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My earliest wartime memory is at about 3 years old and was a recurring dream presumably stimulated by a real event. I recall being held, I assume by my mother, and looking out of a rear downstairs window. The window faced west and over towards Mosborough. The sky was filled with a red glow — so presumably reflecting (literally) the incendiary bombing of Liverpool? That is probably the reality — the dream involved red and yellow flames a white castle in the middle and an alarming sense of fear and foreboding in the infantile observer!
(I add at this early point that I hate war, things military and jingoistic belligerence - for good reason I think, and am of the opinion that humankind has never recovered from the horrors and slaughter of the Great War, let alone any other.)
At about 4 or 5 years old, walking with my maternal grandfather one day along what was then the only stretch of the Rainford by-pass open, and at what is now it’s junction with Pasture Lane, the carriageways of the by-pass continued northward but were not then used. On the unused stretch of road there were camouflage nets covering something or other and grandfather said that they were hiding tanks and grain.
It is well known I think that there was an ammunition storage dump along Dairy Farm Road — the sight is still there and I believe used for commercial and/or industrial purposes. Refer to the Ordnance Survey map (Landranger, sheet 108,) at SD482004. The ammunition came I believe from the munitions factory at Kirkby along the railway to a siding which ran south from the main line. I have not travelled on this line for quite a while, but at one time you could see where this branch line had been severed! This evidence may have been removed by any modern track working.
I remember seeing tanks rumbling along Church Road — but that may have been just after the war was over, the timing for that is rather vague!
I cannot remember being told what the difference was between the air raid warning siren and the ‘all clear’ signal. So on V.E. day a friend and I were playing in the field opposite where I lived. I do not think we were supposed to be there for we had to cross what was even in those days a busy road. As I have pointed out above the construction of the Rainford by-pass was in progress — or had been before the war, so Church Road could be a dangerous place for small boys! As we played on the field at a small stream we heard the ‘all clear’ siren being sounded to mark the end of the conflict in Europe. We set off home for we new that our mums would be looking for us and half way across the field I fell and were I fell were nettles which stung my leg, but when I got home I didn’t dare tell my mum what had happened because there were no nettles either in our or my friends garden! I was though even at that age aware that one rubbed dock leaves on nettle stings! The nettles made me remember the day!
Later at night — presumably on the same day — I remember being taken from my bed, wrapped in a blanket and taken down the road to its junction with Rookery Lane and there was a bonfire in the street! There was a piano in the street and people were singing and dancing around the fire! I can’t say that I felt that happy — remember above the infantile fear of ‘fire in the sky’!
For quite some time after the war the sight of car headlights sweeping the evening sky would frighten me — obviously, connections with searchlights and the droning sound of bombers en route to Liverpool.
Other memories are mainly just after the war. I remember cutting up old registers at school with blunt nosed scissors — doing our bit towards recycling paper for Lord WooltonI think it was. (I don’t think recycling was a word used at that time!)
The other significant event after the war was one day coming out of school and being met by a vaguely familiar figure who turned out to be my dad! I didn’t know him of course I must have been only months old when he went off to war. I suppose I recognised him from photographs but I cannot say that I recall seeing any. Anyhow we did eventually end up at home! My main relationships with male members of family however continued to be with my grandfathers!
I also remember steam lorries trundling through the village! I think the name on the front was ‘Adam Lithgoe’.
One other memory after the war was lorry loads of troops going through the village, and boys calling out ‘have you any gum chum’! Whether they were American (en-route from Burtonwood?) or not I don’t know — I don’t suppose we knew anyway!
That’s it really. Not much, but an infants/small boys view of what was a terrible time.

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