91�ȱ�

This story was submitted to the People’ War by a volunteer from The Chepstow Society on behalf of Ron Evans and has been added to the site with his permission. Ron Evans fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.

WAR THOUGHTS

Some things associated with the war had a head start. The black-out of all outside lights was enforced on Friday 1st September 1939. Thirteen years of age at the time I recall travelling on the last stopping train of the day to Chepstow and watching the Guard extinguish the platform lights at Caldicot, something not to be repeated for five more years.

Chamberlain’s declaration of war two days later was a hint of grim times ahead. Evacuee children arrived from the Midlands and London, some stayed others went home deluded by the “Phoney War”.

Following the Dunkirk saga in May 1940 things began to hot up. The first air raid alarm sounded on the 24th June 1940, my fourteenth birthday. The Germans soon had Avonmouth alight and air raid warnings by day and night became a way of life. I saw two bombs dropped on Beachley Camp leaving the Junkers J.U.88 bomber.

All sorts of civil defence tasks were taken on by civilians. The L.D.V., later the 91�ȱ� Guard, did a nightly patrol along the river bank in pairs, one carried the rifle the other the bayonet. One shudders to think of the consequences of them meeting the enemy.

I became a Police Messenger. One night three captured Germans were in the cells. An army corporal and private came to collect them and were asked by the police to sign for them.

To the first German the corporal said “What’s your name” to which he replied “I do not speak English”(in English). There then followed an exhibition of British Army swearing plus a few thumps of the victim. All three were then “assisted” into the truck and taken back to captivity.

The police then debated whether to charge the corporal with “swearing within the sound of the King’s highway”.

I commenced employment as an apprentice at Fairfield in August 1942. Tank landing craft were under construction and the first L.c.t 589 was to be launched at 11.00 on 11th November 1942. The signal was given and it moved all of twelve inches. The manual efforts of the workforce gained a little more before the event was abandoned. All due to inferior tallow used for greasing the slipway timbers.

Getting anywhere had frustrations. Cars were minimal and trains and buses were always loaded to capacity. People queued for buses but getting on trains was a free for all. As apprentices we went to Newport Technical College by bus. On one occasion we had to meet the Principal Mr. F.W.R. Harrison. I am often accused of being a mine of useless information. On that day we travelled on double deck bus No 780(EDG975)with 55 wooden seats.

Eventually things improved, the threat of air raids diminished, the black-out was abolished, and it was peace at last despite the enforced austerity.

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