大象传媒

Mr Ray Caradeuc interviewed by Margaret Le Cras

Transcribers note : Transcription difficult at times because interviewer was nearer the microphone and her interjections sometimes upstage Mr Le Caradeuc, who is rather faint. Where the interviewer鈥檚 comments are relevant they have been transcribed in full.

and from there we went digging peat
I鈥︹�︹��. Oh yes, down at the Grande Mare, yes. My father did that as well, some of the time, yes.
Ray Caradeuc. I was on the pumps, and I had an Irish chappie who was looking after me, because I was small, just seventeen, and he says 鈥測ou don鈥檛 touch this lad鈥� and he was a big Irish chap, he didn鈥檛 stand no messing. I was on the pumps, there was always arguments of course, there were about eighty of us I think. I worked for about twelve months there, and then one morning somebody from the [ ] came down, who was a German, he said wanting fifty chappies, and he says 鈥淚鈥檒l take them Now.鈥� So I was picked on, [ ] I was picked, and off we went. The following week, up at the airport, there was Danger Money, working at the Airport
I鈥︹�︹��. So, what did you do at the Airport?
Ray Caradeuc. Making trenches, in the hedges.
I鈥︹�︹��. What was it, for them to put the Curfew things, ?
Ray Caradeuc. No, to shoot, to hide themselves in, the trench. [ ] because then, they were building, er, hangers, eh, for the planes, and they were all busy there, [ ] because the first one, that was right by the roadway leading to the Villiaze, and that was after five or six months that we were there. We used to be picked up every morning by a German soldier, sometimes we鈥檇 have the same chap for about a month or two, and the next thing we had, we had to go to the Corbiere, and do a trench from the top to the bottom.
I鈥︹�︹��. So it was for them to use it as a passageway, like?
Ray Caradeuc. It was to drain their camps
I鈥︹�︹��. So it was a drain really? Yes,
Ray Caradeuc. Down the cliff. I was there for about a month or so.
I鈥︹�︹��. Yes, it would have been
Ray Caradeuc. And we left there, back to the airport. I was there for a twelvemonth, and used to be picked up in the morning, and one morning my German soldier said 鈥淵ou come back tomorrow morning, no, this afternoon, and load a plane with a hundredweight of [ ] 鈥� So we said yes, we couldn鈥檛 care less what we did, so, morning went, and I was walking across the airport, going to towards Bas Courtils, where I was working, and I saw a plane come over. Oh, I thought , I鈥檓 not going to walk up there, I was close to where they were loading up, [ ] so, I looked at the plane, I saw it do that, [hand gesture?] and it was a very calm day, I thought, that鈥檚 strange, [ ]
I鈥︹�︹��. It was wobbling, like? It was shaking?
Ray Caradeuc. It dropped a load, eh? On the one hanger they鈥檇 finished, or were on the point of finishing, the chap was painting it to look like a greenhouse, and the bomb fell right in front of it, and he was killed outright.
I鈥︹�︹��. He was killed. Gosh, I鈥檇 never heard that story before.
Ray Caradeuc. Absolutely killed outright. And all the guns started firing
I鈥︹�︹��. At the plane?.
Ray Caradeuc. At the plane.
I鈥︹�︹��. Who was the bloke that was killed? Do you remember?
Ray Caradeuc. I don鈥檛 remember him at all. Apparently next morning, who should have the job to go and clean the mess. And I said 鈥淚鈥檓 not cleaning this鈥�. Ugh. I鈥檇 never seen dead bodies before. There was eyes and all that [ ] So I said to my mate, there were two of us, [ ] surname 鈥� [ ] and I jumped on my bike and went home.
I鈥︹�︹��. Best thing to do
Ray Caradeuc. By the time I come back most of it had been cleared up. I didn鈥檛 have a job to do that.
But [ ] we went doing more trenches and helping to clear up the mess because they used to make in granite like you got kerbs from their hanger up the grass so it wouldn鈥檛 sink and that was [ ] with the bomb and he was good the chappie that [ ]
I鈥︹�︹��. He aimed it well
Ray Caradeuc. [ ] it went straight up my nose. The shrapnel was flying everywhere. Caw. I went down to. And there was chaps also that were in the greenhouses, mind you there was a lot of glass missing [ ] dry spots. They were all having their lunch in there when that bomb dropped and you never seen [ ] everybody was coming out where there was no glass. It was funny to see. Off we went to dig some more holes, for them. Next morning we was picked up again, it was [ ] so my chappie said (you know the hangers, they are high, eh?-) he said 鈥済o and remove two sheets of corrugated from up there鈥�, I said 鈥渘o鈥�. I said [ ]
I鈥︹�︹��. No they鈥檇 be gone, the wind would鈥�
Ray Caradeuc. And off he goes and fetch a German officer, and the foreman of the works, he said its either that or get shot, so I said, well if that鈥檚 the case I might as well be shot because I鈥檇 be killed up there. So Mr Le Poidevin was the foreman, he used to be on the roads, years ago, before that, and he butted in, he said it鈥檚 that or the sack. So I said, 鈥渨ell, the sack.鈥� I wasn鈥檛 going, [ ] He was the first one to say, So I said I wouldn鈥檛 have gone up, because it鈥檚 a hanger,
I鈥︹�︹��. so what happened?
Ray Caradeuc. I don鈥檛 know. We had the sack.
[laughter]
I鈥︹�︹��. Out of work

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