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LIFE BY THE COAL YARD DURING THE WAR

During the War I lived with my parents in a railway house in Midland Road, Worcester. My Father was a ‘ganger’ for L.M.S. Railway.

I went to school at the Stanley Road School.

The hospital train used to pull into the coal yard station carrying stretcher cases and walking wounded servicemen and women. My Father was notified of the time of arrival and so he had to hose the station yard to remove the coal dust. The wounded were then transferred by ambulance or bus, which would be waiting for them, to the Ronkswood Hospital. This hospital was specifically built for U.S and British troops.

The troops who were well enough to leave the hospital for an outing had to wear the hospital uniform which was a royal blue jacket and trousers,white shirt and a red tie.

My Father was responsible for the safe arrival at the yard of the coal trains as well as the ambulance trains.
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A canteen was provided for the troops in the yard so they could have a cup of tea etc on arrival

If there was a fog forecast, my Father used to have to round up his work-men to put detonators on the track to warn drivers of fog.

Stables were attached to the yard which were used for the railway horses, and they transported goods from the trains. We had a cat and the railway authorities paid us one shilling per week for food and milk for the cat, because he kept rats away from the stables.

Every Xmas morning Jim Griffiths who looked after the horses would come to the stables and give the horses hot bran mash as their Xmas treat.

People used to think that because we lived next to the coal yard, we would get more than our ration of coal, but we didn’t.

We had 2 Army personnel billeted in our house, and the Army used to come and inspect their kit in our house.

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