- Contributed by听
- gmractiondesk
- People in story:听
- ROY BURTON(SELF),LEONARD MARRIET, HAROLD BOARDMAN, ALAN ARMITT, J.ONTRABUS, MARY YORSTAN, FLORINES McGOWAN, and OTHERS.
- Location of story:听
- PENDLETON ,SALFORD 6
- Background to story:听
- Army
- Article ID:听
- A4145401
- Contributed on:听
- 02 June 2005
At the beginning of World War 2 my father was chief warden fire at X13 post in Pendleton and he allowed me to serve as a cycle messenger in the ARP. The war, as I remember, only lasted for civilians in the Manchester area fot the year 1940. There were Christmas and Easter blitzes by German aircraft in which between 90-100 people lost their lives in salford alone. After that we had fewer raids because of the build up of RAF fighters . But we served until 1945 and felt privileged to march with nurses, home guard,firecrews, and other volunteers. Strangely, a person recognised me, asked me my address, in 2001 and I was awarded the Defence Medal. I am sure there must be hundreds of young messengers like myself who are unaware they are entitled to this medal.
During my holidays in the war I volunteered and worked on a farm near to Knutsford along with Canadian soldiers and I was billeted at Ollerton Grange near to the Dun Cow Inn. In 1946 I joined the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards as a gunner/wireless operator(national service).
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