大象传媒

My name is Wilfred Jones, I was born on 15th February 1924 at Netherby Farm, Marton near Middlesbrough. My Father was Mr Percy Jones, who's parents lived at Moorgate Leas Farm, Hawsker near Whitby, and my Mother was Miss Lucy Hilda Maynard who's parents lived at High Farm, Thornton Grange, near Middlesbrough. My parents met each other when my Father was working as an Agricultural worker on a farm about half way between Malty & Hilton, just after the first World War.

In 1929, my Father was still working in Agriculture, but he was now the Head Horseman for Mr William Franks of Low Farm, Ingleby Barwick, and my parents were living in a Tied Cottage on the Farm, I would at this stage just like to remind people just how bad the pay & conditions were in those days. Although my Father who had a wife and 4 children, and had years of experience, and one of the best paid jobs in Agriculture, his wage was only 30 shillings a week.

However, fate took a hand as at the beginning of July my Grandfather Jones fell and broke his right leg. Almost immediately he realised that as harvest was fast approaching, he wouldn't be able to manage the 165 acre mixed farm without some help. So he wrote and asked my Father to come back home and manage the farm. At the end of July, my parents moved into an almost new bungalow, only about 100 yards from where my grandparents lived.

At the beginning of September my Uncle David took Bertram who was now 9 years old and I who was 5 years old to Hawsker CE School, which we all has to attend until we were 14 years old. Uncle David left in July 1933, Bertram at Easter 1934, and I left at Easter 1938.

As soon as I had left school, my Father insisted that I went to work for my Uncle Mr George Brecon Dixon of High Farm, Normanby, about 4 miles form where we lived. My wages were 5 shillings per week plus board & lodgings, but I had to work at least 60 hours per week. My brother Bertram was also working there, when he went in 1934 his wages were only 4 shillings per week. I worked for my Uncle until Martimas on the 22nd November, when I went down to Whitby Hirings. I was hired by Mr George Hird of Mitten Hill Farm, Hawsker for 6 shillings per week, but I didn't have to work so many hours. While I was working for Mr Hird, Mr Arthur Reynolds and his wife lived in the Hinds House. His brother Earnest also worked there. Mr Hird also employed Ronald Noble who was one of ny mates from School and myself. Although Mrs Reynolds used to look after us and feed us, Earnest, Ronald and I used to sleep and look after ourselves in an adjacent caravan. Mr Hird had quite a large farm and had about 30 milk cows, which needed milking twice a day. After we had finished the morning milking, we used to load the 6 ten gallon milkcans into the back of Mr Hirds car and he would take it and deliver it to his customers down in Whitby.

I remember the start of the Second World War on the 3rd September 1939, as though it was only weeks or months ago rather than years. The day the war started, Mr Arthur Reynolds, Ronald Noble and I, had taken 6 dry cows (that were cows which weren't giving any milk) but were due to calve within the next 3 months, along with approximately 20 young beast, down to 50 acres of grazing land, at Hawsker Bottoms. Mr George Hird has leased this off my Grandparents Mr & Mrs David Jones who lived at Moorgate Leas Farm Hawsker near Whitby. As we came back from taking these cattle through High Hawsker, some of the people came out and told us that Neville Chamberlain had announced over the radio, that we were now at war with Nazi Germany. However, we hadn't long to wait, only days, before we witnessed a dog fight between one of our Hurricane fighters and a German Bomber just north of Whitby. This German Bomber was the first to be brought down on British land, and crashed at Banniel Flatts Farm near Whitby.

I continued working for Mr George Hird until I was hired by Mr Herbert Stevenson of High Farm Saltwick for 7 shillings per week. We used to get up early in the morning to milk the cows, then after we had had our breakfasts, we would load the milk into the milk into the back of the car, and go down to Whitby to deliver the milk to his customers at 3pence per pint, or some customers used to purchase 1penny worth for their cats. Down at Whitby off the main street on the east side of town which was Church Street, there were about 20 passages leading off to the right. Most of these passages were at least 50 yards long and pretty steep, and quite some energy and strength was required to walk up these steep passages with 2 gallons of milk. On the west side of town there were still more passages but these weren't so steep, but there were more streets and back alleys, some of which you never notice, until you become a Milkman or a Postman. I enjoyed delivering milk during the Autumn, but in Winter when there was ice and snow it wasn't very nice. During the afternoons I used to work as an Agricultural worker doing all sorts of things on the farm. They had an old Austin 16hp saloon car, which they had converted into a small lorry. I really enjoyed learning to drive on this, as it was ideal to learn on, as it didn't have an electric starter motor so if you stalled it, you had to get out and start it by its starting handle. I worked for Mr Stevenson for about 6 months, before he told me that I was too generous with the spillage I was giving customers, I thought that this was just an excuse for me to leave.

So I went to work for Mr William Codling, who lived on a small farm near the Hawsker Lighthouse and the Foghorn for 8 shillings per week. I remember these next few months very well indeed, because on several Sunday mornings about 11oclock, a solitary German Bomber would make a bombing raid on the west side of Whitby. He used to come in almost simultaneously on his flight path and release his string of about 7 bombs, most of which fell on agricultural land and did very little harm, but on one occasion he hit an occupied terrace house in Abbots Road and there were several fatal injuries. I think it was in the last attack that the last 3 bombs fell on my Grandparent's farm, the last within 50 yards of our bungalow, making quite a large crater.

In the spring of 1941, I was hired by Mr Harland Padget of Low House Farm, Goldsbrough near Whitby for 9 shillings per week. I know what you will be thinking, "why is he moving so many times", but this was the only way you could get more money, as the farmers weren't prepared to give you any extra pay. However, by moving from one farm to another you gained more experience of how other people did certain things. It was while I was at Goldsbrough that the Government was asking for people over 16 to join the Local Defence Volunteers, so Mr Joe Newby who worked on the farm next door and I decided we would volunteer. So we went down on our bicycles to the Gun Room at Mulgrave Castle, where we were told that we would have to come 3 times per week, 10am to noon on Sundays, and on Tuesday & Thursdays 7 to 9pm. It was also during my stay at Goldsbrough that bombs were dropped within 50 yards of where I was sleeping. I awoke this particular morning and looked out of my bedroom window and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. In Mr Duels stackyard was an open crater. I thought that the Germans had landed on the East coast and dug trenches. I went gingerly down the stairs, and when asked if I had heard the bombs which had been dropped, I had to admit that I hadn't heard anything.

When we first joined the Local Defence Volunteers Force, there were very few volunteers, and even less rifles and ammunition. In fact, for the first few weeks we had to use brush shafts or fork handles, to do our squad drills with. After about an hour of square bashing as we called it, we went into an adjacent pasture where we formed 2 lines about 30 yards apart. Our commanding officer would give out instructions, prepare to throw spears, and then throw your spears. This was the first time that we were acting like Zulu warriors, but it soon became clear why we had formed the 2 lines, as we both threw the spears at the same time, this meant that you hadn't to move too far to collect the nearest spear. However, over the months as more people joined and the LDV became the Home Guard, we were soon provided with Enfield rifles but very little ammunition. About once a month we were taken down to our practice rifle range, which was down at Sandsend, on the Seafront at the rear of Sandsend Station at the bottom of Lythe Bank. I was quite a good shot in those days and could hit a 6 penny piece at 25 yards, 4 times out of 5, today I probably would have difficulty seeing the target. Also, in those days I was only small built, and because of this I was selected as Chief Scout, and when we went on manoeuvres etc, I always had to lead the way, to make sure there weren't any booby traps or other obstacles to contend with.

Another manoeuvre which we used to perform was attack and defence. The platoon would split into two groups. One group would defend the castle, while the other group attacked. Next week, the roles would be reversed. The rules were that we were not allowed to roam outside the castle boundries. The castle was surrounded by 250 acres of parkland with trees and bushes, so there was plenty of cover for those attacking, and if you got within 50 yards you were voted to have succeeded.

In 1942 my Grandparents sold Moorgate Leas Farm to Mr Earl of Scorton, near Richmond for 拢4,000. My Grandparents retired to Fern House Hawsker which only had about 6 acres of land. All the live stock had to be sold. These included 10 horses, 30 cows, 60 young cattle, 60 sheeps and lambs. Also several pigs and young. My Father went to Normanby near Kirby Moorside to manage 2 farms for Mr Samuel Lockwood, who was the local magistrate. The farms included the dairy farm which had a pedigree herd of Jersey cows, which were looked after by 3 land army workers under Mr Mothersdale's supervision. The other farm was Homestead Farm at Normanby where Mr Stead and his wife lived. Mr Stead was Mrs Lockwoods chauffeur and handyman, and Margaret their only daughter worked as a land army girl along with Rose Bently who lived on an adjoining farm. I went to work for my Mother's uncle Mr Philip Stainthorpe as Sleepy Hollow Farm Thornton for 10 shillings a week. My Grandfather Maynard got me this job as he thought he would be albe to look after me and keep me under his wing. Uncle Phil was 68 year old so I was glad that I had gained quite a lot of experience, as I had most of the work to do, including the ploughing, the sewing, the grass cutting and the harvesting of the corn and all the other agricultural work. Uncle Phil had 2 daughters, Molly who was married to Mr Albert Addison of Low Moor Farm Thornton, and Nancy who worked at home but most days went to help Molly who lived on a neighbouring farm.

When I had any spare time I went down to my Uncle Fred William Maynard who lived at Throstle Nest which was between Thornton and Maltby. Uncle Fred was employed by North Riding County Council as a roadman, he also was a special constable. On many evenings during the bombing raids on Teeside him and I would go up onto the high road between Thornton and Maltby to watch the anti-aircraft guns and the barrage balloons and the search lights all playing their part to keep the German bombers as high in the sky as possible. Sometimes, it was very noisy, especially when they fired what we called the Pom Pom guns. These fired 10 shots all at once and if a plane was caught in the search light beam there was very little hope for them. Most of the action was over the Stockton, Thornaby, Billingham and Middlesbrough area, but from our vantage point, we could see over most of Teesside and Cleveland.

Also up on Seamer Moore there was a mock aerodrome, and Goosepool aerodrome from where quite a lot of our bombers took off to bomb Germany and we were right under the flight path as they flew out over the countryside to miss the populated areas.

In 1943 I volunteered as an airgunner but after passing my medical A1 in Middlesbrough, I was sent down to Doncaster for further tests. They found that I had a Polypus and a decayed bone in my nose, so they told me to return home and that I would be better employed in agriculture helping the war effort. During 1943 I went to work for Mr Gordon Richardson of White House Farm, Stokesley. Previously, I had only worked with horse drawm implements, but Mr Richardson had 2 tractors. One was a Alice Charmer B model, which he allowed me to drive and the case tractor which his son Maurice drove. They also employed several land army girls for sorting and picking potatoes. When I wasn't too busy Gordon asked me if I would go and work for his brother Alf who had a small holding down North Road Stokesley. While I was working for the Richardsons I was lodging with Mr & Mrs Gordon Peacock of Lennox House Stokesley. Mr Peacock was blind and he told me how he sustained his injuries. He had been injured during the First World War and had been creeping away from the battle field when an enemy soldier saw him and hit him over the head with his rifle butt. That was how he became blind. Later in 1943 I went back home to work for my Father who was living at Normanby. I worked for Samuel Lockwood for a short while before Mr Wilf Cossey asked me if I would go and work for him, as he had rented Brockrigg Farm at Scaling.

So on the 6th April 1944 I cycled over Blakey Moore through Castleton and Danby and over to Scaling. I soon got to know Jonny and William Green and became good friends with them. We used to go down to Hinderwell to the pictures, and also to Loftus. We also used to attend all the local dances and it was known for me to travel as far as Goathland and Ugthorpe to dances in St. Annes Hall where I met my wife Annie.

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