大象传媒

鈥淭his story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by CSV/大象传媒 Radio Nottingham on behalf of Jack Townsend with his permission. The author fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.鈥�

Within a few short months of the outbreak of War in 1939 (Sept 3rd), my schooldays received a huge upheaval. First came the complete takeover by the army of my school, meaning other places of learning would have to be shared on a shift system. All we boys from Huthwaite High School transferred to the Hardwick Street School with an alternating attendance, Hardwick lads on mornings 8am to 12.00, that included a Saturday morning too, Huthwaite boys afternoons 12.30 to 4.30pm, then each weeks in succession we reversed the routine. As to be expected several lessons had to be abandoned, a few teachers were also to be called into the forces creating more problems.
By this time in Britain everyone had by law been issued with a 鈥楪as-mask鈥� of four types; the large envelope dome for babies that the mother pumped air into it by hand, the Mickey Mouse, red with round eye pieces and floppy nose for youngsters, the common black one with oval eye pieces and canisters and finally the forces issue with mask and hose. All these to be carried everywhere at all times.
In the classrooms we had sessions where we would have to wear them for testing, choking on the stench of rubber, blind through steamed up eye pieces and air blowing out the sides like a herd of flatulent cows in full flow.
No Air-raid shelters had been built as yet, so a few bright sparks had come up with the most stupid and dangerous idea one could ever imagine in War-time. Groups of four to six children were allotted to so called 鈥楽AFE houses within a quarter of a mile of the school, and on sounding of an 鈥楢ir-Raid Siren鈥� we would all dash out of the school 鈥� in an orderly fashion? And run through the streets to reach our 鈥楽AFE HOUSE鈥�, often to find them locked with the people at work elsewhere. Imagine if Air attacks had really taken place what carnage there may have been with the children milling out in the open like that.
Of course we all remember well the L.D.V. later to become the 鈥楬ome Guard鈥� immortalised through TV鈥檚 鈥楧ads Army鈥� series, much of it true to life in the very early days without a doubt. Other protective measures on a smaller scale was the issue of strirrup pumps to every street, plus buckets for sand and water, and an old long handled shovel now and then to deal with the small incendiary bombs. A.R.P. wardens and Auxiliary Fire Service personnel were quickly recruited from both male and female sources doing sterling work in towns and cities across Britain. Every factory having its own Fire Watchers within the workforce, had to do their turn on nights as well as their own jobs.
As a family, dad was working in a steel and iron foundry after most of his life in the mines. Two uncles were swiftly called into the Army and soon sent overseas, another two quickly followed, one to the Air Force the other the Army. My sister was now in work in the tin-plate factory of Barringers while I was chomping at the bit with the foolish ambition to get into the Merchant Navy as a boy seaman. I was offered a place at the Prince of Wales sea-training hostel in Cardiff but at forty Guineas a term 鈥� that went straight out the window. So at fourteen I began working at Stokes steel plate factory at 11 and 3d a week (62p) for five and a half days for a short time, until out of the blue I was offered a position away from home working in a Nottingham Hotel, a move that would change my life forever and an increase in wages to 15 shillings a week (75p).
From a working class background I was plunged into luxurious surroundings within a wartime setting. In contact with high officials, ranking officers from every service; Doctors, Business men, Lawyers, Sow people of the theatre and even clergymen among the many.
With open eyes and ears I learn鈥檛 to recognize from the experience that true manners make 鈥榞entle people鈥�, not an abundance of money.
Living away from home meant I had to hand over my ration book, not that this was a bad thing as I lived really well on the food provided, plus additional allowances issued out by the manageress weekly of sugar, butter, jam etc that I would take home on my half day off to help the family.
All restaurants across the country now were restricted to a top limit payment of five shillings per head maximum, but to see the magic and skills in producing amazing meals by our chefs out of meagre supplies never ceased to surprise me. Dozens of recipes created from 鈥楽pam鈥� alone that would whet any ones appetite, I saw delicious sweets made from bread, jam and batter basics, ice-cream fried in batter for the first time and cr猫me caramels as examples. Whilst on food, I actually saw on display in the Red-brass shop in Clumber Street one solitary banana on offer to the highest bidder, the last bid I personally saw was for 拢3.10s on it, though the exact total reached could have been higher.
Large hoardings covered the city, 鈥榃ar Savings鈥�, 鈥楧ig for Victory鈥� and the 鈥榃ings for Victory鈥� campaign where money was collected to buy a spitfire aircraft at 拢5,700 each. I know Derby managed three of them, but poor old chesterfield only reached half of one. How Nottingham fared I can鈥檛 remember, though I do recall a captured German fighter (Mechsmit 109) on display in the Old Market Square. Light blue in colour with black and white cross markings, I along with thousands managed to take a look into the cockpit of it.
When the American鈥檚 came they flooded the city attracting all the young girls, and older women too, with their vivid stories of how they owned a ranch or business over in the States, or were in close contact or friends with American film stars. It happens when we brought up on the 鈥榙ream life鈥� of Hollywood films. They were very generous in nature often giving freely of goods we had almost forgotten 鈥� 鈥済ot any gum chum?鈥� became a well known favourite of youngsters. With the yanks arrival we were soon to see the skies fill with bombers flying overhead, later in hundreds at a time when the thousand bomber raids over Germany began in earnest. An unbelievable sight and terrible to behold and hear as they passed over.
Prior to the Americans entry into the War of course we had numerous nationalities in uniform in Nottingham, Poles, Czechs, Canadians, French, Dutch, Australian and Kiwi鈥檚 each proudly wearing the shoulder patches of their individual country of birth, and eager to assist in Britain鈥檚 survival. It was difficult to imagine how close to defeat Britain had been after Dunkirk when seeing these seemingly happy young men and women enjoying life in such a carefree way.
One sad note to close on, my friend and workmate and I were invited to attend a twenty-first birthday party of a young man and only child of a couple we both knew well for their regular attendance to the hotel. He was in the Royal Air Force as bomber crew and was home on a short leave. His mum and dad had an inn in Cinderhill, so the party was held after 10pm there. We all had a wonderful and enjoyable time into the late hours of the morning. With his girlfriend there they both decided to get engaged at the party to the joy of everyone. He returned to his base two days later and within a week his plane had been shot down and he had been killed, a heartbreaking tragedy for the family and girlfriend 鈥� such is war.

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