大象传媒

I remember in early September 1939 sitting on the lap of my twenty six year old uncle being read the Daily Express with the news of the outbreak of war. The following week together with my sister and our cousins who were visiting from London I remember going to purchase some margarine just to see what it tasted like. Our grandmother had explained to us that once war started we would have to learn to eat margarine instead of butter. In 1939 margarine was very different to the product that we have today, it was only suitable for cooking. At the end of September 1939 our family were issued ration books. Bacon, sugar and butter were soon in short supply, we were instructed to register with a regular retailer for all of our provisions. Our family registered with a shop run by Miss Kent and Miss Davis, which was situated, on the Birmingham road in Water Orton. The cost of food soon began to rise, and petrol rationing quickly followed. My father had to drive into Birmingham each day to work and later the greater distance to Coventry. Clothes rationing followed that of food rationing, I recall that the black market sale of clothing coupons was often a topic of discussion.

I recall at the age of six in 1939 attending the village school in Water Orton equipped with the regulation gas mask. Regular air raid practices often involved donning the gas mask; even now over sixty years later I recall the unpleasant smell of the rubber gas mask. I recall the class walking (on no account were we to run) in orderly fashion from the school classroom to the air raid shelter. In the shelter we had to sit on coconut mats on the concrete floor listening to Miss South read stories. Miss South who must have been in her 60's had also taught my Aunt and uncles in the 1920's.

My 10 year-old sister and I slept on a mattress in a cupboard under the stairs during the early air raid warnings. Once the siren went my sister and I would retire to the cupboard under the stairs until the all clear went. In recalling those memories of 1940-44 it seems that every night was spent in the cupboard under the stairs or later in the Morrison Shelter. Although we would hear the sirens sound on a regular basis only a small percentage proved to be a warning of an actual air raid. However, each time we would expect it to be the big-one when they would come to get the Hams Hall power station.

Our mother as an air raid (ARP) warden with her large grey steel hat would be on fire watch and our father as a member of the Civil Defense (Rescue Unit) was also on duty during air raids. Mother would return every 20 minutes or so from her patrol to see if her children were all right. The fire buckets of water and sand were on hand by the front door to put out the incendiaries. All windows were equipped with blackout blinds. My mother on her rounds would reprimand any neighbors who had a light showing. I recall the noise of the Ack-Ack guns pounding and the noise of shrapnel hitting the ground that was almost like falling rain. On the way to school my friends and I would compete to see who could collect the best pieces of shrapnel, or if you were lucky the tail fin from an incendiary bomb.

My father worked for B.O. Morris an engineering firm in Rey Street Birmingham and was transferred to the firm's new plant in Coventry in about 1942-43. My father as a machine tool fitter was designated as being in a reserved occupation and being a skilled industrial worker was not called up to serve in the armed forces, he was engaged in a lot of secret work for the navy producing gauges for submarines, it was only after the war that he mentioned this secret work. The constant air raids on both Birmingham and Coventry and the search by the Luftwaffe for the largest Power station in Europe at the time Hams Hall only two miles from our home meant that air raids were a constant discussion at our home. I can remember listening with my family to the sound of aircraft flying overhead and deciding if 鈥渢hey were ours.鈥� The difference in the sound of large Luftwaffe bombers fully loaded compared to those returning empty was often noted. On listening to the sound of these aircraft I recall my father stating on many occasion that the German Luftwaffe were on their way to Coventry tonight. On occasion we were allowed to look out at the night sky during an air raid and see the searchlights that would occasionally catch a barrage balloon in the beam. I remember my grandparent鈥檚 house in Castle Bromwich was badly damaged by a parachute land mine; they had to be relocated to another house. I don鈥檛 recall if anyone was hurt in this event.

It was during this period that I contracted diphtheria. Only a very rapid diagnosis by the family doctor saved my life. My ten-year-old sister said to our mother as they took me away in the ambulance I wish it was me; this showed a concern for the welfare of others that characterized my sister during her adult life.

I also recall during my time in the isolation hospital at Catherine Debarnes, Warwickshire recovering from diphtheria, a nurse with a strong German accent (on reflection most probably Jewish) had ordered all of the beds in the ward to be moved closer to the windows during the frequent air raids. As a young child I found this quite intimidating. However, when I questioned this action it was explained that should any shrapnel or machine gun fire come through the windows it would pass over the top of the bed, it was safer close to the window. The hospital was in fact machine gunned and bombed since the low nissan hut type wards were mistaken for a military camp. Fortunately no serious damage resulted.

My aunt and uncle acquired an Anderson shelter some time in 1939. I recall watching with the fascination and curiosity of a small boy a hole being dug some four feet deep and six curved corrugated steel sheets being bolted together to form an arch over the hole, which was lined with concrete. Finally steel plates one of which had a small door located in it were set in place to cover the two ends of the structure. It is amazing to me looking back on this to recall that the shelter was designed to hold six people. At the time I recall being concerned that my sister and I had to make do with sleeping under the stairs during air raids, however, I was reassured by my parents that this was in fact perfectly safe.

Following my return from hospital in 1941 our family finally took delivery of a Morrison shelter (named after Herbert Morrison who was home secretary at the time), this was in the form of a table with a 8 X 4 feet, 1/4 inch thick steel top, which stood on four thick angle iron legs and angle iron frame. The base had a spring tension mesh that supported a double mattress on which my sister and I together with our new baby brother would sleep during the air raids. I recall the sides of the unit were covered with clip on wire mesh sides to keep out any flying debris. I remember thinking that the Morrison shelter provided very much more room than the cupboard under the stairs, and although I didn鈥檛 think about it at the time it would also provide much better protection than the wooden staircase. Always placed inside the Morrison shelter ready for use was the incubator gas protection chamber for my baby brother. At aged seven years old I was instructed in the technique of pumping the small incubator gas protection chamber designed to house my baby brother in case of a gas attack. I recall being intimidated by the responsibility of this awesome possibility. The Morrison shelter would also served as a table and in later years was also used as a table tennis surface.

My parents like many other families during the war kept pigs, chickens and ducks in order to supplement the war-time rations. The first pig that our family owned was called 'Sally', the pig was treated almost like a member of the family. She had her name over the door of her luxurious home which was always beautifully clean. My father would take the pet pig a cup of tea each morning, and my sister and I would always be giving her special tit-bits, such as potato crisps. One day my mother and I were in the kitchen and happened to look out through the window to see that Sally had decided to take a stroll since some-one had presumably left the sty door unlocked. I was very worried that the pig might get through the hedge into next door's garden and then out onto the main road. I decided on shock tactics and rushed out quickly and fortunately Sally ran back to the comfort, safety and security of her sty. Finally the big day came when Sally was to undergo the supreme sacrifice for those that had lavished her with so much love and attention. Mr. Barber the butcher arrived and I was left to escort him to meet Sally the rest of the family seemed to go into hiding. I remember that when we arrived at the sty Sally came trotting out at the call of her name. She happily and trustingly rested her head against the humane gun without a fear in the world. I remember that I later felt a guilty after tucking into the delicious pork meat whilst the rest of the family said that they didn't feel very hungry. I felt after-all that Sally was only playing her part in helping to win the war. The family learnt from this experience and did not again make a pet out of any of the future replacements for Sally. In times of war it is important that there is a commitment from the population to the cause, not just token support. The difference between support and commitment can be illustrated by using the analogy of a bacon and egg breakfast. The hen can be said to have been supportive while the pig was totally committed. Sally clearly was totally committed to the war effort.

I remember seeing in the 1940's the dashing figure of a white overalled Spitfire test pilot who would trot past our house in his pony and trap on his way to the airfield at Castle Bromwich. During "The Battle of Britain" the RAF pilots were the heroes of all the boys at school. On our way to school with my friends we would compete to see who could collect the best examples of shrapnel and fins from incendiary bombs. Even at a young age I recall listening with the family to the 大象传媒 Nine O鈥檆lock News broadcasts. Churchill's speeches were listened to by the family on the radio with much emotion. The family would also listen to the amateurish propaganda from "Lord" Haw-Haw (William Joyce) a British defector, traitor and spy who worked for the Germans. On one occasion Haw-Haw explained that the Luftwaffe were coming to bomb the Hams Hall Power station, it was explained by Haw-Haw that they would follow the river Tame through the village of Minworth and Water Orton to find the target. Although Haw-Haw had little credibility this was still quite a frightening experience for the family and the local villagers of Water Orton and Minworth at the time. However, the Luftwaffe were never able to find Hams Hall. One of the main reasons for this was the initiative taken to counter the possible attacks on Hams Hall. This involved the putting up of vast smoke screens from Hams Hall itself. However, I also remember the small individual smoke screen units, which lined Birmingham and Minworth Road sections of the village. These units would be lit each evening presumably burning crude oil they would send out thick black smoke. Goodness knows what this would do to the lungs of the villagers and the wretched military personnel who had to tend these units. Other defensive measures were the significant numbers of barrage balloons, which were present in the night sky; occasionally one of these would break loose and cause quite a panic. During the blitz our family used to hear the anti-aircraft guns, this was a great comfort to know that we had some protection. However, it was only after the war that we learned that the gunners at the time knew that they hadn't a hope in hell of hitting the enemy planes since they were ineffective at the height that the planes were flying. However, the sound of the anti-aircraft guns boosted our morale. An Ac-Ac gun was stationed for a short time on the village green in front of the village school, I remember a story related by an Uncle of a group of solders who had been out celebrating taking the gun down to the Digby pub one evening and trying to hold up the landlord of the pub for some free drinks.

During the 1940's with my sister and younger brother in a pushchair I queued outside the village sweets tobacco and newspaper shop for the wonderful Walls ice cream, which was only very rarely available during wartime. Mr. Golder the shopkeeper who was blind was a great friend to all of the children who came to his shop. Milk, bread and green groceries were delivered to the door by horse and cart in the village during the period 1935-45. Regular service was given by Harold Hardwick (green grocery), Billy Barnes (bread), and Charley Baker who would deliver the milk in open milk churns. The milk would be decanted into jugs left on the doorstep by trusting housewives; a saucer would be placed on top to prevent birds cats and dogs from taking advantage of a free drink. However, even this did not stop the notorious thief "Bob" a dog owned by my aunt and uncle, he would just tip the saucer from the top of the jug and help himself. Many is the time "Bob" would be seen running through the village with a joint of meat or a bowl of dripping in his mouth. One of the consequences of the war was the limitation of the importation of fruit from abroad. This meant that my sister and I had never seen a pineapple and bananas were also unknown to us, these were regarded as 'exotic fruits' from far off lands which you only saw as picture illustrations in books at school.

The government provided a number of free supplements to the limited wartime diet. As children our limited wartime diet was supplemented by the regular administration of rose hip syrup and concentrated orange juice to provide vitamin C, in addition we also had cod liver oil to provide a source of vitamin D. The fear of the vitamin D deficiency disease rickets had prompted the government to provide the cod liver oil. Rickets causes bones to soften and weaken due to phosphate waste. At school we were supplied with free milk a third of a pint a day to provide our bones with calcium. Interestingly this wartime calcium supplement was continued into the 1970鈥檚 until Margaret Thatcher as minister of education in the Heath government decided that it was no longer required. Although we may not have realized or appreciated it at the time the limited wartime diet had some advantages for children. This was particularly evident in the very low level of obesity and the caries free dental health status of children growing up during the Second World War. In the period following the war the availability of sweets, sugar containing drinks and sticky sugary foods had a detrimental effect.

Radio was a major part of life during the war, when our family along with all others in Britain would listen to the voice of the forces sweetheart on 大象传媒 radio, Vera Lynn with such memorable songs as, "Yours"; "The White Cliffs of Dover"; "Now is the Hour"; and "A Nightingale Sang in Berkley Square".

Winston Churchill's most famous speech that never fails to bring a lump to my throat as I read the words and recall those dark days of the war. I remember the time sitting with my parents gathered around the radio in rapt silence listening to the famous man in a broadcast on the 大象传媒 in June 1940.
"I have, myself, full confidence that if all do their duty, if nothing is neglected..... we shall prove ourselves once again able to defend our island home, to ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of tyranny, if necessary for years, if necessary alone.... The British Empire and the French Republic, linked together in their cause and in their need, will defend to the death their native soil, aiding each other like good comrades to the utmost of their strength. Even though large tracts of Europe ...have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and the oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender". This one passionate speech by Churchill captures for me the memories of a short but very vivid and dramatic period of my life as a young child growing up in wartime Britain. Even as a young child I sensed the fear and uncertainty in the adult population and the incredible inspiration that Churchill's words provided for the British nation in their hour of need.

I recall VE day, which we celebrated with two street parties. I remember attending street parties in Coleshill Road as well as in Watton Lane Water Orton. I remember the jubilation as together with friends I helped the men of the village build a huge bonfire to celebrate the long awaited victory. Tragically two large holly trees were cut down by some over enthusiastic men to provide fuel for the bonfire, much to the dismay and anger of some village residents. The very large bonfire was lit on the open common land in front of our home. I remember the dancing in the street and all of the excitement of the occasion. The most popular music played over and over again at the street party was a recording by Joe Loss of 鈥渋n the Mood鈥�. Even now I cannot listen to this music without it bringing back vivid memories of VE day 1945.

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