大象传媒

The first thing I remember about the War is going with my mother to Trinity Hall (now a Doctors' Surgery) in Coalbrookdale to meet the evacuees who had arrived by train from Liverpool. My mother chose 2 boys, they didn't stay long as their mother came for them. My parents were the caretakers of Coalbrookdale High School for many years. A boy from Liverpool was billeted with the local butcher; he caused quite a stir by riding on one of the butcher's pigs.

In November 1939 I was taken on as an uncertificated teacher. I worked at Prince's Street Junior School in Wellington for over 3 years. I can remember my monthly salary was 拢7-7s-3d, certificated teachers earned over 拢11 per month. I was in a class with a qualified teacher and helped with practicing for air-raids. The shelters were damp, smelly and wet.

The Government asked civilians to help local farmers. Whilst working as uncertificated teachers 2 friends and I went to see dad's friend, a local farmer called Roy Drury, who had a farm at Buildwas. He put us to work to hoe turnips - such a boring job! We also stooked the sheaves of wheat and oats.

We also helped to make silage from grass and molasses. The grass and molasses were put into a silo - a common feature in the countryside today - but something new in the early days of the War. We had to climb a ladder to get into the circular silos and had to trample down the contents with our feet in wellingtons. Some fellows from a nearby "ACK ACK" post helped and pushed me down into the sticky mixture.

One day 2 teaching friends (certificated teachers who had done 2 years training at Training College) and I cycled to a local pub in the nearby village of Leighton, when we asked the pub landlady for 3 shandies she told us that she did not approve of young ladies drinking. She served us though! I enjoyed dancing - there were plenty of new fellas Americans and Canadians.

I stayed at home from the beginning of the War in September 1939 until September 1942 when I went to train as a teacher at the Goldsmith College in Nottingham. Goldsmith College was a London College evacuated to Nottingham because of the War.

On VE Day my friends and I went on a trip to a country pub, we enjoyed a glass of wine with 2 free Frenchmen and their girl-friends to celebrate.

After I qualified as a teacher I went to work at Wombridge County Primary School in Shropshire for a month to earn some extra money. I then worked there until I retired a period of 31 years.

Story: This story has been submitted to the People's War site by Muriel Palmer (Volunteer) of Age Concern Shropshire Telford& Wrekin on behalf of BM Duddell (author) and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

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