大象传媒

I am a 'sand grown un' as they call Morecambe born people, but as I was not born until 1934, my experience and recollection of the wartime in 'Bradford by the Sea' is limited. The war years covered my primary school days at Sandylands School and I don't recall feeling over affected by the war. Of course I remember rationing but I suspect that the standard of living for us, and I would think for many working class families, was better during the war years than in the pre-war days. I remember brick and concrete air raid shelters in strategic positions in the streets and the school playground and I remember air raid drill at school, gas masks and the blackouts. I remember occasional air raid alarms but they were usually false although the Port of Heysham, and the smell of the ICI complex at Middleton just south of Heysham, were potential targets. I think two houses in Higher Heysham were presumably accidently bombed.

I remember playing 'at war', an alternative to cowboys v indians but no-one wanted to be the Germans as they always lost. Morcambe became a training ground for Armed Personnel and many of the boarding houses were requisitioned for accommodation.

My Father would be 44 at the outbreak of war. I don't know whether that was too old for call up but in any event he was not fit enough, having been disabled in the First World War during his 5 years service (3.5 of which were in the trenches) with the Royal North Lancs Regiment but he nevertheless did his bit and became an aircraft spotter at the above mentioned ICI/Shell complex at Middleton. I recall him having piles of postcards, some of which I still have of photos of silhouettes of aircraft. I used to test him on the recognition of the various planes.
My recollection is a considerable struggle on my parents part as my Father was never able to work properly because of his disability. He probably had more work in the war than he ever had, as had many people.

My brother was 11 years older than me and joined the Navy in, I should think, 1941 when he was 18 and served in all a total of 10 years as a leading signalman. I believe he served on the Russian convoys and was for a time in Africa and later the Far East. I recall him coming home on leave and bringing with him 'goodies' which were very rarely available to civilians.

There was a concession at school for children to be allowed time off if their relations especially parents were home on leave. I asked for time off, which was of course to enable children to see and spend some time with relatives. My brother spent most of his time at home sleeping. I suppose this was a very welcome luxury for him. I remember having time off school and being at a loose end because he was in bed and my friends were at school.

So I thought I would go to the school which was nearby and watch the children at play. Pop Forest who was the Head Teacher, and a better Head Teacher there never was , saw me watching and discovering the circumstances, he made me join the other children in school. He had incidently taught Geoff when he was at school.

At the end of the war being a little older my recollections are better. We had a street party - I have a photo somewhere. Goodness only knows how the mothers of women in the street came up with the fare that was exceptional. An outing to Windermere was arranged for the children. I don't think I had ever heard of Windermere which was only 30 miles from Morcambe. We went on the lake and had a picnic on the green including races, one of which I won. The outing had been arranged by the local grocer, so the prizes were very welcome. These were typical of the community spirit that existed.

Evacuation wasn't needed in Morcambe, rather it was an area of influx of evacuees. The only evacuees however were billeted with a single lady living around the corner from us. Not being used to children she found it rather hard work and I became one boy's daytime guardian.

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