大象传媒

I was 8 yrs old when the war started and I remember soldiers fortifying the south bank of the River Teme and putting long poles all over the meadows to deter gliders. Also saffers building a petrol barge terminal just off the Bath Road.

Household windows were protected with sticky tape and we were issued with gas masks to be carried at all times.

All sweets were rationed except for Cadbury's chocolate discs, and or course there were no bananas or oranges. We used to collect rosehips for the WRVS to turn into rosehip syrup and aluminium pots for aeroplanes.

Adults not in the forces had to join organisations such as ARP (Air Raid Precautions), auxiliary fire services etc. Our home, Manor Farm, had its own LDV (Local Defence Volunteers) initially no rifles, just pikes, so my father purchased 2 twin barrel shotguns from Mr. Griffiths of Whitemans Bros in Silver Street. In 1942 .303 rifles arrived from the USA, we still have the crates in the cellar. They are dated 1917!

I remember hearing the drones of German bombers over Worcester, on their way to bomb Birmingham and Coventry. They said the River Teme was the guide to turn towards Birmingham, but only on cloudless nights.

Barges used to unload at North Quay on the River Severn, cheese from USA and aluminium ingots. Long trailers called 'Queen Mary's' would arrive in Worcester carrying aircraft parts, usually wings and propellers.

The OTC uniforms at school were the same as WW1 and .22 rifles kept in the Perrins Hall rifle range were Boar War issue. We used to see white and black American soldiers in Worcester, they were stationed at Ashchurch Ordinance Depot.

Just before D-Day we had a great rumbling from outside and went to see what it was. Well it was a long column of US Army tanks passing by on the road to Colwall, it took over an hour to pass, the soldiers looked very stern and healthy.

During the Blitz 1940/41, one night from the top of Manor House we could see a red glow in the sky above Birmingham, Coventry, Gloucester and I think Bristol. There was a high light cloud ceiling that night.

In 1940 there was a poor cherry crop so my father took the daily picking to Birmingham Smithfield Market early. I went with him before school. He woke me up at about 4.30am and we went in father's Vauxhall with the rear seat removed. One morning after a bad raid we passed burned out houses along the Bristol Road going into Birmingham and drove over firehoses all over the road near the market. There were many smouldering shells of warehouses. Opposite Longbridge where there is that sharp right turn to Worcester there was a battery of Ack Ack guns.

My mother belonged to the Knights of St Columbia, which provided a welcome break for the air crews during their service. The Canadian Air Crew were there I seem to remember.

Petrol rationing was very severe, one could only make a car journey if it was business. Farmers used to put a bale of hay or a bag of feed into their boots and make their journeys. If they were stopped they used to say they were just on their way to feed their cattle!

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Michael Andrews of the CSV Action Desk at 大象传媒 Hereford and Worcester on behalf of John Bennett and had been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

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