大象传媒

ONE OF THE MANY STEVE [SOLIDPAKEHA]

I am writing this brief personal resume of myself in the hope that someone out there may make contact for whatever reason , or perhaps may even have some recognition.

I was born in Walsall [nr Birmingham] West Midlands

I was 14 years old when WW2 was declared, I can recall vividly gathering around the Radio with my family on Sept 3rd 1939 listening to Neville Chamberlain P M.
My Father who had served in France in WW1[ he was wounded badly] got up from his chair and after a brief silence said 鈥� Well the B 鈥�.ds have started again, and you lads will be in it.鈥�
He died before the war ended in 1944

I joined the Civil Defence before I was 15, as a 鈥楤ike messenger鈥� Use your own bike, for one & sixpence a week We were the only mode of transport on the Post, my best mate and I .You would be surprised how two kids on a bike can get From A to B when the 鈥榟eat鈥� is on . We held the firm belief that if we rode like hell nothing could touch us. It was all very exciting , until we both came across our first fatality, then it became very serious. Like thousands of other young lads , we grew up very quickly .

I became an Apprentice Plumber , and most of our work was on bomb damage in Birmingham.
They were bombed regularly and took extensive damage.
We had 12 hour work days, plus our duties at the C D post most nights, which often carried on till 4 or 5 in the morning . Some were 鈥榓ctive鈥� raids , most were 鈥榥uisance鈥� raids , but none were on the same scale as B鈥檋am
We were just a few miles from there, so we had a backseat view of their 鈥榩astings鈥�.. And a front seat the next day , of the results.
Although I appear to present a stark picture of those times ,like most teenagers of that time , our social life went unchanged ,[albeit rather restricted ] Sport, Movies, a k a ;The Pictures, The Pub. Dances ,and Girls. The competition for the Girls became very one sided, when England was 鈥榠nvaded鈥�! by
The Americans. The CD uniform, versus GI Joes No Contest.

It was time to change the uniform . I volunteered for the R A F, I had always been interested in Aircraft
My ambitions were for Air Crew , unable to make the grade , became Aircraft Mechanic.
Stationed - Bomber Group 58 M U Skellingthorpe Lincoln [operational Lancasters].
Later I had the opportunity to transfer to no 3 Base Recovery Unit 2nd T A F France.& Belgium
Our job was recovering 鈥榙owned鈥� aircraft. A self contained mobile unit of six men, dismantling and transporting them back to Base. Hopefully to fly again.

Our final base we operated from was from an airfield known as 鈥� Buc鈥� a few miles from 鈥淰ersailles鈥� near Paris [I wonder if there is anyone out there remembers the British Service Club, for N/cos and O/ranks , known as 鈥淭he Skittle Alley鈥� ?]

Demobbed in 46 Married in 50 Emigrated to New Zealand in 58.

I wonder if there is some aged 鈥榞entleman鈥� out there did similar service in the same places?

I am writing a book of my life story, and enjoying every minute of it. It鈥檚 like living it again [I recommend it]

Yours Steve [solidpakeha]

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