Barry Vassella and today is my birthday. I got money from mother and father, gumdrops from Pam, and a diary from Aunty. The diary that she got me is the one I am writing in now. Some things going on in my life is the World War. It started 2 years ago and there isn’t much food. I’m only five, my job is to take all of the feathers out from the chickens’ skin. The feathers come off very easy and the chickens’ skin goes pink. It makes me feel sick. When the war ends and food is easier to get, I swear I will never eat chicken again. I’m supposed to be plucking them now but I felt too sick so I’m making my sister do it. My mother is downstairs doing the house work while my father is at work. He goes to work at 5 in the morning and comes home at 6 in the evening. We always have enough money but we save up most of it. Tomorrow I have school, I have to wear my ID tag. It is a metal plate with leather so it stays on my wrist. When it’s hot it rubs against my skin and it goes itchy. Every Wednesday we have bombing drills. We have to put cotton in our ears and rubber in our mouth. The teachers say it’s so we don’t bite our tongue when “the shock hits us” I don’t know what she means by that but I do it anyways. Dad just got home and we will be having tea soon so I have to go. -Barry Vassella

28/3/41 I just got home from school. My teacher spanked me today because I was talking when I wasn’t supposed to. She hit me right on my bottom and on the palm of my hand. I have to go pluck more chickens so mother can make some soup. Later I will ask her why we eat so many chickens. -Barry Vassella

29/3/41 March is almost over. Today I had to go and buy some bread from the baker. His name is Roy Smyth. He has a wife and two daughters. Mum says they are twins. I think their names are Myrna and Marlene. They are much younger than I am. Mr. Smyth makes really good bread. I heard that he gives bread to the soldiers and the soldiers give them food back. It’s so unfair because I have to work hard for my food. Why can’t mother or father make bread and give it to the soldiers? -Barry Vassella

30/3/41 Today is Wednesday. We had a bombing drill at school. It was the 4th one I ever had in my life. I asked my teacher why were afraid to be bombed. She said there’s a factory and the army from other countries don’t want us to have it. She said it makes weapons for Australia’s army. I didn’t know why we would need weapons and what for so I asked her. She said there’s a war going on. I already knew about the war but I had no idea what was happening I just forgot about it and continued with school. -Barry Vassella

31/3/41 Today a plane went over Lithgow. Everybody thought they were trying to bomb us so we had to go into the pits. It turned out that it was an Australian army plane. I was mad at everyone because I hate the taste of the rubber strap. I told my teacher that they should make sure if the planes are going to bomb us. She got mad at me and spanked me hand again. -Barry Vassella 1/4/41 It’s April! My teacher says its April fool’s day. I don’t know what happens very well but basically you play jokes on people. My teacher also says today’s date is a palindrome (I only know how to spell it because I asked my teacher to write it on a piece of paper). I didn’t have a clue what that is so I asked my mum. Mother says it’s something this is spelt or is the same backwards. I start​ed experimenting with words and found out that the word “racecar” is also a palindrome. Today is also the bakers’ wife’s birthday. Mum made a casserole and I had to walk it over. I had to call her Mrs. Smyth. Some things I noticed about her are she’s very kind and polite (even though I’ve only met her once), she has very beautiful, puffy brown hair, and she dresses very nicely. -Barry Vassella

2/4/41 Today is Saturday. That means I have no school today. When I don’t have school I like to play ball outside with my friends. There isn’t much more to do because mum and dad like to listen to the news on the radio and mother says there’s “things a little boy can’t listen too”. I wanted to know what was on the radio, so this morning when mother told me to go outside and play I hid behind the door. I could only hear bits of the sentences like: “War continues” “The Great War doesn’t seem so great anymore” “many more Jews killed in concentration camps”. Mother than started crying and tried talking to father but her voice blurred. The only thing I head was “When will this man stop!” Her voice was now very loud so I ran upstairs into my room and now here I am writing into my journal. I should go and play now because mother says I shouldn’t waste the day inside.

-Barry Vassella

2/4/41 He’s just too curious. Barry always asks too many questions. Why can’t he be like his sisters and just accept that sometimes kids do not need to know about everything? I’m afraid that one day he’s going to find out to much and get hurt. Sincerely, Isabel

3/4/41 Another plane has gone over Lithgow. But this time it wasn’t an Australian plane. I was cooking tea when I heard screaming and saw people running outside. James gathered the children and we ran to the pits. Nothing much happened but we stayed lying down. Then gunshots. The kids yelped. This was the first time it was real. The first time something bad was actually happening. I lay the children in my arms as they shivered in horror. After another gunshot, a window crashing, I assumed it to be buildings such as the Small Arms Factory but I wasn’t sure. I didn’t have time to think. The plane flew over and nothing much happened after that. Everybody scurried home, parents locking children in arms. I hope this never happens again. Sincerely, Isabel

9/4/41 This is the last time I will write. I haven’t written in almost a week! Dad found out that I was writing in this book and told me to stop. Even though I don’t want to, I will obey him. After a week of asking questions with no answers, father got annoyed and finally answered. He said it might be dangerous. Good-bye, Barry Vassella

9/4/2009 It has been 68 years. 68 years since I wrote in this book. So many things have happened since then. I married Myrna Smyth, the baker’s daughter, I have had 3 kids, Mark, Jon and Kim, Jon and Mark have had kids so I have 5 grandchildren and much, much more. I kept this book. Even when father told me to throw it away. I have been reading over the previous entries, I feel foolish. Not knowing what was going on but now knowing so many bad things were happening and I didn’t help. Then again I was only 5. I don’t have much to write so I will be leaving now.

Sincerely, Barry Vassella