大象传媒

Schooling 1940

I had still to reach my sixteenth birthday when the war started and had already enrolled in the ARP as a cycle messenger.This job entailed taking messages to the central control room in the Town Hall in the event that enemy action put the telephones out of order.Every time there was an air raid I cycled through completely deserted streets to my ARP post in Oxton Birkenhead to report for duty.
In late August 1940 I was still at school awaiting exam results and during one particular raid a number of the patrolling wardens thought they heard some bombs coming down in our area but no explosions had been heard.This indicated the possibility of unexploded or time bombs and so everyone was allocated part of a road in the area which was to be checked out when morning came.
I was given a sector to search and it necessitated calling on a number of quite large houses ,all with fair sized gardens,and requesting permission to search back and front for any such unexploded bombs which would be evident by a hole surrounded by disturbed earth.I can still remember the look of alarm on the faces of people who answered the door and to whom I explained my purpose in calling.Despite their apparent alarm however there was no panic and I was left to carry out my search around the grounds of each house.Nobody volunteered to accompany me however!
I did not find any bombs but of course I was late for school.
It so happened that that morning,war or no war and despite the air raid of the night before,the headmaster had decided to clamp down on late comers who were all paraded outside his study to go in one by one and explain their reason for being late.When it came to my turn he glared at me and said鈥漌ell why were you late?鈥滻 replied鈥漃lease Sir I was looking for unexploded bombs.鈥�
The poor headmaster,who hated the idea that the war should have any affect on his school or pupils,had no option but to dismiss me.He did not say a word but just waved his hand for me to go.
I cannot believe that any other schoolboy in history has given such a reason and excuse for being late.

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