大象传媒

Though only three years old at the out break of the war, I have still some set memories of the aura of dread that prevailed, as the combined family of my grandfather, his unmarried sons (2) daughters (3), my mother, me , sister and brother,crowded the radio to hear Chamberlin sentorially declare war. In those days people took these declarations far more personal than one would now, though they had good reasons to fear the effect it would have on their lives, while our recent wars have had so little influence on the mass of citizens,only the servicemen in action making any sacrifice.
I have no story as such, but a series of incidences that scatter my memories of these years.
Although Clydebank, about 8 miles distant, was heavy bombed, Johnstone only copped a few bombs and few deaths, so in a matter of weeks after the first raids the siren was virtually ignored and nobody used the large communual shelters , that had been built so speedily, because they were very cold,very uncomfortable and lacked any amenity but long slatted benches.( for a few years during and after the war they were mostly used by courting couples.) All our many neighbours stayed in their warm beds comfortably ignoring the alarm and all clear.
The local castle, more a mansion house, was quickly taken over by the Army, and row upon row of corrigate iron barracks were erected, to house 100`s of Polish soldiers. These troops were made very welcome by the locals, I remember their highly polished cavalry boots and their pristine uniforms, that made our homeguard look pretty shody. These troops only stayed a few months, but the camp was used throughout the war by various forces,and at the very end of the war it was fortified to hold captured troops,not German, but from some European ally of Germany.
These soldiers were badly treated for the first week of captivity in this camp. At the time I though they were being starved as punishment for the exposure of Belson, but on recollection I guess it was only impossile orginization at the wars end.
They recieved no supplies whatever for the first week in the camp. The school kids of Johnstone bartered loaves over the high barbed wire for all the petty posession these pathetic creatures had, though when supplies did arrive, I remember a great side of beef being carved al fresco.
When they departed, the camp had a barrackblock beautifully decorated as a chapel,and an almost olympic sized pool dig in the castle lawn.
These same blocks were used by returning soldiers and their families, two families to a block seperated by what ever hanging came to hand. Eventually the local council took them in hand to up facilities until the new housing estates could be built, but they were still being occupied by the late 1950`s, as one lot was housed an other lot of squatters move in.
When gas masks were issued at the start of the war, rather than leading to alarm in my immediate family, it lead to a new war as me and my elder brother demanded that we should have the red "Mickey Mouse" mask that had been given to our younger sister; carried them every where for a few months then completely forgotten.
One of the few good points of the wartime diet was the copious free supply of concentrated orange juice and cod liver oil UGH!! Sweets were practically unobtainable until they were put on ration, yet at my age I still have most of my teeth, while my younger brothers, post war children, have full dentures.
The wifes and mothers bore the brunt of war time rationing, ploting various ploys to eke what little was available. I was sent regularly to our butcher with a qrt. lb. of margarine to slip to him with the families ration book. My mother in her wisdom and foresight had amassed a case full of various tin fruits, which were completely unobtainable during hostilities,and which were secreted in a cellar under the bathroom floor. This cache was discovered by my brother who decide on a foolproof means of feasting with no possability of anyone finding out. Using the pointed prong of a "Bully" knife, he pierced a minute hole in the top rim of the can enabling him, and sometimes me, to suck out the juice leaving the can apparently whole. Though retribution was long in coming when it came ( the first Christmas Mom went to open a couple of tins to find all the fruit rotten.) with an awfull bang; I still shudder at the thought.
One of the strange things that happened towards the end of the war was the reception that Churchill`s appearance in the local cinema`s news reels evoked.
He was greeted by universal jeering,hooting and foot-stamping. This occured in all the cinemas in the Paisley-Johnstone area, why I don`t know? yet years later he was rejected at the ballot box.
Two things I missed after the war was the loss of powered egg (most hated it but I prefered)
The closure of the Civic Canteens that were open to serve cheap solid meals, one could stand on their soup and build a wall with their steam puddings.
The greatest disappointment after the war was when a returning soldier family friend brought the gift of a single banana. Having often seen one being peeled then present for a big bite in the pictures, I refused to taste the surgically opened and sliced 8th. of an inch portion offered.
Really, with the eventual full employment and almost equal shares for all,I think I would prefer to young in those days than the present

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