大象传媒

The following has been written after lengthy conversations with Mary Dicken regarding her recollections of life in wartime Derbyshire.

As war broke out, in 1939, Mary Dickin was only twelve years old and lived in Risley, Derbyshire with her mother and father. Born into a family of farmers, she has many happy memories of life as a child. Her father had both pigs and chickens and was kept very busy running the farm (as was her mother). He had been a soldier in the First World War and was, unfortunately, very badly injured. He had been shot through the arm, the bullet passing clean through a major artery and severely threatening his life. In fact had he not lain down, in the mud on top of his pack, the blood flow may not have slowed and he could well have died. Mary tells me that he himself had decided he was going to die which must be a terrifying ordeal for anyone! He was then returned home and sent to Newcastle Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery to save his life. In fact he was operated upon on Armistice Day. As he went under the anaesthetic, the war was still raging but when he awoke, it was into a new world of peace.

The house Mary and her family lived in was about a quarter of a mile from the main road in the older part of Risley. This was the location of The Blue Bull (the site that has today become Risley Park Hotel) and next to it was a huge old house that, during the war, became an Army base. Mary mentioned that the hall was once owned by local millionaire, Terah Hooley and she would regularly see him sweeping past in his fantastic car. She can also clearly remember the Army lorries and other vehicles being parked around the back of The Blue Bull. Although not sure, Mary believes the base was a drop-off point for soldiers, both from the UK and other places worldwide, who were to be sent abroad to fight. She remembers them marching in columns past her house on their way to nearby Breaston. Several of them would wave as they went past and it was widely felt that they were a welcome addition to the neighbourhood. The lives of the soldiers and the residents of Risley were to become intertwined in many ways.

Mary鈥檚 father, although disabled by his terrible war wounds had continued farming and until the outbreak of the Second World War had driven around the area in a small van to deliver his produce and also collect swill for the pigs. This changed however as petrol was to become rationed throughout the war. As a result, he was left with no option but to wheelbarrow his goods (and also the pig-swill) over considerable distances so he could maintain his income.

Towards the end of the war, when Mary was about fifteen years of age, she like many others joined the Red Cross Volunteers and would regularly travel by bus to the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary to help out. This was a vital role played by many young women, all of whom felt that it was their duty and responsibility to contribute to the war-effort. It was stressed to her and the other volunteers that they should not mention the army base as this could unwittingly threaten the safety of the soldiers there.

Interestingly, Mary鈥檚 father would occasionally loan rooms in his house to the servicemen from the nearby base. These were men who were being visited by wives or girlfriends and were unlikely to gain any privacy at the barracks. Because of this, it was not uncommon for poor Mary to find herself ousted from her room to spend the night on a creaky fold-up bed!! In addition, her mother would often help Captain Smith from the base by washing and ironing the soldier鈥檚 clothes.

Mrs Dickin also has a few rather more dramatic memories of this turbulent time. One such recollection concerns a bomb that was dropped right into Risley Park next door to the church. The explosion left a huge crater and it is only luck that ensured the many children who used this, as a short cut on their way to school or the shops, were nowhere near at the time. It is possible that the bomber pilots had seen the vehicles parked by The Blue Bull and had decided to try and bomb the Army base.

On another occasion, Mary was arriving home on Friday lunchtime and received quite a fright. As she was turning the key to unlock the front door, she heard an enormous roar and turned to see a German fighter plane burst from the clouds and unleash a torrent of machine-gun fire all along the high street! She quickly dashed into the house for shelter and thought no more of it. Back at school that afternoon however, it became clear that most of the other children had witnessed the rogue fighter-plane and the teachers had a great deal of trouble calming them down.

Overall, Mary has very positive memories of life in wartime Risley. Today, she still considers it to have been a safe place to live and goes on to say that the soldiers were perfect gentleman. In fact Mary describes the local Army base as being a tribute to the Army that had no effect on the lovely village-feel of the place in which she grew-up.

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