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Memories of the Second World War (Part 2)1940 The spring came. Harvey a family friend had joined up as a despatch rider, and demobbed a month later when it was discovered that he had served in WW I; was mentioned in despatches at Ypres. He was given an office job at the Ministry of Agriculture & Fish. He gave us some American supplied seeds. We dug up the lawn and started ‘Digging for Victory’ Harvey also knew the Four Oaks Spraying Machine Company, two or three miles from where we lived. Brother and I got jobs as ‘Shop Boys’. The small company was now entirely devoted to the war effort, making Stirrup Pumps and Spraying Machines for civil and military use. We ran errands for the men…buns and 5 Woodbines for tuppence. |
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In return, the men showed us how to use a drilling machine, how to mend a belt with cat gut and how to change gear by nudging the belt with a long stick to jump up or down to the next pulley. The workshop seemed like something out of a Dickens novel, but the skill of the men was fascinating; turning out pumps and machines by the truckload with a workforce of about 20. I had an eye on ‘Nuffields’ at Castle Bromwich, now the Spitfire works. They did not employ people below the age of 16. Reading the papers now, somebody said it will all be over by Christmas…we seemed to be fighting the Russians in Finland. Things are becoming hard to get. Oranges and Bananas have disappeared; so have skates and the luxuries we remembered Mother had a letter from Aunt Flo, her sister in America, offering to take ‘the children’. Maurice and I were that bit too old so we all stayed together. A ship going to the USA with 30,000 children on board was sunk with no survivors…cannot remember the exact date nor the name of the ship. A few air raids around. Doris…mother’s friend from down the road came in, in tears. Her husband, a sergeant in the paratroops had been killed in action. The beans grew and the sprouts had club-root. We were in Mrs Dowler’s air raid shelter next door one night when Harvey said ‘I know that smell…mustard gas’. We put on our gas masks…that is except poor old Mrs Dowler who was very deaf. The air looked clean and OK and so did Mrs Dowler. We removed our masks to discover that the gas was Mrs Dowler’s perfume. We laughed! Air raids are becoming more frequent. The Germans had occupied Holland, Belgium and France. 1941 Sirens would go every night, not always a raid but as spring arrived more frequently. Barrage Balloons would go up…Jerry bombers had a low frequency, rhythmic engine noise. Saw one hit a balloon and go down in flames…we cheered. An ‘ack-ack’ mobile unit would take position at the top of our road 100 yards away and have a go…we could see the glow of fires from the City. July 1941 Now 16…Maurice and I went to Nuffields (now the Castle Bromwich aircraft works) and got jobs as Capstan Lathe operators…great excitement for me…modern machines, no belts and hundreds in a huge machine shop. The setter taught me a lot; within a few weeks I was given my own machine and a pile of reject parts to scrap or to correct. Air raids intensified; every night now at about 8 p m, night in the shelter and work in the morning by 7 a m, working day and night shifts of 2 weeks alternating; 12 hours a day, 7 days a week (84 hours).May not see Maurice for a week or so…different shifts. The works was about 3 miles away…up at 5:30 a m, to get there by 7 a m. Preferred nights…few daylight raids meant more sleep. Women operators were being drafted in-they did a superb job. The journey to work was difficult. Tin hat on, gas mask over the shoulder and dodging shrapnel; bombers over the city and sometimes evil smelling smoke screens were put up. The three mile bike ride to work was becoming more hazardous. The city was blazing with incendiaries and land mines added. There was some industry in the city, but civilians and rail communications were the main targets. I recall on one night seeing the glow from Birmingham, Coventry and Lichfield at the same time. Victor H Mould
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