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This story was submitted to the People’s War by a volunteer from The Chepstow Society on behalf of…Leslie Johnson and has been added to the site with…his…permission…and he fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.

Army

Then there was the great fun watching the American Soldiers constructing a sewer from the Racecourse down to the Dell and to the river, with large machines we hadn’t seen before!

Also we had the arrival of Indian Troops in Chepstow. They arrived by train with their horses at the platform in Garden City and rode and marched to the Racecourse. They wore turbans and most had beards, a strange site to us many lads who walked behind or alongside them.

Schools

I attended Chepstow Boys School from 1940 ‘til wars end. I lived then in Rockwood Road, Garden City, a short walk from the school. Education being very basic during the war! just the 3 R’s oh not forgetting gardening, a great time passer during summer afternoons. The school was for boys only and divided into six classrooms. Known as standard one to six, and you moved up one standard in each of your six years at the school, and your desk being allocated for the whole year. Strict discipline was maintained, ruled by fear of the cane which was often with two to six strokes across the hand, depending on severity of crime. Two for talking, six for smoking. We had teachers from classes one to six. Mr Evans, Mr Walters, Miss Buckley, Mr Morris, Mr Johnson and Mr Lang. Mr Walters being the less severe with the cane, and Mr Johnson being the one to avoid. Mr Stephens was the headmaster.

At the beginning of the war there being no air raid shelter provision at school. The form was to leave school and run home when the siren sounded, and return to school when the all clear sounded; the latter not very often being obeyed! Gas masks were to be carried initially, but were given up on as they were always being mislaid or lost. And being carried over the shoulder with string in a cardboard box which became wet and fell apart.

Another memory of school life was the periodic issue of chocolate in powder form or solid block, the latter being preferred. I assume this was in case we were undernourished owing to the food shortages. Also cod liver oil which my Mother would administer each morning, a large tablespoon full, such a vile taste!

We had the arrival at school of evacuees from the Birmingham area. A much sharper lot than us locals in the art of swapping, cheating at marbles etc. But all in all not a bad lot as some have made them out to be, as I had some great friends amongst them. If I remember rightly they didn’t stop long and returned home long before the end of the war.

A bottle of milk was issued each day, one third pint and school lunch was provided at the school canteen which was sited in the Camp at Bulwark, (the old school) a long walk from school and back through Garden City and Garden City Woods in all weathers. But seconds were usually available, powdered potato and steam puddings to be avoided.

At periodic times volunteers were requested to harvest certain food crops, peas blackcurrants are two I remember. This request was readily taken up, better than being in the classroom.! One such place where we gathered crops, though I am not sure which one, was at Mounton Chambers a large house, opposite the Ministry of Pensions Hospital. Whose gardens and lawns had been dug up and planted as part of the ‘dig for victory’ campaign. Also other locations which I can’t readily recall but think they were in the Llanishen to Monmouth area.

Home Life

Away from school there was the construction of air raid shelter in Garden City, this at the end of Hughes Crescent in the woods. This was a series of trenches dug out, with tin sheeting over the top and soil piled on. Never used which was a well, as my memory is of about six inches of mud and water in the bottom; however great fun for playing games in. Also in Garden City on the green, an open space at the top end of Hardwick where Rockwood Road and Portwall Road joined, was sited at the rear of Mrs Leach’s cottage now demolished and replaced by bungalows, was a static water tank. This to provide additional water for the fire fighters, this was of circular metal construction about three feet deep. This was great fun for us to swim in, although the tank contained decaying leaves etc. and other water creatures, and didn’t smell very sweet. Another memory is of double summer time, when it stopped light until 11pm in the long summer holidays we enjoyed.

Then there was the launching of the Tank Landing Craft from the Shipyard, a great thing for us to watch. Information being gleaned as to when a launch would take place. If during school time, a parental note would have to be obtained for presentation at school the following day to explain our absence, toothache or ear being a good standby.

As I now move on to the middle years of the war, my memory is of the arrival of the American Soldiers stationed at the Racecourse, billeted in the stables. My friend and I would obtain magazines and newspapers from Smith’s,. Newspapers being only a two page affair and magazines at a premium, and deliver these to the Americans at the Racecourse on Saturdays and Sundays and sold at a handsome profit! Quite often on Sundays we were invited to stay to lunch, something to look forward to as ‘afters’ was usually fruit cocktail and evaporated milk, such a treat in days of shortages! Also this is when when I had my first taste of peanut butter, a great amount being consumed by the Americans, but not liked by myself. Also we were given a plentiful supply of cigarettes, (Lucky Strike, Camel and Phillip Morris), chewing gum and sweets.

Another perk was the old Quarry in Garden City, below Severn Crescent, used as a refuse tip being filled in. The Americans would come there and deposit their refuse which would contain timber packing cases. These we would dismantle. The long lengths of wood went into the construction of many garden sheds in Garden City. The smaller wood we would chop up and sell as kindling. I used to work for Mrs Cranmer for an hour on Saturday mornings. I used to take her rubbish from the shop to the tip at the bottom of Garden City. Occasionally we would have oranges come in, in wooden crates. These we would break up and cut into firewood for her to sell. But as we were in the firewood business, we would apportion it, three crates for her, and one for us!

Another war time arrival was the German Prisoners at the Camp in Bulwark. The Camp being fenced off with a ‘right of way’ maintained through the centre and guarded by towers with carbon gas lights. Spent carbon being obtained dried and a valuable possession for us lads. The prisoners would carve various toy’s model planes etc. Wonderfully made and being decorated with markings from a heated wire. Also jute sacking was unplucked, the strands pleated into rope, and stitched together to make slippers. All these could be obtained by exchanging with cigarettes at the guard room. Also we had the arrival of the Italians, who were allowed freedom from the Camp before the end of the war, and wore distinctive uniforms with large triangular or circular patches sewn on.

The German prisoners also widened and constructed the path through the woods from Bulwark to Garden City. Many trees were felled, to provide fuel for their fires during winter. The newly constructed path being wide enough for their handcarts to transport the timber to the camp. We befriended these, there two in particular two Germans who we used to visit when they were cutting wood in Garden City Woods. Then we used to take them cigarettes, then in return they would load our four wheel trolley up with the logs. The trolley probably made out of packing cases from the Americans.

The Town

In Welsh Street opposite the King’s Head was Hanbury’s Garage and Car Showroom. The Car Showroom was taken over by the Americans and used as a Cafe, decorated with murals, and was named ‘Doughnut Dugout’. Where they would purchase doughnuts and coffee when in town. I was invited in on several occasions, doughnuts being circular with a hole in the middle, and dripping with fat and sugar. The coffee was thick as mud, but sweet as syrup.

I remember two fish and chip shops, I’m not sure whether Scarrotts existed during the war, but two that did. One in Beaufort Square which is still a chip shop today and one in Garden City run by a Mrs Cranmer, sited on the open space between the junction of Caird Street and Hardwick Avenue. Fish being unobtainable, the menu being corned beef fritter and chips, spam fritter and chips and scallop and chips. A scallop being a thing round slice of potato fried in batter. Many Scallops were purchased with profits from wood chopping and paper selling.

The Cinema was much used by the Americans, I remember the large queues forming from the entrance around the corner and down the side of Nelson Street. They used to ask us to get them their chips. They would give us half a crown, and we would get them three penn’orth of chips and keep the rest.

Then there was the Fair sited on the river bank. This almost became permanent and had to be blacked out and was under canvas, and was entered by a canvas covered tunnel at different angles, not to let any light out. However this didn’t contain the sound of music being played and could be heard as far away as the top end of the church. Glenn Miller, Andrew Sisters, such memories!

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