大象传媒

Message 1 - Bushy Park Surrey

Posted on: 25 July 2004 by John Phillip Thornton

Dear Derek.
In 1939, my father enlisted and fought with Britain's 7th armoured division in North Africa, later in Sicily, Italy and Normandy.

I was 8 months old when WW2 commenced. My Mother and I experienced the loss of two dwellings during the blitz of New Cross Gate and Depford, South-East London. My sister Monica was born in August, during the 1040 bombardment.

In 1942 I were evacuated from a school playground at New-Cross and taken vie a London double-decker, red bus, to Batley in Yorkshire. A woman named Mrs Lilley-White became my surrogate mother - returning me in 1944 to my real mother living at Cedars Road, Hampton Wick, adjacent to Bushy Park, seperated by Sandy Lane, a lengthy road stretching from Kingston Bridge to Twickenham.

Bushy Park housed a Rayal Air Force camp during the war, albeit there wasn't an airfield for miles. The Bushy Park Kingston Camp being the forces living quarters etc, the Twickenham end housing the industrial section. We kids would often speak with the RAF personnel as they strolled the mile or so between camps for meals and return to their occupation.

These camps were allowcated to the American air force personel (USAF)following the war.I and my cousins scrutinised these USAF (Yanks) through the 8ft barbed-wire fencing surrounding their Nissen-hut living quarters as they moved in.

They were confined to camp for two weeks and, a number of them approached the wire, out of sight of the sentry box adjacent to the Bushy Park Main Gate entrance and beckoned to us gawping at them.

One asked the name of "your limey fish dish, and could we purchase some for them?"

Seemingly they had been paid in "Limey money" that day and I retreaved the two pound notes wrapped in a stone, thrown expertly over the wire fence. My cousin and I purchased 12 fish n chip suppers, at one shilling and six pence each most with salt and vinegar then returned to pass as far away from the sentry as possible before passing the meals through the barbed-wire fence.

I was pleased to be told to keep the two shillings change, this was great for I received 6d as my weekly pocket money. Therefore my cousin and I had two weeks pocket money, each, for this one evenings labour!

Whilst they tasted the dish, one yank ( most looked well with their tan and reasonably short hair) asked me if I had a sister. I replied yes. He asked the colour of her hair and, urged me to ask her, to meet him at the camp gate on Saturday evening?

His colleague had to explain to him that Ginger, was a red-head in Limey language. Unfortunately, my mother wouldn't allow my five year old sister to attend his wishes for a date.

We often chanted "Got any gum chum" on meeting the yanks. One time a gang of them replied they hadn't any gum but offered me a Camel or Lucky, (Lucky Stripe) cigarette.

Even at the age of eight I took up their offer and they started the fag with a Zippo petrol lighter. Blimey, didn't I choke when shown how to inhale.

We would also watch their parachute training at Busy Park. The jump site being central of Dianna lake and our house.

Monthly on Saturday mornings three lorries would tow a large basket, a silver Dirigable (barrage Baloon)also a winch into the park.

The dirigible were attached to a basket. After inflation up to ten persons with their kit, would enter the basket beneath the balloon. The baloon were allowed to ascend to about 1000 ft. My cousins and I would hear an instructor shouting advice and the persons would fall from the basket at short intervals, parachuting to the ground. The men were then collected in a lorry and return to their camp. The balloon were winched to earth and the exercise restarted with new occupants.

One of these exercises we saw the second person from one jump and the forth from the ninth basket fall to the ground, their parachute failing to open correctly.

It took my cousins and I minutes to reach the area where the first victim had fallen and laying in a stream. We were not allowed to get near the victim and the area were soon cordoned off by military policemen. A jeep like vehical were used to remove the corpse.

Despite the accidents (we were not allowed into the park to view the second one)the exercises continued until all the persons had taken their turn.

On occasions we would watch a yank take his female companion through the iron railings surrounding the chestnut tree forest, and depending weather it were beneath our home or in the forest, following payment, the meeting were consummated, a few of the yanks were tight very fisted though, and many a time mother would have to ask the lovers to vacate their love nest.

My father returned home (demobilised)early in 1946, he would solialize and play darts at a public house (named the station hotel) adjacent to the Hampton-Wick railway station. It being possibly a mile walk from the Kingston area USAF basemany yanks would visit the pub in the evenings.

There were an unwritten rule then days, coloured didn't mix with their white colleagues so the station pub was considered a white bar by the yanks.

Dad was an excellent dart player and was often challenged,by a yank team, pair or single, the looser bought the opponent/s a pint.

Dad met a USAF Sergeant named Skrupe. He and my father became pub dart champions within a year.

Occasionally I were allowed into the USAF camp on a Saturday, for recreational purposes. Here I learnt to play baseball, basket ball and yank football,(the latter being more like British rugby union) with Skrupe's two boys of my age.

I soon reached my teenage years and became enamoured with one of twin 17 year old daughters of a USAF major(or major-general). This was to last until her father left Britain in 1956.

I moved to Sidcup in Kent in 1958, but retain many fond memories of Bushy Park. Dianna lake The wild deer etc.

Yours Fraternally

John