´óÏó´«Ã½

When asked what did I do in the war my answer was ‘not a lot’, but what I did seemed important at the time.

From Sept.1939 to April 1943 I was evacuated from Wandsworth S.W. London, first to Reading and then Guildford from Easter 1940. Whilst there I joined the Guildford Squadron of the Air Training Corp with a view to joining the RAF when I was old enough.

On returning to Wandsworth in 1943 I transferred to the Putney ATC Squadron. As part of our training we were taught aircraft recognition and went to RAF camps, one in Padstow ( Cornwall ) and another in Halton (Bucks.).

In Wandsworth I joined the local ARP post in our road and went on various training courses. Although the worst air raids had been in 1940 and 41 raids continued through to 1944. June 1944 saw the start of the ‘V’ bombing first with the V1 flying bomb ( we called them Doodle Bugs ) and in Sept. 1944 the V2 rocket.

In August 1943 I started work as an Engineering apprentice with the Morgan Crucible Co. in Battersea. Because of the importance of its products to the war effort most employees were in reserved occupations, which is why, much to my disappointment at the time, I was not called up for National Service. However employees with aircraft recognition training served on a rota basis in the Observation Post on top of the main building from where we could activate the factory alarm system if danger became imminent.

I also joined a Communication Centre for the River Patrol Service. We were based in a very smart and well appointed riverside house in Chelsea which had been commandeered for the purpose. We were on duty for 24 hrs.1 day in 8. Among other things we were trained to carry messages when radio and telephone communications were out of action.

In spite of my association with these varied Home Front organisations I was only directly involved in a few minor incidents, nevertheless the events of the war years in London are still an indelible part of my memory. I particularly remember the fortitude people showed despite air raids and food rationing and the peculiar British sense of humour that prevailed. So to end on a lighter note, a few days before VE day I dislocated a knee cartilage playing football so was on crutches but many strangers, thinking it was a war injury, kept coming up and thanking me, trying to explain the facts was futile on a great day of celebrations.

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.