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One year an older boy called Freddie had arrived to live with my relations, he had been evacuated from London and was full of what I know now to be true Cockney cheerfulness. We became good friends, helping where we could with the butcher’s shop or on the farm. Unfortunately after just one year Freddie returned to London and we never met again.
Nearby were several American air bases, during the later summers of the war I recall aircraft flying off early in the mornings and returning in late afternoon. Many of the aircraft returned with severely damaged wings and tailplanes and often with engines on fire. The ground staff, were warned of the need for an emergency landing by bright flares being shot from the aircraft.
At the nearby railway station a gigantic bomb dump had been established, a daily run of trucks were made carrying the bombs to the nearby airfields. One day I was cycling back to the farm when a truck loaded with bombs passed me at speed, there was a terrific bang which frightened me so much that I rode into the nearby ditch to escape any blast, but it was only a back fire. I often pass this spot today and need to glance into the ditch to make certain there is no one there.
At the rear of my house in Leicester there was a large field in which we excavated a deep hole spanning it with old steel bedsteads and other pieces of metal or timber, which was finally covered with turf. This was our secret hideout den, which was complete with a small fireplace and linked to our two houses with bell wire cables down which we could communicate using the Morse code. Coal, like many other thing was rationed, when we needed some for our underground fireplace we climbed to the top of the nearby railway embankment and made faces at the passing engine drivers. Their response was to throw lumps of coal at us, by this means we were able to cook our eggs and bake some potatoes in our underground retreat.
During the wartime years we enjoyed weekly visits to the cinema, in my home city I seem to recall there being about thirty five of them with five or six of the larger ones located in the city centre. In the early days of the war I decided to attend a performance of Walt Disney’s ‘Fantasia’, this film made a great impression upon me and awoke an interest in classical music. I went to see the film on my way home from school, as was usual at the time it was necessary to join a long queue for the second performance of the day. Midway through the film I was concerned when an air raid warning notice was flashed upon the screen but like most of the audience I decided to stay until the end of the performance.
At all times during the war most people seemed to be very complaisant and accepting the constant possibility of danger from the air. The blackout did not seem to be a problem. I was not aware of any criminal activities, and anti — social behaviour was unknown. The street lights were fitted with shades the beam from which shone very dimly downwards, therefore during the dark evenings we enjoyed riding our bicycles to which we had fitted very powerful head lamps these were powered by a dynamo. We modified the lamps so as to produce a very long powerful concentrated beam of light.
Our neighbours moved house for the duration of the war being replaced by an army Captain, his wife and son. The officer had been posted to a unit in the city, but I do not know what his job was or where he worked. Their son was probably three or four years older than me, but he was a very competent flute player who had some knowledge of the musical repertoire. We became friends, it was he who took me to my first orchestral concert at the De Montfort Hall, this visit and others we attended, helped to develop my interest in serious music. We usually stood in the promenade area which was the least expensive section of the concert hall, on other occasions we choose to sit on the raised steps behind the orchestra, this gave a perfect view of the conductor’s face and of the piano keyboard.
During the following years I saw many of the world famous conductors. Artists and orchestras including Sir Thomas Beecham, who on one memorable occasion stopped the orchestra, put down his baton and observed a late comer with a glare until he sat down. Much to the amusement of the audience the man responded by sinking onto his seat and giving an apologetic wave of his arm to the conductor who in turn asked if it was in order for the orchestra to begin again.
Every morning the school came together at assembly, which included prayers and a hymn accompanied by the organ, which was followed by announcements. During my time in the fifth form each morning it was my responsibility to switch on the power for the school pipe organ. Often we were told of old boys, having success at examinations at Oxbridge, but too often we had the sad news of old boys being wounded or killed. I recall several former sixth formers and prefects, some of whom I knew well, being reported as casualties.
I suppose we school boys became oblivious to the potential dangers of the war, all of us had unquestioning confidence of final victory. At our school the teachers wore gowns and on important occasions also their colourful academic robes. The vast majority of the teachers were held in high regard, it could be said the method of instruction was ‘ sit down, shut up and listen ’. This method of teaching did not prevent us from asking questions but it did ensure we all had the opportunity of acquiring the all important basic knowledge. Each term we had a school report, with no punches pulled, my memorable one for Mathematics written by a lady teacher in third year stated, ‘Knows little and cares less’, which was not appreciated by my parents. This damning comment proved to be a great spur to make a renewed effort.
In normal times all the teaching staff would have been male, but because of the war we had a number of lady teachers, most of whom were very strict but competent. I was usually very mediocre in Biology that was until a very new young lady teacher arrived to teach the subject. She would have been in her early twenties and all the class discovered a new interest in Biology. As a result of my long essay on ‘The Origin of Species’ and to my great surprise and pleasure I was awarded the annual fifth form prize for Biology.
The teaching method we faced in the sixth form was very different and based on the tutorial method. I rapidly discovered the need to question all things and carry out my own research. Many of the teachers, who had been very strict and held in awe by us during the previous five years, proved to be very human and inspiring, during my year as a Sixth Former they gave me much encouragement.
At the end of the war the male teachers began to return, it was rumoured our original Physics master had been involved with the team who designed the A Bomb and another with the code Breakers.
The war in Europe came to an end on 8th May 1945 and we celebrated the day by bringing out tables and chairs for a great street party, we then consumed a great deal of ice cream and jellies. All the neighbours helped to erect a gigantic bonfire in the middle of our road on top of which placed an effigy of Hitler. As darkness came we set it alight, at last after six years there was no need to observe the blackout regulations, we danced around the great blaze. Because of the fire damage to the road surface we were reminded for many years of the VE Day celebration.

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