大象传媒

My Story
By
Johnny Myers

Ubique, Quo Fas et Gloria Ducant.

Everywhere, Where Right And Glory Lead Us ...

The following is an extract from my father鈥檚 life story. I include this with great pride for the contributions to this valuable archive. My dad was born on 8th June 1921 in Aghold, Coolkenno, Co. Wicklow, Ireland. He was the son of William and Margaret Myers. His father was a blacksmith and farmer and he was one of fourteen children. He died on 8th September 2004 aged 83, and he completed his story a few years earlier in time for his 80th birthday celebrations.

His story began:

Until recently I hadn鈥檛 ever thought about putting anything about myself into writing. Although since I retired almost twenty years ago now, I鈥檝e had one or two suggestions from various sources encouraging me to give it some thought.

A few years ago whilst chatting, my youngest sister May hinted that as I鈥檇 travelled so much, been to so many countries and places and had such unusual experiences I should think about putting some of it down on paper. I鈥檝e also been advised by one or two retired people, who have written about their own family history and their experiences, that unless you put these things on paper they鈥檙e liable to be lost for ever. When trying to trace my own family history for my daughter Janet, I realized how little I knew about my own parents, grandparents and family background in general. I found it difficult to get reliable information. The only real reliable sources were head stones and Church records. When I鈥檝e read books, watched films and read or listened to news, I鈥檝e often thought what a slanted, and sometimes false, picture of our generation they often convey.

So, as we approach my 80th birthday and the end of the twentieth century, I have decided to put my story on record for my daughter Janet and any of the Myers family who care to read it, particularly those who have not travelled or had experience outside Ireland. I know some of my nieces and nephews would also be interested.

贰虫迟谤补肠迟蝉鈥�

The Second World War started 3rd September 1939 while I was doing my business training and I thought about joining the armed forces and 鈥渄oing my bit鈥�. When it became clear that Southern Ireland was not going to take part in the war, I travelled to Belfast to enquire about joining the Royal Air Force as an air gunner. I was given a test, interviewed, and told that I would be advised of the result in due course. A couple of months later when they eventually sent for me to enlist I went home to inform my parents, but didn鈥檛 have the heart to tell Mum. So I didn鈥檛 reply to the letter. With hindsight, I know she would have given me her blessing.

As work was scarce at that time, I started applying for jobs long before my apprenticeship was finished, but without success. I got a good reference from Miss Paisley, the owner of Symes, but had still not found a position when my apprenticeship was completed. I felt quite confident about a business career, but not so confident about getting an opportunity. At that time it was normal to see vacancies advertised for R.C. or C.I. etc. In Southern Ireland there were not many doors open to me, but that鈥檚 another story.

While applying for business opportunities I pottered about at home, probably getting in Nick鈥檚 way. I worked on the plantation at Moylisha where the trees are now sixty year old, and have been thinned out many times. I recently went round that area showing my Daughter Janet my handy work. I also worked for Eddie Wilson of Newry, one of the bigger farmers. Eddie kept me busy and made me feel welcome and at home. The old farmers tended to assume that you didn鈥檛 need to be shown how to do things. Everything was common sense according to them. So when I was having difficulty ploughing with the 鈥渟ock鈥� upside down it was a big joke in the neighbourhood for some time. That didn鈥檛 bother me, but I was very embarrassed about spending all that time training without pay, and being unable to find employment in business. Although I was enjoying my time and work with Eddie, who treated me like one of the family, I could easily have given up hope of finding a job in business. I felt that Mum and Dad would be very disappointed with me.

In the evenings I occasionally visited the nearest shop at the Crablane for messages, or just for somewhere to go. The local lads would be gathered around the radio in the shop listening to Lord Hawe Hawe spreading NAZI propaganda. I think they believed him, and were hoping and expecting the Germans to land in Ireland. They thought that the Germans would speed up the United Ireland process. I don鈥檛 think anyone except the Irish themselves can do that, and it鈥檚 taking them a long time to agree amongst themselves about what they want.

Then, I had a pleasant surprise. I got a letter from Mr Hadden of Carlow, inviting me for interview for a vacancy in the shoe department in Dungarvan Co Waterford. I apologised to Eddie Wilson as it would mean leaving him short-handed in a busy time. But he told me to drop everything and 鈥済o for it鈥�. I felt so relieved to even get an interview, that I had already decided that I would accept the job if offered, whatever the conditions. I knew that the pay would not be great, but I was desperate just to get an opportunity to get back into the business.
I was offered the position of junior salesman in the shoe department in Dungarvan, on a very small salary of 拢36. p.a. (equivalent to seventy pence per week) plus full board and lodging, but with prospects of an early increase if performance merited it. I accepted the conditions and took the job. I was doing very well and getting a chance to move around in other departments. I specialised in gents outfitting. I had made friends and enjoyed good relations with the staff and a good social life. I took part in sporting activities such as tennis, badminton and snooker. The salary was small but I was quite happy to be in work building my experience. As I gained experience my prospects for the future began to look better. I had more or less settled down to a business career with ideas of having my own business one day.

It was now September 1941 and the war was going very badly, or very well as I heard some people say. NAZI Germany had taken Poland and occupied most of Europe. Fascist Italy had joined the war on the German side. They were advancing across North Africa towards the Suez Canal and the oil fields. It was expected that they were ready to attempt crossing the English Channel, where Great Britain stood alone with their backs to the wall being heavily bombed by a superior German Air force. Only the countries of the British Commonwealth were standing by the United Kingdom, apart from the Irish Free State who still remained neutral?.

I decided to answer the call from Mr Churchill and join the armed forces for the duration of the war. I gave a months notice as required in my contract. My immediate boss, Dave Hawe, decided to do the same. We were both interviewed by the management and offered more money to stay, if that was what we wanted. But Mr Hadden didn鈥檛 feel he should influence our decision to take part in the war. He had lost most of his staff in the first world war, and it was no surprise to him that we made this decision. He said that although we were the first of his staff to enlist in this war, we were unlikely to be the last.

We didn鈥檛 anticipate that the war would last so long and had every intention to resume a business career when the war ended. As we now know, the war lasted longer than anyone expected, and my plans were drastically changed many times throughout the following years. During that last month when we were working out our notice, there were a few farewell parties. They were the usual 鈥淛ohnny going off to war鈥� sort of emotional partings. A number of staff saw us off on the train early one morning in mid-October. We spent a few days on the way to Belfast, and enjoyed what we knew would be our last days of freedom for some time.

We arrived in Belfast on 23rd. October 1941 and reported to an R.A.F. recruiting office. I had my letter of acceptance to train as an air gunner, which was more than a year old and hence no longer valid. So we both went next door to the Army recruiting office and enlisted in the army for the duration of the war. We were given a choice of Regiments and of doing our basic training in Ireland or in England. We choose The Royal Regiment Of Artillery, and began our training in England. Although I didn鈥檛 realize it at the time, this turned out to be the end of my short business career.

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