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Tom Clifford (full name Ernest Thomas Clifford) 1922 - 2003

Notes from the Second World War - Local Defence Volunteers, RAF 307 Maintenance India, RAF 117 Squadron India/ Burma. 1940 - August 1946

Notes taken by Michael Clifford (son)

- Dad had often talked about the war and the things he’d seen and done. He was in India and Burma during that time and was a young man (he celebrated his 21st birthday in Lahore). The experience had clearly been a huge influence over the whole of his life. I realised one day, as he recounted one incident, that altho’ like other stories I’d heard it before, I didnt know when it had happened or indeed its place in relation to everything else. We decided to sit down there and then with my laptop and plot it all out. It took while!! Hope you enjoy the read.

The story is around 6800 words so has been broken down into sections.

LDV - Birmingham Early 1940

'I think I had more near misses, was closer to being killed during the time with the LDV in Birmingham than at any time during my time in the far east'

Dad joined the Local Defence Volunteers, which later became the Home Guard. Dad was working for the Birmingham Corp electricity supply as a boy mate (not even a trainee) and formed part of their contingent for the LDV, which was part of the Royal Warks. Regiment. Dad was 17. Duties were to perform guard duty at strategic points, namely the two power stations Nechells and Hams Hall. They were guarded in case of invasion, at this time it was considered to be a major threat. Whilst on this duty, the BEF were kicked out of France and the Dunkirk evacuation took place. A contingent of the Royal Wark’s were encamped at Hams Hall, they were ‘the gaffers’ according to dad. Guard duty started at 8pm and went to 8am, dad would do a two hour shift during this period, but he would need to be on site throughout the night. Dad would need to be in work for the electric supply, the next day.

The main bombing of Birmingham took place around Sept to Dec 1940. Whilst on guard duty at Nechells, during the bombing, dad heard the bombs coming down and was off duty lying on the bed. The roof fell in and he ran outside. Once outside he could see that one large gasometer was on fire. Dad decided having spoken to the guard commander to go and see if Bob Hooper, on duty at the power Station entrance was okay.

‘This is how stupid it was I carried a glass of water’.

On walking down Watson Rd at Nechells and passing the gasometers, could see that water was rushing out from the bottom and flooding the road to a few inches. The next thing dad saw was that the retort house had been blown up by another bomb and later heard that the men inside this building had been killed - four men. Came to the bridge crossing the River Rea further on and looking at a cable bridge saw the words Danger 33000 volts. Dad thought to himself Im okay Ive got rubber boots on - ‘thats how much I knew about electricity’!!. Dad found Bob just inside the entrance way and he was okay, a bomb had caught the coping stone at the top of the power station above him, glanced off and gone into the side of the river cutting. Further bombs had dropped the other side of the power station, in total there were five. No serious damage was incurred to the power station, a coal barge had been sunk. The gasometer did not actually blow up, the bomb had instead split the water casing which floated its tank and set fire to the paint work up the side. If the gasometer had gone up there would have been a huge explosion as it was filled with millions of feet of cubic gas.

On another night at Nechells, around the same time, Dad was standing on the railway bridge when a German bomber flying at low level strafed (machine gun fire) the marshalling yard at Washwood Heath sidings. The whole place was lit up as if with a giant fluorescent light.

Duties at this time with the electric supply were to attend on bomb damage following the morning of nights raid. Saw some sights during this time - massive craters, didn't really see bodies as these were the first thing to be taken away. Went all over B’ham doing this work, the city centre everywhere.

Hams Hall power station - saw some barmy times, on main gate duty with a copper, a CO from the army regiment came in chauffeur driven in a limo. Dad stopped the car and asked for the password, it must have been okay but then did the cardinal sin. The CO asked to look at dad’s rifle, he did so but then the CO went bananas as you were never ever supposed to do this. ‘He give me what for I tell yer’.

Another episode at Hams Hall was during a guard duty on the river bank near to the cable bridge, dad was warned to look out for paratroopers landing that night.

‘I was scared stiff I tell yer now, you imagine everything under the sun really under the moonlight you know’.

Dad was down on the bank and saw what thought was a semaphore signal, someone signalling with an aldis lamp. When the next duty came on to relieve him, reported to the corporal of the guard what he had seen, who reported to the regular army, they then asked Dad to go back with them with a soldier and when we saw the lamp come up again, the soldier was instructed to fire, approx four shots. No one knew what it was but thought later that it was the grid line - overhead wires, sparking. A local anti aircraft gun crew reported the shooting.

August 1942
Dad receives the call up, tried to get into the navy but failed and so went into the RAF. Did square bashing at Blackpool, followed by a technical course for airframe flight mechanic at Blackpool

'I couldnt get in as an electrician you know - barmy warnt it, they didn't want any electricians'

Towards the end of his training in Blackpool Dad was offered the choice of training to be a navigator with Bomber Squandron or continuing as a mechanic - apparently he was Ok at maths and they thought that he would be good at the job. This would have been a promotion opportunity for him and he was quite keen to have a go but he wrote to his mother to ask her advice. Reading between the lines in the newspapers and talking to neighbours, who had sons in the Airforce, she knew that there were terrible losses amoungst the bomber crews flying over Germany and she wrote to ask him not to take the job. Straight off the course, dad was posted to over seas duty and given 14 days embarkation leave.

I didn't know what to think to be honest, I didn't have the faintest idea where we going, thought probably north Africa. You sort of accepted things you know what I mean, your number was called out and that was it. I think there's a lot of luck involved in these things, a lot of em were posted in England, onto bomber squadrons, I went overseas. Bomber squadrons were not necessarily worse, after all you could go home

Ernest Thomas Clifford - Draft number - 7371

Went home for the fourteen days and saw mom (then Monica Sheffield) during this time. Mom already knew about dad going abroad, but that's all both of them knew.

Didn't make any arrangements about getting married or any of that stuff, didn't get engaged if that's what you mean. I wrote regular and she wrote regular and she never gave me up Michael that's the thing, after three and a half years away.

Liverpool April 1943 - Setting Sail into the Unkown

Dad marched through the streets of Liverpool from Lime St Station where they had come to from Morcambe. Marched through the streets loaded with full kit, including tropical kit, haversack, kit bag, rifle and ammunition. People shopping and going about their business gave quite a rousing send off, cheering them on. Departed April 1943. Travelled on a troop ship the SS Orangi. Went to Glasgow, where engine trouble was looked at. Stayed there for one week. Approx 2,000 RAF and Army on board. One lad could see where he lived from his position on board for one week. Set sail across north coast of Ireland. The first land sight was Casablanca in Morrocco - dad remembers seeing the white houses of the city, journey time from Liverpool to Morrocco was approx one week (arrival 26.4.43), zig zagging because of poss’ German interception.

Next port of call after this was Dakar in what is now Senegal, then French West Africa (arrival 1.5.43). Several French ships were sighted scuttled in the harbour. Quite a sight you know going between sunken ships. They had been purposely scuttled so the Germans could not have them. All journeys made with a navy escort and another troop ship.

The next port of call was Freetown in Sierra Leone (4.5.43). The locals came out with supplies on ‘bum boats’ (small boats carrying every kind of good) in the harbour and call out for ‘Glasgow Tanners’ this was for the troops to throw money which went into the water and the locals dived for it ‘the water was crystal clear and you could see them diving to the bottom, probably using stones to weigh them down for the trip’. The locals also sold leather goods etc coming up to the ship.

Left Sierra Leone for Durban, sailed again never knowing where they were going. At night dad would stand and look out to sea at the other ships and watch the fluorescence caused by the bow waves, the moonlight making the water shine like a fluorescent lamp. Also at night there would be lightening storms over the land of Africa but these were so far away only flashes would be seen and never the thunder. Crossed the equator and was initiated by King Canute - receiving a certificate which dad still has. The trip took approx 14 days - everyone was bored stiff and the food was rotten.didn't see the coast during this time. Arrived South Africa 21.5.43, went ashore 22.5.43. The Cape of Good Hope was quite an experience because around here you get massive waves. The old ship was going side to side, she was rolling you see. Whole of the west coast journey was accompanied by sharks, they were fed the scraps and accompanied the ship all the way from Freetown to Durban. Went ashore at Durban into a Clarewood transit camp - slept on the floor in bed roll and blankets, but the food was smashing with bags of butter, jam and fruit - after the rationing in Britain it was great. The Zulus used to wash dish and mug when they came out of the canteen, they were v friendly to the troops. There was nothing to do at the camp, so they used to get a train 15 miles to Durban, which would be packed to the brim. Nobody would pay, so on arrival would run across the tracks to get out of the station. The army, navy and air force personnel were held for further transit. They were going to all different places - the subcontinent and Africa included. Durban was a beautiful city, dad was there for ten days or a fortnight and waited for further instructions. Along the parade were palm tress, the Zulus would have rickshaws and took up to three people., when they got to traffic lights they would break by stamping on the road. The Zulus used to wear their regalia, the bones etc. We used to walk to Issipingo beach which was marvelous and huge waves crashed in. Dad and mates found pieces a of flat wood for surf boards which the local thought was hilarious

'I remember the great big fat women, their breasts were bare, about half a dozen kids with em, they used to laugh at us in the sea. It was one big laugh to them it was'.

Dad with mates went swimming and surfing on home made surf board. Dad first encountered apartheid and was surprised by it, hadn’t seen anything else like this or since or anywhere else in the world. The Zulus enjoyed working for the troops cos of the fair treatment. Nobody knew where they were going, they knew to the tropics. No one ever told you a thing. Thought they’d be going to Africa. ‘We knew we wouldn't go to Singapore cos it had fallen to the Japs’. To their surprise, they were taken back onto the same ship. They were sung out of Durban by ‘the lady of Durban’ she was famous and sang every troop ship out of Durban. (left Durban 7.6.43, sailed 9.6.43). Dad remembers looking out across the deck onto the dockside and saw convicts in chains working and a warder with a bull whip. When they set sail a woman on the dockside sang the ship out. She had amde a promise that she would sing every troop ship out of Durban, it was very moving. Rumours around the ship suggested they would go to north Africa or India. Obviously had to go round S Africa cos couldn't go through the Mediterranean. Some American troops had joined them, including American field service volunteers. Also a Scottish contingent had joined them. They liked arguing with the Yanks in the Naafi queue.

The next move was from Durban to Mombassa in Kenya (arrived 15.6.43). Went into the river harbour which was absolutely stinking hot, especially on a troop ship that was still in harbour. The battleship renowned came in while they were there and was played in by the Royal Marines - what a sight. the Royal Marines were on the foredeck of HMS Renowned. When they went out of Mombassa the seas were massive and dad was a sick as a dog. Next port of call was Ceylon, now Sri Lanka having crossed the Indian Ocean.

Arrived at Columbo (28.6.43), refuelled and noticed a ship ahead, a coal ship tied up was being refuelled by girls and women carrying coal buckets on their heads, it must have taken days, them not having the support facilities most ports would have. Another thing in this harbour, the bum boats were coming alongside to try and sell goods etc,one of the crew - merchant navy went to the containers holding all the scrap food and pulled the leaver dropped all the food, all the rubbish onto one of the bum boats, fed up with the shouting of the salesmen and nearly sunk the boat. The salesman stood there dripping in rice pudding and heavens knows what, he continued to chant his wares regardless. Set sail from Columbo up the west coast of India to Bombay. Here they disembarked

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