大象传媒

A SCHOOLBOY鈥橲 WAR

During the late 1930s, Auchinairn and Bishopbriggs were two small villages about one and a half miles from one another, on the out skirts of Glasgow. Like several other families, we had just moved into a new house, half way between the two villages. The house had gas, water, electricity and an inside toilet. Today such facilities are taken for granted but in those days they were considered a luxury, especially in Auchinairn. To lose such a house was unthinkable, especially to enemy action.
Signs were ominous. Towards the end of September 1938, gas masks arrived at Auchinairn School for distribution to the public. Those gas masks were quaint devices. They covered the entire face and were held in position by straps that extended round the back of the head. There was a transparent Perspex area at the front for vision, and breathing was through a filter device. We got used to them and could wear them for lengthy periods. When the teacher wasn鈥檛 looking, however, a mischief-maker would hold his hand over inlet and cut off the air supply, or pull the elastic straps at the back of the head and release them suddenly.
Air Raid Wardens were appointed, and Black Out training began. Curtains were replaced by dark of black blinds, and strips of black paper stuck to top, bottom and sides of window frames to prevent any light being emitted.
Folks hoped that 鈥淚t might never happen.鈥� But it did. The news broke one Sunday in September 1939. Auchinairn School was closed for a week. A number of evacuees enrolled there just after that. Hither too, Auchinairn had been a tight-knit community. People could live there for 40 years and still be referred to as 鈥業ncomers.鈥� Our teachers explained the situation to us and emphasized the importance of making strangers feel welcome. It worked. We felt privileged at having peen asked to take care of others. It was the same at Bishopbriggs School where 46 evacuees were enrolled.
Chief concern now centred on Air Raids. Public demonstrations were given on how to cope with incendiary bombs. Later, my father showed me how to work a stirrup pump, just in case something happened while he was at work.
Food prices were fixed in September 1939, and Ration Cards were issued during November. Food became scarce. Queues began to form at most shops. This was inconvenient but had positive side effects. While waiting to be served, people would enter into conversation and get to know one another. The result was a great feeling of neighbourliness in Auchinairn and Bishopbriggs throughout the war years.
Morale was important. During the early days of the war, school logs indicate a high incidence of absence among both pupils and teachers. Probably due to stress and anxiety. The School building was strengthened by a wooden frame. Brick Air Raid shelters were built in the school playground and on the streets. Anderson Shelters were erected in gardens. They consisted of rounded corrugated sheets, and could be partially buried. The earth removed for this purpose was piled onto the part of the structure, which remained above ground, to give added protection from blast.
During the summer holidays, the staff of Auchinairn School reported for duty on a rota basis to deal with such emergencies such as an influx of children from over seas. The staff of Bishopbriggs School carried out a survey of accommodation in the area for possible future billeting.
By the beginning of 1941, local school children had forgotten what peacetime Britain was like. There were two day light raids in January. We, the boys and girls of Auchinairn School, hit back by holding a Toy Fair and Concert, which raised 拢50 for the Red Cross.
Tension was building. Tension was building. In a speech on 6th March, the Prime Minister stated that the Battle of the Atlantic had begun. Many food-carrying ships were being sunk. Another factor giving rise for concern was that the enemy might attack shipping and shipbuilding. If so, where? That question was answered on the evening of 13th March. Clydebank was bombed with devastating effect. Three quarters of its鈥� population was made homeless. From our shelters, we could hear all that was going on. Only 35 pupils turned up at Auchinairn School the following morning. They were sent home. Bishopbriggs School was also closed. In fact, Bishopbriggs had not escaped the bombing. Three members of one family had been killed when their house suffered a direct hit.
Further raids took place, including daytime raid over Bishopbriggs on 17th March. On the 19th, Auchinairn School closed early so that teachers could go round the district in an attempt to find accommodation for the homeless. Some Clydebank evacuees were housed in part of Bishopbriggs School.
Fortunately the evacuees were rehoused by 7th April as, on the 8th, Bishopbriggs School and three buildings opposite received direct hits. Several people were killed. Our neighbour, Harry S Fox, of ENSA fame, was on fire watch duty that evening. He asked permission to go home to see if his wife was all right. Actually she was in our shelter that night, not wanting to be on her own. Harry dashed back to the school to find that his post had been destroyed and his colleague killed outright.
Air Raids became almost a nightly event. Clothes were rationed. The metal railings round gardens and schoolyards were removed to help with the war effort. We collected old newspapers, books and virtually anything that could be recycled. We were pleased to be able to take part in the 鈥榳ar effort.鈥� We were also encouraged to buy savings certificates. Nothing was wasted. We even had to write in the margins of used jotters and exercise books. Every scrap of waste food was kept and collected for pigswill. Our present Health and safety people would have been shattered, but it worked and we survived. Worse, however, was to follow, from a child鈥檚 point of view.
When Italy entered the war, people of Italian origin were interned. Many of them owned ice cream shops, which closed.
Later, some Italian prisoners of war came to work in local fields. Meanwhile we were interested in defences. Locally, the Navy had a filling station and an ammunition dump on the Forth and Clyde canal, which passes through Bishopbriggs. The RAF established a balloon barrage near by, and there was an 鈥楢ck-Ack鈥� battery with guns and searchlights about a mile from Auchinairn. It all helped to make us feel that we were hitting back at the enemy. On one never to be forgotten night, OUR guns from the local barrage scored a direct hit and brought down an enemy bomber. This was a great morale booster. Another was to follow. American service men began to arrive in Glasgow. One of them was none other than Joe Louis, the World Heavyweight Boxing champion. How could Hitler survive against such odds, we reasoned. Morale fell to an all time low, however, when sweet rationing was introduced.
Coal was also in short supply but at least it was produced locally. We learned that we relied heavily on imported goods, and that the Suez Canal was under threat. It was at this point that a national hero emerged, General Montgomery. He finally halted the enemy advance on Suez. During the early part of 1943 we wallowed in Monty鈥檚 success. We learned all about it on the radio and at the local cinema (no TV in those days).
At school, we continued to collect all sorts of things for the War Effort. Auchinairn School was particularly successful in the 鈥榃ings for Victory鈥� savings campaign, achieving almost five times the target set. There was also the Spitfire fund. Participants received a small silver badge of a Spitfire in recognition of their efforts. Things began to improve and by the middle of 1943. There was news of the sinking of the German Battleship, Scharnhorst, and morale among the children was high.
1944 came along, and we were beginning to hit back. One day, or morning and lunch breaks were extended, something almost unheard of. Our teachers were listening to breaking news on the school radio. It was June 6th, D-Day. Soon it would all be over, or so we were told.
The war dragged on, however, but at least we were winning. V2 rockets were landing on London, however, and it was explained to us that if they were launched further north, we would be in danger also. We felt for the people of London. The whole nation was united against the common enemy, in the eyes of us boys and girls at least.
Then came another never to be forgotten school day. It was 8th May, and the morning break seemed to be lasting forever. Eventually, the Head Master emerged from the doorway. He didn鈥檛 ring the bell but waved his arms excitedly, bringing us all together to give us the great news. Germany had surrendered. The war in Europe was over. There were bonfires and celebrations everywhere.
Little changed, however. Rationing and shortage continued, but there was a feeling of relief all round. War continued in the Far East. We learned of the atrocities committed by the Japanese, and none of us were sorry when the Americans dropped atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We were on holiday when Japan finally surrendered on 14th August 1945. It took a very long time for things to 鈥榗ome back to normal鈥� as the adults called it. I don鈥檛 know if it ever did.

Bill Findlay
10th June 2004.

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