大象传媒

John, known as 鈥淛ack鈥�, was born on the 13th May 1926 and lived in Well Lane, Galleywood.

John鈥檚 father was in charge of the Home Guard at Crompton Parkinson鈥檚, and his mother was recalled into the Queen Alexandra鈥檚 Royal Nursing Corps. She was posted to Ely Military Hospital.

John joined the RAOC in 1944, doing administration duties. He served in France and the Middle East. He had worked for the Essex Chronicle before his call up and returned there upon his demob in 1948.

John has written the following extract of his memories of his early life in Galleywood.
鈥淲as attending the Roman Catholic School in Chelmsford when war was declared. Due to restrictions on travel, was made to leave, and transfer to the village C of E School, much to the horror of the Rev. Roughton, who always referred to me as 鈥渢hat Catholic boy鈥�.
At the time, Charlie English was the licensee of the Eagle public house, and Air Raid Warden for the village. Whenever an air raid was imminent, he would be notified by telephone by County Hall in Chelmsford. Charlie took his duties very seriously and would immediately give the alarm, placing roadside signs on the main road to notify traffic. An air raid was always welcomed in school, because lessons immediately came to a halt and we all had to sit round the walls for protection.
It soon became apparent that this information could be put to our advantage, with the telephone box situated outside the school. A request to be excused during lessons, a quick phone call, then sit back and wait. A repeat performance to sound the 鈥渁ll clear鈥�. It wasn鈥檛 long before the school received a visit from Mr. Johnson, the village Policeman, requesting all boys ho could use the telephone to come out to the front.
Needless to say, all the smart Alex鈥檚 rushed out to prove how clever they were, whilst those of us in the know stayed put.
However, from then onwards Galleywood received only the same number of air raids as everyone else.

Many years later, after Mr. Johnson had retired from the Police, and was working in Bonds (now Debenhams), he jokingly asked me if I was now able to use the telephone.

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