大象传媒

THE EARLY DAYS 1939-1940

I was nearly 4 years old when WW2 broke out. I lived with my mother, father and grandparents in Carlton Terrace Swansea. The first memory of WW2 that I have is seeing my father in RAF uniform and my grandfather in his naval uniform - he was the Captain of the largest salvage boat in the Navy called the "Preserver".
Some years later the Preserver struck a mine off the coast of Milford Haven. My grandfather survived and he saved his son, Uncle Will who was his First Officer from drowning.
My next early memory was in 1940 when I went with my mother & father to Blackpool where my father was stationed. Those early days - I am 5
in 1940 were very happy. I remember having a ride on the donkeys at Blackpool beach and seeing Snow White and the 7 dwarfs at the Blackpool Tower.
My father's next posting was to somewhere near Chester. We used to visit him travelling by train from Swansea. I remember him taking me for a walk to the gates of the RAF airfield.
On one rail trip to Chester I remember the train stopping outside of the station because there was an airaid in progress. I looked out of the train window and could see the searchlights lighting up the sky. I had no sense of real danger, only a feeling of excitement.

THE DESTRUCTIVE YEARS 1941 - 42

My first school was Terrace Road School Swansea. I used to walk to school with my friends, I remember receiving chocolate powdered granules donated by the USA and other goodies. We used to eat most of the portions on the way home from school. During 1941 - 1942, Swansea was blitzed by the German Luftwaffe many times.
My friends & I were always amazed to pass bombed out houses on our way home from school. The whole of the area near to our house at 24 Carlton Terrace was bombed and the whole of the centre of Swansea was demolished.
We used to play in the bombed houses and we liked collecting the remnants of German bombs in the wreckage of the destroyed houses.
In our house at Carlton Terrace, we had a communal airaid shelter. After the air sirons had sounded a raid, we used to go into the shelter with our neighbours. I used to play with my Magic Lantern - Micky Mouse & Friends and I used to help my mother pump air into the gas mask for my baby brother, who used to cry because he did not like the gas mask. We used to sing songs and read comics. I remember the bombs whistling down and my grandmother used to say that if you could hear the bombs whistling they would miss us - I do not know how true that was. Anyway, we all survived.
One night, we were visiting my Aunty who lived down the road in 5 Calvert Terrace. A bomb hit the roof and we were all very frightened. We escaped without injury.

SO MANY VISITORS

My grandmother had a large house and she used to provide rooms for the RAF, Army & Navy. I remember that a Captain in the Dutch Navy stayed with us and he bought me a cricket bat for my birthday.
Swansea Empire Theatre was very popular and many artists stayed at my granmother's house including - Billy Cotton Senior, Alan Breeze the singer, Sid Field, The Ganjo Brothers - who later became very famous in the London Theatre and many more. We used to have concerts in the living room at Carlton Terrace - I used to play the piano.

TRAGEDY 1943

My grandfather met me one day from school in 1943. There had been floods in Swansea and I had to wade through the water on my way home from school. My grandfather told nme that my father had been shot down over Germany but they did not know what had happened to him and the crew. My father was a Flight Engineer in 207 Squadron RAF, flying Lancaster Bombers over Germany & Italy. We eventually found out that he had been killed over Ronnenburg, Near Hannover Germany on the 18 October 1943.

LIFE GOES ON 1943 - 1945

We used to like listening to Tommy Handly on the radio - TTFN - TaTa For Now, was his phrase that I always remember. Can I do you now Sir? - was another catch phrase for the programme. We also used to like Dick Barton- Special Agent.
In 1944, I remember seeing the whole of Swansea Bay covered with ships - in preparation for the D- Day Landings. One day I was down the beach at Caswell Bay when a large number of aeroplanes flew over - with 3 white rings on each wing. I realise now that these planes were part of the D-Day offensive - it seems like only yesterday that I saw these events which were very exciting for me & my friends.
When the WW2 ended my first memory was seeing the street lights go on again in Mansel Street which was in the centre of Swansea. It was so thrilling to see the streets lit up.
I also remember the street party in Carlton Terrace to celebrate VE Day. We had a lovely party.

SOUVENIR TIME

At the end of WW2, my friends & I had lots of souvenirs - badges from the Luftwaffe, leaflets that were dropped by the RAF over Germany and with sadness - a Certificate from King George VI commemorating the death of my father in 1943.

CONCLUSION

WW2 had a big impact on my life and my family and even though I am now 66 years old, the events of 1939 - 1945 are as vivid as if the events had only happened last week.

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