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MY LIFE DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR
By Ernest W. Dodding
I lived in Hellifield railway village, 10 miles west of Skipton. I first saw the war through the eyes of an 11 year old boy
During the first few months little changed, except young men of 18 and over were called up for service if their jobs were not a reserved occupation. One of the first changes was me arrival of the Land Army girls - smartly dressed in jodhpurs and close fitting jumpers - not unnoticed by we 11 year olds!
As the war progressed most men working on the railway were required to work longer hours over long periods and became tired. My Father was employed as knocker-up and was threatened by one man holding an axe telling him to go away as the man had not had his minimum period of rest
Most men were expected to join me Local Defence Volunteers, later named the Home Guard. My Father joined but after not hearing commands on parade, due to being somewhat deaf, he was discharged as being more dangerous than helpful. We boys thought the Home Guard was a source of amusement when they did manoeuvres. We followed to watch as they learnt to defend or attack fronts of our village. Water filled balloons were used to represent grenades and many attackers got a soaking. Their weapons, at this time, were an occasional shot gun or, instead a pretend gun (may be a broom handle). Later, America sent a large number of old 303 First World War rifles. These were rushed from the docks to local H.G. units, where they were de-greased and issued to the most experienced men. At first, I don't mink there was much ammunition available.
We had to receive evacuees, making our school full with larger classes and more teachers. This meant less strictness all round, which we felt was a good thing. Also we had to do air-raid warning practice, which meant we all had to walk quickly and sit down neatly in the long corridors. We had no shelters in the grounds.
Our countryside became an area for bombs and munitions stores. Army units arrived with searchlights and a limited number of anti-aircraft guns. One unit was quite near the village and we used to go to watch, talk and listen to everything we could. We were sometimes given food in the Nissen huts, which was usually jam sandwiches with thick cut bread. We thought they were wonderful. If we behaved we might be allowed to move the searchlight and watch the beam sweep the sky, then boast about it all next day.
Numbers of RAF men also came and were billeted in the village, which lifted many a young ladies' interest and some were eventually married to them. One man claimed to have driven dog sleighs in Canada. Imagine our interest when he talked. He showed us photos with him and his dog teams

Another interest was the arrival of Italian POWs who were billeted in an old house, ex home of Sir William Nicholson. They were most happy to be safe in our country and gave very little trouble. Females were interested in them for their good looks and charming ways. Some Italians made trinkets to sell to enable them to purchase cigarettes. I have kept a small crude ring made from aluminium, as a memento of their industry. They were first class footballers and many games were played against them by the best teams the village could muster but I don't think we ever won. We were told that some of them had played for top Italian clubs. They used to put on concerts in the Co-op Hall and the place would be packed as they played and sang opera.
I had to help with our allotment and had to dig so many rows before coming home after school. This was hard work and considered an intrusion to my spare time hobbies and pastimes. Such as beck jumping, conkers, whip and top but mostly bowl and hook, which was used to represent anything, wagon, lorry, train, cart, tank and could be made to jump fences, when we ran down the Haw- our local big hill, 400 feet high.
For extra money my Father would unload and stack coal from a wagon, onto stockpile areas near the goods yard I had to go and do my part, a dirty job for which] don't remember getting paid.
When, following Dunkirk, it was thought we would be invaded and occupied, a form of communication system was to be by boys as runners with any messages. As my Grandparents lived near a Squire gentleman, I was chosen to be the runner between our village and his home, about two miles away. I was quite pleased with this, as he was a retired Army Major and quite an important person. Needless to say I never took any messages.
I obtained a job with a local fanner delivering his milk. In the 1942 winter we took it round on a horse sledge, due to deep snow and ice. As the milk was bottled it froze and quickly expanded up to two or three inches out of the top of the bottle. This cold didn't help my chilblains which were most painful.
A local bakery employed me to deliver their confectionery, after school, all around the village. They had a contract to supply the railway station refreshment room and as more and more troops and goods were moved the demand was relentless. Scones, apple slices and fig pastry were the main staples from rationed ingredients. When the American troops started arriving in Scotland trains came south with plenty men who wanted food and to know where they were, as trains took on water, coal, drivers and mates. The Americans would hand out chewing gum and chocolate, which we had almost forgotten about it felt like manna from heaven. Some young girls, for a kiss, were even given nylon stockings, a luxury item never yet seen by them.
One day, at school, a German fighter flew very low over the village. He might have been lost as he circled the village and out of ammunition as he didn't fire his guns. We rushed to tell the headmaster who said it wasn't German but Polish as he had seen it Only later did we understand why be had lied to us. It was German as we saw the markings clearly as he flew at 100 feet or less.
A report of a bomb being dropped near the railway line at Coniston Cold river bridge leaving a large hole, but no damage, gave us our only opportunity to search for bomb shrapnel. After three and a half mile walk there we felt we had earned the right to dig further into the farmer's field for odd sharp pieces of shrapnel. We kept them for a long time, but tired of them later and threw them away.
There were Savings Weeks for the RAF, Navy and Army, where aboard would show the steady progress of a rising total Hundreds and later thousands of pounds would be shown. All we could do was wonder who ever had so much spare money to save. My total earnings doing 5 days delivery, after school, and most of Saturday including a round trip to Wigglesworth and back to deliver fancy tarts and cake in exchange for a little butter or eggs, was the princely sum of one shilling and sixpence (seven and a halfpence). No savings there. I had usually spent it before receiving it by asking for credit
Food was always on our minds. We never went hungry, but choice was limited and very repetitive. Fish paste was named red lead, cheese was called soap and we thought it almost tasted like it I had the very last banana from our Co-op store and it was my most favourite food. This banana was small, well over ripe, skin dark brown and inside a brown juicy mess, but I ate it anyway, wondering would 1 ever eat another.
As a young man my Father had been a gamekeeper and he had retained his 12 bore shot gun. So on many weekends I had to go whilst he walked a fanner's land to shoot duck, pheasant or hare. The pay back was, we went to assist the fanner each year with his haymaking. We often did rabbit netting and snaring and well remember carrying home over 40 rabbits, taken by ferreting. Those we could not use were quickly taken up by the local public house, who cooked meals or by village families.
One meal I remember well was a large bowl of fresh lettuce, washed and each leaf broken off, in the centre of our tea table, whilst we sat round and made lettuce sandwiches. From cutting to being eaten on the table - no more than 30 minutes -they tasted delicious.
The blackout was a great nuisance, as all doors and windows had not to show any light .The local warden or police would do rounds and threaten a fine it you were not careful My Father was often not too careful and was told if he continued to show a light action would be swift.
Travel was difficult as we only had one bus each way hourly to and from Settle or Skipton and may be less than hourly during the day. The last return bus from Skipton was 8.30 at night On a Saturday this would be so overloaded the tyres rubbed on the inside of the wheel arches. The registered total was approx 32 passengers and 5 or 6 standing. We often counted over 75 to 80 off that bus. Everyone glad to be on, standing, sitting on knees or not
My Father used to get free travel passes each year - three, I think, from the railway company and we used each one to the best advantage. If we only went for a long train ride we used them. On one occasion we travelled to Edinburgh but had a problem buying food in the British Restaurant as all we could purchase was dried egg omelette and bread. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the trip.
The Germans had started bombing all over the country and, as we boys played out during the early part of dark nights we could see down the Kibble valley search lights and ack-ack from our defensive guns, but we were seeing this from over 25 miles away. It was just something to see and talk about
Clothes were rationed, which meant fast growing children had to make their clothes last as long as possible. Balaclavas were favourite head wear and I was pleased to be able to have a pair of jodhpurs to keep my legs warm even though they were intended for horse owners and farmers. Jumpers and any knitted wear would be pulled back and re-knitted by our mothers into another item as a larger size.
Mothers were always trying to stretch the food rations and a weekly making of butter by collecting cream off the daily milk was a ritual. Some bought special small glass chums but we used a large tight lidded glass toffee jar. It did the job but was awkward to hold whilst shaking.
Dances were nearly always a weekly feature of the local villagers and we went to many of them. If we were lucky, sometimes we got a lift on RAF transport, or went by bus, walking home afterwards. To go to Tosside was a magic affair as they used to do refreshments during the interval and there would be food we hadn't seen for a long time. Buttered scones, cream cakes and sugar in lumps, besides home cured ham sandwiches, pies and to finish jelly and trifle. We always made sure we had a ride both ways as it was about 8-9 miles from Hellifield.
At 14 I started work in the bakery where I had been delivery boy, starting at 7 a.m. and only finishing when all goods required were made. Friday was the busiest time as we worked all day until 6 p.m., had three hours off for rest and then back to work at 9 p.m. to work all night until probably 11 a.m. on Saturday to a finish, after we had scrubbed down.
During these days the wireless was on all the time and I heard probably 90% of all special war communiqu茅s - Pearl Harbour, El Alemain, American African Invasion, Sicily, Italy, Anzio, 1000 Bomber Raids, Fire Storms, D Day, Amhem, Ardennes, Stalingrad, Casino, Mussolini dead, Flooding of Lowlands, Into Germany and VE Day. Thankful to be alive and well. YOU NEVER FORGET.

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