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Schooldays During W.W.2.

As a 12 year old in May 1940 our school in common with thousands throughout the country ,held the usual morning assembly and were informed that Germany had occupied France and that Britain was carrying on the war alone.

During the previous months evacuee children arrived from Liverpool increasing the school population to a high number overnight causing very overcrowded classrooms. Later on in the of May a radio broadcast requested volunteers to join the LDV Home Guard, my dad a veteran of the first World War signed on with a commissioned officers rank.

Shortly afterwards scores of Lee Enfield rifles,bayonets ,Sten submachine guns and a two wheeled Smith gun arrived at our country inn home together with the appropriate ammunition which was stored all together in a large shed. Such ‘dumps’ were located every 3 or 4 miles in our area the object being that in the event of the Germans invading selected members would lead and carry out military operations against the enemy from Berwyn Mountains.

A short while later my Dad asked if I be interested to join a small unofficial Home Guard cadet unit to become a signaller and message carrier, this was most acceptable and very soon joining in Battalion exercises and rifle range firing where we given the chance to fire the guns. My younger brother and I became very proficient at stripping and reassembling our selection of guns.

At this time heavy German bombing raids were being carried out against Liverpool with the inbound and outbound flight paths passing over our area and quite frequently the glow of the fires could be seen from 70 miles away.

One morning a lone JU88 with its markings clearly visible was over to photograph the previous nights raids.

At fairly frequent intervals aircraft accidents happened in the surrounding areas and this provided us school lads with a ready supply of mostly 303 bullets these being dismantled by removing the heads and using the cordite sticks which when placed end to end then fired with a lighted match proved to give a good pyrotechnic display. Pieces of Perspex were also much sort after.

In 1942 having moved to a Technical School the local squadron of the Air Training Corps was formed which took up nearly all our spare time with drill parades , lectures on navigation , aircraft recognition , morse code and aircraft engines also flights at local R.A.F. Stations in Wellingtons Oxford Rapides and other various aircraft thus giving us invaluable training for our eventual service in the Royal Air Force.

W.L.Vaughan N.Wales.

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