大象传媒

I was about 17 and I worked in a grocer's shop in Burnley when war broke out. Then, though I was still very young, I began to manage a little shop in Nelson. Two days after I took over there was a knock at the door - the Home Guard had seen a chink of light and I was summonsed and had to go before the court at Nelson. When I sat down the magistrate said, "What are you getting divorced for?" and I replied "I'm not getting divorced - I'm here because of the blackout." They fined me 拢2.00 - I think it was to make an example of me. My boss paid the fine - I didn't have any money - nor my bearings either.

I joined the ARP and had to go on exercises. On one of them I was supposed to be delivering a letter to the Morgue but was "shot" as I passed the Empire Cinema. I was supposed to be dead and I lay there for ages but eventually picked myself up and carried on to the morgue - "I'm dead so I might as well be here," I said when I arrived.

There was a great community spirit - my dad was a tailor and we had whist drives in our house - we often had 4 or 5 tables - it kept the community together.

Government Call Up was compulsory. I wanted to join the WAFS but I was sent to MEL Munitions at Hapton. It was grim but we were forced to go. They made Magnesium metal here. My first job was shovelling peat into a machine but then I worked on the Kek Mills - these were about 30 to 40 feet high and full of magnesium. The dust was so bad you couldn't see the person working opposite you. We had to wear little masks - but if you coughed it was always black. The conditions were terrible. There was a hospital on site for people who were gassed in the chlorinators. There were leaks. I was gassed one day as I walked through the chlorinator plant to clock on. I remember my eyes streaming and I panicked and ran to the wrong door to try and get out.

I only worked there for two years. Sir Stafford Cripps came and closed the place down and then I went to work at Mullards in Blackburn. However when I was given an X ray, the Doctor wouldn't pass me as fit for working there - "You've had enough," he said.

In 1943 I went to Frost Engineering where I examined aircraft parts - they had to be accurate to within two thousandths of an inch - and that's where I got the nickname Professor Two Thou.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.