- Contributed by
- 91ȱ Radio Norfolk Action Desk
- People in story:
- Edward Plummer
- Location of story:
- Leyton, London
- Background to story:
- Civilian
- Article ID:
- A4364255
- Contributed on:
- 05 July 2005
This contribution to People’s War was received by the Action Desk at 91ȱ Radio Norfolk and submitted to the website with the permission and on behalf of Mr Edward Plummer
My parents kept the Public House known as “The Baker’s Arms” at Leyton, London E10 from 1939 until 1960. My Dad was in the AFS (Fire Service) doing 48 hours on duty followed by 24 off and George my Brother, was serving in the Grenadier Guards.
An incident I remember one night, sometime during 1942/43, I’m not sure which. There had been an Air raid during the evening and some bombs had dropped nearby, they hit a water main in Lea Bridge Road and the water ran down the road and flooded the Pub cellar — everything was awash. The all clear sounded about midnight and the Pub was closed when a fire engine stopped at the traffic lights outside. Father noticed that they were towing a pump and so he called across to them and asked them if they would put their pump in our cellar and pump it out. They agreed to do this and as it was a bitterly cold night Father asked them come into the Pub to get warm.
There he had a stone jar of “Napoleon Rum” as he called it which he brought out of his office, telling the fire crew it would warm them up so they all had a tot. Well the pump was working well and the crew had drunk a few tots when the bar door opened a Senior Fire Officer came in. “What’s going on?” he demanded, Father in his most placatory manner explained to him that the service were doing him a great kindness and as they were freezing cold he had offered then something “warming”. He then added that probably the Officer must also be cold and he tasted the rum. I then left them and went upstairs to bed.
I awoke as dawn was breaking and could hear voices and muffled shouting. Looking out of the window I could see the fire crew, two Officers and two Special Constables trying to push the engine which they had failed to start, because the road was icy they were slipping and sliding everywhere. I went downstairs and found my Dad standing at the Pub door laughing his head off, the jar of “Napoleon Rum” was empty upside down on the counter.
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