大象传媒

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One day there was a knock at the door I opened it to see a Telegram boy standing there my mother was in the kitchen and had not heard the knock, I felt the colour drain from my face and I remembered how my mother had reacted to the last Telegram. So I took the envelope offered to me and hesitated before ripping it open, tears streamed down my face and I ran to where my mother stood holding out the letter for her to read my brother had been found with another Regiment and would be coming home on leave. I ran outside and told all my friends, who in turn told their parents, and in no time at all
All our friends and neighbours were embracing my parents who were shedding tears of joy. The news seemed to cheer everybody, and I saw my parents smile for the first time in many weeks.
Life for my family returned to normal, I had been waiting at work to hear if I would allowed to leave my employment, and when a secretary told me I was wanted in the office, my heart raced with anticipation, I hurried to the office where the manager met me at the door his face gave no indication of what I was to hear. I'm sorry son he said your release has been refused, I hope you change your mind and stay because you have made good headway in your work, but I've noticed how miserable you have looked lately, so don't give up, apply for your release again in a few weeks.
I left the office and walked slowly back to my post dejected but still determined to leave.In fact I was refused for a second time, but after several more weeks at the third attempt I was allowed to leave.
My Grandfather and uncles had all been Bricklayers, so it seemed natural to my father that I become a builder. I went to the labour exchange and showed them my release papers from the factory, and told them I would like to work in the building trade. They sent me to a local builder short of labourers, I was started immediately because all able bodied men were in the forces. I was very thin as a lad and not very muscular, so when my employer loaded this massive builders barrow and told me to push it about half a mile through traffic, I was to say the least nervous. I struggled with the weight
And found it difficult to maintain a straight line. I arrived at the nominated address one hour later feeling very tired The tradesmen were waiting for the materials I was transporting, and were not very pleased at having to wait. I continued my work with the builders, and one day I went with some tradesmen to work on bomb damaged houses. a V2 Rocket had hit them, these were the German follow up to the V1 flying bomb, and could not be seen nor heard, they just fell from the sky.
One of my tasks was to make tea for the men also to light the fire. It was on a very cold January day that I crossed the road where we were working to fetch some fire wood from a bomb damaged house I was in there for about ten minutes. I left the derelict house and was halfway across the road when there was an enormous crash with dust and debris flying every where. I ran in fright, and turned to see what had happened, to my amazement the house had completely collapsed, had I waited there any longer I would have been underneath the rubble. That was my luckiest day.
The war in Europe was now near its end our forces had bombed the rocket sites so our homes were safe The Germans were retreating and trying to end the war by sending leading members of the Nazi party to try to engender terms suitable for them to surrender. Eventually on the 8th May 1945 the Germans surrendered, our forces in Europe started to come home.

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In my family we waited to see my brother Harry who had been missing, we knew he was on his way home,My brother Arthur was in Burma and that war was still being fought so we would have to wait longer to see him. My sister Joan was stationed in Colchester so she came home on leave immediately.
Every one in Britain came into the streets cheering, hugging each other, some crying with happiness, but the celebrations could not be held officially till Japan surrendered.
It was a Saturday morning when looking out of the window of my house, I saw a soldier walking down our cul-de-sac I felt the blood drain from my face I called to my mother
Here鈥檚 Harry, Don鈥檛 tell lies she replied, for some reason I couldn鈥檛 reply which was unlike me. My mother hurried to my side and looked out of the window until he reached the garden gate then she rushed to open the front door throwing her arms around him and crying. His first words after six years abroad with the Desert Rats was don鈥檛 panic.
All this time I had not moved I was just staring, Because I suddenly realised that I did not know him I was eight when he joined the army, I was now fifteen. I did not know how to react to him. We said hello to each other, but he must have felt the same toward me because the moment passed we were like strangers.

Harry was affected by the war it was hard to get close to him, My father was closer to him than anyone. I regret to this day that I never felt at ease with him, I believe the age difference was the probable cause. Harry was demobbed (left full time service in1945) but still had to serve 5 years in the Territorial Army, during that period he was again called up for the Korean war, but after having his medical he was discharged as being no longer fit for further military service.(Korean War: 25-6-1950 ---- 8-7-51. 25000 Americans killed. UN contingents 17000 men killed. Total number of people killed around 4 million)
Japan officially signed the surrender documents in September 1945. Arthur came home as did all our remaining troops abroad, and street parties were held throughout the country. People now had the task of rebuilding the country and their lives
I was still employed at the bomb damaged house opposite the collapsed building from which I had a lucky escape, one day I was called up stairs to where a carpenter was working installing new floors. He was sitting on the floor joists of a bedroom from where he asked me to hand him some nails, he warned me to walk carefully on the open joists, as there was an eight feet drop below. As I carefully stepped on to the first joist carrying the nails, the carpenter addressed me, I looked up in the middle of my next step forward and missed the joist. I fell between the joists, as I fell I tried to save myself and my arms became wedged between two joists Taking the skin off both arms my legs were hanging in the room below. The carpenter shouted for help, and the other workmen ran up and lifted me back on to a safe floor. While recuperating at home my parents suggested that I should leave that job I readily agreed. My father applied on my behalf to the local authority Edmonton Borough Council, who built houses using direct labour and eventually I became an indentured apprentice Bricklayer, and as such was not allowed to undertake any labouring work. I was required to attend Tottenham Technical College on day release. In winter students were required to attend College from 9am until 9pm, it seemed a very long day but I enjoyed it, at last I felt I was achieving something.

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My employers paid for any tools I needed, but you had to have a good report from the College otherwise you were expelled and subsequently lost your job. I made many friends as a student and my social life changed as a result. My first wage as an apprentice was sixteen shillings and eight pence per week, but as all my new friends were paid likewise our social life was usually activities that did not need large sums of money. As a teenager and working I started my young adult life, (18.3.1946) but thats another story.

Postscript: When my father died in 1979 I realised I knew nothing about his younger life, I felt sad, and decided to write a factual account of my life as a child. For my Sons and Grandchildren God bless them.
Bob Hooper 23rd May 2005.

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