大象传媒

At the outbreak of war I was a teenager, and being a farmer鈥檚 son, when I became old enough for the services I was told I would be of more use producing food than being in the forces, so I found myself in a reserved occupation.

The least I could do was to become involved in the Local Defence Volunteers, (later to become the Home Guard); A local farmer placed a poultry house on the hill behind his farm to be used as a lookout post for the LDV, in which we took turns on duty, equipped with shot guns, swords and pitchforks. (Laughable, really, when you look back). Working so many hours on the farm it was not easy to attend all the Home Guard duties.

There were approximately 60 bombs in our area in one week, the object being to put the main railway line to South Wales out of action. My father was responsible to report any damage to the highway from Awkley to Pilning Station. Some high explosives were dropped in fields close to the farm buildings in that period. I well remember the whistle as they were coming down, and just wondering where they would finish up. Luckily no animals were killed, but several cows were hit by shrapnel. Gathering them next morning for milking was not easy as they were scared, and I am sure milk yield was affected.

People were busy making some provision for protecting themselves, such as shelters. Father thought it might be a good idea to cut a tunnel through the hay in the hay barn, through the centre; not, maybe, a good idea if incendiaries were being dropped, but this probably gave him some comfort. It was also used by a family with small children living in one of the farm cottages. I well remember my sister took some persuading to use the shelter.

Food production was high priority and farmers had to plough extra land, especially to grow wheat for bread, and potatoes. Some foods were in short supply and of course rationing had to be implemented. A War Agriculture Committee was set up and certain farmers were appointed to visit farms and decide the acreage to be ploughed. Not always readily accepted by all farmers, but in the interest of food production there was no option.

It was essential that no lights should be visible from the air, and special guards for car headlamps were produced, and blackout curtains for households were a must.

Opposite the farm on a hard standing at the entrance to a field was a favourite position for an Ack-Ack (Anti-Aircraft) gun, so a lot of nights were rather noisy.

When extra labour was needed on the farms, prisoners of war were available, also I must mention the Women鈥檚 Land Army who played an important part in assuring nobody starved.

As you look back over those years, how grateful we were to the armed forces, to people working in the ammunition industry, and many others, all pulling together to achieve a satisfactory conclusion to a war that we could have really not wished to be involved in.

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