大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by volunteer from The Chepstow Society on behalf of Betty Bennett and has been added to the site with her permission. Betty Bennett fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

Continued from 4065338

The first time landgirls were used with the threshing was unexpected. They just arrived at the site delivered by van. A local farmer said he didn鈥檛 want them. L took his four. One of the girls said to L (at 7.45 a.m.) 鈥淎re you mad starting work at this time of day鈥�. L replied 鈥淚 started at 5.30 this morning, I鈥檝e already milked 5 cows (by hand), had breakfast and been here 30 minutes getting this machine ready鈥�. Once the landgirls got used to the work L said they worked well and did a great job.

Landgirls did other farm work as needed - a 鈥榩hone call to the billets and they were delivered. They were needed for haymaking, potato picking, lifting and clipping turnips and swedes which were staple animal feed (usually sliced). Conscientious objectors also were available. The farmer would ring the labour officer at the 鈥淲ar Ag鈥� office in Cardiff and if available they were delivered by van or lorry. If living at home CO鈥檚 had to meet at collecting points early each morning. Lynnus also had help from 鈥淎ck Ack鈥� men (anti-aircraft gunners) stationed near the Weycock roundabout and from searchlight battery men stationed at the top of the village or the other side and a bit above 鈥淭op house鈥�. This was when things were quiet and the officer in charge would release a couple of men for the day
.
What about L and the Home Guard that he worked with whenever he could get away from the farm. (There was also Civil Defence, Fire Service, Special Police). Lots of tales.

Age, he hadn鈥檛 seen since she was born because he went straight from fighting in Abyssinia to N. Africa. His name was Charlie Cessa. There were the P.O.W鈥檚 some of which were used to farm work. First Germans and then Italians. One of the Italians (he had a daughter at home) asked if he could come back and work on the farm after the war but he wasn鈥檛 allowed to do so and he was a very good worker too. When Lynnus and Rhoswen were holidaying in the Rhine valley and visited a wine cellar in the 60鈥檚 they were served by one of the P.O.W鈥檚 who had worked on the farm. He must have had good memories because he went under the counter for better wine for them. The 鈥淲ar Ag鈥� had the money for P.O.W鈥檚 work and the C.O鈥檚 but airmen were paid directly. The P.O.W鈥檚 brought 7lb tins of Bully Beef and 7lb tins of marmalade to the farm (how they got them out of camp was a mystery) and I expect Rhoswen looked after them lunchtime as recompense. Their camp was in the region of Tesco鈥檚 on Port Talbot Road, Burry. Before the P.O.W鈥檚 American

Additions

The tennis club in Welsh Street was a focal point for young people in the summer months. I belonged but didn鈥檛 play much because Philip didn鈥檛 play. Rimmer Clarke, who owned the chemist鈥檚 shop next to the George Hotel, was a leading light and very particular who he played with. The ginormous mahogany gentleman鈥檚 press in my bedroom belonged to Rimmer鈥檚 father and was bought at his house sale.

There was, also, theAmateur Dramatic Society which put on something each winter. Some of our teachers took active part but I didn鈥檛 - no aptitude. And once again Philip didn鈥檛 belong. One of the leading ladies (whose name I鈥檒l try to recall) painted the water colours of Chepstow Castle and the Arch that Larkfield staff gave me as .........

Larkfield Wartime - extras

1. Soon after London bombing became severe in 1940 West Ham Junior Tech. School was evacuated to Larkfield. They had their own staff - 2 or 3 in the beginning and Mrs E.T. Davies, wife of the vicar of Mathern. Taught part-time before her first child was born. They had a separate timetable and used free classrooms and any available cubby hole and we had several. One such, behind our staff, served as the Biology 鈥減rep鈥� room until a demountable structure was put up on the front lawn. I set up experiments in this room and carried them all over the building. Another, upstairs, later served as a 6th form common room after W. Ham left. W. Ham assembly followed ours at the
beginning of school. There was very little disturbance. As conditions improved in London so pupils slowly returned home. Staff and pupils were billeted in the town.

2. The Staff list.

Mr. Webb- Headmaster had been called up during August 1939 so was not in the school when I started about September 8th 1939.

Mr. Robinson - who had been Senior Master became Acting Headmaster. He taught Geography.

Miss Smith - Senior Mistress who taught English was an exceptionally astute teacher and disciplinarian. I admired her very much. She gave advice without being too intrusive and kept a very firm hand on all aspects of school life. She was undoubtedly the mainstay of the establishment.

Mr. Westcott taught Chemistry and became Acting Senior Master.

Mr. Anton Edwards taught French.

Mr. Glyn Ball taught Maths, was called up early during the war and later came back, eventually becoming Deputy Headmaster.

Mr. Bryn Jakeman taught Art one day a week.
Mr. Wilding was Woodwork Master.
Mr. Morgan taught Physics.
Mr. Mellish taughts Maths and Science.
Miss Gillett taught English.
Miss Sally Davies taught History.
Miss Dolly Rees taught Latin and French.
Miss Marjorie Thomas taught Geography.
Miss Ceri Smith taught Cookery and Needlework two days a week.

Various lady P.T. teachers taught in the school one day a week and younger lady teachers shared P.T. and games teaching the other days.

I taught mainly Biology, with a little Historical Geography the first two years, a little Scripture to fill the gap (poorly) and my share of P.T. and games taking charge of netball and rounders coaching at one time.

Snaps : V.E. march through Chepstow.
G.T.C. officers and girls.
School - teams - staff - form - sports day.

Communities, Communities, as in Chepstow seemed to be like cocoons during the war. People didn鈥檛 travel far, or stay away for long - that is the established residents. Children in the services might have surprise forty-eight hour leaves, and would expect Mum and Dad to be at home. Also there was little to encourage travel. Crowded trains, sitting on cases in the corridor, reduced bus services and the blackout. Only the service men stationed locally, came and went.

Within the community everyone knew what was going on. I arrived in Chepstow in September 1939 but within a few years I received letters addressed to Miss Betty John, Teacher, Chepstow; and one with the 鈥楾eacher鈥� missing! I had those letters without delay. (Letters from servicemen moved away quickly or people met on courses) Of course I could have taught the post girl or the son of the postman, or the postman鈥檚 family could have had milk delivered by Philip. My mother-in-law once told me she and my father-in-law didn鈥檛 want to go on holiday while their only son was on active service in North Africa, they preferred to save that money for him to have a start after the war. (They put down the half cost of the first house Les and I bought, after we married, with that money)

When my romance with Philip Price was in one of its 鈥榦ff鈥� periods, I remember drinking with an army captain friend in one of the local pubs. A slight acquaintance passing quietly whispered 鈥淧hilip is drinking in the other bar鈥�. Philip told me, later, that he liked to keep an tabs on me when we weren鈥檛 actually courting. Everyone knew what was going on. My stormy relationship with Philip was part of the local entertainment. It鈥檚 on, it鈥檚 off, Oh no it鈥檚 back on again! That closeness lasted several years after the war ended (as well as rationing and various shortages).

I bought a very fashionable voluminous (most material available - no need to skimp) 鈥榯ent鈥� coat in the spring of 1948. Les had just been appointed to the staff of West Mon Haberdasher鈥檚 School in Pontypool so we were engaged at half-term the middle of February and married five weeks later on Easter Saturday March 29th. (I was told a few days later that Philip watched the wedding party coming out of church, from behind the churchyard wall in Chepstow). We lived in a flat above the doctor鈥檚 surgery in 鈥楾own Gate鈥� (what an address:- Town Gate Chepstow - I wish I could have kept it). There was no bathroom but from the entrance hall a door and steps led down into the cellar which continued into the Arch. It was in that cellar I burnt letters I had received from several boyfriends, so if any scraps unburnt were found, they are mine. Within a few months of leaving the flat I met Barbara, an ex pupil from the first bunch I had put in for 鈥極鈥� levels at Larkfield in 1941 (she passed) Barbara congratulated me on being pregnant. She was quite disappointed to hear the rumour was wrong. After all I was thirty three and should have been thinking along those lines. It was a genuine and interested comment. What ex pupil would have that interest these days?

Anyway conditions deteriorated in Larkfield. It was no longer the halcyon school it had been (hence the plaque erected in September 2000.) About eighteen months later I conceived Madeleine so the tent coat proved very useful.

Donald Barton could have added two more weekend incidents to his list.

Who 鈥榙id鈥� the interior decoration to the 鈥榗ubby hole鈥� given over as a common room to the sixth form in 44-45? I doubt it was ever established, but was widely assumed that Terry O鈥橬eill had been involved in the splashing about of paint. Terry was rarely in the fore front of any mischief going on. He had that 鈥淚鈥檓 not involved in anything wrong鈥� look. Male members of staff however always checked on him first. He wasn鈥檛 involved in the second escapade however and that is the one that sticks in my mind perhaps because of later repercussions.

Miss Dolly Rees had a small Austin car which she used weekends to get home to Blackwood (when there was a petrol allowance) She always had a car full of staff travelling in that direction - Glyn Ball, Ceri Smith ( domestic science in the early war years). The car was parked in a garage in the town during the week, but on Fridays left in the area in front of the front entrance to the building. One Friday after school she had great difficulty in getting the car started and it made funny noises. Once it was moving there was obviously something wrong, but she managed to coax it out on to Newport Road and past the rows of pupils lined up on the pavement, waiting for their buses. They were all very amused and showed it. The journey to Blackwood was very trying and once there several mechanic friends tried to remedy the trouble without success. Eventually on taking the car to a garage it was discovered that the leads had been changed over. The car was put right but Dolly came to school on the Monday morning in a very cross frame of mind. Mr Robinson and Mr Westcott led a special assembly asking for information and stressing the danger of tampering with engines etc. Known trouble makers were interviewed separately and for several days every effort was made to find out who had done the deed. No one confessed and no one told tales or gave hints of any kind.

Forty to fifty years later when I attended one of the Larkfield reunions I think it was Gerald Robbins spilled the beans. Bruce Bullock and two helpers were the culprits. Of course I told Dolly about it when I returned to Blackwood and between us we decided we should do something about it. By this time Bruce Bullock was Head of Catering at Colchester Avenue College. We made up a fanciful bill including 鈥榮tress鈥� and 鈥榠nterest鈥� over forty odd years and sent to him at the college. He replied immediately, confessed, stated just what had happened and enclosed two tickets for one of the Catering Department鈥檚 special evening dinners that the students put on. He entertained us that night and apologised abjectly to Dolly. He was the one who changed the leads (he had become very interested in car engines at that time he said) 鈥楽o and So鈥� held the bonnet up and ? Williams acted as lookout on the corner of the building. I was told the other two names but have forgotten them. Imagine an entire school keeping mum. A lot of pressure was put on them.

Another tale - not mischief stays in my memory. Beefy Bevan was a typical Rugby forward. Miss Gillett his English teacher in form 5 was no more than five feet tall. Bevan was mis-behaving in class and Miss Gillett (Gilly to her friends) had had enough of him. She is reported as saying 鈥榞et outside Bevan or I鈥檒l throw you out鈥� He went outside the classroom.

FROM A LETTER T0 EILEEN GRASSBY FROM MRS BETTY BENNETT
Mother of Professor Maddy Gray

Evidently Annie Rainsbury has her wartime memories that Maddy loaned her. Maddy is using them in her Gwent Historical Society Newsletter.

"I'm not sure whether my memories of West Ham Junior Tech were included, so I'll repeat them. The only other person ( if still alive) who is likely to know much about that time would.be Mrs ET Davies. ET was curate at Chepstow, and then vicar at Mathern, and later Usk where I visited them. He died about 10 years ago. Mrs ET taught, part time, West Ham pupils. Madeleine is making enquiries about her through her Usk Historical Soc.friends. The obvious source for times is County Hall."

"My memories

1 They had their own timetable and fitted into any odd spaces when classrooms weren't available -the little room beyond the staff room and under the stairs etc.
They had an assembly after ours.

2 The numbers decreased as conditions became easier in London.

3 Only two or three staff came with them, initially.

4 We had little contact with them -staff or pupils.

5 Pupils were billet ted in the Town. "

Letter signed" Betty"( Bennett) and dated March 2nd 01.
from 5 Wellington Street, Tongwynlais, Cardiff CF15 7LP

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.