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This article has been written for the ����ý “People’s War” website by Mr David C. Kershaw. It was submitted at an Imperial War Museum exhibition entitled ‘Their Past, Your Future’ on display at Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, Carlisle, Cumbria on Thursday 18 August 2005. Mr Kershaw fully understands the terms of the "People's War" website. The account has been transcribed by Joseph Ritson, a volunteer story-gatherer for the ����ý Radio Cumbria CSV Action Desk.

Home and school life

“I was born in Halifax, Yorkshire on 25 March 1933. So I was 6½ when World War Two began. My elder brother won a scholarship to a local boarding school (Rishworth) and started there in 1941. I remained at home with my mother in a part of Halifax known as Pellon.

I went to a local primary school, and later to a school in the town centre. I caught the bus at the bottom f the road and then walked about half a mile to the school. I would have been 7 years old. Children had much more independence than they have today.

Our home was a 1930s semi-detached house, with a garden and a garage, but no car. We had an Anderson shelter built in the back garden. In the summer it was covered in nasturtiums.

Our neighbours: Wilfred Pickles and his parents

About this time, the family living next door moved elsewhere and were replaced by a Mr and Mrs Fred Pickles, the parents of Wilfred Pickles, the first newsreader on the ����ý to read the news with a regional accent. He was later taken off those duties for saying “Good neet” instead of “Goodnight” at the end of one News Broadcast!

He went on to be a popular radio personality and later appeared in TV shows and films. Based periodically at the Manchester offices of the ����ý, from time to time he would spend time with his parents.

German planes came over Halifax to drop bombs in Manchester. When the sirens went off Wilfred and his parents shared our Anderson Shelter. Wilfred kept us, or certainly me, awake with many funny stories and jokes! In 1943, I joined my brother at the boarding school 7 miles from Halifax.

My Dad’s life in the RAF

During the war, my father was Squadron Leader Arthur Leslie Kershaw. He’s now deceased. Dad was a Senior Movements Officer in the RAF and had volunteered his services at the outbreak of war. He was stationed in various UK localities, with a brief period in the Near East.

When on leave, he would visit us at our school, usually in his uniform, and wearing his peaked hat with what looked like ‘scrambled egg’ (i.e. braid) on it. He also had an impressive number of ribbons on his chest.

Having been a Harbour Master in what was then the Gold Coast (now Ghana) in civilian life his work involved movement of troops, usually by sea. My child contemporaries all wanted to know what planes he flew! I couldn’t own up to his Ground Staff status, so I told them he flew Lancasters, Hurricanes and Halifaxes.

But, I drew the line at telling them he flew Spitfires as I felt he was too old! Amazingly, I appeared to be believed and I was never found out. Now it is 60+ years on, it doesn’t matter.

The Wilfred Pickles story is true, whilst my Dad flying and fighting in the skies is fiction, or untrue, lies or ‘white lies’ if you like. But, I don’t think it harmed anyone. It was just a bit of childhood wartime propaganda — and adults were at it all the time!”

Additional information (by transcriber)

For anyone, who wants to find out further information about Wilfred Pickles, there is a photograph of him, courtesy of the ����ý, in Angus Calder’s 1969 book “The People’s War” (Plate 26), plus some references about his wartime work for the ����ý.

The Nasturtium is a colourful ornamental garden plant, originating in the mountains of South America. The plant has rounded leaves and usually has orange or red coloured flowers.

Thank you, David!

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