大象传媒

Enids War, St Agnes Cornwall

I was nineteen when the war started, I was living at Wheal Davy Farm, with my mother father, Henry Johns, my sisters Gwen and Irene, and May who helped mother keep the house, the commencement of hostilities was announce on the 10 o鈥檆lock news, one of our relatives, who was the son of Jack and Sues鈥檡 from Manor Parsley, near Mount Hawke was killed on the very first day of the war, in the first Royal Navy ship to be attacked.
Not long after the start of the war I was in Rosemundy, when a German plane came over very low, it was so low we could plainly see the number on the side and the pilot in the cockpit, we thought it was going to crash into the Masonic Hall, but at the last minute it pulled up and then dropped a bomb in Dr. Henry鈥檚 field.
There was six of us living in the farmhouse, which is about two miles from the centre of St Agnes and a mile from Mithian, the windows were blacked out at night, with curtains across the doors so light would not show to the jerry, the house was lit with oil lights, the oil, being stored in a 50 gallon oil tank. I worked on the farm with a land army girl, she was with us for some time, we milked the cows, fed the chickens, collected the eggs. Dad had a pedigree herd of Guernsey cows, which was his pride and joy, he showed these at the Royal Cornwall show before and after the war, and won many trophies. We also grew turnips, carrots, leeks and cabbage, this was sold and also used as cattle feed due to shortages because of the war. If somebody called on father he was always generous and would kill a chicken for then to take away, together with some vegetables.
There were some mine stacks near our house, and the Ministry decided that these should be removed, as they could be used as landmarks for the Germans to bomb the airfields at Tevellas and Portreath. Bill Geach was brought in to 鈥渓ower them鈥� with dynamite. I was watching from the bedroom window with my sisters, we waited for ages, I was being nosey to see what was going on inside the house, and not looking out the window and missed it being blown up.
My sister Gwennie married Ewart Butson in May 1942 he was training to be a manager in Arthur and Burrows, Taylors, in River Street, Truro, he was called up in the tank regiment, he died crossing the Rhine in the last stages of the war, they were only married a few years.
There were black Americans based on the Cameron estate at St Agnes head, there were concerts held out there, we went out to them but it was a long walk home, of over 4 miles.
We had an evacuee staying with us from London he was nicknamed 鈥淧addy鈥�, he liked going off on his bike to run for errands, he used to go over to Three Burrows to change the accumulator which ran the radio, he went to Mithian School, when he grew up he became a policeman, and came back to see us.
Down in Rosemundy there was an unmarried mothers home, I remember they all had to go to church on Sundays and walked up the road together in pairs.
I met James 鈥淎lfie鈥� Kneebone, and we started courting, he lived in Rosemundy cottages with his Mother and granny, his father Thomas Kneebone, had died before the war. Next door lived his brother Frank and Muriel Kneebone, they had evacuees with them Fred and Mary. It was impossible due to the number of troops and evacuees in the area for married couples to get a house, so we had to stay with our families. We got married in January 1942, he was soon called up by the Ministry of Labour, and went off to Bristol with Harry Wilcocks, both being tradesmen, to work in an aircraft factory making aircraft parts. While they were in Bristol they city was bombed by the Germans, they went to a theatre for safety, and had to sign in a register, the theatre was full of people sheltering. When they got out the centre of the city was destroyed, with building burnt, flattened and goods from the shops strewn across the streets.
After returning from Bristol, Alfie went to work at Bartles foundry, in Camborne, and bought a motorbike to get to work, manufacturing bolts and parts for the war. He worked 60 hours a week for 拢3/0s/6d, stating work at 7am and leaving at 8pm.
I carried on living in number 9 Rosemundy, while Alfie was away. I looked after both his mother and granny, they were both very ill, mother died in September 1942, granny died about two years later. Across from our cottage there was open space between Rosemundy and British Road, this before the war had been the school garden, and tennis courts, now there were allotments where villagers could grow their own vegetables to help the war effort.
I remember walking over to Trevellas Porth when news of a whale washing up reached us in the village.
In 1944 Alfie was called up into the army and joined the Queens own Royal Rifles, since he was already a musician in St Agnes band he was put into the dance band, they were based at Prestatyn in North Wales, they all were sent off to Japan except the six bandsmen, who stayed on, Alfie became a cook, and had bad excema, he got discharged soon after the end of the war and was back in St Agnes in September.
My other Sister Irene 鈥淩ennie鈥� also married in 1942 to William 鈥淏ill鈥� Letcher, he was also a carpenter, lived in a cottage at Goonbell.
The year 1942 was an expensive year for Dad with three weddings in five months, we each got married in St Mary鈥檚 Church in Truro, cars were provided by Dales Garage, in Vicarage Road. The cake was baked at the bakery in St Agnes Church-town, which was owned by Cecil and Stanley Cowle, we had to provide all the ingredients out of our rations. The reception was held for close family and friends at Wheal Butson farm, the table was well provided for with a joint of beef and plenty of drink for the happy occasion.

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