大象传媒

Before the war started, my Farther, had his own building supplies company in Birmingham called Modern Building Supplies, Supplying metal to building sites. When the war started as he had poor sight in one eye he was rejected for the forces. As all private building was stopped, he decided that as he had a Bedford 7 ton tipping lorry, he would work for the D.C.R.E. Please do not ask me what this stands for, it sounds like the Department of Concrete, because that is what he did, moving tons of sand and gravel to make new air strips.
On many occasions I went to work with him. As I was under 5, if my mother was teaching, and nobody could look after me, I had to go with Dad in the Lorry.
This was great, and I loved to be sitting high up alongside my farther hammering down the road on the way back to the sandpit, to collect another load.
On big jobs that took weeks, he was paid by the load, so the more loads he could move the better.
When returning for another load of sand he would weigh in and I had to jump out and sit in the weighing office, as it was too dangerous for passengers to go on site. The week before, 2 men had been killed when a cliff of sand had buried them, and by the time they were dug out they were dead , it was dangerous work.
The lorries were filled by a dragline; the scoop was dragged up the cliff then it was lowered into the waiting lorry below 2 or 3 times to fill it.
If there were too many lorries waiting, my father would back over to an area where he could load the 7tons of sand with his trusty shovel, which I have still got. This was done by backing into the big heap and by standing on the heap above the tailboard and shovelling the sand in.. He told me it was all in the swing of the shovel. When full, he came back to the weigh-bridge to collect me and the delivery ticket and then we were off.
In those days there was no traffic on the roads only other lorries doing the same thing. I am not sure whether he was rationed for fuel but economy was always in his mind. He would not hammer up hill with a full load but change down without flogging the engine. Reading in one of his logbooks, I saw that Red petrol was 1/7陆d
There was certainly Competition among the drivers, who could get the most loads done, short cuts through fields to cut of f corners were quite useful. If you have ever seen the film Hell Drivers
it was like that amongst the company drivers. Fortunately Dad worked for himself so he was not involved in that rivalry.
When on other duties, such as moving things about airfields especially American ones, I would have a special pass Issued to me and dad would make sure that they all knew I was his son. We always had a guard to see us around the station, and on one occasion he took us to see this new plane, with no wings called a helicopter. I don鈥檛 remember much about it, but I do remember the auto giro that was standing on the roof of a building across the way.
My Dad was a likeable bloke and by the time we left, the cab was full of goodies. The Americans were very generous. My Mum and Dad would share it with our neighbours as times were often hard for those less fortunate.
Towards the end of the war dad was issued with two helpers, both German prisoners of war. Dad said they would not escape as they were happier here than in their own country. They were very clever with
their hands and made several toys for me. O how I wish I had kept one now as they were so beautifully made, and painted.
After the war they came back and spent an afternoon with us, and thanked my Dad for teaching them such good English, they both had good jobs as interpreters, and they were over with a delegation at the Longbridge factory.
Dad was also in the Auxiliary Fire Service as a part-timer doing fire watches. I remember the tin hat, the blue jacket and the rubberised coat hanging behind the door in the kitchen. Outside was a stirrup pump with a coil of hose-pipe. Looking back, one wonders what use it would have been in the event of a fire. I don鈥檛 think he ever had to find out. All they did was to have a good jaw, well that was what my mum said!

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