大象传媒

My eldest brother was in the Royal Navy during the war; in fact he had been in since 1938, so was quite an old hand at the game, (19 years of age) at the outbreak of hostilities. His home leaves were few and far between so when he did get ashore' for a week there was great rejoicing not only within the family but also in the neighbourhood. Jack was a lively fun-loving lad and everyone was pleased to see him around, especially the girls! !
Grandfather was the only man in the house during the day and Jack would have him dress up smart and take him out at lunchtimes, much to my grandfather's delight. They would walk around the locality, calling into the many pubs to "wet their whistles' as they wandered. On one such occasion and I think this was in mid-1940, at which time food shops still had a bit to offer, and a poultry shop in our area still had rabbits and game birds hanging on hooks outside the shop. My mother was just returning from work, early afternoon, when a neighbour stopped her. "Oh Mary," she said, "I've just come back up from the shops, and your Jack and your father have had the traffic stopped. They took down a rabbit from outside the shop, and your Jack was singing "Run Rabbit Run" whilst stroking the rabbit and your father was clapping and singing too." She said a crowd had gathered and they were all laughing and joining in, it being obvious that the old man and the young sailor had had a few! My mother was mortified.
Much later in the war, Jack was again home on leave, having seen a great deal of action at sea and been involved in many long and dangerous convoys. Around 11p.m. one night there was an air-raid; mum, gran, my sisters and I went into the shelter, but Jack, grandfather and my step-father stood at our front door, watching the searchlights and the night sky. Suddenly an A.R.P. warden and some members of the Home Guard
came into the street and ordered the menfolk indoors. The men asked to be allowed to stay in the doorway to watch and when this was refused, my oId grandad gave them a right telling off saying, "This young sailor here has seen more action than any of you lot put together and you shouldn't be ordering him about." Grandfather was diplomatically persuaded to come indoors.
Sadly, our lovely sailor was killed at sea in November 1944, only six months before the war ended.

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