大象传媒

This story has been written onto the 大象传媒 People鈥檚 War site by Cornwall CSV Storygatherer, Martine Knight, on behalf of Michael Crowle. His story was given to the Trebah WW2 Video Archive, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund in 2004. The Trebah Garden Trust understands the terms and conditions of the site.

I lived at 123, Meneage Street, Helston and was at the Old Church School in Wendron Street when war broke out. We were issued with gas masks, which were not as exciting looking as we thought they鈥檇 be. Shortly afterwards we moved into the building, further down Wendron Street, which had been vacated by the Grammar school when they moved into their new building in Church Hill.

We had steam radio, as it was known, run by accumulator batteries, as we had no electric. Mains electric had first come to Helston in 1936, but only 25% of homes had it by the war. The rest were on gas. We used to listen to music, news and heard Lord Haw-Haw, who we thought was funny.

My father, who had served in WW1, became a corporal in the Local Defence Volunteers (later the Home Guard). They took their own shotguns etc, but those who didn鈥檛 have them took pickaxe or broom handles. My first recollection of them parading was on Remembrance Day 1940 when they marched smartly down Meneage Street, left wheeled into Coinagehall Street, eyes right to salute the mayor 鈥� Mr Leonard Oliver 鈥� and were then supposed to right wheel into Church Street. Unfortunately, the company commander forgot the word of command, panicked and shouted, 鈥淒own Church Street everyone鈥�!

The Home Guard exercised with the East Yorks regiment and were being taught how to use hand grenades. They were supposed to run up to a throwing line, pull the pin and throw the grenade into a pile of sandbags. One member, who was known to be a bad cricketer, was considered by his colleagues to be unsafe to be trusted with a grenade, but the regular sergeant insisted he took his turn. Everyone, except the sergeant, took cover as the man ran up to the line. He pulled the pin and gave a huge throw, but the grenade went straight up in the air above them. There was a general scramble for the bushes and river. The grenade came back to earth and exploded on the throwing line from whence it had come only moments before!

In 1940/41 an evacuee school arrived from either East or West Ham. Lots of them joined our cub and scout troops and were assimilated into the local community. The city boys seemed much smarter than the locals.

The Americans arrived in late 1943/early 1944 and were stationed at Nansloe, Porthleven and Penrose. They were very well equipped. We used to visit the Nansloe camp most days and got lots of fruit and candy. One candy I remember was called 鈥楲ifesavers鈥� and resembled large polo mints in shape, but were made of barley sugar. I can remember there being a milk churn full of sliced peaches and, after the troops had been served, we were given soup ladles to reach down into it and help ourselves. They also shared their K-rations with us and I used to take the cigarettes home to my father.
They seemed to enjoy our company, probably because they missed their own families.

Two old garages in Meneage Street were commandeered for the Americans. We used to help, or hinder, with washing their vehicles.

Many local families invited the troops to 鈥榝amily evenings鈥� and we made friends with 3 GIs. We鈥檇 sing around the piano and they taught us American songs. They were delightful company.
Gordon 鈥� nicknamed The Professor 鈥� was a Boston intellectual. I don鈥檛 know what happened to him.
Marcu 鈥� an Italian/American from New York 鈥� was killed at Omaha beach.
Sam Crosby 鈥� from Maine 鈥� became a great family friend. He was badly wounded at Omaha and visited us in 1945 before going back to the US.
When they departed prior to D-Day they threw apples and oranges to us as they went by.
The Americans were the most generous and kind-hearted people I ever knew. They held parties for us with loads of food and presents. I once got a yo-yo, which took me about 5 hours to get going.

Helston was a close knit community. When funerals took place it was not uncommon for the column of mourners to reach 100yds long as everyone turned out. They鈥檇 be immaculate in their blue suits and bowler hats. If the funeral had to pass the home of a sick person tanned hides would be laid in the road outside to muffle the noise of the carriage wheels and boots.

Flora Day continued through the war with older people taking over the band as the younger members were away fighting. VE Day fell on Flora Day and it was a great day with about 19000 people present.

Video details CWS110804 13:26:46 to 14:13:57

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