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Taken as notes from a one to one conversation with Miss Byng on 11/1/2005.

Sister married Brother-in-law (BiL) late in 1938. BiL worked at Floyds at Burcot from the age of 16. He was originally from South Shields and was in the TA. He was called up immediately when war broke out. John Nicholls was also in the TA, who Miss Byng knew from working at the Sanders button factory.

Miss Byng’s sister had originally been notified by his regiment that her husband was missing, presumed dead, but their mother had told her not to give up. She tried various organisations, including the Red Cross and he was eventually found in a German hospital.

BiL was a POW for four years in a German camp, Stalingrad 8b, but never gave the Germans a bad name when in hospital. Miss Byng had a friend (also Byng, but no relation) whose husband was also a POW in the same prison. All the POWs came back via Birmingham and were dropped off at the station for collection by family and relatives.

Miss Byng stood with her sister at the top of the town waiting but couldn’t see him at the station. While her sister waited there Miss Byng tried elsewhere, including the TA Drill Hall. She finally spotted him at Clegg’s Entry, opposite the Golden Cross.

When she saw her BiL she screamed out because he was so wasted and skeleton like. A passer by told her to wait where she was and offered to go and tell her sister (Mrs Burns) where her husband was.

Once home, her BiL had 6 months of visiting the Cottage Hospital 2-3 days in the week as adjusting to eating properly again was making him ill.

Miss Byng’s brother was also in the forces and had shrapnel in his arm for the rest of his life. He received an 8/- pension which never increased in his lifetime as far as she is aware.

Miss Byng came from a family of 9 (parents were nailers) who owned 2 cottages. Because family members left during the war period they were able to vacate one cottage for the use of evacuees when letters were sent out asking people to put up evacuees from Birmingham.

The Byng family received a family consisting of a mother and her four children after the heavy bombing raids of 1941. Two weeks after they arrived, the woman’s sister and her two children joined them. The original family stayed 6 months and didn’t want to leave!

Miss Byng remembers the bombing at Burcot which destroyed a cottage and still owns the casing of the bomb, which was appropriated for holding fire irons.

After the war, Miss Byng remembers a huge party and procession from York Rd in Sidemoor to the Bottom of Broad Street.

From working at Sanders button factory Miss Byng was required to go to work at Longbridge on the munitions and in making tractor parts during the war. She had no option. She had basic first aid training and was given a book and first aid kit pack which she still has.

The hours were long at Longbridge; 8am — 7pm and three nights in the week, 7 days a week. They got one Sunday off per month. To have a day off required a doctor’s note. The wages were quite good though. At Sanders button factory Miss Byng earned 15/- for a 5 _ day week, and 36/- at Longbridge for a 7 day week. When she left Longbridge, Miss Byng worked at Garringtons for 32 years and still has the gold watch from them.

There used to be a guard at the Drill Hall. On one occasion Miss Byng was challenged and instinctively ran away. She ran so quickly that the guard couldn’t keep up as he later told her. Fortunately he had recognised her, otherwise she would have been shot fleeing.

Miss Byng also has memories of rationing; 2 oz of sugar, butter etc. and lots of queuing. She also remembers curfews and the lack of lights, especially in the context of walking from Northfield in the dark when buses were cut off.

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