大象传媒

The Stratford upon Avon Society and Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

The 大象传媒 People鈥檚 War Project

60 - Transcription of a manuscript submitted by John Mann [personal details removed by moderator]

Some personal memories of World War II
A boy aged 10 years - 16 years
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My Age: When war was declared with Germany in September,1939 I was ten years and five months old.

My Home: My parents lived in Wathen Road, Leamington Spa but shortly after, we moved to Campion Green in a house overlooking Leamington and beyond to the south.

The Verge of War: I well remember standing in the garden with my mother and friends, who were nervously discussing the possibility that war was about to be declared and that we had to attend the St. Paul鈥檚 Church Schoolroom to be issued with gasmasks in case of gas bombs being dropped.

Childhood to Adolescence: As I grew from childhood to adolescence during the war years, I gained many memories of observations and experiences within my small sphere in the Parish of St. Paul鈥檚 on the north end of Leamington.

Coventry Blitz: On the bright moonlight night of November 14th 1940 the air raid sirens sounded loud and clear. My parents grabbed hold of my younger brother and ushered us all across the road to a brick and concrete reinforced air raid shelter. After several sounds of exploding bombs which were falling over Coventry, my friend Jimmy and I sneaked out of the shelter and crept up onto higher ground behind the shelter where we could look towards the blazing town only about eight and a half miles away as the crow flies. The sky was lit up with pink and yellow colours, and black smoke from the burning debris. For the short time of our escape indelible memories were made on my mind by the constant explosions, the illuminated sky, the drone of the heavy Luftwaffe bombers as they passed over at what seemed a great height, and the searchlights combing the sky and occasionally converging on a plane which became the target for the anti-aircraft guns.

More Air Raids: There were a number of other occasions when we took to the air raid shelter but our parents kept an eye on us to prevent our escape, so we were resigned to playing games to pass away the time, such a five stones and marbles. There was one occasion when several bombs were dropped about a mile away and no siren had sounded. As they dropped, the explosions shook the house and my brother standing in the bath fell backwards sending the water everywhere; he was promptly picked up, wrapped in a towel and carried over to the shelter where we all remained until the all clear siren sounded.

War Time Service: Many of the men locally had been conscripted into the military services and were active in the forefront of the war, but there was much to be done on the home front by the women, also by men above the conscription age, and teenagers like myself. Some of the women worked in munition factories, some joined the Land Army, there were voluntary services for both men and women; for example the Fire Service, Home Guard (Dad鈥檚 Army), Red Cross, ARP (Air Raid Precautions), and many others all contributing to the war effort. People responded to the food need under the slogan Dig for Victory, lots of gardens were turned to vegetable growing, food became severely rationed so to grow what you could helped out tremendously.

My Small Part in the ARP: The ARP members were issued with a steel helmet for protection from shrapnel from anti aircraft fire or falling debris, their duty was to see there were no lights showing from the houses at night, that people kept in the air raid shelters during bombing raids, that people carried their gasmasks, and to be in contact with other services if and when necessary. On occasions there were air raid practices in readiness for bombs being dropped nearby when ambulances, fire engines or any of the other services were required. For me, I was the messenger for the immediate Campion Green area; for example when an alarm was raised and telephone communications with the Central ARP Office had been cut off due to bombing it was my job to get on my bike and take a written or verbal message to the Central Office near Portland Place, for the appropriate service to be called to the area affected. Fortunately in our part of the town this only happened in practice.

Frightening Experience: There were several occasions which for us young boys at the time were very frightening. On two occasions we were returning from the football field near Pound Lane when a German plane flew low over us and opened up machine gun fire, it was by a miracle that none of us were killed.

My Life Spares, a Near Miss: On another occasion on a lovely quiet summer鈥檚 afternoon in 1940 (before the Coventry blitz) the drone of a plane seemed to be slowly coming from the Coventry direction southwards towards Leamington, when I jumped up on the garden fence to get a good view when it flew over, my mother and aunt were standing behind me. The plane was flying very low and as it came into sight I observed German markings on the side of it, and at that moment on seeing the gunner in the rear turret he opened fire with a burst of machine gun bullets, one of which hit the wall and ricocheted off tearing my aunt鈥檚 coat. This was very frightening especially that no air raid siren had sounded. I still have the bullet.

Saw Bombs drop in Daylight: One day about 1 p.m. several of my friends and I were cycling through Victoria Park on the way to Warwick, no siren had sounded but a German bomber flew over towards the town, the park keeper shouted to us to dive under the bushes and as we did and looked up we saw the bomb doors open and a series of bombs fall near the Lockheed Works about half a mile away.

For us teenagers the war was not all fear, and sometimes interesting and good fun. Some of us were volunteered into being mock patients in practice air raid emergencies, when the Ambulances, Red Cross, ARP and Fire Service were called into action to rescue and treat injured people. This took place in a large open yard belonging to a local brewery in Lillington Avenue. For example we would be hidden under a pile of rubble or behind one of the buildings or found in the open with supposed burns, broken limbs or shock, picked up, carried on stretchers and rushed to a first aid post by ambulance where our supposed injuries received treatment, sometimes splints were fitted to our limbs or put into plaster, or our burns bandaged.

Some of us in our school holidays worked on local farms, helping with the harvest and the growing of vegetables a lot of which were boxed up and sent for the troops.

One night several bombs were dropped across the centre of Leamington, one landed near to the town hall, the blast moved the heavy stone statue of Queen Victoria sideways by one inch, but it remained on its plinth, it was never moved back and a small plaque was fixed to explain the occasion.

After a bombing raid: Sometimes following bombing raids, the next morning we would go out collecting shrapnel, parts of the shells from the anti air gun shells that had fallen from the sky having been shot at German planes. I still have some pieces, also a piece of a landmine and its parachute that fell at Lillington.

Fun at Stoneleigh Park: American troops were stationed at Stoneleigh Abbey Park, we would find a secluded way through a wooded area and if there were no soldiers around the assault course we would have a great time swinging on ropes across the river and climbing the walls and rope ladders.

An annual parade of all the services in their regimental uniforms took place, Army, Navy, Airforce, Police, Fire and Ambulance, ARP, Land Army, Home Guard and all the voluntary organizations all took part. It was an event that boosted the morale of the local and surrounding population, starting by the Leamington Parish Church and led by the bands of the Royal Air Force, various army regiments and the Royal Navy, they marched up the Parade and through the town being cheered by the excited and enthusiastic crowds, of which I was one.

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