大象传媒

Infant Memories of World War 2

My story is one of infant memories. I was born at home in my parents bungalow near Arundel in August 1941 in a zone designated as the 鈥榝irst line of defence鈥� for the South coast of England. It was an area within the sound of RAF Tangmere and its satellite airfield of Westhampnett (now Goodwood Aerodrome).

As a small boy I remember my father being a member of the local Home Guard Platoon (Dad鈥檚 Army). He was a Lance Corporal and as such would have been the popular Corporal Jonesy in Dad鈥檚 Army. As such he was an honoured member of the platoon and trusted with a 鈥楽ten鈥� submachine gun 鈥� a rare piece of equipment for the Home Guard who had traditionally trained with broom handles and pitch forks. I remember this gun being stood in the corner of the lounge of our small bungalow next to the front door when he was not on duty.

Duty for my father was normally night patrols on Climping beach 鈥� a strip of sand between Littlehampton and Bognor where it was felt Hilter鈥檚 forces might land ashore should he decide to invade.

During the daytime he worked in the forests of the country estate where I was born and brought up and during the summer season he would assist with the harvest on the farms. It was a busy and tiring life often working 18-20 hours a day. I remember the members of the Home Guard Platoon being exactly like the TV series Dad鈥檚 Army. There was Captain Vernon Barrran (Capt. Mainwairing) who was a gentleman farmer and businessman who lived in Madehurst Lodge. Sergeant Pitman (Sgt Wilson) was the head gamekeeper on the estate. My father was his lance corporal. There was also the equivalent of Private Pike, his name was Keith Looker or 鈥楲oo Loo鈥� who apparently changed character with the phases of the moon! Our bungalow was alongside the A29 Bognor Road which carried much wartime traffic as it led to the coast and also to Portsmouth Harbour. Portsmouth was a strategic launching point for D-day and I vividly recall the build up of the landing forces prior to the launch. These comprised mainly Canadian troops who were based in Dale Park, part of the estate my father worked on and our bungalow was the gate lodge to Dale Park House. This had been commandeered by the War Office for a battle school during WW2. One night there was a knock at our front door (my father had returned from Home Guard duty) and a drunken voice said, 鈥淚鈥檝e got something for you mate.鈥� My mother who was too frightened to have the door opened requested my father to tell him to go away. My father duly did so but in the morning there was a quart bottle of beer on the doorstep for him 鈥� the drunken soldier was being neighbourly to the Home Guard!

As well as the Allied Troops I distinctly remember German prisoners of war. These were housed in a POW camp at Billinghurst in Sussex after capture and were bussed each day to Dale Park to work on the farms or in the local saw mill cutting up timber. The German鈥檚 have always been industrious and good with their hands. Those in the sawmill would make me mechanical toys from pieces of scrap timber, which they were allowed to salvage. I remember having a 鈥榝eeding chicken鈥� toy where a heavy weight beneath the hand board with the model chicken on enabled the chickens neck to peck up and down by strings when swung by hand.

Another favourite was a model windmill with revolving sails that rotated swiftly in the wind when mounted high on a pole erected by my father at the top of our garden. I remember two of the prisoners in particular; one was nicknamed 鈥楥urly Pipe鈥� as he always smoked a curly pipe. The other was 鈥極tto鈥� as I think this was his Christian name. He gave me his Germany army corporal鈥檚 stripe from his uniform as a souvenir. I still have it somewhere. They hated Hitler just as much as we did since they were conscripts and had children at home in Germany just like me. That made me special to them which is why they made me toys. They did not hear from their families and I don鈥檛 know if they ever saw them again.

Living so close to RAF Tangmere I well remember the sight and sound of fighter aircraft as they defended the country. In particular I remember crashed aircraft being recovered on 鈥楺ueen Mary鈥� transports. These are long low articulated vehicles designed to transport the wings and fuselage in sections back to the airfield after they had crashed landed. I used to cry, 鈥渓et me see the smashed bits!鈥� Our garden wall, which faced the Bognor Road, was about 4鈥�6 high and therefore too high for me to look over and see the traffic. My father therefore constructed a platform with steps up which I could climb on and see over. I spent many hours viewing the traffic which kept me amused. It also enabled me to talk face to face with my friends the German prisoners.

During 1944 when the Germans launched the VI flying bombs (doodlebugs) on London we were beneath the flight path as they headed from Northern France toward the Capital. One day one cut out over Madehurst. This was always the sign that it would fall to earth and explode. Fortunately, it fell in the middle of a field just below the Parish Church. It blew out all the stain glass windows on the south side of the Church which have sadly never been replaced. They are all now in clear glass. The only remaining original is above the altar. In the next field I remember there were a group of workers hoeing turnips so it must have been springtime. They flattened themselves on the ground but none were hurt. The remains of the bomb was removed to the hedgerow and remained there rusting for many years after the war ended.

I also remember food parcels. I had an aunt (my mother鈥檚 sister Edith) who lived in India as she was married to a British Army Officer who was serving with the Indian Army. She would put together and ship to us in England the most wonderful packets of dried fruits and sugar, which was rationed or not seen in the UK during the war. These were a real treat and were received with much excitement. They were also a surprise as we never knew what would be in them until we opened them. They were great fun as well as nourishing.

Getting a good diet during the war was always a problem but living in the country had its advantages. We had a kitchen garden to our small bungalow that my father used to tend and grow fresh vegetables. We also had room to keep chickens that provided us with fresh eggs and a bird to roast for Christmas. Also, during the war it was permitted to catch game if it was available. I remember my father preparing snares to trap rabbits or hares in the field around. Fresh rabbit was often on the menu and I developed a taste for it, which I still enjoy today. I will always buy and cook rabbit if it is available as it provides excellent fresh meat.

These wartime experiences left me with a love of aircraft and all things military. Whilst at grammar school in the 鈥�50鈥檚 I joined the Combined Cadet Force (RAF Section) and spent many hours flying. At the age of 16yrs I joined the Royal Observer Corps and trained in the monitoring of nuclear fallout should the Cold War have resulted in such events. Later in 1970 I joined the RAFVR(T) and eventually became squadron commander of No 1015(Horsham) Sqdn , Air Training Corps.

Chris Bowley
Born 25th August 1941

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