A Schoolboys Wartime Memory

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A Schoolboys Wartime Memory

Post by Grandad »

Following from the other 'Reminiscence' thread I thought I would post this separately. I have many recollections for which I have written just a brief summary. Some day I might write them up but I would prefer it it be more as a boys adventures than autobiographical.

A SCHOOLBOYS RECOLLECTIONS OF WWII
A SHORT VISIT TO THE WEST COUNTRY


I was almost five when the war started in 1939, my brother was three years my junior. We lived then, and still live now, in Canterbury, Kent; an area which was later to be in ‘Doodle Bug Alley’ and also seriously hit in the ‘Battle of Britain’. My father was on reserve, having served as a regular soldier in the late twenties and early thirties. He was therefore among the first to be called up.

We had moved early in the war to a two bedroom, end of terrace house with an outside toilet next to the coal store. The kitchen had a solid fuel built-in copper boiler for Monday washday and in the small yard was an old fashioned mangle, ‘forerunner’ of todays spindrier, to remove water from the washing before hanging on the washing line, unless it was raining of course, then there was a problem, no tumble driers in those days. On the outside kitchen wall hung a galvanised tin bath brought into the kitchen for bath nights. Usually Monday of course because there was the hot water from doing the washing earlier in the day. Otherwise the boiler would have to be stoked up and I don’t remember more than one bath a week…….. On the other side of the yard opposite the kitchen door and hung on the fence, was a steel cabinet with small perforations on all sides. This was a ‘safe’ a sort of food store or early refrigerator. It was simply somewhere to put food and meat to keep it as cool as possible and the small holes were supposed to stop flies entering. There was a gas hob/cooker in the kitchen and that was the only ‘appliance’ in the house.

Dad was initially posted to Kirkudbright in Scotland to join a field company of the Royal Engineers. He was 1865504 Sapper A Jordan. I still remember his number. In 1940 he got three days compassionate leave because we were to be evacuated with my mother who I think was pregnant with my sister. My mother had seldom been outside Canterbury and then only to see her family on the North Kent coast just seven miles away. My mother certainly needed assistance to undertake the journey with her two sons.

Our allocation was in Frome, Somerset. We took the steam train to London Victoria and then to Paddington for the western part of the journey. The London stations were very busy with many military personnel leaving London to join their ships and units. We had a seemingly endless wait for our onward connection. Refreshment was in short supply and all my father could get was a large glass of water. As things turned out it was less than twenty four hours before we were back on that same platform on our way back home.

Evacuation was a disaster. We arrived at our allocated ‘digs’ in the evening, very tired from our journey. I don’t recall being offered anything to eat or drink but I am sure we must have been given something. What I do remember is my brother and me sitting on a sofa and a lady inspecting our hair for lice. I didn’t know who she was but it caused my mother much distress, the inference being that we might be dirty.

Things got worse. Our accommodation was in the attic. Just a cot and a single bed. The night stars were visible through gaps in the tiles. Mum and Dad were distraught about the situation and I know that they cried.

My brother and I spent the night in the cot, my mother in the bed and my father on the floor. Next morning at the first opportunity we left and returned to Canterbury where we remained for the rest of the war and, indeed, for most of the rest of my life…….


:gg:
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Re: A Schoolboys Wartime Memory

Post by Horus »

Reading your story Grandad just made me think how lucky are todays kids not to be brought up in conditions that even the poorest families today are unlikely to experience. Todays poverty is based on not having things that we would never even have aspired to owning when we were children and the world we grew up in was a far cry from today and our parents certainly had a less secure future than we have today. They lived through times of depravation, danger and tragic loss and our generation came on the tail end of that era, so although our lives were impacted by those events, at least we lived through it to see better times and maybe we were a stronger generation because of what went before. We grew up with very little, so we became self sufficient and may I say were more appreciative of what we had than seems the case today. :tk
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Re: A Schoolboys Wartime Memory

Post by Grandad »

I totally agree with what you say Horus and I often think myself fortunate to have lived through such times of change in the world. I really did make a crystal set and, with headphones, listened to the wireless in bed. Now we have powerful computers in our pockets with access to the world. That to me is incredible in a lifetime.....
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Re: A Schoolboys Wartime Memory

Post by Horus »

I used to "twiddle the cats whisker" myself in my younger day Grandad, several turns of copper wire around an old toilet roll center could work wonders. ;)
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Re: A Schoolboys Wartime Memory

Post by Mad Dilys »

I may be wrong but I have vague memories of an Accumulator that had something to do with the radio with the big batteries. Am I making up my own history? :ni:
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Re: A Schoolboys Wartime Memory

Post by Mad Dilys »

I was so interested I Googled it (what would I do without Google) and it's basically what I would call a battery, like a car battery but a bit smaller. I also remember it had acid in it. Thanks guys for going off at a tangent, my grandson will be very interested in this conversation. :up
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Re: A Schoolboys Wartime Memory

Post by Kiya »

Thanks for your story Grandad, it sounds like tough times but everyone seemed to manage with what they had.

Waiting on next instalment :)
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Re: A Schoolboys Wartime Memory

Post by Ruby Slippers »

MD, your recollection of an accumulator is a correct one. We lived next door but one to an electrical shop so our radio accumulator was charged regularly, without too much effort. Just as well because they were heavy old things.
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Re: A Schoolboys Wartime Memory

Post by Horus »

One of my regular jobs was to take an old lady's accumulator down to our local garage to get it charged for her. I recall them being a heavy glass rectangular jar with a folding carrying handle and you could see the acid level inside of them and the lead plates, basically they were the same as a car battery but inside a glass jar. Oh I nearly forgot the two screwed connection terminals on the top with knurled brass nuts.
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Re: A Schoolboys Wartime Memory

Post by Mad Dilys »

Knurled is one of my favourite words, like gnarly. Very satisfying. 8)
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Re: A Schoolboys Wartime Memory

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

Very interesting recollections and memories Grandad - please write more .......... very interested :) :) :up
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Re: A Schoolboys Wartime Memory

Post by Grandad »

As you liked the first one, here is another little story from my collection.

A SCHOOLBOYS RECOLLECTIONS OF WWII
THE WAR ON OUR DOORSTEP


As a family we survived the war unscathed including my father whose army service extended for the duration and in some of the hotspots of North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean.

At home we had only a few experiences directly related to the war. Probably the one closest to home was the night our school, which was only a few minutes walk from home, was destroyed by incendiary bombs. These small magnesium bombs, about a foot long and under three inches in diameter, were packed into a large canister loosely described as a ‘bread basket’. It was designed so that, when the canister was ejected from the aircraft, the bombs spread out to cause fires over a wide area.

Although the school was destroyed, alternative arrangements were quickly made and my schooling continued in temporary accommodation in an old dis-used school building nearly a mile away.
This is the Victorian school house that we were moved to. It later became part of a Peugeot car dealership and is now included in one of the university sites in the city.
8031

Under that arrangement we just walked alone, or in small groups, to and from school, whatever the weather. We were never accompanied by an adult and there was never any fear or worries on our part or that of our parents. It is true that there was very little traffic on the roads but it contrasts so sharply from children going to school now, over seventy years later. And, not to forget, it was a time of war.

A different experience occurred with incendiary in the Dane John Gardens in Canterbury. This had been a very nice public garden where people would picnic and listen to the band on the band stand. At this time most of the gardens were fenced off to enclose an RAF unit which manned a barrage balloon. My friend Kenny and I were there one day just nosing around when we spotted a ‘fin’ in the grass beside the RAF boundary fence. Thinking it was just a fin, we pulled at it. It came away but left behind what was obviously and unexploded incendiary bomb. Although very young, we were very aware of dangers associated with the war and immediately realised that this was one of those dangers. We told the airmen on the unit and they arranged for it to be safely disposed of. They did let us keep the fin. Collecting war souvenirs was a very popular pastime.

One of my most vivid memories is of a German aircraft that was shot down in the city. It came down on the corner of Ivy Lane and Chantry Lane. It was a fighter bomber with I believe a crew of two or three. At least one airman died in the aircraft. The other had attempted to parachute but was too late and was blown to pieces when the aircraft exploded on impact. Part of his parachute and upper torso were blown across the road and became suspended from the front of one of the Alms Houses opposite.

I have mentioned souvenirs. These would include bits and pieces of munitions like spent shell cases and the incendiary fin mentioned earlier. Shrapnel, those horrible jagged pieces of steel which were caused when a bomb case shattered on explosion. This was a popular souvenir and quite plentiful. I am still amazed that I only knew one person who was killed in the war. Other souvenirs included military cap badges, stripes and regimental flashes, both British and American. Special trophies would be those from enemy countries or people. My father sent me German army uniform flashes, badges and some foreign currency which made my collection one to be envied. But then, my Dad was the only one in the road who actually went to war on active service. All others were exempt due to their age, health or occupation. Many occupations including farming and essential engineering concerned directly with the war effort were exempted.
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Re: A Schoolboys Wartime Memory

Post by Ruby Slippers »

Funny you mentioning exempted occupations, Grandad, because both my mother and father worked in the ammunition factories during the war. They also did fire watching at night, too.
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Re: A Schoolboys Wartime Memory

Post by Kiya »

Bet you wasn't pleased to have walked a mile to school ;)

You have great memories, keep em coming :)
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Re: A Schoolboys Wartime Memory

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

Super interesting Grandad - please keep 'em coming!

What is "barrage balloon"?
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Re: A Schoolboys Wartime Memory

Post by Horus »

Here you go LLL, I will leave it to Grandad to explain all the details to you :up
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Re: A Schoolboys Wartime Memory

Post by Grandad »

A SCHOOLBOYS RECOLLECTIONS OF WWII
ROAST BEEF AT LILLYWHITES FARM


Our school was only about a quarter mile walk from home. It was new and built shortly before the start of the war. There was a large playground and open space at the front of the school.

Although in a semi-rural location with open fields around, the MoD decided to locate a barrage balloon right at the front of the school. I believe this was because, from the air, our scholl could look like a factory. The balloon was operated by an RAF crew. There was the winch vehicle with a wire cage on the back in which the winch operator sat. The cage was to protect him when winching in the balloon. There were eight or ten heavy concrete blocks each with a steel ring in the top placed in a circle on the ground. In the middle of these was a pulley secured to the ground through which the balloon cable passed before reaching the winch drum.

The balloon had lengths of rope hanging down and these were used to secure it to the concrete blocks when it was not required to fly. We were very naughty and used to hang onto these ropes as the balloon was slowly launched. Very dangerous of course, and we had to let go soon after being lifted from the ground. It was great fun though…

The airmen lived in temporary huts and the only other equipment was the gas trailer with cylinders of compressed gas. This could be towed by the winch vehicle so the balloon and its support vehicle was entirely mobile and could be moved to areas that might be threatened by enemy aircraft.

Barrage balloons were extensively used for air defences particularly in south east England and around major towns and cities. The purpose of the balloon is to lift a heavy steel cable into the air which forced aircraft to fly at higher altitude rather than risk flying into the cable and being brought down.

One day the balloon was hoisted when without warning the weather changed and a strong wind built up. The officer in charge ordered that the balloon should be winched in because it might be dangerous. When it was only a few hundred feet from the ground a sudden strong gust blew it down to the ground. Lillywhites farm was across the road at the top of the school lane and the balloon crashed down onto farm buildings ripping its fabric and releasing the gas. I believe hydrogen gas was used and somehow a fire was started and before very long the open sided barns full of hay and straw were well ablaze. The farm was burned to the ground.

Fortunately nobody was injured but all animals in the farmyard were burned to death. Later that day when the fire had been put out, Kenny and I went to the farm with Rodney and his father to see the damage. It was all very sad with the remains of many animals lying in the ashes. There were cows, pigs, sheep and other farmyard animals that had been overcome. Rodneys dad made a joke, “Anyone for roast beef”? We didn’t find it funny.

PS: In Horus's picture you can see the winch vehicles but they appear to be winching the balloon directly above the lorry. In our playground the winch vehicle was about 30 yards from a pulley secured to the ground. The balloon then came down above the pulley wheel and just away from the lorry.
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Re: A Schoolboys Wartime Memory

Post by Kiya »

Have to admit I've never heard of the barrage balloons, then again I wasn't born till a few years after the war had ended.

That is a sad memory to have & very unfortunate for all the farm animals :(

Grandad you were doing what any other typical young lad would have done hanging from the ropes, hope you did n't hang from them when taken off :o
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Re: A Schoolboys Wartime Memory

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

Very interesting. I'd never heard of barrage balloons - just the Dirigible. Am thinking the primary different is the Dirigible could be directed when flow whilst a barrage balloon is/was more passive.

Interesting stories and memories :)
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Re: A Schoolboys Wartime Memory

Post by Mad Dilys »

We were living in a village by the wonderful name of Ham Hill, just south of Snodland (which is mentioned in a c1609 map I have) in the war. It was pretty close as the crow flies to Malling aerodrome and Aylesford paper mills in Kent so we saw our fair share of bombing.

Until recent years the whining sound of planes doing aerobatics, gripped my stomach with a sick fear. I suppose it was seeing a "dog fight" over the fields opposite our house - one went down in flames.

I remember seeing the barrage balloons. We found out after the war that Aylesford paper mills was a secret ammunition dump. :o

Inspired by all this nostalgia I Google mapped our old house, which was a late Victorian villa still standing, but there are hundreds of houses on the strawberry fields opposite. The marshes where my father went wildfowling have been excavated for gravel into tidy lakes.

One of our neighbours was a greengrocer who had a horse and cart that he sold from. We used to hitch a lift on the way to school. The field where Heidi the horse lived and we kids nearly petted to death, brushing her and putting roses in her mane in the summer, is now covered by Tesco depot. I love snakes and used to catch them and their babies for inspection there too - until my Dad found out that they were adders. :oops:

As kids we always made camps, out of turf usually, climbed. fought and ran wild. It was wrestling more than fighting as there was an unwritten law that you couldn't use a weapon (occasionally broken) but definitely not hit anyone who was on the ground. With one exception we were skinny - that boy was a junior Spiv, he always had something to sell for a few coppers like carbon paper from his Dad's office, or tiddlers from the local stream the he bought for farthings and sold for pennies. We were pretty healthy and hardy, often very dirty and much loved.
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