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This contribution to People’s War was received by the Action Desk at ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Cleveland and submitted to the website by Jane Tombling, with the permission and on behalf of Mr William Meadows

I was a boy of 12 at the outbreak of war in 1939 and living in Middlesbrough. It was decided to evacuate children but my Mother was adamant that I would be staying at home and there I stayed for the duration of the war. Father was an engine driver on LNER working out of Middlesbrough which of course was a reserved occupation, and Mother looked after the household which included my younger brother and me.

At the age of 14 upon leaving school I began work in Middlesbrough as an office boy in Britannia Steelworks. Joining the Air Training Corps for a year upon commencement of my working life, but found it rather tame and it was purely voluntary. I then joined the National Fire Service aged 15½ which I enjoyed - not every 16 year old was given a snazzy uniform — complete with metal helmet! In addition to National Fire Service, I also undertook Fire Watching for which I was paid 3/6d a night working two nights a week which was equal to 40% of what I was earning at my day job. I fire watched up until its disbandment in 1943.

I attended night school — learning accountancy, book-keeping etc and enjoyed my time at local Youth Clubs which were mainly attached to local churches. Most churches had youth clubs and any one regardless of religious denomination was welcome at any of the youth clubs. I mainly attended at the Methodist Youth Club but socialised with C of E’s, Roman Catholics, Jewish etc. We all made the most of the activities which were wide ranging. We played billiards, darts, had discussion groups table tennis was hugely popular, going cycling, camping, hiking and of course we had access to a gramophone dancing to the likes of Artie Shaw, Glenn Miller etc. Dances were organized on an irregular but always very enjoyable basis. It was amazing really because the split of girls to boys was as good as 50:50 for each dance. Parents cocooned us children from the war, not only my parents but I believe all children during the war were similarly sheltered by their parents. Really the lack of sweets was one of the main hardships we children suffered!

I was working a 5½ day week 9 — 5.30, as a special concession we were able to wear a sports jacket as opposed to a suit for our half day on a Saturday morning. No one every grumbled, it was the done and expected thing. There was always something to do and my friends and I especially enjoyed going on camping trips but we were part of a huge group of friends and we all got along well together. We were all killing time as we knew that eventually we would be called up regardless of whether the war was over or not!!

I volunteered as soon as I was aged 17. So I was accepted in September 1944 as an Infantryman in The Green Howards, and was called up aged 17½ in December of that year. Upon arriving at Inverness that December I was probably the loneliest 17½ year old in the country!! I found myself amongst boys’ my age that had been to public school; they had been living in a semi-military establishment for most of their teens and like me began in the Training Battalion. I felt like a fish out of water and wanted to get back to Yorkshire which would mean I would be with boys of my own educational and home background thankfully; this came about as I was pushing 18 in May 1945.

By this time I was a trained soldier but of course the rules were that I was too young to go with the regular battalion abroad. They were going to India; Burma The Green Howards had 2 battalions out there already. I volunteered for a glider pilot regiment but was too young - only by a couple of months! So was sent back to the unit and encouraged to apply again when I was a little older. However with the war in Europe ending this never came about. By this time I was a full Corporal and I toyed with the idea of joining The Palestine Police Force. However my Major persuaded me otherwise and I stayed with The Green Howards in York. I was demobbed in January 1948 with the rank of Acting Sgt.

I remember on my first leave during my time with The Green Howards, going back home to Middlesbrough, changing into my civvies to go for a drink with my chums. However the Landlord thought I looked under age so refused to serve me alcohol!!

A memorable incident of the war for me was a dawn morning in June 1944 walking home from a party hearing a strange sound from the air. It was a doodlebug which we later discovered dropped on the vicarage at Crook some — miles from Middlesbrough — killing the local vicar and his family. I believe it was the only one to fly to the North of England — unless you know otherwise!!

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