Location of story: Paris,Garches, Nuilly, Bordeaux, St.Malo, Alsace, Peel Green, Old Trafford, Richmond, Langham, Halifax, Eccles, Stockport, High Lane, Disley.
I have purposely included details which may help others to fit names and places together.
Resume:
I was born in Paris in 1923, just escaped capture in 1940, worked in a fire extinguisher factory and for the RAF at Langham Norfolk. I married an RAF NCO who flew as Aircrew in Wellingtons. Some of my French family lived under German occupation in Alsace. I have started to write my life story and I will be contributing edited sections to the Peoples War Archive. Here is a sample.....
Please refer to the several photographs I have published elsewhere on this peoples war website. These illustrate this story and have additional information to accompany the following.....
Edited extracts from:
An account by Irene M. M. Sutcliffe. 漏2005
Born in Paris December 10th 1923.
PARIS 1940.
It had been a very cold winter and there had been wartime activity in Norway, I think, but nothing in France where I was living then 鈥 in Paris actually.
German Jewish Internment
There were German Jewish women who had come to live in Paris, selling up furniture and belongings 鈥 they had fled the German Jewish persecutions in the late 1930鈥檚 and their husbands were interned as enemy aliens when war was declared. The women were selling up their possessions to raise the money to get to America, they had to report to the police as aliens but if they had the money they were allowed to leave with their husband for America. I went with my Mother to buy furniture to what had been a beautiful flat that an elegant German Jewish lady was selling up.
B.E.F. and French army on the Maginot Line
The B.E.F. and the French army were on the Maginot Line and the feeling was that we were secure. It was a very cold winter and there were food shortages but no rationing. There was no bombing or enemy activity until early May 1940, then the Germans invaded Belgium and Holland, the King of the Belgians capitulated immediately. Leopold, Astrid (later killed in a car accident) and the Dutch Royal Family escaped to England. There were no pop idols in those days so teenagers took a keen interest in the European Royal Princes and Princesses and also film stars like Shirley Temple and Deanne Durbin.
l鈥橢xode roads blocked with refugees, cars, horses and carts
The German advance virtually ignored the Maginot Line and was followed by the invasion of France. Within days we realised the German advance was so rapid that Paris was threatened so we prepared to leave with fourteen suitcases 鈥 by train to Bordeaux. Schools were used as dormitories for refugees who were also pouring out of Italy; Mussolini declared war on France when the Germans had already occupied part of the country. The Jewish community were leaving for America. The French referred to this period as l鈥橢xode 鈥 the exodus 鈥 as it was in the Bible, but unless you had money there was nowhere to go. Most of the population had attempted to escape the advancing German army, chaotic scenes at the railway stations with crowds of refugees and old people confused and abandoned. France had a large rural population, the roads were blocked with cars and horses and carts. Nuns and Boy Scouts and Girl Guides were distributing food from soup kitchens to the refugees, rumours were rife and it was alarming for a child to see adults in tears or in a state of panic. Within days France was occupied and when we finally boarded the ship for England from St Malo, the captain announced that France had capitulated; we were on the last ferry to leave for England.
My French family in Occupied France
My French family were in Occupied France and my young cousin could be drafted into the German Army. Young men were mobilized into the German Army; if they refused they were sent to Forced Labour Camps in Occupied Europe. The Jews were sent to concentration camps and their property was confiscated. The period known as the "Phoney War" was over and Britain was now facing a powerful enemy. The curtain raiser so to speak was the Blitz. During The Battle of Britain our Royal Air Force with their Spitfires, fought off the Luftwaffe who needed to have Air Superiority before invading. In one of his famous speeches Churchill said; "never was so much owed by so many to so few". The winter that followed was bitterly cold and there were shortages of food and fuel. As a schoolgirl I felt that, having witnessed the capitulation of France, England could not possibly survive, especially the intensive bombing. Londoners, flouting the authorities, used the Underground as a massive communal air raid shelter. One of my friends was "bombed out", her Mother had a case with family documents and small valuables she took with her to the Underground 鈥 and that was all they had a short time later 鈥 their house had a direct hit "bombed-out".
To put these events into context I have to refer to my鈥︹..
LIFE in PARIS DURING the 1930s
Garches North East of Paris
I was born in Paris in 1923 at the British hospital. My parents had a house 13, Rue de Toulon, Garches, in Seine et Oise a suburb in the North East of Paris. My lifelong friend Margaret Arnold (who later trained as a radiographer and emigrated to New Zealand) lived with her parents, opposite us in a similar villa. There was a community of English people, even a cricket club. My Father belonged to the club would spend his Sundays there leaving my Mother Sophie to attend the two young children 鈥 there was only 16 months between my Brother and me. They were a long way from family 鈥 my Father鈥檚 (Taylor) in England and my Mother鈥檚 (Ledrich) in Alsace. My Father continued to lead the social life of a single man 鈥 eating and spending evenings in cafes and not giving my Mother proper housekeeping money. She had given her substantial dowry to buy the house and was in a weakened state of health after the birth of two children and the difficult relationship with my Father. My two Aunts Rene and Edna went on a visit, they were only teenagers, and found chaos. Naturally expecting an exciting holiday in Paris, my Brother Wilfred Clifford Taylor, then only three months old, would keep them awake at night, a quite normal screaming young baby. However they became very attached to me. I was just a toddler and they helped to look after me.
To England
At the end of their holiday it was decided they would take me back to England, provisionally, until my Mother had regained her health and strength. My Grandparents and all the family became very fond of me and we鈥檙e very reluctant to let me return to Paris when my Mother came over to England intending to take me back to France. The relationship with my Mother was very difficult, she spoke English with a very limited vocabulary, was in a distressed state of mind and body, highly emotional and her relationship with my Father was chaotic.
Back to France
After a long spell in England I went back to France with my parents and initially found I had no bond with my Mother, she was a stranger and she was hurt naturally, but did not understand the effect of a long separation on a child. Years in England had taken their toll and emotional demands are impossible for children, but she burdened me with guilt. Also I think that there was less understanding of child psychology in those days. I was, by then four years old and my Father left us, leaving my Mother with no money. He was having an affair with another woman. My Mother put my Brother and I into care. I remember sleeping in a dormitory, eating at a long table with a lot of other children. I held Wilfred鈥檚 hand in the playground and garden there. The news reached my Father鈥檚 cricket club and he came back to retrieve us. Of course there was the worry and grief of Wilfred鈥檚 serious illness with meningitis when he was six and his subsequent lifelong handicap.
Ping Pong
When Wilfred first became ill, Grandma went to France and because of the risk of infection, I was taken back to England for two years. I remember my Mother ran alongside the train in great distress as pulled out of the station. I was taken back to France by my Father after a very serious row with my Grandfather, who was very upset over my treatment by my parents.
Wilfred鈥檚 serious illness caused much distress, especially when the specialist told my parents that the brain damage was permanent. He said that they must organize a suitable care home for him long term and not spend time and money on fruitless searches for a cure.
Neuilly
So a special school was recommended at Neuilly, an upper class suburb in Paris which was a good half hour walk from 30, Avenue Faiderbe, Asnieres, near B茅con les Bruy猫res, where we now lived. Incidentally, our neighbour downstairs was a Czech, Mme. Bem and her very stylish daughter鈥he house was later destroyed by bombing I think. There was no direct transport which meant either a taxi or a sometimes bitterly cold winter鈥檚 journey on foot. The school 'La Roseraie' The Rose Garden, was situated in a mini 'stately home'. The lady who ran it 鈥 Madame Bayard 鈥 was the widow of an upper class French man. She had excellent teachers, Mlle. Odille (her Christian name) and one in particular Mlle. Alder, who wore her hair in headphones. She befriended me and understood. My Mother used to feed Wilfred with a small spoon but Madame Bayard insisted that he used a knife and fork. To my Father鈥檚 credit, he was patient with Wilfred, and he used to lie on the bed weeping for hours when he came home after visiting Wilfred. All these disasters burdened my parents and made for a disturbed home life. Also, of course, I attended different schools because of the domestic chaos. In retrospect I understand the importance of a stable home life for children. I did have three years continues attendance at a private school in Paris, where I acquired important basic education.
Russian Aristocrats
There was a large community of Russian aristocrats in Paris and their children attended the school, the Russian Greek Orthodox Church Priest even attended. He wore long robes and a head dress. The Russian children were just like French children at school, their parents integrated with French society, but they would meet in special cafes.
The contrast between Paris in the thirties and the Manchester area where my English Grandparents lived was very marked.
Cosmopolitan City, tolerant of Foreign Residents
The eating habits were very different from the English 鈥 breakfast was bread rolls, croissants, hot chocolate or a cup of coffee (bakers were open from 6am to late morning). Large amounts of bread were eaten with every meal. Paris was a cosmopolitan city, tolerant of foreign residents, providing a wide variety of food. A two hour break for lunch, which, even the most modest, would start with hors d鈥檕evres, main course, vegetables, cheese and fruit 鈥 puddings were unknown except on special occasions. If you were invited to a meal with friends or family it was the custom to take an assortment of fancy cakes patisseries (bakers were open on Sunday) which would be eaten with coffee at the end of the meal and the guests and family would remain seated around the table. Often a small liqueur would be served with the coffee. The three piece suite as we know it, was not part of French furnishing but there would often be a settee 鈥 or divan as the French would call it, which often doubled up as a bed at night. There was no milk delivery, it had to be bought from the local cremerie which opened very early 鈥 milk consumption was not as high as in this country 鈥 there was no school milk. Wine consumption was very high 鈥 it was usual to drink wine with the mid-day and evening meal. The latter, eaten quite late, 8pm was the usual time and children tended to go to bed later than in England also they would take wine, watered down, with their meal. After school, children would be given a piece of bread and a bar of chocolate and the early evening would be spent doing homework. A great deal of homework was expected during early schooling.
Incredible Heartlessness
My Mother鈥檚 friend, we called her Tante Louise, worked as a cook in Paris and her daughter Marie-Louise was also in service as a children鈥檚 nurse to a blind child. The parents were a wealthy young couple, and the father, who was a spoiled playboy (the child鈥檚 blindness probably due to his venereal disease) would deliberately put pieces of furniture or other objects in his daughter鈥檚 path to cause her to fall or trip up鈥. incredible heartlessness鈥. Marie-Louise used to tell him off. The little girl would feel your face and touch your clothing as her way of 'visualising' you.
Russian Duke
There was a large community of Russians in Paris, aristocratic exiles from the Revolution of 1917 鈥 1920 who had made their way to Paris. Russian aristocrats spoke French (partly so that their private conversations would not be understood by their numerous servants!). They were princes and countesses but reduced to poverty and thankful to have escaped with their lives. It was said that every other taxi driver in Paris was an impoverished Russian Duke or Count. They had their Greek Orthodox Church and priest and close community, but the children at school were like French children except for their names鈥.. Tatiana, Ludmila, Serge, Oleg. I went back after school with my friend Elizabeth Sverbew (who was said to be a princess) to her apartments. Her parents certainly looked very aristocratic and were cultured, musical and civilised. Their homes were extremely austere except for small valuable items鈥.. silver framed photographs of relatives in Court Dress鈥. and religious icons. The grandmothers鈥. depressed, nostalgic for the lost wealth and status, spoke French with a strong accent. They would be at home and keep house for the family. They often played the piano and sang in a quavering old voice. Their children were bilingual and I later met another bilingual Russian family after the war, during the 1960鈥檚.
War Crimes Commission Nuremberg
The husband Oleg Tararine, fair, well built, went to Russia after the war and met and married a Russian girl. His wife Tatiana, a professional singer, who continued to speak Russian and spoke only 'fractured' French, had two children. They spoke only Russian, so they had problems when they went to school 鈥 eventually adapting as children do. Their mother continued to speak to them in Russian. Oleg Tararine told me he had served as an interpreter at the War Crimes Commission in Nuremberg. The cosmopolitan background of my childhood was a great benefit in the long term, French being an asset for teaching and interpreting for industry and also the police in my professional life after the war.
French National Holiday
The caf茅 life was very prominent, homes were austere and family gatherings often took place on Sunday in caf茅s and restaurants where customers would stay for hours. Caf茅s were open all hours and customers would meet, they were social centres, people would play cards, read the newspapers, children would sit there with their parents. The summer holiday was very long, from the 14th July (French National Holiday) until the 1st October鈥.3 months! It was also usual to rent modest accommodation and self cater at the seaside and stay for a school holidays. Many families acquired a small property in the country or at the seaside 'la residence secondaire'. I remember a mother saying to me ''what can I do with four children in a flat in Paris''. People stayed for the whole summer, living modestly, participating in organized games and Gym at ''Stade'' on the beach. The French were very health conscious and knowledgeable about ailments and medical vocabulary. Chemists would diagnose and prescribe (this was cheaper than the doctor鈥檚 fee). Children would often stay up late at night. The Parisians mostly lived in flats or at the small properties in the country or at the seaside. Generally mothers and children would either spend the long summer holiday at their residence secondaire or there were colonie de vacances鈥. group holidays for children with adult supervision 鈥 mothers often worked as well as fathers.
A Sea of Expensive Cars
Thursday was the school holiday, we went to school on Saturday, so on Thursday children went to bed later, they were also allowed to stay up on special occasions, sometimes wrapped in a blanket under the table at family parties. Also on Thursday there were often children鈥檚 matinees at the cinema with American films鈥. Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, with subtitles in French. Evening cinema would finish late, the performance not starting until 8 pm. There were also special films for schoolchildren on Sunday afternoon matinees. Sunday Observance as we know it, was not part of Catholic Faith, churches were full in the morning but entertainment and sports took place as well. Nuns were very active in the community, teaching in convents and working in hospitals. The Champs Elyse茅s, the main avenue leading up to the Arc De Triomphe, was central in Paris, a wide avenue with expensive shops lined with pavement cafes and the place to be seen and to see famous people. The wide avenue, a sea of expensive cars, leading up to the Arc de Triomphe with the Eternal Flame on the Grave of the Unknown Soldier, in memory of all those who gave their lives for their country during the 1914 to 1918 War. The 14th July was a National Holiday going back to the Revolution when the Rights of Man were declared 鈥淟iberte, Egalite, Fraternite鈥 the French patriotic motto. There would be military parades on the Champs Elyse茅s 鈥 including the Foreign Legion which consisted of soldiers of all nationalities (some with a shady past!!)
Edna Rene Marcella Joseph and Mary Taylor 650, Liverpool Road, Peel Green, Eccles, Manchester
I do not remember my very early life in Paris because, as I have mentioned, I was sent to England when I was eighteen months old, to my Grandparents Joseph William and Mary Taylor who lived at 650, Liverpool Road, Peel Green, Eccles, near Manchester. My Father Wilfred Joseph had three Sisters Irene Dorothy, Edna and Marcella 鈥 she hated this name and was always known as Molly.
Rene and Henry Ormesher, 1,Sandhurst Road, Mile End, Stockport
My Auntie Rene married my Uncle, Jack (Henry) Ormesher and they lived in Sandhurst Road, Stockport. They were very house proud (I slipped on the polished floor and my shoe scratched the wallpaper, so Auntie Rene got some crayons to cover the mark before Uncle Jack came home!) Jack was a keen gardener and birdwatcher (his hobby). They were kind to me, as all the family was.
Rene and Henry Ormesher, "Netherwood", High Lane, Disley
They moved to High Lane, Disley after the war and their ashes are now buried in High Lane Churchyard. Auntie Edna married my Uncle, Frank Derbyshire and they took me on holiday to Wales with them with their children Joan and Eileen. I was enjoying the seaside and company and my Father came for me and took me back to Eccles. He was a very selfish man and caused much unhappiness especially to women. My Mother was broken 鈥 hearted鈥. He would stay out in Paris in cafes with friends and then come very late and make my Mother get up and make him a meal.
Germans Invaded
Her dowry had bought their first house and when it was sold, part of the money was spent on furniture. The chairs they bought turned out to be defective and collapsed when my Father sat on one! On my Grandmother鈥檚 insistence and with her help, the dealer replaced them with much stronger ones. When we left France, as the Germans invaded it, the concierge put our furniture and belonging in the cellars in the cellars, which were warm and dry due to the central heating boiler. When my Mother went back after the war in 1946, she went to the flat. The caretaker needed a note from my Father to allow her to reclaim the furniture and belongings but he would not let her have permission. A written letter was all that was needed. It is very important not to cause others unhappiness by your actions, he was a spoiled boy and caused unhappiness to many people and eventually to himself; there is no doubt about that.
Patriotic Self Confidence
On the 14th July 1939, the French National Holiday, I went into Paris to see the military March 鈥 Past down the Champs Elyse茅s with the soldiers in uniform and the colonial regiments of Arabs and Zovares and brass bands and great patriotic crowds cheering them and waving the Tricolore Flags. In the evening the caf茅s were full and there was dancing in the street, a feeling of patriotic self confidence which proved, so soon, to be ill founded鈥..
FRANCE SEPTEMBER 1939 to MAY 1940
I was a schoolgirl in Paris in 1940 and we had gone through the period of the ''Phoney War''鈥. when nothing happened 鈥 occasional aircraft 鈥 food shortages 鈥 military activity in Norway. We felt secure with the French army and the B.E.F. armed to the teeth on the Maginot Line acting according to the 1914 鈥 1918 trench warfare theory of guarding the frontier. Then in early May, it must have been the 10th of May, we realised something had happened 鈥 there were no school buses (they had been taken over by the army to transport the troops) and although we had no radio, the news broke through that the Germans had invaded Holland and Belgium and were on French territory.
Population of Northern France and Belgium Took to the Roads
The heavily militarized Maginot Line had been ignored. The King of the Belgians 鈥 Leopold, who was said to be a traitor, capitulated immediately and the Dutch royal family fled, escaping to England. Most of the population of Northern France and Belgium took to the roads to escape the invasion, some in cars, many in farm trucks, on bicycles or horses and carts and on foot. We were on the train and I saw peasant women with sacks on their backs and the roads blocked with refugees. Schools were used as huge dormitories and soup kitchens. Rumours were rife and as a schoolgirl, to see adults sitting on the pavement in tears was very alarming. Boy scouts and girl guides were helping the refugees.
British People Came Flooding out of Italy
We had left Paris by train to Bordeaux as a temporary (we thought) refuge 鈥 fortunately the weather was warm and dry and private householders took in refugees. Meanwhile Italy declared war and British people came flooding out of Italy to swell the vast throng of refugees. I noticed old people wandering, confused and alone, obviously abandoned by their families in the panic of what was termed as L鈥橢xode (Biblical reference). This extraordinary situation lasted about three weeks, the Germans rapidly occupying Northern France, the British troops cut off at Dunkerque. Every possible British vessel crossed the channel to pick up the troops, and some of the escaping French Army including General De Gaulle the famous patriot.
Vichy traitor Petain collaborated.
The Jews who did not escape, ended their lives in concentration camps, which were virtual prisons and were used as 鈥榝orced labour鈥. Some French people took in and hid these Jewish families, also the Dutch. The story of Anne Frank is a well known account of this episode. All this was later revealed as "The Persecution of the Jews". My French family remained in occupied France and my cousin could be called up into the German Army - refusal meant deportation and forced labour in occupied Europe. There were broadcasts from Britain but listening was a criminal offence. A radio signal - 4 tones, introduced broadcast in French from England 鈥 messages to the Resistance. When the young men were called up to the German army, many disappeared into the Underground Organisation and the Maquis. They were reinforced by escaped English prisoners of war in performing acts of sabotage 鈥 blowing up troop transport trains. What turned the tables on the victorious Germans was when they invaded (?) Russia. The huge land mass of Russia and the weather helped the Russians as it had during the Napoleonic Campaigns 鈥 battle skirmishes then retreat, leaving 鈥楽corched Earth鈥 for the German Army. The climate plus a very stoic and courageous people as the Germans went deeper into Russia weakened the Germans they suffered hardship 鈥 cold and hunger and enemy harassments. The huge landmass was to the Russian鈥檚 advantage. There were battles and sieges 鈥 a friend of my French family was involved in the Russian Campaign and suffered serious frostbite, losing several fingers.
Bordeaux
After our temporary stay in Bordeaux, my Father went to the British Consulate to ask for advice and was told to take his family back to England as soon as possible. There were no train tickets, huge crowds at the railway station with luggage 鈥 panic stricken families losing sight of relations and sitting, weeping with stacks of belongings. So we made our way to the Western seaboard, St. Malo, away from the German Army now occupying North and Eastern France, along with other British refugees coming out of Italy who now realised the true meaning of German 'Blitzkrieg'. This was so different from the 1914 鈥 1918 War.
St. Malo
St. Malo railway station was some distance from the coast and my parents were in distress, my Mother particularly. Their relationship was breaking down, so I took the initiative. There were British soldiers with army trucks hanging about, so I approached them and asked if they would take us to the ferry for England. They immediately responded, loading our luggage and helping us into the vehicle, so we arrived in style as they loaded our luggage on board! My Mother was in great distress, not wanting to leave France, her relationship with my Father ending. As I mentioned, we boarded the ferry along with a crowd of refugees and when the ship already appeared full, a regiment of British soldiers marched on board. I noticed two soldiers carrying a sick or wounded comrade on a makeshift litter. They looked after him so very tenderly all the way back to England that it left a lasting impression on me. This aspect of help and compassion in the military was unforgettable. A soldier told me he received medical and dental (much needed) treatment in the army and better food than as a civilian. It also widened their horizons鈥. Seeing the world, an opportunity they would never have had. Apart from Europe both the Far East and Japan entered the war. In contrast, the Japanese attitude to prisoners was barbaric, in the Japanese moral code to be taken prisoner was a disgrace, death was preferable, so this was reflected in their treatment of the P.O.W. i.e. semi 鈥 starvation, only just enough food to keep alive, on the other hand, prisoners were useful as unpaid labour. The Burma railway was built by P.O.W鈥檚 and our engineers were in great demand. Mixed emotions鈥. to prove to the Japs the expertise of their prisoners and, on the other hand, unwillingness to help (their) enemy war effort. Inevitably some mutual regard developed, being only human, between them.
France Capitulated
Fortunately our Channel crossing escaped German attack - military activity was farther North. During the journey the captain of the ship announced that France had capitulated to the invading German forces.
鈥. As I have already said, this extraordinary situation only lasted about three weeks鈥. The date was probably 17th June 1940
ENGLAND 1940. A Stranger on the Shore.
When we arrived in England we made our way to my Grandparents鈥 home in Eccles near Manchester, but my Mother refused to live there, her relationship with my Father had always been difficult and also with her in 鈥 laws and their separation was accelerated by our departure from Paris in 1940, so she went to a Homeless Women鈥檚 Hostel in Salford, Manchester. This was heart 鈥 breaking and a terrible situation for her but in the midst of the turmoil of war she was one of many displaced persons, like the 鈥榖ombed 鈥 out鈥 families. My Grandfather was always sympathetic towards her, understanding how my Father鈥檚 irresponsible behaviour had caused her deep distress and made her married life impossible. She constantly reproached me for not staying with her but I always kept in touch and had brief overnight stays with her, but I couldn鈥檛 face living in with her employers and giving up any independent life. In those days domestic employees were expected to give complete devotion to their employers and my Mother had the 'old fashioned' moral code to them and expected the same from me. She was welcomed by the staff of the Hostel and the Vicar. Her French Cuisine was greatly appreciated and she was given much kindly support.
Blitz at St. Gabriel鈥檚 Rectory Old Trafford Manchester 23rd/24th December 1940
St. Gabriel鈥檚 Rectory at Old Trafford was where she was employed was very hard work. The Vicar interviewed me, to persuade me to live-in (no doubt as extra domestic staff!!). My Mother helped both the Vicar and his Curate in what was a heavily industrialized and densely populated area of Manchester. It was an obvious target for German bombers and suffered from heavy bombardment. These larger Victorian houses were strongly built and had cellars, very important as in-built air raid shelters. The windows were taped-up to prevent shattering glass from causing damage and injury. At first we were told that we were unlikely to be bombed, as the aircraft would not have enough fuel to reach Northern England and then return to Germany. This of course proved to be untrue when there was a heavy raid on (I think) 23rd/24th December 1940?
Police Station Henrietta Street
This was the closest bomb explosion I have ever experienced, shattering the police station opposite (Henrietta Street?). The garden was full of debris including numbers of police files. We were in the cellar, I was there with my Mother and when the bombs exploded, rather than noise there was a suction of air. We couldn鈥檛 breathe; my Mother stood up with her arms in the air and then showers of dust and the noise of shattering glass. The windows were taped, crisscrossed to minimize the danger.
Policemen Killed
The Warden came into the shelter and told us that several policemen were killed, but we escaped, the nearest I have ever been鈥.. the Curate came down to the cellar, he was covered in dust, he had been out to help the injured. He said we must show the True Christmas Spirit and people did, taking in bombed-out neighbours and helping out by providing overnight sleeping and food.
Marcella (AKA Ella or Molly) Taylor 34, Boardman Street Eccles
Auntie Molly not only looked after Grandma and Grandpa but also our friends next door at 36, Boardman Street.
Sigsworths, Tysons, Boardman Street Eccles
These were the Sigsworths, already in their late 60鈥檚 who still had one daughter, Norah, living at home (the other neighbours, the Tysons lived at 32) she showed great courage and a generous spirit. My Grandmother also worked hard to help. She would often serve up an extra meal under a cloth for someone down the road who had fallen on bad times. My memory of that period is still vivid, I remember saying to Grandma that we couldn鈥檛 win the war (having just witnessed the capitulation of France) and she replied "of course we shall win" and she was right! America was providing food and ammunition. When Pearl Harbour brought them into the war the battle was worldwide: Japan our enemy and China our ally. Years of battles, 50 million dead, casualties, shortages of food and fuel (the winters of that period were very severe with deep snow and frost and the summers were very hot). At first theatres and cinemas were closed but then the policy changed and they reopened which was good for morale. There was a generous courageous spirit throughout the whole country which was admirable. As Churchill said in one of his famous speeches referring to the RAF delivering us from defeat "never鈥as so much owed by so many too so few". Apart from the Spitfires, fast manoeuvrable fighters, which destroyed and harassed the enemy aircraft we had the bombers. My husband Bill flew in Wellington bombers and he witnessed acts of courage on our side and also on the German side.
Fire extinguisher manufacturer based in Richmond
My first 'war work' was for a fire extinguisher manufacturer based in Richmond. My job, which was a newly established post, was to speed up productivity by avoiding hold-ups between the sequence of development of the final product, quite unsuitable for a young girl just out of college and inexperienced in engineering. It was the brainchild of the newly appointed manager, he came from the North East, had a very cold and aggressive personality accentuated by the fact that he was attempting to establish his authority, unpopular with the staff and factory workers. In retrospect I understand the situation, to put a schoolgirl (which I was) in such a situation was a mistake, but he thought because I had been to 'high school' I would be efficient and be able to organize productivity, an unhappy and frustrating episode. Conditions in the fire extinguisher factory were very bad. Methyl Bromide was the chemical used and the air filtering system was neglected, symptoms were dizzy spells and unsteady walking.
Insidious Poison
It was an insidious poison, Management closed their eyes to the conditions and any complaints were ridiculed and belittled. Factory conditions were neglected, the excuse being THE WAR and my complaints ignored, a mere teenager and newcomer made me very unpopular with Management, however, I persisted, and eventually an inspector was called in and an air filtering system was established and compulsory.
Blacklisted
However, I was blacklisted by the Management for my part in these events. A revelation of the ways of the world! Compensation for Industrial Injuries had yet to be recognized, all these benefits have been fought for by 'unsung heroes' (and heroines!). Charles Dickens novels expose the dreadful conditions endured by child labour in the last century. Also unrecognized, abuse of domestic workers. My Mother suffered a good deal, long hours of work were specially unrecognized 鈥 late dinner parties and suppers, but always expected to start work very early in the morning.
Worked in Service
Later, while I was working in Langham, my landlady 'Aunt' Hannah, who, as a girl, worked in service in a large house in London, told me how she would fall on her bed with exhaustion fully dressed and wake in the morning at 06:00 and change into her daytime uniform. She faced a long hard day鈥檚 work 鈥 coal fires in all the rooms and coal to be brought up from the cellar. The laundry done in the house, two laundry women employed working full time, ironing as well as washing elaborate dresses and bedding, filled pillowcases and valances 鈥 between mattress and floor 鈥 usually trimmed with lace. Girls would prepare their 'bottom drawer' linen and cutlery for when they married. "Careers" as such were rare for women, marriage and motherhood was the usual aim and girls left their career to marry.
Reliable Home 鈥 Life
Together with a difficult home life, my Father expecting me to keep house for him, always believing that the women were there to provide the domestic duties and meals at regular intervals. I was in a difficult situation as a teenager with both my parents making emotional demands and I suffered from acute indigestion, which was only briefly relieved when I had eaten, then the burning sensation would start again, I was in misery. This was dismissed by my Father as a family weakness. When I later mentioned the episode to my doctor he said it was the classical symptom of a stomach ulcer, which heal spontaneously (eventually) in women. I know how important a good relationship with parents and a reliable home-life is to young people facing the world of work and responsibility. I went to so many different schools that I lost count and there was always distress at home.
Langham, North Norfolk
I left the fire extinguisher factory, was sent on a course as an electrician and then posted to an airfield at Langham, North Norfolk which changed the course of my life鈥︹︹︹.
Anne Thomasson, Raymond Thomasson
I was friends with a girl from the outskirts of Glasgow, Anne Thomasson who was also an electrician. She was vivacious and open-hearted, she married after the war and sadly died when she was expecting another child. I discovered all this when I tried to contact her after the war only to find that her husband had married again. Her brother Raymond Thomasson worked for a regional newspaper the Glasgow Herald in Scotland and kept in touch with my Father for a while.
Italian Campaign
He served in the army in the Italian campaign as a soldier. During one conversation I had with him we discussed the reputation that Italians had for doting on their children and their shock on discovering that we have an NSPCC. He remarked that if I had seen the conditions he had seen in the slums of Naples during WW2 it would open my eyes鈥 people do desperate things in desperate times鈥︹.. My work at the airfield involved repairing lights high up inside the aircraft hangers. Fortunately we had a special safety ladder with a platform railed off for work in these buildings, which were obviously very lofty to accommodate the aircraft.
Shoot the Lights Out
The Aircrew behaved in a crazy way when they were off duty 鈥 to let off steam after the strain of 'dicing with death'. This crazy behaviour was accepted; they drank heavily and would shoot the lights out in the Nissen huts. Aircrew were issued with side arms to protect themselves from capture if they were shot down over enemy territory, I would have to go round in the morning and replace these lights.
Stigma
There were several WAAFS who were pregnant 鈥 one particularly I remember, whose uniform scarcely fitted her and she cut herself off from her companions, until, finally, the situation was recognized by the Officer in Charge and she was posted, probably discharged. These wartime babies were often adopted, sometimes the family would accept them but not always 鈥 there was the stigma of the illegitimate child. Adoption became more and more common; often the girl would let her baby go soon after birth. This was encouraged so the natural bond would not be established.
Narrow Escape
I did have a very narrow escape on the runway at Langham. I had to check the lights on the side of the runway which were sunken into a ground fitting. The glass top was very heavy and thick. It was winter and snow lay on the ground. As I knelt by the fitting to replace the bulb, a plane came taxing down surrounded by clouds of snow and I rolled over onto the side, into the ditch, so close I felt the huge air suction. There were accidents, on one occasion one of the Aircrew walked into the revolving propeller. The plane had just landed and he was exhausted. A very dangerous place an airfield.
I have already talked about my landlady, Hannah Massingham, she was a kind and generous person. She went into domestic service at fourteen years old in a big house in London. She told me that initially she wasn鈥檛 paid at the end of the month, so she faced the "lady of the house" and asked her for her wages. Quite amazed, she gave her the few shillings and the rest of the staff borrowed off her! She was often so exhausted at the end of her working day that she fell on her bed fully dressed and had to change in the morning.
Methodist Church, Langham
She lived in a council house three doors down Back Lane or Hollow Lane (I think) adjacent to the Methodist church in Langham village. She suffered from insulin dependent diabetes and had several attacks which were very alarming for me to witness 鈥. staggering, falling, sweating and groaning. She was very courageous and hardworking, devoted to her employers and their family. She kept open-house at her home, for the young incoming RAF people who attended the local Methodist Chapel, she baked her own bread and there was cheese and pickled onions. It was on one of these occasions that I met Bill, my future husband.
Coastal Command in Norfolk
My friend Vicky had her eye on him, but I pointed out that he was wearing a ring on his left hand finger 鈥 it transpired that it was a 21st birthday present from his sister. He had a lovely personality and ready smile and blue eyes, thick curly hair and strong physique. I was lucky to have such a good husband, generous, courageous, and capable. A Man for All Seasons. He belonged to the Salvation Army and was very good cornet player.
WOP/AG (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
He volunteered for the RAF, he always wanted to fly and trained as a WOP/AG (wireless operator/air gunner), learning Morse Code as well as Gunnery. He was posted to Coastal Command in Norfolk to serve on the base at Langham. The constant risk of death had an effect on these young men, a close relationship with 'crew' interdependence, the pilot called 'skipper'.
Alf Martin-Johns, Reading and Alan
Bill served in a seven-man crew when he flew in Wellington bombers. He maintained contact with two of his crew members Alf Martin-Johns (navigator?), the son of a vicar, and Alan. We visited Alf with our two children Mark and Angela after the war when he was farming in Reading, rearing pigs and producing milk. Alan was a fellow Yorkshireman and I remember that he never washed himself and wore his unwashed clothes in rotation. He was a 'scruffy blighter' but amazingly he had an extraordinary constitution. Whilst other crew members would succumb to various infections, he was never ill. He came to see us when we moved to Disley, Cheshire after the war.
Prang
A whole vocabulary of slang developed鈥. a 'prang' (crash), 'shot down in flames', 'U.S.' (unserviceable). Slang is dated and each period in history affects the language, this is particularly true in wartime.
Crashed Short of the Runway
The noise of aircraft was constant. The different sound of takeoff and landing becoming familiar to the local civilians. Landing is a dangerous operation particularly if the aircraft is damaged by enemy fire and the safety crew were on duty in case of a crash, especially fire. One particular incident is memorable. The unfamiliar sound of that damaged aircraft approaching the runway to land, a crash landing seemed inevitable; the skipper was obviously attempting to avoid the houses near the airfield. The NAAFI (a recreation and refreshments centre for the airmen) was situated on the main street of the village at the edge of the airfield and the aircraft hit the building as it crashed short of the runway. My friend Vicky and her boyfriend, emerged from the destruction of the NAFFI where they had been courting. They were both completely covered in grey dust but otherwise physically uninjured. The fire engines raced to the scene, fortunately there was no explosion and most of the crew emerged with help, obviously badly shaken but unhurt.
Gunner in the Rear Turret was Dead
Unfortunately the gunner in the rear turret was dead, I then realized that severe shock can make you ill. The crew were badly shocked and grieved at the death of their comrade; it was customary to give a cigarette to shocked casualties. Vicky鈥檚 boyfriend broke down, sobbing like a child and she was ill but recovered of course, this was just one of the many dramatic incidents.
Dinghy so Tiny in the Ocean
Coastal Command flew over the sea and when an aircraft/men went 鈥渕issing believed lost/killed鈥 the Squadron (524, 16 Group) would obtain permission to fly over the sea in an attempt to find their lost comrades. Bill told me it was like looking for a needle in a haystack, the dinghy so tiny in the ocean. A lingering hope would continue after an ' incident' that their comrades had been picked up by passing shipping and parents, families and girlfriends clung on to hope for years that they would be found 鈥 the
Cruel Sea.
Denfield Gardens, Ovenden, Halifax
His home was at 59, Denfield Gardens, Ovenden, Halifax in Yorkshire, and, when my Dad questioned me about Bill, I said something like: "Oh I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 very serious" my Father on seeing the expensive jewellery (a gold RAF brooch!) said something like "that if he was a Yorkshireman, buying you that meant that he was deadly serious"!... Indeed he was very serious. He invited me back home with him to Halifax on his next leave. I was surprised that there were no sheets on the bed, blankets only, very clean. It was a custom to use sheets only in the summer. Also Yorkshire pudding was served on its own before the main course. Always a joint and Sunday usually leg of lamb, the remains eaten cold with vegetables on Monday 鈥 washday.
Tub and Posser
In my Grandparents鈥 home in Eccles, the focus was on the boiler; heating the water for the tub and posser and also for boiling the sheets and towels. There was no hot water in most houses, just a cold tap and normally there would be a kettle of water on the fire 鈥 most cooking was done on the fire and in the fire oven, a cool oven above the main oven where the housewife would have her face reddened by the heat. Also dangerous, especially for the children, scalds and burns were frequent. My Grandmother lost a young brother who died after a severe scald.
Cooking Done on the Fire
My Grandfather always feared losing his job and used to come home declaring "there鈥檚 a crash coming". Concerned about saving money, he always expected the cooking to be done on the fire and if the gas stove was on he would switch it off much to my Grandmother鈥檚 annoyance. She would hurry to the fire with her pans which was a very dangerous practice!
Gardner Diesel Engine Factory, Eccles
In fact he was highly skilled as a pattern maker working for Gardner鈥檚 diesel engine factory in Eccles and he always had a job into his early eighties! Therefore there was always sufficient and we ate well. There were no bathrooms. A large tin bath was used in front of the fire on bath-night and the clothes maiden with a sheet draped over it for the sake of modesty! When my grandparents moved from Peel Green to Boardman Street during the war there was a BATHROOM.
Snape Brothers
This house was bought through my Auntie Molly鈥檚 employer. She worked for Snape Brothers, a family firm of builders and civil engineers. The 'brothers', Mr Harry and particularly 'Mr Joss', her boss thought the world of my Aunt and she had a very responsible job there. She was completely loyal and devoted to them and in turn they supported her throughout her life. Probably as a result of her responsible job, people on Boardman Street respected her and she in turn helped them whenever she could.
The Taylor Instrument Company
I remember there was a very strong neighbourly spirit. The Taylor Instrument Company was situated behind Boardman Street and their cricket field backed onto the garden. I remember watching cricket and sharing tea with our neighbours on either side.
Singer Sewing Shop, Liverpool Road
Grandma was always sewing, she was a professional dressmaker. In retrospect I realise how we took advantage of her, especially during the war, buying a cheap remnant and asking her to make a blouse or dress, not realising the hours of work involved. She told me she saw people going out for walks or enjoying the garden, and she was tied to her sewing machine. During the war she altered several dresses to fit me, which had been Auntie Rene鈥檚, I was so delighted when I received the parcel. She was a devoted Mother and Grandmother, especially good to me as I spent a lot of my childhood with her at Peel Green and then Eccles. Grandpa was also especially kind and generous because of the irresponsible attitude of my Father towards me and my Mother. My Grandmother did not want any of her girls to follow her into dressmaking. She described it as slavery but she did continue to make clothes for her girls, following a 'scheme' in order to cut a dress from a bare 3 yards of fabric. She made fabric frills to decorate clothes in the thirties and I remember taking these to the Singer Sewing Shop on Liverpool Road to have Pico edging (a sort of lace) sewn on.
E Boats
Soon after we met, Bill was posted to Scotland, his squadron was after the German E Boats that were sinking our shipping. (The following event probably took place on 11/01/1945, approximately 19:00 hrs. at Den Helder according to his log book).He told me about an 鈥榓ct of valour鈥 by the Germans. His squadron scored a direct hit on an E Boat which was sinking鈥 鈥榓 sitting target鈥. The other the E Boats in the patrol turned around and stopped to pick up the survivors in the water and from the burning craft. The circling aircraft would have been able to destroy the whole group but recognized this act of extreme bravery and flew on!
Hendon Salvation Army Citadel
Bill sent me a letter every day鈥.. it was fate! He took me to Halifax on his next leave to meet his family鈥. Our wedding was a very simple ceremony at the Hendon Salvation Army Citadel, difficult because my parents were separated and my Mother very distressed. Bill鈥檚 parents were strangers to my parents, but I was blessed and had a very good husband and later a good Father to our children. He wore his uniform for the ceremony and I wore a navy blue ensemble with an elaborate hat which was the only concession to luxury. Oddly enough, as I remember the fashion then, hats were given much importance. The wedding breakfast was held at a restaurant in Hendon. The place was recommended to my Mother who organised the food but it was newly opened and not very well organised. I cannot remember what we ate but I think it was fairly plain food.
Marius Goring
We were recommended a guest house just outside London in Guildford for our honeymoon, which was run by German Jews. The cuisine was unbelievable, Black Market no doubt, Bill was very impressed. We were an odd couple among these wealthy elderly Jews. There was a celebrity staying at the hotel called Marius Goring, an Austrian I think, quite famous at the time with wonderful thick blond hair (dyed I think). It was such a contrast to the Norfolk Airfield and the beginning of our life together. We had to come down to earth, and civilian life for Bill, after his active service was a big change. I remember he missed the generous food he had enjoyed in the RAF.
Aircrew Given the Best Food
Aircrew were given the best food, large nourishing meals plus picnics whilst flying. He didn鈥檛 smoke and would exchange his cigarette allowance for special luxurious 鈥 sweets were rationed.
Frank, Edna, Joan, Eileen, Derbyshire, 11, Moorside Road, Davyhulme, Urmston, Manchester
I do remember the terrible loss of young life during the war. My cousin Joan Halliwell nee Derbyshire, who grew up at 11, Moorside Road, Davyhulme, Urmston, Manchester, recently reminded me of one such tragedy in an anonymous account they have kept about the sinking of the Aircraft Carrier H.M.S. Eagle 鈥︹
鈥淕ibraltar 14th August, 1942. I am lucky to be alive to write the story of the end of H.M.S. Eagle.
Clinging to a cork float with six sailors, I saw our ship sink in the Western Mediterranean with a thunderous rumbling noise after she had been struck by four torpedoes. I was in an ante 鈥 room soon after 1p.m. when two tremendous crashes shook me out of my chair. As we opened the door two more violent explosions rocked the ship. I heard steam hissing and saw clouds pouring up from below. As we dashed through the bulkhead to gain the upper deck, the ship was heeling over crazily and water was washing about our feet. The sea, normally 10 feet below the rails, was surging a bare 2 feet below them. We reached the quarter deck and grabbed anything we could to haul ourselves up the steeply 鈥 sloping deck to the starboard side. Six inch shells, weighing 100lbs., tore loose from their brackets and bumped down the cliff 鈥 like deck. Ratings on the port side saw them coming and flung themselves into the water to escape injury..... With perfect confidence in my life belt, I slid down and let go. As I got out of the oil patch the sea became choppy. As a wave lifted me I saw cork float twenty yards off, with sailors clinging round it. I fought madly to reach it. I pulled myself up, and saw the Eagle 200 yards away. She was lying on her side. Men were sliding into the sea. Then came a mighty rumbling as the sea poured into the Eagle. The water threshed above her鈥.. and then subsided. She had gone鈥..鈥
William Augustus Milne (Billy) Davyhulme, Urmston
My cousin has written about her neighbour and friend鈥.. 鈥淩emembering with affection William Augustus Milne (Billy) aged 22 years who went down with H.M.S. Eagle the Aircraft Carrier.
George and Henrietta Milne, Davyhulme, Urmston
We remember too his parents George and Henrietta Milne (Uncle George and Auntie Hetty) dear friends of Frank and Edna Derbyshire. George was broken-hearted鈥.. he had always been very strict with Billy, ambitious for him, he was in the Civil Service before call-up and promotion depended on examinations, involving study of course, and also he was a good pianist and his Father insisted he took his L.R.A.M., which involved hours of practice. Billy wanted to have the usual active social life with girlfriends and nightlife, so there was at a constant 'war' between father and son which was a deep grief to his Father after his death at 21 years old. After the tragedy of Billy鈥檚 death George had a severe stroke from which he never recovered, so poor Hetty was left alone. The last time I saw Billy was an unexpected meeting on the London train when I was going back with my Father and Billy was going to take his L.R.A.M. My Father was a very rude to him, sad memories鈥.
Irene M. M. Sutcliffe. 漏2005 contact via mark@sutcliffe81.freeserve.co.uk
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