大象传媒

This a summary of a recorded interview with Mrs Gladys Waring during which she remembers her husband John. His Military service and how he won his Military Medal.

Recorded on the: 13th January 2006

My name is Gladys Waring. I was borne on the 20th September 1917. I lived at 14 Primrose Hill, Pendleton, Salford. I lived there until I married. My father died from bronchitis, having been gassed during 1914 鈥� 18 war. When I was 2 years old. My mother remarried Mr Williams from 28 Primrose Hill, a riveter who worked a Mode Wheel Docks on the Manchester Ship Canal. My mother died when I was 4 years old, after mothers death Mr Williams raised our family. I had 2 older sisters, the youngest of the two was 14 years older, I also had a sister who was 2 years younger than me.
I went to Primrose Hill Girls School and left school at 14 years of age, starting work the day I left school, at the offices of The Westcornice? Pole Company (wooden curtain poles, banisters, etc). My school Headmistress was a cousin of the owner. I went to night school 鈥� Salford Technical Collage (building now part of Salford University) to learn 鈥淧itman鈥檚鈥� short hand and typing

After 4 years I went to work for UMP Vanesta. Whit Lane, Salford 鈥� producing product tubes for other companies (eg. toothpaste tubes) to put their products into. I worked on an extruding machine making lead tubes that were later filled with Mustard Gas by a 鈥渕edical firm?鈥�. I worked at UMP until I retired aged 60.

I was aware that war was about to start and joined the ARP Wardens in 1939. Training to extinguish incendiaries bombs and evacuate people into air raid shelters.
The ARP station was in Langworthy Road School, Salford. The school cellars were used as air raid shelters, some people had their own Air Raid shelters in their 鈥渂ack yards鈥� others preferred to be in communal shelters.

The day war was declared I was at my ARP station along with other colleagues, we were rehearsing for a concert that the ARP Concert Party 鈥渒nown as the CD鈥檚 (Civil Defence) were planning. I was the lead singer and I also danced鈥� 鈥渟ometimes we entertained the public, but it was mostly for the wounded soldiers in Salford Royal Hospital. We also invited them into our homes. We also put on entertainments at Langworthy Road School. We carried on until the end of the war鈥�. Later the ARP station moved from the school to what was called 鈥淭he Castle鈥� Colwyn Street which was off Ellor Street, Salford. It was a big house that was also a Doctors Surgery. We stayed there until the end of the war.

We put incendiary bombs out with water ( bucket of water and stirrup pump).We helping with rescues from bombed buildings, I helping at Salford Royal Hospital when it was bombed, also at Hope Hospital. Our house windows were blown in. 鈥渨hen I come to think of it we were really happy, it never troubled any of us鈥� 鈥渨e enjoyed it, especially the concert party鈥� 鈥� remembers - 鈥渙ur cyclist Dennis Tingle who was 14 years old, he was blown off his bike by a bomb in Langworthy Road, we never found his body鈥� 鈥� I also recall walking into a house and seeing a man standing in the corner of a chimney breast and realising that he was dead鈥� 鈥渨e were too busy to 鈥渂other鈥� (enquire) about individuals鈥�.

After the war I carried on in the concert party, later moving to the SALTRANS (Salford Transport Concert Party)

I married my husband in 1939. He was a friend of the son of a neighbour. They were in the army in Palestine. 鈥淚 became his pen pal, we wrote to each other for a few years before I ever saw him鈥�

My husband, John was from Burnley. His father was a Glass Blower. John had joined the Army when he was 15 years old, he signed his age as being 17 years old. He was 1 of 18 children, 鈥渉e told me he was the only one鈥� 鈥渨hen he came home and I first met him, he was in Arab dress, everybody in the street thought he was an Arab鈥� 鈥渉e was only allowed 24 hours leave for the wedding 鈥� we were married in St Thomas鈥檚 Church, Pendleton, Salford and he had to go straight back to the army鈥� 鈥淚 never slept with him for another 5 years鈥�. He was with the First Battalion Border Regiment (Airborne Forces) he was a wireless operator. He never spoke about his war service. He was injured in action.

John Waring was awarded the MILITARY MEDAL. This extract from a letter.

鈥� I was a glider pilot in the night attack on Sicily on July 9th 1943. I and my co pilot were injured. In the confused fighting Cpl Waring carried me under machine gun and mortar fire to a small building near the sea shore, possibly an old light house. He then returned and carried in my co pilot Sgt Richards, the dry grass and scrub was burning from exploding mortar bombs. This very gallant and brave action of John Waring saved our lives. My Co pilot Sgt Richards died a few days later from his wounds 鈥�. We were relieved on the 11th July by the 8th Army and we were taken into the Syracuse Emergency Hospital. Sgt Richards and I recommended John Waring for a decoration for his actions鈥� written by W. J Carn.

Gladys received a letter from a Rev Rowel, informing her that John had been injured and was in hospital in North Africa, but still had all his limbs (john feared loosing a limb). Besides superficial injuries he had broken numerous ribs and they had punctured his lung and pancreas. He was returned home to Ladywell Hospital, Eccles 鈥渉e was in and out of hospital until he died in 1960, he went down to 7 stone, he had been a big fella, 6foot 1ins.

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