STORY'S I LOVE THEM AS THEY ARE GEMS OF WHAT HAPPENED TO PEOPLE, THAT MAKES THEM HISTORY
These are true story's that I have gathered over the years of men and women who have done, funny things, heroic things,and story's of service days in W,W,11, plus little story's of people who didn't think it funny at the time but laugh now.
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NO 1 STORY, I thought I would start with this one as it's humour fen style, it's a bit fishy to me.
Now Walter Gilbert, said to his wife I am going fishing Sunday morning, right she said ill pack you up some food, so a few cold potatoes, and tomatoes, and a boiled egg in his lunch box, so off goes Walter to Ten Mile Bank, now Walter has got ten miles of river bank to chose from, well he had to chose a spot where it's Private Fishing , well the notice board didn't deter Walter. Strickly no fishing to none members, he got his tackle out and cast his line,as Walter liked roach fishing not for long, along comes Fishing Bailif, but before Bailif gets to walter he brings his hook in and put a cold potatoe on the hook, Bailif sees this potatoe, and said to Walter caught anything, no said Walter, Bailif thought not with a potatoe he woen't, thinking he was a bit Loco in the head, thought poor chap and left Walter to it, But after Bailif left Walter soon got back to normal fishing and he caught a lot as the fishermen farther down came to have look at the catch. Now on the way home Walter stops at the Pub for a drink, and as he sat there enjoying his pint, in walks Bailif straight to the bar orders his pint, and looks around and spots Walter, he said to the Barman I see that chap today fishing with a potatoe . Oh is that right said the Barman well if he was he caught a good lot, ill have a word with him, over to Walter and said I hear you caught a lot of Roach today on a potatoe, no said Walter but I caught you for beleaveing I was fishing with a potatoe.
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NO 2,STORY, ILL CALL THIS , KEEP YOUR MIND ON THE JOB YOU ARE DOING.
This happened in the Fens, when I said keep your mind on the job, well all fields in the Fens have a dyke around them and some are big and deep others are just small drainage dykes. Well this all happened to two mates, their names Cyril Heaps and Henry Ashman, one was in one field plaughing, and other in another feild next to other cultervateing, Now our Henry was driveing his tractor up and down the field , well it wasn't long before our Henry is nose down in a big dyke , Henry is now wet and cold, his mate Cyril sees all this happen and comes to see what has happened. Well he saw that Henry was OK then he laughs, now Henry is wet and cold and didn't think it funny, but our Cyril did. Now in good old Fen language with Bs.....and Fs....get me out of here, right said Cyril, ill be comeing around, now Cyril arrives with a good stronge chain, but there's a snag as some one has to get in the water and fix the chain, Cyril said well Henry you might as well get the water as you are already wet no need for two of us to get wet is there. So in jumps Henry up to his neck in water and cold , after a while chain duly fixed, and now Henry has to climb aboard his tractor and try stear it out,but poor old Henry sits in his tractor seat under water, and Cyril high and dry, Cyril sees the funny side but Henry is a bit miffed, well Cyrils tractor is much larger than Henry's it was a easy pull, for Cyril. After Henry was pulled clear and things were OK , then the both of them saw the funny side, the morrel to this story is when driveing in the Fens look where you are going as you might end up like Henry, very wet in a Dyke with water up to your neck.
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NO 3, STORY, ILL CALL THIS DADS ARMY, ITS JUST LIKE IT, AS IT'S ABOUT THE HOME GUARD, IN W,W,11 AROUND 1941 TO 1942 TIME.
Well the local Home Guard of the day in Little Downham, they all practiced at weekends as during the week they were at work, as these were too old to go to war, but were armed and trained in case the Germans invaded our country, well all these unites were formed in every village and town all over England at the time. Now to practice their skills they did mock battles with neighbouring villages, these were friendly rivalry matches, most of the time they both ended up in the local Pub, But on one accasion Little Downham and Soham were to do battle, well it did, with Little Downham captureing the Soham cookhouse, and as dinner was nearly ready, the Little Downham lot pinched the dinner and brought it back to their Head Quarters and a good feed was had by all at Sohams expence. But later on Soham did get its own back one way or the other, this is what is known as ES SPRIT DECORE, ( Don't Panic Mr Mannering, as the Cpl Jones used to shout)in Dads Army.
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NO 4 , STORY, This is a story of a man that I got to know well, I will call him just, Mr Charles Cox MM what he did in the war was 50/50 chance of survival, he did it and made history. He was man shorter than me about five foot two or three inches when I say was he died about two years ago he was an R,A,F, Man and he had great admeration for the Parachute Regiment you will see why as I tell his story.
This the story of Ft Sgt C, Cox , radio and radar expert, he was in at the begining of radar for the British, but we were lagging behind at the start of the war, the Germans were well ahead of us, and we had to catch up, time is against us, so a raid was hatched up at the war office to steel one of their radar detectors, now this is OK on paper but how can it be done, they thought of a plan to drop troops of the Parachute Regiment to get one but no one new what to get, so someone said we have a radar expert in the R,A,F, right said the Air Marshall at the war office get him here, now Ft Sgt C, COX was duly summond to see this Air Marshall, Charle Cox is now woundering what the hell have I done for me to be sent for by the top brass, other wise he is nipping his bum together just in case, well as he walks in to the Air Marshalls office, the first words were OH Flt Sgt so you are the one thats volentered to pinch a German radar , OH did I , well haven't they told you, NO SIR , Well we know you are our radar expert and we want you to drop in on a German radar and bring it back for you and others to catch them up, and I volenter for that sir, well they said you did, now sir what chance have I got to survive this, 50/50 chance Ft Sgt , then I SURPOSE I have got go and get one, are but you are not alone , the 2nd Parachute Battalion is coming with you under Major John Frost, now Ft Sgt C COX is posted to the barracks with the paras that are to escort him to get this radar. Now has to live with the boys, and all so he has to go to Ringway to do parachute training, well time comes for get ready for off, but in the mean time Hand grenades had to be primed and ready, this Charle was not used too as these boys were throughing these things at one an other like tennis balls, charle thought if one goes off we are all dead, they were sharpening their stilltos on a grind stone, Charle begins to think what hell have I LET my self in for, these lads are mad as hatters. All they kept on saying don't worry Ft Sgt we will look after you, well the drop was made , and Ft SGT GOT WHAT HE WANTED everything went like clock work, boats were ready at the shore and home, and after that the Paras held a special place in Ft Sgt Charle Coxs heart, he was then made up to Warrent Officer, and the MM was given to him for what he did under the German noses , and after he got demobbed he Joined our Parachute Regiment Ass, at cambridge he was a regular visitor, after the war he set up a radio shop in Wisbeach , he loved his little we drams and a good cigar, but to meet him, and you didn't know him, you would never have thought he had done that, he very rarely spoke about it , but it's well written about in war books, THE FAMUS BRUNEVAL RAID, NIGHT FEB 27/28 1942, TO CAPTURE THE GERMAN WURZBURG RADAR. and I had the pleasure of knowing him as a friend.
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NO 5, STORY, I CALL THIS DOUGS FULL MONTY AS I WAS THERE AT THE TIME IT ALL HAPPENED, AS DOUG HAD MORE WATER THAN WE NEEDED,
The years was in the 1960s and we still had steam trains on our railways. WE were members of the Ely Fire Service, and a call came in, a bridge is on fire on the Ely , Soham line now theres no way of getting to it , only by Train , so a steam train was put for our use and a flat truck to carry the pumps and hose and everything we needed. We also had to ride on the flat truck that the engine pulled, this was something new, Ely Fire Service going to put a fire out on a wooden bridge by train, this is when Ely , was the county of the Isle of ELY, before it all became CAMBRIDGESHIRE, WELL we arrive at the bridge over Soham Lode Drain which is very large and deep. Train stops Sub Officer Church way up the situation and we set about to put the fire out, the first thing is water and we have plenty of that in the drain, Now this drain has steep sides, we are talking about 1,ooam in the morning pitch black, and only torches for lights and a few flames from the sleepers on the bridge, Now as I am leading Fireman I give the order to run out hose and Doug Colleridge, said ill get the sucksion hose in the dyke right OK, now these sucksion hose are 6ins die and reinforced with steel wire and heavey . Doug gets to grips with this hose, to the edge of the dyke and Doug shouts give me a hand as I have got to go nearer the water to get it in deep enough, right said Peter Tyrell, now Doug starts to decent down the dyke bank, and all most there, then there's an almighty splash and Dougs in up to his neck, we are talking cold winter, Peter shouts are you OK Doug yes but it's wet in here, we have now got to get him out poor sod, a rope is thrown and Doug hauled out, wet cold and shivering, now engine driver shouts get him up here, we did and driver said get them clothes off, his rubber boats full of water , the fire service clothes are like wet towels, so engine driver said off with the lot. Think about this pitch black at night, no lights, till Engine Driver opens firebox door and the flames light up the sky , our Doug standing in front of fire box with not a stitch on silowetted against the sky and we are all looking on , yes Doug had a few choice words to say to us for takeing the micky , he did get his clothes dry before we went back to Ely Station , and thats why I call it DOUGS FULL MONTY,just one of the things that in the Fire Service that happen when people are a bed and a sleep no one knows about, and to this day I still tease him. EXLEADING FIREMAN EDDIE HOLDEN.
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NO 6 STORY, I WILL CALL THIS MONTY's BEST GUARD OF HONOUR BY THE PARA's,
Well it' was a big rumour going round the barracks that Monty was comeing to inspect us The Parachute Battalion,well we were as near to none on the barrack square as we had just arrived in England from 2YEARS IN Palestine and desert patrols we had no time for square bashing as they , orders come full parade on the square , on marches the one and only R,S,M, J,C,LORD Arnhem hero , this man is God to the para Soldier, and when shout an order, the adrenaline flows some times it's brown, thats how he makes men feel. Well he starts off with a talk and says I am R,S,M, LORD, theres two of us one up there in heaven and I am the bastard down here, thats the start, I have never seen a body of men like you lot of rabble, well yes we were a bit of a rabble , but a fighting force, I am going to nock you lot into shape in two weeks, whispers going around like (no chance) well next thing we are all issued with rifles and baynots, those rifles will be come part of you in two weeks, now me a Bren gunner, haven't carried a rifle for nearly four years, , Now this R,S,M, slings a rifle from shoulder to persent arms like a toy, and then says you lot of a rabble will be doing that in two weeks, I thought what a load of bullshit he is saying, well from monday morning to night, six days and only sunday off, then monday to saturday thats now twelve days solid square bashing ,and hes right the rifle is like a toy, we now have to prove to Monty we are the best, time and day set Monty in convoy with the top brass , oh by the way we all have been given new uniforms and all insignars sewn on , we are now the cats whisker of the army, Convoy stops at guard room for checking in and who dare go to Monty and say wears your I,D, with his flag flying on his rolls staff car, straight to the square and a general salute from us , and then open ranks and Monty walks through and stops now and then to talk to some of the lads, then on to the rostrom to take the salute, we got it perfect , Monty chuffed, Paras walking tall he praised every rank on the square , then said you lads need a break, we were duly dismissed, but as Monty left the square there was one almighty rush after the R,S,M, LORDY, we got him and duly threw him in the emergency water suppy tank , to get our own back, but as he got out socking wet , ill have you lot of rabble as he laughed , and true to his word he did next morning on the square at 5,30 in the morning in P.T kit for a run round the square, my first encounter with Monty was he was a fairly small man , and he stood back from you as he spook to you and looked you straight in the eye, as if to be looking straight into your brain , i supose he was just weighing you up in his way , very soft spoken man but firm and precise .
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NO 7, STORY, I WILL HAVE TO CALL THIS , EGG ON MY FACE.
This all happened in when I was a young lad in the 1930s and still at school, well at weekends a gang of us boys would get together usualy on a saturday morning and walk around the feilds just messing around, till spring starts and then its birds nesting time, searching all the hedges for birds nests and see nameing them, well I was one of about four boys at school that collected birds eggs, it wasn't elegal but was fround upon, over the years I have nice collection, in draws and named, now this saturday morning walking home past the caistor church on the path about 8 of us old boys, just messing about, but we had been walking the feilds and round the hedges birds nesting, now who should creep up to us on his bike, the local Bobby Policeman, in a stearn voice he said, Hello my lads , where are you going, home Sir we said , and we were, now thats good lads, now you lot haven't been birds nesting have you, no Sir said us, so saying that he just put his hand straight on top of my cap, now in my cap are birds eggs, these broke and the yokes ran down my face, so no more to do, jump over the hedge and on to the Roman walls and away the 8 of us and home, but Bobby Policeman never chased us , but he sure did put the fear into us , and looking back I bet he had good laugh at the station when he booked in , saying I scared the hell out a gang boys and they ran off like the clappers, our biggest fear will he report us to our parents and then it's high jinks for us but he never did, luck was with us that saturday. But later on war broke out and I had to go in army, so Mum took my eggs to norwich castle museum , and perhaps some are still on display now.
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NO 9, STORY, HEAD OR NO HEAD, I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO LOOSE
Now as a young soldier in Sarawak at the time this happened, know nothing of the tribes men of the area, only that they are head hunters, we had just finnished captureing a prison camp full of british service men, this done we are imformed that some japs had gone on the rampage in the jungle trying to escape capture, well they have got to be caught and imprisoned what will be left of them . Now our Major in charge is a brill bloke, all of us like him, as he is down to earth as we say, he speaks the language, but not so to the tribes men , but he gets by , we need trackers through the jungle to find these Japs, now the Head hunters don't like Japs either, well this is going to be fun , it's headhanters against the compus. We are going to pay these tribes men but not with money as its no good to them as theres no shops in the jungle, all they want is our machettees , no big deal , so off we go , now I am a Bren Gunner so I am at the back of the marching column, and the tallest headhunter attaches his self to me, what I can see hes a bit of caricture , always laughing , well in for penny in for a pound, we must have walked about four miles and we come across a campong, or village in english , this lad whos with me knows these people, I know nothing of the culture, theres some children running around, so the night before I had perloyned some slab chocolate from the R,A,F, , I call to this tallest headhunter and show him the chocolate, and in sign and pointing , to say can I give this to them, no he said, headlady of long house share it out to them, so when in rome do as the romans do, no problem, its time to get our heads down for sleep, but first I want to know about the sculls on the posts around the village , I said headhunting fights troveis, no not that, when head man dies in village they cut his head off so his brains help to keep them on the right road, now as I was going to sleep this fellow came to me with a machettee and pointed to an empty post and put the machettee across my throat, well I can tell you I did not sleep that night, but he thought it funny, I didn't I nearly had brown scid marks in my trouses, yes these tribes men are lovely people, they can't read or write, but they can walk through a jungle without a compus and back again, they live off the jungle, they are of no real religion, only they say , if the sun don't shine we die. Yes if the sun don't shine we all die. It took an uneducated tribes man to tell us that, I kept my head, but I shall never forget that little man of the jungle. If you ever go Sarawak be careful you might just loose your head to be put on a pole . EDDIE HOLDEN EXPARA.
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NO 10, STORY, EVERYTHING IS NOT ALWAYS BLACK AND WHITE AS IT SHOULD BE.
This true story happened in Palestine 1946-1948 time, I had just been posted to the 6th Battalion Royal Welsh Fussaliers Parachute Regiment, on detachment, well we got settled in and did our duties with the rest, and we got to know the Goat Major very well, now this lot have a Goat as a mascot, pure white from the Kings heard, and William Williams was it's keeper, well in a welsh lot you expect a Williams some where, now we know him as Bill, and all orders given to the goat on parade are in welsh, and bill speaks it perfect, now this goat gets a wash every day and that with the sun he is realy white, his horns are polished with a silver plate with the Prince of WAles feathers embossed on it, this is straped to his horns, whats the name of the goat, well it's taffy of cause, Now we are all envited to the 5th Battalion Scotish Parachute Regiment for a games night, yes the welsh and the jocks in the same barracks and drinking together, it goes very well, till some of the 6th Para paint the Regimental sign, this sign board has a big thistle on it, well when we left it had a yellow daffidil, Well nothing was said and no fights we all laughed about it through the night. But and I meen but unbeknown to us some had snecked off and got in to our barracks, and poor old taffy the goat is no longer white but black and white, with paint, no one new till morning and on parade marches Bill with Taffy, Officers on parade were not a mused but we were , as was tit for tat, we all gave a big cheer, but Bill it took weeks to get the paint out, I heard on the grape vine that our Battalion commander and the Jock Battalion commander became very good friends after that, at least they saw the funny side. Moril of this story when in scotland dont go around painting their thistles, or you too could end up black and white.
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NO 11, STORY, WHAT A WAY TO FETCH A PACKET OF CIGGY'S.
This story will make your hair curl, as going to fetch a packet of cigarettes Fen Style, two young lads in their teens, one wanted a packet of ciggy's as he smoked, This is a Novemember night, dark, cold, and no moon, or lights we are in the 1960s. We are in the Fens these two lads lived on the river bank at Oxlode, with about thirty other houses there, Well ciggy's we have got to get, a boat was put in the river and then these two lads started to paddle across the river to the other bank, The names of these young lads are Cyril Heaps, and Raymond Winters, both very well known in Oxlode and Pymoore. Right they are now over to the other river bank, boats got to come out and taken to the water in the wash area, vast area of water traped on both sides with banks, the water can be as deep as 4 to 6 foot, remember it's pitch black and cold novmember night, well they point the boat in the direction of Welshes Dam, that at an angle of about 3/4 mile across this water, well they did get to Welshes Dam and got a packet of cigarettes, so now to return home, across the same strech of water, but I must point out no one knows they have gone to get these ciggy's across the washes by boat, well they head for home as they think. Their direction is a little bit off course, so they are heading in a direction thats going to take them two to three hours instead of a half an hour, they came to scrapes with the tops of fenceing posts that were under water and barbed wire fenceing in the middle of these washes, well the end they did make the river bank, but miles away from where they should be, so it's a few miles rowing on the river to get home, all for the sake of a packet of ciggy's . These two young skallywags could have been drown and no one would have known where to look, But if they had got on their bikes, and rode to Coveney, they would have been there and back in a hour, and to think they were in a little boat with a flat bottom in the middle of the washes no lights no one would be able to hear their shouts, the minds boggles at the thought of this, I only hope the ciggy's were worth it, well boys will be boys the world over, Maybe some of you who read this and live in the area will say yes I know both of them as they are now in their Seventy's , WHAT A STORY.
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NO 12 , STORY, I WILL CALL THIS DESERT MOUNTAIN DEW, FROM A BLACK TENT IN THE DESERT.
Now we were posted on detachment to the 6th Battalion Parachute regiment as we are Para,s of the Force 136, well its from jungle to desert now, we have been given orders to travel from Jerusalem to Aquaba 200 miles through the desert the same route as Mosses suposed to have taken and the route of Lawrence of Arabia, so we are going traverling a history road, not walking or by camel, we will have trucks to take us, our job is going to be to search all Bedouin tribesmens tent and their camels for elegal arms being smuggle in to Palestine, the travel goes well, but it's freezing at nights, and so silent, someone goes for a pee, it's like a water fall, and the stars are brighter, but it's the silents at night which makes it erie. Now we do find a few tribes men and camel trains loaded with wares for sale nothing what we are looking for, we finaly get to Aquaba, and on our return journey we encounter some more tribes men, now the women in one tent and the men in another, so we are duly invited to mens tent for tea, well when in rome do as the romans do. There are twelve of us, so off we go for tea in the Mucktas tent, a Muckta is the head of tribe or group of nomads. we sit on the floor, and one man in site of our trucks so no one can steal anything as these people are real clifty wallars, Well it all goes well all the men of the tribe, and he claps his hands and in come one of his sons, with tea pot and the traditional little china cups, well he starts to poor in to the cups what looks like water from where I was sitting, yes it was clear like water, but to our surprise it's neat Gin, now we all know Muslems do not drink alcohol, but as I say when in rome do as the romans do, so we all sup up, now howq many cup fulls I had, I don't remember, but lets put it this way, to fire my Bren GUN on the top of the truck, it would be about imposible, I can't stand for a start, other wise pissed as newts, not all of us but most, Muckta happy man we gave him a tin of fresh tea leaves, and coffee, our officer said not a word of this when we get back to barracks not on your live, we would all still be in the clink the army prison, drunk on duty, by hell thats a court mashall offence, thats why I called this Desert Mountain Dew. I did meet that Muckta again and his tribe, but thats another story. EDDIE HOLDEN, EXPARA PALESTINE SIANI DESERT 1946-1948 .
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NO 13, STORY, I WILL CALL THIS, GOD CAN NOT WALK ON WATER IT'S BEEN PROVED.
Now if any of you who have been the services, theres always a R,S,M,Regimental Sargent Major, a W,O, Warrent Officer,and a Mid Shipman, or Snotty,they are called Gods as no one crosses them, a law to them selves, but if one of these do, do something that should not have happened then, the rank and file take them to pieces. Now I have a brother in law that was in the R,A,F and a Warrent Officer, he was in charge of supplies, and fuel to the air field, this all happened in Cyprus the R,A,F, Station AKROTIRI, the fuel to the planes has to come by tanker and mored out at sea to a bouy, then pumped to the fuel tanks on the airfield, but he has to go out to the tanker and sign for this fuel, a motor boat is layed on for this, to climb a board is up a rope ladder, then to the Captains cabin, for the hand over, and drink or two layed on . Now while he is on board, somewhere down the line ladder is moved and so is the boat to the other side of the ship, now Warrent Officer John Lupson gets ready to disembark the ship, but somewhere, somehow, he falls in the lovely Med, missing his launch to take him back and has to be hauled in Wet, perhaps he is now wet out side as well as inside. But the Sgts mess is well imformed of this, so as he returns to the mess, a lovely big notice has been put up, for all to see. It reads, WARRENT OFFICERS ARE NOT GODS, THEY CAN NOT WALK ON WATER. I think my bother in law John,took sometime to way lay that ghost of the past. As I know him very well he just took it in his stride, he had no choice did he. It's one thing we do know the R,A,F Warrent Officers are not Gods, but they sure can make it Hell for the Scwaddy's under them.
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NO, 14, STORY,THIS IS ABOUT OF A LOCAL PLUMBER THAT WENT TO WAR AND CAME BACK A HERO HIS EXPLIOTS ARE WELL WRITTEN ABOUT, AND I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO KNOW HIM.
We will start with H,M,S,Campbeltown, that was her name after she was transferred from the U,S,Navey in 1940, she was an old Warship, but was ideal for this job, all what was to happen on march 26-1942 was kept highly secrete, and all men that sailed on this ship were given a joice to volenter to carry out this job that lay in store for them, now unbeknown to the ships crew ,257 Commandos had been training to go with them on this raid, and one of the Commandos is now a Sgt and our local plumber his name is none other that Mr Auther Dockril of Ely, now Sgt A , Dockril, commando, and his men arrive at the ship, their job is now to pack the bowes of the ship with as much H,E, as possible and prime it ready for the off under the command of LT Colonel Charles Newman,. Early in the after noon of March 26-1942 they sail disguised as a German Warship from Falmouth and accompanying were 16 motor launches a gun boat a torpedo boat and two destroyers all heading for the Loire River to the docks at ST NAZAIRE the largest dry docks to take the largest battle ships for repairs, and to put them out would be a big blow to Germany, well it all goes well till they enter the river mouth and some german smart arse phoned his head quarters that a German ship was coming up the river but had not asked permision to enter, well exchange of fire started , but the old Campbeltown ploughed on bowes full of H,E, , YES the old girl did ramm the lock gates, and wedged there, and the commandos set the fuses to blow at a given time, abandon ship was called, every one off, jobs had to be done, like blowing up the pumping houses, and other buildings, but the Germans are getting the upper hand, they board the Campbeltown, but our Captain told them it would blow at any time so a big rush for the docks, some were captured, and yes the good old Campbeltown did her job she blew the dry dock gates to pieces , now a running battle with the rest of ships that escorted them, sadly a lot were sunk but some escaped with commandos on board, but the rest were prisoners, and our local hero Sgt Auther Dockril, was awarded the M,M, in saveing one of the officers, he had to carry him up a straight ladder as this officer is badly wounded, if he had left him he would have been blown up with the docks. All this was done under heavey enermy fire. I have seen Auther just recently and he says the St Nazaire association is now disbanded as there are only one or two left now, if you think about it they are all in their mid eighty's coming ninty's , and Auther gets around with a simmer frame but still smileing and loves a chat. All these men that did this job new it was a fifty , fifty chance of survival, but they still went and did it, men like that should never be forgotten, Eddie Holden, expara,
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NO 15, STORY, THIS STORY HAPPENED JUST AFTER THE CEASE FIRE OF WORLD WAR TWO WITH THE JAPPANESE, THE PLACE BATAVIA,(NOW JAKARTA,) I WAS AT THE TIME ON MY WAY FROM, FRENCH INDO-CHINA, TO BATAVIA, HISTORY WAS MADE.
This is a history story that people today say no it never happened, well I can asure you this all did as I was there, to see it happen. On arrival at Batavia airfeild by the famous Dakota aircraft, we had just finneshed our job of releaseing P,O,W, camps, we are part of Force 136, parachute regiment, we get some orders from a army officer, that Batavia is under siege as the people are ransacking the place and riots, they are shouting,No More White Rule, a man called Soekarno had proclaimed himself President of all Indonesia, and all whites out, well he had to fight a parachute brigade, well we are thin on the ground when you have an area that size to police as thats what we are trying to do, Now remember the war has only been over about two weeks, and we still have a battalion of Jappenese soldiers locked in a compound, these roiters are after them asa well, now they are in our care, now we and the jappenese troops are hardened battle troops we were only trying to kill each other two weeks ago, Well things are not going too good for us as we patrol Batavia's streets, we are being shot at, stoned, and some are killed by shear numbers of them, well this is when history was made, the Jappenese Major Kido, and our Brigadier K,T,Darling, had a long talk and the Jappenese were re-armed, and were to patrol along side of us in the streets of Batavia, well we could not speak jappenese and spoke no english, but we got by with sign laguage, and this worked very well, law and order was restored, but the powers that be said all Dutch out and French, and hand it over to Indoesian politictians, well we withdrew to Singapore and thats when I went on war crimes, but to record straight, the Jappenese soldiers that were helping us were of the fighting soldier, now the Jappese that guarded our prisoners in camps were of a different breed, thet were a law to them selves, and thats why I am off to Singapore, the Notourious Changi Jail, well you see history was made British troops and Jappenese troops fighting side by side, I KNOW this is true as I WAS ONE OF THEM, but when Major Kido got back to Jappan, the story goes that he was persicuted by his own people for helping the British, to find out what realy happened the trail goes dead. My next story will have to be about Changi Jail and our threethousand inmates of barbarrack injustice that they inflicked on our troops inb prison camps, Eddie Holden, ex Force 136 parachute regiment p.o.w, rescue.
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NO 16 STORY, I WILL CALL THIS ONE, JACK TAR, IN WHITES OR WAS IT BLACKS.
This is a story that happened in South Africa, to a British Distroyer that had docked for refueling and take on stores, and also a little site seeing for the boy's. Now shore leave was for the boy's to return by 23--59Hrs to book in at the ship, transport was layed on for down town drop off points and the pick up point's for return jouney, all was clear, to our young matlows in white tropical dress, be at the pick up's or we leave you to make your own way back, well as you know theres always some that don't make it to the pick up, well this time four didn't, so they are left to get back as best as posible, well time and money has run out, they other wise scint, as we say in the services, it's leg it back or kedge a lift, well remember they are in white tropical dress, now as they are walking along the road home to the ship, to their good or miss fortune a lorry comes along, the driver and his mate in the front, these lads are offered a lift if they get in the back, well its a black night as no lights on this stretch of the road, it's an open back lorry, so the boy's climb aboard, and as they are travelerling the dust from the bottom of the lorry swirls around, but what these lads didn't know it was a coal lorry, remember whites, well at the docks the Distroyer is ready to sail, our boys make a dash for the gangway up, and at the top is no other than their Captain with two snow drops, milatary police, well white dress is now black with coal dust, and Captain not a happy man, so its straight into the brig for the night, they were given punishment, but after wards the Captain had a few words with these boys, he said I didn't know I had the Black and White Minsterals on board, I think next time if you pick a lorry , don't pick a coal lorry, yes Sir with laughs all round. I was told this story at a birthday party of my cousins daughter, the person who told me was her boy friends dad as he was one that got sent to the brig, and he said the Captain never let him forget that lorry ride, all the time he was with him.
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NO 17, STORY, THIS STORY I WILL CALL, FISHING S,E,A,C, STYLE, THIS IS HOW WE FISHED IN SOUTH EAST ASIA COMMAND, BUT THIS IS PALESTINE.
Well this is how we went fishing, we have been in the desert for a few weeks or so patroling, and liveing off compoo rations, and dry biscuits just like dog buscuits as hard as hell, even after you soak them for a week in water, Well the cockney lads were always saying it would be nice to have some fish and chips, what in the middle of the desert, so a thought ran through my mind, as to what we did in S,E,A,C, so I kept mum, We finnaly arrive back at barracks, Kaffer Vikin, right beside the Med sea Gazer Area, well after a shower and a clean up, off I go to see our officer in charge, with one or two other lads, the officer said yes Holden what do you want and you others, fish and chips Sir, dont be darft you lot, theres no fish and chips around here, you want a bet Sir, right you tell me and perhaps I will prove you lot wrong, Right Sir we want a 3" Mortor and some H,E, and a small boat, you lot can't have that, right Sir you ask my old Major Evans, and tell him Holden and the men want fish and chips, you haven't got a hope in hell to get that, so off this young one pipper just out of sandhurst to see my old Major, well it wasn't long before he was back, and said he wants enough to feed the lot of the boys in camp,and he wants first lot, you tell him from me, he will wait his turn, I darn't do that,and how do you know Major Evans well we were together for a long time, in the Jungle, but thats an other story, Well the 3" mortor boys have got set up on the beach with all H,E, boat ready, and jeeps also ready, now this young officer he is going to learn something now, Ok lads lets start, off they fire about onehundred yards into the sea, and the water is white with fish, boats away, now we have more than we need so the locals have the rest, the jeeps were full of fish, and its fish and chips S,E,A,C style, thats how we caught fish out there, now we are not the only ones that do this, the Navey boys drop depth charges, samething, but bigger. From then on for a while I WAS TOP DOG AROUND THE CAMP, Eddie Holden expara
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NO 18, STORY, I WILL CALL THIS ,THE PAST HAS A FUNNY WAY OF CATCHING YOU OUT, AND ADDS TO ANOTHER STORY,
This all started soon after I got married and liveing in ELY, then Isle of ELY, 1950s . Well to make some extra cash, over and above the job I was doing , I joined the local Isle OF Ely Fire SERVICE as a retained fireman, well this goes very well, but you see the club room at back of the firestation is of dual purpose, it's a Police and Fire Service club room, this works out very well, Now everone takes turn in minding the bar, thats OK , till one day our Police Superintentant came in for his Sunday Dinner tipple, it's my turn on the bar, now this is no other than Superintentant Freddy Wells and dog Bobby, now Super wells he got to know everyone in Ely, well this dinner time went like this, after he got his tipple, Eddie ever thought of joining the police force, no never thought about, why, well with a record like yours you should think about it, come on hold it , you know nothing about me, just out the army and married and just come from Norwich, well he said I know all about you, OH yes, he then said he had to go to London a few weeks ago and to the war office, to veryfy the Docs to a Spy that landed at Littleport IN THE WAR, so what nothing to do with me, I wasn't around then, no I know that he said, but while in London I had dinner with a Major Evans, OH no you didn't I am afraid I DID, so old Jungle Jim spilled the beans did he, well yes sort of. So I SAID I would think about it, but now this Spy story got me going, I have got to know more, that was hard as people were still tight liped, till a film was made of this man a Spy. Well this Spy was none other than Eddie Chapman, a master safe breaker, of the jellynite gang before the war, who went on the run from police capture to Jersey Isles, but the Germans invaded and Eddie volenteered to Spy for Germany, but there was a twist to this he realy wanted to get German secretes and bring them to England, well I can say the film that was made of this man is called TRIPPLE CROSS, and you will see why, Now after a lot of training and speaking German, Eddie is ready for his first mission, one dark night and over LITTLEPORT ELY , he dropped by parachute, and went to a farm house of Mr Combined, and then to ELY POLICE, station await MI5 to arrive to take him to London, thats when Eddie Chapman made his deal, he told them all he new, and they got him back to Germany via Spain , by Boat, now the Germans have just started useing V1,- V2, rockets, and they want to know if they are falling on the towns properly, so back comes Eddie, lands this time Six Mile Bottom, bac to MI5 London the rockets are on target, but Eddie sends a radio message, drop your range as they are over shooting target, so the Germans drop the range and they fall in open feilds, now we will never know how many lives he saved, but must be thousands, he then stayed here till war ended, now this Tripple Cross, Eddie crossed us by spying for the Germans, thats one cross, next he crossed the Germans for spying for us,thats number two cross, but the Mi5 promissed to wipe Eddies sheet clean after the war for what he did, well Eddie said clear my crimes, we can't said MI5 why you promised, yes but we can't why, because the building that held your papers got bombed, and I DID ALL that for nothing, a few choice words but he saw the funny side, and Eddie lived a good life after the war as he was payed by the british MI5 , and the German counter parts, he said Hitler gave him �50,000 SADLY Eddie Chapman died about two years ago, a man I would have loved to meet, as they all said a loveable rouge .. There is a lot written about this man, his story is on the website EDDIE CHAPMAN.
NO 19, STORY, THIS STORY WILL HAVE TO BE CALLED ( IT'S ALL DOTS AND DASHES TO ME, )FOR PEOPLE WHO KNOW THE MORSE CODE.
Theres a man in our village by the name of, Mr John Clarke, the brains of our computers, at the Drop in Cafe and Library, well this man wasn't always just Mr, in the 1960s he was Sgt John Clarke, R,A,F, Wireless Technician, Boscombe Down, and thats a mouth full. Now do you know the Morse Code? if you do, you know that there are a number of "reciprocals" the letter "A" is dot-dash, while "N" is dash-dot, and there are several others. While he was a wireless technician on the transmitters at R,A,F, Boscombe Down,there was a radio beacon sending the station id, which was "BD"s repeated 3 times , then a long dash for homing in on . The dots and dashes were formed by a lever operated by pins on a slowly turning wheel. The station had a visit from a Navy telegrapger working on site for a while and in an idle moment he listened to the clicks from the autokey, and asked "What is that supposed to be sending " when told , he laughted and said , They must have thought the wheel would turn the other way. Now "B" is dash-dot-dot-dot, now it's reciprocal is the famous Beethoven "V" for victory, bom-bom-bom-boom, well no body can realy say when this started , but all through the war, so Britain's most famous flying research station had been proudly identified to the world by the letters "VD" VD, VD, well what can I say VD on a R,A,F Station, or were we trying to tell people not to visit England we all have "VD" and if was played during the war, no wounder Hitler never invaded us, he thought we all had "VD".. (Thanks John nice one ).
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NO 20, STORY, THIS STORY WILL HAVE TO BE CALLED, WHAT A FUNNY WAY TO COLLECT PINEAPPLES, IN S,E,A,C, .
This story happened on a parachute opperation in ,South East Asia Command, or seac as we used to say, in a country called Sarawak, next to Bruni, well this mission was to release prisoners of war from a Jappenese camp, next to the rain forests, well plans were made, for the drop to be in the paddy feilds about 2 miles from the camp, the paddy feilds that were chosen, were of corn, but there were also, pineapples growing next to these feilds, photos were studied, as our R,A,F boys had done a good job, the feilds looked quite firm for a landing, Daks, DC 3s were flown in with chutes to an airfeild just out side Batavia( Jakarta) well breifings went well, every one happy, we are to lead, in the first plane, and Medics,with intelligent Sgts in the second plane, orders load up, well to get down in the area, it's the pilots to get it right, and to be a fast exit from the planes. Well our plane leaves for us to jump first and secure ground area, the next plne to come in a few minutes later with Medics and the brainy boys, we get down right inthe middle of a corn feild, it's the type of corn, like corn on the cob, secure area and wait, well next plane coming in for the drop, and under shoot the area, as the first feild is a pineapple feild, tweentyfive men out in the air no going back, and half are going to hit the pineapples, these plants are three foot high and a pineapple near the top. The leaves of these lovely fruit have sharp points to the leaves, if you can imagine landing on a rose bush, well this is worse as you get draged along with the chute. Well we can hear words that never would be printed in the Bible and the pilot had no father, now after a while they all emerged from said feild, and some bright spark "ME" SAID YOU MIGHT HAVE BROUGHT US A PINEAPPLE, now the words went something like this, If you want a F,,,,,,,pineapple you go and fetch one, and I thought Medics were nice people, I think the pilot upset them, well we did capture the P,O,W, camp and the Jap Guards were sent back for trial, after we had settle down for a break, and our P,O,Ws were given treatment, all I said was it would be nice to have a slice of pineapple, and the answer I got was the same, you can stuff your f,,,,,,,pineapples, but after that, it became a bit of a punch line, at every other drop, how far are we dropping away from pineapple feilds, so now as go around the shops and pineapples are on display, I have to smile as the memories of yester year come back. EDDIE HOLDEN EXPARA FORCE 136.
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NO 22. STORY, THIS STORY WILL HAVE TO CALLED, ( HOW I NEARLY STARTED WORLD WAR THREE,WITH A FEW OTHER MATES ).
Well I will have to start with a job we had been doing in Palestine, we were sent on a patrol from Narserith to Bethlehem, a distance of 80 miles, yes we were following the route of Joseph and Mary, round about 4 to 7 BC thats coming up to 2000 years ago, well whatwe were doing was searching all the wells for ilegal arms that might be hidden in them, but we found nothing, either they got wind we were coming and hid them else where or they generaly didn't have any, who knows, well we did finanly end up in Bethlehem, and after a bit of sight seeing marching back to barracks Kaffa Viking, on the edge of the Med; Garza strip erea, right back at camp everyone for dip in the Med; now our Barrack fenceing runs along the beach about 100 yards from the sea, theres a gap in the barbed wire fenceing with a gun post either site of the opening, now no one has swimming trunks its skinny dipping not a stitch on , about twenty of in number all lined up for a rase to the sea, Well at this point we are about fifty yards from sea, and theres a bend in the coast line , you can not see whats coming around the corner. Nothing in site as far as we can see, now its bets on who gets in the water first, as we are all huddle together placeing bets, yes you gested a cammel train comes round the corner with all families women and children, the head of the train is at the front, known as the Muckta, well his tribe of Bedouins are all in line, and every camel well loaded with wares, as always the women are at the rear, and all veiled up, there are we all in line ready to charge into the Med; we are starkers, now this is not good, as Muslem women must not see undressed men like us, So now this Muckta is going spare at us well we didn't know he was comeing round the bend, so our Corperal who was with us did the talking, and there were a lot of arms flying around and Muckta pointing to us then to his women, boy this is getting a bit hot, well us lads were educating the ladies of the east, but it's their country so we are in the wrong, but we had to promise that infucture a guard would be posted at the corner, Muckta not a happy man, there could be retaliatetions with this if he speaks to any terrerist groups, so fingers crossed, but I think for some of the women it made their day, as there were lots of giggles that could be heard, and our corperal did save the day. That was too close for comfort, and it wasn't a tribe that we had raided down in the Siani Desert, this lot must have come up from Port Said, Well we all live and learn by misstakes, well it looks as if WW3 is dead and gone we hope, and Charle Barns won the race to the sea, about 40 mills, and after a good swim, its back to N,A,F,F,I, for a glass of Stella Beer, out of a glass that was once a bottle, there was a civie at back of the naffi cutting off the tops of the bottles and makeing them into glasses, now drinking in the N,A,F,F,I thats another story,
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NO 23, STORY, THIS STORY IS ABOUT TOP GUNS, THAT DIDN'T WANT TO BE TOP GUNS ANYMORE, (Yes it's about the U,S,A Pilots)
This story actualy happened at R,A,F, Alconbury, Nr HUNTINGDON well, at this time the base was flying A,10, tank busters , or the nick name Wart HOG, as they are an ugly looking aircraft, but they are deadly with the Gaterling gun at the front that fires bullets, so fast that it looks like a steel rod coming down,thats why they called them tank busters,. I got to know a lot of these young flyers, they were all gungho, and after the top job, of TOP GUN, this ment they had a special car parking place with Top Gun plaque screwed to the curb of the parking lot, How I got to know these lads is I DID a lot of work in their crew room. Well over a time we chattered about WW 2 and what I did, in the end they were calling me Limey, it to the stage when I went into the room , coffee Limey, thats a repore I had with them, now for them to practice they flew to an Island in the Wash and straffed it for practice, and try and hit targets. Now theres a Fellow called Saddam Hassan, wants war, or hes talking about it, and in the end he walked in to Kuwait, now theres unroar, and it,s war, these boys at Alconbury are all gungho to get there, they got it in their minds it was going to be a walk over, so some what do think Limey, I just said you will going as boys that just got your flying wings and you will come back as men, I just said take target you have been shooting at, this time it will shoot back, and they just laugh and said but we willget him first, well lets put it this way, they are on the ground, just sitting there waiting for an aircraft to fly over, now he sees you first as the noise you make coming towards them, you see them last, and when the bullets start coming up you will know adreniline is brown, but they still laughed, Well they did go , and friendly fire hit some of our tanks, and then in the end the Iraqis made a retreat home, this was a blood bath, the Iraqis were sitting ducks all in convoy, but war is war, and it's all over, the flyers return to Alconbury, with one or two missing, but no gungho, and the Top GUN Plaque is gone, they are walking if seen ghosts, and the happy go lucky is all gone, these are now men, thats seen what war is all about, one or two came and said, I suppose you heard the friendly fire that happened, yes we in England know all about it, I then said this can happen at any time, but the pilot who did it, will have to live with it for rest of his life, it will never go away, and what you have just been through will never leave your mind, and you live with it, and live a life, as life goes on, they just said thanks Limey, and I SAID do not expect every English person to see like me, so be on your guard, well Limey we are told we will soon be going home, I said thats good you might be able to live with it easyer at home, Thanks again Limey, and thats the last I SAW THEM, yes they were boys, and in weeks they came back as men, that saw the world differently.
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NO 24, STORY, I WILL HAVE TO CALL THIS STORY, WE HUNG THEM HIGH , THREE AT A TIME, NINE A DAY. Now this story is what happened to me as young Soldier of Eighteen years old, it's a bit of crime story tell.
Well here goes warts and all, my first stop was India it took five days flying in B24s to get there 24 of us to each aircraft, and 14 aircraft 300 of us and equipment so the old planes were well loaded , first stop in India was Karachi, then down to Pooner, then by train to the North west Frontier Chuklala a race cause , well we are soon into training, we are already trained Parachutists of the Parachute Regiment, but now we are to join the what is called Force 136, Parachute 5th Indian Div, I have never seen so many colours of black people before, you name it they were there, and we trained side by side no raisists here all fighting men for one cause , fighting Jappenese, well after hard training in Jungle warfare we are off to South East Asia, thats not Burma, we are going further over Sumartra, Bornio, Sarawak, and French Indo-China, as it was then, we are on a missen to capture P.O.W., CAMPS hundreds of miles behind enemy lines, well when the Boss told us what we going to do our first thoughts were one way drop on coming back, but Lord Luis Mountbattern said we have 50-50 chance. After he had left we were all lost for words as everyone thought a one way trip, well things did go our way as surprise was on our side and we did it.The P,O.W, camps we captured well most were all walking skeltons, but the last one was the worst, an all men camp of British, Azzie, American, and Indian, they all looked like match sticks, walking, my job was to get the Officers and N,C,Os and hold them in groups, for them to be flown back to Singapore jail yes the Nortourius Changi Jail Singapore which is now in our hands and our British boys being well fed again, in the end we had three thousand Jappenese in Changi jail for war crimes, and the trials are about to start, the Australians are the Judge and Jurery, we are now posted to Changi to guard them, so we are coming acrooss the very Japs we just taken prisoners, so we new what they had done to our boys in these camps, most of the japs that had done realy bad things to our boys we had nick names for them, The Frog, The Toad, The Duck, and so on. dozens more also I must point out that they were all not jappanese as a lot of the guards were Kereans as the japs at this time ruled them they were part of Jappan , but just as brutal, well we were all asked if would at times stand guard at the hangings, they gave the right to refuze the duty, not one to my nollage refuzed a guard as most had seen the state our boys were in , the hanging of the japs was to humilliate them as they all wanted to be shot as an honourable death, but the powers that be at the time ,thats Auzzies said not bloody likely cobber, so thats where I get my title from, it was a Dutch hangman that did it, all we had to do was stand guard on the scaffold, or under neath it with the Doctor, we only there to stop them from trying get away , little hope of that, now the hangman he had three at a time, and most days nine a day seven days a week, this went on for, I was there from December 1945-1946 Feb, so you see we got through a lot but I WASN'T at the hangings everyday we had other duties as well like down at the Suprime Courts trials , and taking out working parties, so it was a bussy time, While I was at the hangings I thought how barbaric it is, and at times it can become a bit messy, and some do not die straight away, I was glad when we in England got rid of it, but I AM NOT AGAINST CAPITAIL punishment we always put a dog and cats down by an injection, why not humans it makes sence, so you see a little old Norfolk Boy grew up fast in WW2 and to see the bad things in war, but there were also a lot of good things that came out of it as well, and to the very last breath of air these Jappanese that were hung, all shouted out on the scaffold, long live the Emperor,but I must point out they were buried in mass graves and quick lime poured over them so there would be nothing left, as some of the relations might want dig them up and make marteirs of them, but all graves were unmarked and records none, of the site, they were totaly brain washed by him, as to them he was a liveing God, and law to everyone, and in this very day of 2006 we still have people wanting to rule the world, with relgion and blowing their own people up, this is a part a verse that was either sung or said at Changi Jail Singapore.
ON THE WALLS OF CHANGI JAIL.
While serving out in S,E,A,C. While billeted in tents We all longed for mail But none was ever sent. We toiled and worked. But all in vain. We ashed once more but still none sent. While swinging round the searchlights. On the walls of Changi Jail.
While serving out in S,E,A,C,. WHILE billeted in tents We guarded all the Japs of Changi Jail. But we tried them all. Some to hang some to life. Inside the walls of Changi Jail. While swinging round the searchlights On the walls of Changi Jail.
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NO 25, STORY, THIS STORY IS CALLED ,; A POLICEMANS LOT 1950'S
Well this policeman I happen to know as he is one of the old school of police officers, that patroled our villages and cities, when the policeman had the law on his side, and what he said went,and woo be tide if someone overstepped the mark. Now this expolice officer is rather large, he used to called a Mr Plod, or PORKY, now its just plane Mr Peter Morten, he has wrote a few little stories of his time in the police force, then the old Isle of Ely, now its Cambridgeshire, well this one is has come to me just right for Christmas as its memories of that time of year.
As he has put it with christmas fast approaching, memories of yester years come flooding back to how it used to be in the old days, when policing was fun. Yes fun, living and serving in a village for 14 years you became part of the community and most of us were involved in various aspects of village life, sharing the good times and the bad. When the village celebrated, especially Christmas, we enjoyed life with them, making sure everything was kept in order but in a sensible and reasonable way. We had our fair share of over exuberant revellers on occasions, but fortunately not the scale of today's violent behaviour. Being on duty Christmas day was quite different, it seemed that everyone wanted to stop and chat and usually, if you had taken advantage of all the offers of tea, coffee, mince-pies etc; we would never have had room for a Christmas dinner, rarely did we get any trouble Christmas day. Now with my tougue in cheek, was it all tea and coffee.????. Being off duty, one of my fondest memories (I'm sure shared by many)was Thornhill's Bakehouse, because I worked most Christmas days our two families would visit us and my wife usually had an army to feed. We would always have turkey in excess of 20Ibs which would not go into our oven, so we would take our turkey, oven ready in a baking tray which was suitably labelled with our name on a piece of paper pegged to it, then down to the bakehouse and leave it to be cooked by the volunteer baker,(usually Jock or Arthur) . The fun came when we went to collect the turkey after cooking, the men had this job and to see them all lined up puffing their Christmas day cigars, faces all reddened by the odd "wee dram" was always a happy sight. Then a mad dash to get your bird into the car and get it home whilst still hot was a work of art. Like all villages one could go on and on with stories about Christmas but we all have our memories of christmas, now to wish you all Good Health, Good Luck, and a Great Christmas, from Ex, P,C Peter Morten and his Wife .
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NO 26, STORY, THIS STORY WILL HAVE TO BE CALLED.; THE HOURORS OF WAR.
This story has recently come to me through some very good friends of mine, and they are relations of the WW11, soldier that's the main caricature of this story and his short life. First of all I personally never meet this soldier, but it's only just recently been released for publication, as it's been under rapes for fifty years as to what happened. The publication of this story has been just published in a war magazine, but not all has really come out, like no need to know,,, Well lets start off with this young mans life, he was born at 22 Victoria street, Ely, (then) Isle of Ely. (now Cambridgeshire.) he was the middle child of Mr&Mrs Thompson, they also had two daughters, now young Cyril Thompson was born on the 8th March 1924, and growing up right beside the River Ouse that runs almost past his door, so fishing was a sport he took up, with also Football, and played for Ely Foot Ball Team,now as years went on he left school and worked at Cutlacks Ltd, Market Street,as a plumber, now at this time young Cyril is doing well, and he and his friends had eyes out for the girls of the town, as when you are in your teens you are the cats whiskers about town, and love of sport, but and the but, Hitler came to power and put pay to all that, so as much as Chamberlain our Prime Minster of that time tried to avoid War, with Hitler in the end War was declared on Germany, for walking into Poland, this is 1939, and young Cyril is 14 years old but 1943 young Cyril is eighteen and army calls, but he was defirred for a while but in the end he had to go and do his duty, so young Cyril joined the Royal Engineers, and was training down at Aldborough at the Orford Battle Area, and were assigned to A,V,R,E,(Assault Vehicle Royal Engineers) tanks that were converted Churchill tanks into Flame-Throwers, Frailers, and Pipe Carriers for blasting across mine fields, now these Flame-Throwers used Nitro, the most unstable explosive ever used, but that's what Flame-Throwers used, so the utmost care was all ways in place, while training down on the coast he got leave and as soon as he was home, Ely Team were after him to play, now his last leave, he went and kissed his Mother goodbye a thing he never done before, well D-DAY has come and gone, it's now for Cyril's lot to move out and to the South Ports for his landing Via Mulbury Harbour at Amerraches France, traverling through France and on to Holland encountering the enermy all the way, time for a break and take on ammo and nitro, so a field was chosen on the Dutch boarder, in the field were farm buildings, so the tanks were scattered around a brew up in order, this is October 20th 1944, this halt for the night the tanks were deployed to three areas of the field to spread them out a bit to make repairs and reload ammo, and Nitro to the Flame-Throwers, well this is brought by lorries in something like Jerry Cans, and this is the job of the Canadians to bring it to the Squadrons, . Now we are at War and time is the main essence to replenish the vehicles, all going fine, but the tanks have left ruts and uneven ground, but the Canadian boys drove straight on and the shaking of the Nitro, well we are talking tons in containers on these lorries, most of the men are eating and just generally doing odd jobs, then it happened, one all mighty "Bang," and the lot all gone up in smoke and the blast, now this all happened at a village in Holland, named,; IJZENDIJKE, a Memorial has been built to this now, 46 men lost their lives, and others wounded, and there were survivors to tell the story, but was kept under rapes for years, all the tanks and lorries were knocked out, and no one really knew what happened till in 1994, the family layed a wreath at Ely War Memorial, Ely Market Square, and a gentleman from Sutton was walking past and happen to see the writing about this on the wreath, so he got in touch with the family and then they through him were able to delve a little deeper, into the truth, as to what happened to Cyril Thompson now his sisters, and our local historian Barry Aldridge, who is part of the family a son of one of the sisters, now it's fifty years on and most things can now be published, and reading between the lines, this explosion shouyld never have happened if a little more care was taken at the time, looking back in hind-site, this is what we call now, killed by friendlyt fire, this was a young man in his prime, and full of plans to what he was going to do after the war, he was going into business with his uncle and run a Plumbing Firm, a shop was ear-marked for this, but sadly Adolph Hitler saw to that, but the family now make regular visits to Holland, to the Memorial at IJZENDIJKE, Stories like this should never be forgotten, and told as part of Ely's History, of men who gave their lives in World War Two, so they can live in peace,; I feel privilaged to have allowed to tell this story,; EDDIE HOLDEN.
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NO 27, STORY,THIS WILL BE CALLED WEATHER YOU LIKE OR NOT, ITS ALL IN A POLICEMANS LOT.
It's hello again from our EX PC MORTON, one of our local bobby's retired, yes he says hello again and it's raining, this is what acording to him that the police loved on a saturday night, when the pubs were turning out, nothing better to get the heavey drinkers off the streets was a heavey down pour of rain, and the local bobby stood in a well sheltered door way and watched them head for home, it dampen their high jinks, so the local bobby had a peaceful night Police in those days were always on the streets, what ever weather, they were well protected, with police issue, waterproof coats, leggings, capes, ans overcoats, now Peter says he liked the Cape as it had a wonderful large pocket could hold a torch, gloves, and sandwiches, a bottle of drink, and he has known for some to carry a hot water bottle on very cold nights. Now the date is a bit of a miff but he remembers the year 1960s, he says the date is a bit vague as his old age is telling on him, now peter is not due on duty till 6-00am but at 3-00am one of his mates came and got him out of bed, and on duty immediately as every main road into littleport was blocked by fallen trees. O n arriveal at the Police station I was sent on my bike down to about 1/4 mile littleport side of Brandon Creek Bridge, to assist and deal with traffic, mainly lorries going off to London markets, there was a tail back as far as we could see, this large tree was across the road, council workers arrived and cutting it up and with lifting gear , it was way after 6-00am before traffic flowed again. Now another amazing night Peter remembers, was on the A 1101 road about 300 yards from TOLL corner, on the way to Welney,two of them were sent to a serious accident which was being dealt with by the traffic car, so Peter and his mate had to set up a diversion via a drove, round the accident,to get back on to the A 1101 . This started off with a lovely day then suddenly from nowhere , a real fen blow got up. Many of you know what I mean when I say all the top soil was blown into a cloud of dust and travbelled with the wind. Visibility is nill it's like a sand storm but these are black, uniforms thick with dust, then the wind eased a bit and it began to clear, but suddenly again a spiral of air about twenty feet across swirled over the fields it rose in the air about 30 feet it crossed the fields it suched up crops ,carrots, beet, and all in it's way. I t is what we call a Mini Tornado, they are quite common in the fens, and quite incredible to watch, There was always extremes of weather to cotent too, with ice, snow, and of course the dreaded fog it always laid low in the fens, it all played a major part in the every day life of a village Policeman. It all sounds doom and gloom, but of course , theres alwasys the summer sunrise and the wounderful sunsets over the fens, it was nature ar it's best that never failed to thrill me. Over many years of walking and cycling on a rural beat you experienced all facets of the English weather and nothing could be more diverse. Thats another nice little story of a policeman on the beat, in the 1960s , Peter Morton ex PC of the old Isle of Ely police force, and don't forget the your story of the Mortuary, looking foreward to that.
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NO 28, STORY,THIS STORY IS ABOUT ELY FIRE SERVICE, CHIMNEY FIRES AND ME THE LEADING FIREMAN OF THIS ONE.
Now it's sunday morning about 11-30am to 12-noon time 1950s call comes chimney fire at a council estate Ely me the leading fireman with the ATV and TRAILER PUMP, now we are talking when everyone had coal fires, and this one was well alight, black smoke coming out like a steam train, you can't miss the house as everyone is out waiting for us to come, well on a arrival. First job rake the fire out of the stove, then put water proof sheets on the floor, that done and the ladder up to the roof, one fireman with hose to chimney, he can not see as for the choking black smoke still bellshing out as the chimney well alight, this fireman has now put the hose down the chimney, and in this chimney there are four chimney pots to chose from, yes down goes the water, and the fireman at the bottom in the lounge room, not a speck of water yet, now this goes on for a least 2 minutes, then theres an almighty scream from next door her lounge is full of water, oops wrong flue it's next doors, and the husband not a happy one, our flue still bellching it out, oh yes we did get it right in the end, but not one house to clean up but two houses to clean up, and after it was all over, a nice cup of tea, and a good laugh, alls well that ends well. Thanks to good old british humour to see the funny side of a bad misstake, and I can recall quite a few times this has happened, and still a live to tell the tales, and you might say it's sods law, as nearly every chimney fire was on sunday mornings, and heads were still thick from the night before, and head thumping headack, and stomack not too good, no one is at hundred per cent, the old story morning after the night before, anyway we did our job. but now in the years 2000, no coal fires but there seem to be more house fires, why. EX LEADING FIREMAN HOLDEN.
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NO 29, STORY, AND IT'S ANOTHER POLICEMANS LOT FROM EX PC PETER MORTON, DINNING OUT WITH OLD MATES, AND TALES TO TELL.
Well to be a fly on the wall and hear the the unpubishable stories, now that would be something, but heres another one from our ex pc morton, at this dinner party was his ex bosses, and some of the Prosecution Department, now with their wives and wonderful lunch, it's down to chewing over old times of the 1950s. The subject came up of fear on duty came to the fore, and were ever frightened on duty, now most police offices when faced with this and look them in the eye , they would say of caurse not, but nine out of ten would be streching the truth. I was so pleased when my friend admitted to the occasional head sweating, hair raising , heart throbbing moment of sheer fright, and both of us had survived the experiences of rural beats. Now Peter remembers one particular incident , it's march cold and raining and wet, 2-30am morning pitch black, a spate of thefts from churches in the area, had come to notice, so on peters round checking ST Georges Church Littleport, his head down getting drenched by wind and rain, walking around the church through the grave stones it makes anyone a little apprehensive and this night no exception. As he walked around the church yard a sound of hammering came to his ear and you talking 2-30am pitch black, and raining with wind blowing, His first thoughts were someone had stolen the church safe and trying to open it, the noise seemed to becomeing from the other side of the hedge in a small field, just at side of the church, now with heart in mouth he crept round the hedge and into the field, and there was a man with hammer in hand, flicked on my torch and said, what do think you are doing, he jumped I jumped and neither of us appeared to be very brave at all, and to my great relief it was Andrew Foulds, the Vicars son who was trying to erect a shelter for his sheep who were lambing at the time. After our confrontation we both admitted having frightened each others half to death and we both had a good laugh .. Now after that amusing incident with happy ending, but fear was never far away on many occasions which in turn made the job interesting , and if anyone says they never been afraid it's a bit further from the truth wouldn't you say.. looking forward to the next Policemans lot.
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NO 30, STORY, THIS STORY WILL HAVE TO BE CALLED, THE SPOILS OF WAR, OTHER WISE LOOT.
Well lets put you in the picture, spoils of war or other wise loot, thats what happen when the army capture a town or another army regiment, we take trophy, a simble to say I was there, it could be an officers sword, or a flag of there country, and it could be valuable, or of no value at all, it's aways been done since time began. Now lets put you in the picture of this particular, bit of looting, but we ended up with nothing, well on our travels, through the far east, us young paras, on the look out for spoils of war, we came through Semerang, Batavia, Bornio, and Indonesia, we are now in Sarawak, a little town on the boarder or the rain forest, time for a rest and brew up, but in the meen time one bright lad went walk about and found a large empty house, still fully furnished, and everything in place, maybe to get away from the bombing and fighting, plus the bullets that were flying around. So some of us went and had a look at this place, it's an up market house, so someone lives here with a bit of dosh, now in one room a iron safe, no tools to open it,it's loot thats on our minds, and whats in it, cash is being said amongst the lads, no it's jewelry says another, well theres only one way to find out. It's to open it, we are talking of a heavey item, right bring in the two inch mortor, thats a wepon that has a nice bit of fire power, well everyone out , except me and I AM HINDING BEHIND A WALL, set this monster up ready to fire at the safe, at very close range, about twelve feet across the room, point blank range, a lanyard fixed to fireing mex, and me behind the wall, and a big tug, bang she goes hit safe fare and square in the middle. After dust dies down , and everyone creeps back to see what spoils we have, well I can tell you, all we got was a hole in the wall, and safe gone into next room and laying on it's side,not much wrong with it, door still intacked , all that was taken from that house was dust, and left with out ever knowing what was in that safe, so the spoils of war were still intacked when we left, to this day sixty old years on I often wonder what was in side that safe, and would I have been richer today, if we had opened it. BY EDDIE HOLDEN, ONE OF THE EXPARAS THAT NEVER MADE A FORTUNE OUT OF WAR.
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NO 31, STORY.YES ANOTHER POLICEMAN'S LOT, THE LIGHTER SIDE OF POLICEING 1960S.
Well this time our EX PC Peter Morton, has made this story to lighter side of policeman's life, yes it's the anual Police Ball at the Grange Littleport, as it was then the Transport and General Workers covalescent home, now it's a the best known Dinner Dance to be invited too, and yes it's full dress, and Dinner jackets the lot, and the ladies to show the best finery . But let Peter tell his side in the peperations, began in early morning of the day, decorating and arranging seating, who's to sit next to who, and so on, the people that came were in three dinning rooms, in the early years peter said his wife gave all the helpers a lunch but later on , Mary and Graham FISHER provided the lunch at their pub THE PLOUGH AND HARROW, now Peter still says Mary made the best roast potatoes hec has ever tasted, then it's back to work at the grange for the finnishing touches, and peter said with great repect to his friends who were also great cooks, ( touge in cheek )peter, and peter with his helpers finaly finnished it's home round about 5-00pm to change and into full everning dress and greet all guests . The band of the evening was Don Cowlan and his band, very good entertainers of that era, and of cause there was the draw, and the prizes were best for miles around, all done by peter and his helpers, as an invited guest I can say with hand on heart that it was run like clock work, and the last dance was round about 1-00am and no one the worse for wear, and as peter said in his story , it was the cementing of good relations between police and public. But our peter has not done yet theres the clearing up and counting the money, all be for a rest then it's peter's house for coffee and bacon sandwiches this is at about 2-00am on duty at 6-00am patrol the streets, thats a policemans lot. I am sure there's plenty of story's peter's not told yet, keep them coming peter,
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Now to you people who do not know what an R.S.M is well in the army he is "GOD", or the REGIMENTAL SARGENT MAJOR, his word is law, no messing you just obey him, well you see we had just been posted to this Battalion, and we were kind of out casts, as we were of a group that were self ruled by our own Major, and did a lot of things that were not strickly to the book of army rules, and this sort of went against the grain of this R,S,M, Mc Nalley thats his name, now we have got to toe the line as they say, so the six of us played it by the rules as far as we could, well in the meen time we were sent out on a patrol, with the Major, an eighty mile walk, from Nazerith to Bethlehem, near to the same route as Joseph and Mary took, but we were to search every well and area for Ilegal armes , but on arival back from this , we had some new comers in our hut at base, and these were straight out of blighty, white knees, and wet behind the ears, now these lads never said much and sort of stayed out of company, so we asked why they were offish, well God had got to them , and told them to stay out of our company, why we ask , he said we were a load of rabble, OH did he we said, so old Mc Nally, has put his ore in , has he , well we will see about that, . Now the R,S,M, has a guard every night out side his tent, and one of our mates is about to guard him, well this has got to be planed, and it was, about 3-30 am pitch black only our mate on guard , so we now grabs him and tie him up to make it look good, then proceed to let the tent calasps on top of him , now theres one almighty screem from in side the tent, the bloody terrorists are after me, guard guard, where the hell are you no reply he can't he's gagged, as well, now all hell is let loose, the main guard is there, and some officers , now we are in bed a sleep , never heard a thing, our mate is on orders for letting unknown people letting the tent down, all he could say there were men in black hoods that over powered him, from the rear , and didn't see a thing, Now the next thing is we are called to Gods office, now you lot of rabble you did that to me , what us Sir no never , why do think we would want to do that, to you, Sir, I will get to bottom of this and you rabble are in it up to your necks, sorry Sir you got it wrong, OK dismiss, but I'm watching you lot, and as we got out side , our old Major was there, and he said you crafty sods, up setting , our GOD like that, and he winked and off he went, as he always did, this was famous with us his wink, we new he was on our side, after a wink, many months later we did own up to the dirty trick , just to get our own back, and hand shacks alround, every one then saw the funny side..
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NO 33, THE LESSER KNOWN MASSACRES AND ATROCITIES W,W,2, OF SOUTH EAST ASIA, AS I WAS DETAILED FOR WAR CRIMES, I NEW WHAT HAPPENED AT FIRST HAND, IN STANDING GUARD AT THE SUPREME COURT SINGAPORE, AND AT CHANGI JAIL, WHERE WE HUNG THEM, THREE AT A TIME, THERE ARE MANY, SO A BREIF STATEMENT TO EACH ONE
NO 1,This one is the Bangka Island Massacre, Nurses of the Australian Army, and Civilian Women and Children were being evacuated from Singapore in SS Vyner Brooke , but was bombed by Jappenese Planes near Bangka Island and Sumatra, 330 persons on board, they managed to get in what few life boats there were, the rest drowned, and those who got to the shore of mangrove that lined the shore, they were all adviced to give themselves up, the Jappanese gotr the men and marched them off and never heard of again, and women and children were made to wade out to sea, and then machined-gunned to death but one survivor, who was Sister Bullwinkle, managed to reach the Jappanese Navel H,Q, and was put to work in the hospital, till the end of the war, then she went to Australia, and lived till she died at 84, 2000 32 other nurses were imprisoned at Palembang Sumatra, where we releast them but only 24 suvived the war,
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NO 2, THE PARIT SULONG MASSACRE.MALAYSIA.
January 1942 161 British, Australian, and Indian troops were captured by the Jannanese, and taken to a large wooden building, and assemble at the rear promised medical treatment and food and water, while waiting , unknown to them three machine guns were set up and concealed , then the order was given the concentrated fire chopped fresh and limbs to pieces and those that did survive were bayoneted to death, then the wooden build was blown up and piled up with the corpses on top and sixty gallons of petrol poored over the bodies and rubble them set light too all this was on the order of LT-GEN TAKUMA NISHIMURA, HE WAS SENTENCED to life in prison but was later to serve it out in jappan but on his way home a stop off at Hong Kong the Australian Military Police got to him and was found guilty after another trial in 1947, and was hanged in june 1951, so one more got the chop.
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NO 3 THE TOL PLANTATION ATROCITY, AT RABAUL ON THE ISLAND OF NEW BRITAIN.
On this Island was 1,396, Australian troops to defend it, but was invaded by 20,000 jappenese troops that out numbered them about 20 to 1 this was january 1942, they didn't have a hope in hells chance against them, but they put up great show, the Japs set about rounding them up and some azzies hid in the jungle but were soon captured and bayoneted to death some were marched into the bush and again bayoneted and gunned down there ID Discs were taken and the bodies were left to rot on the ground, out of all the 1,396 that were there only six men survived these killings , in 1945 the Island was recaptured and the bleached bones were found, the officer for these orders was Colonel Masao Kusunose was tracked down in 1946 , but he staved himselve to death, but the Australians never releast this till 47 years later to there country of this massacre in 1988 I have always woundered why , did they just tell the family's that they died in action and not murdered as it was the truth,
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NO 4, THE MASSACRE ON BALIKPAPAN , JAVA,
When the Japs invaded Tarakan to capture the oil fields, but the Dutch had fired them so they were useless, now Dutch were captured the army officers , and two were sent to the Island of Java, the town Balikpapan to give orders not blow up the oil fields there, but the Dutch commanding officer escaped and gave orders to blow the oil fields, but when the Japs arrived the oil fields were well a light, and the Jappanese Major General Shizuo Sakaguchi, was out raged to what he saw , 23-1-1942 he rounded up all Dutch soldiers and civlians marched them to the beach then beheaded two on the beach, all the others were forced into the sea and then gunned down this was a massacre, and bodies left to drift in the sea, and there were two beheadings on the beach, but the Jappanese General did pay the price for this at changi jail,
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NO 5 THE ATROCITY ON LUZON, THIS IS WHAT I CALL, CIVILIZATION GONE MAD, AND BACK TO BARBAROUS AND INHUMAN DAYS TO PLEASE AN EMPEROR A LIVING GOD.
This happened to the Filipino resistance fighters after they surrendered to the Jappanese soldiers becaurse they had run out of ammunition, They were tied to together neck to neck and hands tied behind them , then marched for three miles to place of excution, another lot of prisoners were brought in to dig holes four and a half feet deep and two feet square, then these prisoners were made to jump in the holes and other prisoners were made to fill in around them and stamp it down tight, only their heads out of the earth, then the grave diggers were lined up and shot at blank range, then the worst ordeal started on one human to another, the jappenese soldiers went behind the bushes and did their toilet releases on banana leaves, then returned to the buried prisoners and made each one open his mouth and stuffed in their mouths this revolting faeces with laughter from the soldiers as their last meal, the only thing the prisoners could do was to shake their heads from side to side, then after what they thought was fun , they drew their swords and began chopping of the prisoners heads , and after the war local civilians who new of this told the army that came to resure the country, and war crimes was set up and due punishments were given out. When the war was finnanly over now lets forgive and for get, if one of your family was put to death like that, would you forget or forgive, ?????????think not.
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NO 6, PRINCESS ALEXANDRIA HOSPITAL, SINGAPORE, THIS ONE I GOT VERY ENVOLVED WITH AS TO GET THOSE WHO DID IT, WE DID GET THEM AND THEY PAYED THE PRICE,
The japs invaded singapore, and made staight for the hospital, where a detatchment of GHURKAS were guarding the hospital, they asked to lay down their arms no said the Ghurkhas this is a none military zone, this angered the japs and ordered to shoot the lot of Ghurkhas, and then turned on the dying and ill patients butchered them to death, then raped the nurses, then bayoneted them to death, and the doctors, beheaded, now there was no one to run the hospital, a few local orderlies of the hospital escaped and after we recapture singapore , the stories were told and the japs said no it didn't happen but we new different, and in changi jail these japs went, and the right full punishment was given out, hang till dead, my next story will be the massacres of the local people of singapore,
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NO 7 THIS IS ANOTHER MASSACRE, AND GENOCIDE, THAT I WAS COUGHT UP IN, WITH FINDING THE JAPS THAT DID IT AND THE TRIALS AND THE SENTICES, THAT FOLLOWED,
This was known as the Chinese Massacres, of Singapore, this is why the Chinese still hate the Japs to this day, the Japs had only one thing on their minds after they captured Singapore was to exterminate every Chinese on the Island, the final number was estimated between ten to twelve thousand chinese, and their possessions , rings ,watches, jewellery, money, and their homes were all given to the Japs as war bounty, most were put on british capture lorries and driven to the docks , and then beheaded or bayoneted to death, and then put on barges with the ones that were still a live then taken to the open sea full of sharkes thrown overboard, this went on for twelve days, then a mass grave was dug, to the east of chanhi jail, where seven hundred chinese were lined up and shot and bayoneted to death, but before they buried them they cut their heads off with their swords, and then put them on bamboo stakes and stuck them in the ground for everyone to see these heads on bamboo stakes, and the jappanese that did all this said no we never did that, but as in all things someone somewhere sees it all happen and lives to tell the truth, on the first trial LT GEN TAKUMA NISHIMURA GOT LIFE IMPRISONMENT, THEN MORE THINGS CAME TO LIGHT, AND HE GOT THE DEATH BY HANGING, and also a few of his under dogs as well, they went swinging in the breeze as well. To me a job well done, now after a lot of research there were many thousand more Chinese that died in mass graves,
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NO 34, A POLICEMANS LOT--1960 STYLE WHATS REALLY CHANGED,2007,
Well as you see Neighbourhood Watch in 2007, nothing like that in 1960, but to day theres less police potroling the streets , now but in 1960s there were lots of them, well this story I must say it correct as the surveillance of people is the most boreing thing anyone can do, I now I have done it but in a different way, well this story like many more was just boreing, according to this policeman, it made me smile as I say been there done that, it seems that a spate of burglaries had taken place, and the offices in change got little anxious " can't let this turn into "an epidemic" they would say, orders were given to this policeman and his mate to get this unmarked van , "affectionately known as the grocery van," well shippea hill area was the night in question, and off they go but unbeknown to him his mate had brought his dog along as well, he gave him a big lick of the ear, the big sloppy thing, what good is he he asked, he'll be ok if theres any trouble, his immediate thought was the only thing he will do is lick them to death, cold miserable night out at shippea hill 10pm to 2am, not a ghost in sight, a few rabbits and by 2am he was not the most popular dog, no events happened, that night, but a few nights later, the culprids were caught, and everyone happy, things are a little different today , as cameras are everywhere, and also night glasses but in those times the policeman still got his man, reading between lines the lines I bet surveillance in those days was cold and darn right miserable, as in those days no heat in vans, now today, all mod cons,
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NO 35, THIS STORY I WILL CALL, A FISH THAT NEARLY GOT AWAY BUT WE CAUGHT IT BY IT'S TAIL. EDDIE HOLDEN, DOWN AT SINGAPORE DOCKS, WITH JAP P.O.W.S. WAR CRIMES.
Now this story is a true funny one, but ended with one Jappy with a sore head ,at different times we were shiffed around to do different guards, sometimes in the Changi jail, just keeping an eye on the prisoners, and sometimes on death row as we called it, as these prisoners were going to be hung, and then sometimes in the court yard , guarding the Japs that were all lined up to be hung, and watching them being hung, then sometimes we were sent to the docks with lorry loads of Jap prisoners to unload the fishing boats that had just come in , as the Japs like raw fish, and these are unloaded from the ships to lorries and taken to Changi jail, well this guard duty is usualy a dodly , japs all up and down the holds with fish in baskets on their or two japs might carry a large crate of fish, this time of my guard I was at the top of the gantry walk way down to the dock area, and a mate of mine was at the bottom, and two guards in the holds of the ship, well things were going fine, till one jap passed me with a lion cloth around his waste and between his legs thats all he had on was this cloth and it was rapped around him like swimming trunks, well as I said everything was going fine, till this Jappy thought he would like a fish to himself, and so he put it between his legs inside the lion cloth , but it didn't quite all go in as the tail is now sticking out of his arse as it looks well with my sence of humour , I burst out laughing, and SHOUTED to my mate at the bottom of the gantry, and as he walked passed , he get the full force of a rifle butt across his head , and he went down like a dead man , well he didn't move for a while and a pail of water thown over him , he soon recovered but the other Japs became a bit hostle and adgetated , but we didn't care, our weapons were fully loaded so a move from them , would have ment a few dead Japs as we have orders , shoot first and ask queastions afterwards, well I can asure you this Jappy boy had a saw head for a long time, well we only gave him what he had given to our boys , in their prison camps, the thing thats different here they get three meals a day and beds to sleep on and good medical treament, after this little run in with his fish no more trouble, but the under currant from the Japs was very cold, who cares , some of these will get life in prison anyway, well thats my fishy true story,
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NO 36, MUTINY, I WILL HAVE TO CALL THIS THEY COULD BE SHOT FOR THIS BUT THEY GOT AWAY WITH IT.
Yes it was Mutiny of an elite PARACHUTE BATTALION the 13th batt, well the war is over but , new type of war had started Commonists Terrerists in Malayia , Kulalupa , province , well the 13th para battalion was sent to sort it out , but they had a new C.O. commanding officer , the old school type, with more money than sence, and still living in the world of you know your place and stay there, we give the orders and you will obey, well yes to a Certain degree , but these troops are sent in to the jungle up to their eyes in black slime and rotting undergrowth, and after each patrol in the jungle the para's were told , clean your boots and webbing, and they will be shining in the morning, for instection, now in the jungle you dubbin your boots to keep them water proof , you don't bullshit spit and polish in the jungle , this man C.O. is a complete idiat but he's the boss and orders are orders, well it went on for a while then all hell let loose , mutiny, of a para battalion, and under war conditions , this is a court-martial afence, and on war footing ,you could be shot for cowardice well other battalions were despatched to round them up and all weapons taken away, and they were impounded in a stockade, well letters got back to england and M.P.s asked questions why this happened, and the families signed a pettions for there release and this was in all the news papers, and it came to light that the C.O. was to blame and had no idear of running an elite battalion, the men were soon releasted and back to duty , and the C.O. was on his way home , a new veteran C,O, took over and back to normal again , lesterns to be learn't never mess around with PARA'S they might bit back, but soon after that , they disbanded the battalion, sent them all over to different para battalions, at least the top brass saw sence for once, when all thisd was happening I was at Changi jail , swing Japs from a rope, for war crimes, EDDIE HOLDEN, EXPARA.
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NO 37,THIS TRUE STORY, WILL HAVE TO BE CALLED, TAIL END CHARLIE, OR SHOULD IT BE KEN, YES TAIL END KEN, AS YOU WILL SEE.
Yes this story is about Warant Officer, Ken Gandy, rear gunner in a Short Stirling, bomber, Stationed at Tuddenham, and after the war I got know him as a friend, as he kept the Gun shop in Ely, and being a shooter myself, and he was a gunner, in the R.A.F, so we had a lot to talk about, now Ken a country boy like my self, were used to shooting guns part of country life, in those days, 1930s to the 1970s then things started to go pair shaped, but thats not what I am writing about it's Ken and his part in the War, Ken joined the R.A.F. 1942, and trained at the end to be a gunner, well he ended up being a tail end charlie as the term was given to the rear gunners, ken finnished up with Stirlings, well his crew, were called " CHAPPLES BUNCH OF BARSTARDS" SO this crew was a right bunch, of flyers, well now stationed at Tuddenham , after Ken had finneshed his gunnery training , there was a well known saying at the gunnery school, Gandy's law , when a aircraft of either single engine or twin engine is in your sights fire it might fire at you, so Gandy's law stood what ever aircraft was foolish enough to creep up on a gunner shoot it down , now Ken wrote his life story in the R.A.F, and I have a signed copiy , now Kens lot were not in to bombing but were into suppying the S,O,E and French Recistanst fighters, , now on one run to France a lovely moon light night and scemming across the channel , so Ken thought he would give a little chat about what he could see down below, and he just chattered, but everyone had turned the head phones off so he was talking to himself, so he found out, and so he said sod the lot of you shant talk to you lot anymore, and big cheer went up, well job done return to base, and the next time Ken got bored sitting there nothing to do, so on the way home from a drop, Ken said to the Pilot , lets go down and shoot a train up , can't do that , we will be in trouble, Ken said OH go on I need some practice, haven't fire my guns for long time, ok said the Pilot, on the way home over France down they go a train puffing long the line, right said the Pilot to Ken it's all yours, and as ken started shooting at this train it started shooting back it was an armoured train or mobil AA GUN , SHIT SAID kEN LETS GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE, so Kens never asked anymore to shoot a train up,but getting to near D.DAY, kEN WERE FLYING lots of stuff to the French, and S.O.E. but this night was different, there was an armed guard on the plane and around it, till everyone was aboard, then they left, and what was the cargo tonight, everyone was asking, all hush hush, the Pilot said if we have to land in France by being hit, we have got to burn the plane , well everyone new what to do, well this night they were hit by A.A fire, so a landing had to be made, well the Pilot got them down OK and everyone out, now burn the plane before jerry get there, and up in flames she goes, lite up for miles around, well the stuff they were carrying was money, for the French resistants , but they didn't get it, now no one arrived yet not a jerry in sight, so the crew spit themselves up in to little groups, and off they went, the Pilot said I am going with Gandy, he is a country boy and he will find food of some sort, but lucky for Ken and the Pilot they came across a farmer, and took them in and hid them till D,DAY, then they made to our lines and back home, now if you ever come across Ken Gandy, and Crew's book, get it it's a great book, paper back, the name. "7 x X x 90" (THE STORY OF A STIRLING BOMBER AND IT'S CREW) BY CHARLES POTTEN. Well this story is of an old ELY boy, that helped to win to war, sadly now Ken has left us, a great person to have known, I expect he is with all the other air crews now, telliong their story's,
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NO 38,THIS TRUE STORY IS NAMED ,TRIPLE CROSS, AND HOW I GOT KNOW ABOUT THIS MAN, YES AND FILM WAS MADE OF HIM, OF THE SAME NAME,THE TRIPLE CROSS.
This man I never met but got involved with his life story, he was what we call a loveable crook, but in his life he did so much for the British in WW2, I will start with how I got to know about this man, after the war I came to Ely and married a local girl, well to make a few more shillings to feed the family I joined the local fire service as a retained fireman, this was a great thing, we had a soical club on the site, for the Police and Firemen, and at times we were expected to do our turn on the bar, well my turn come up one Sunday morning, and no one in then in come the Police Superintendent Freddie Wells, with his dog Bobby, an alsasion a big old boy he was, well Fred had his tipple and then it came , he said ever thought of joining the police force, no not really, well you should do, I said you know nothing about me, OH yes I do he said, I said hows that , me just out army, and come from Norwich how could know about me, well he said I had to go to London the other day, and to see that everything that was written down, about SPY that landed here in the war, well thats nothing to do with me , I was not here then , yes I know that he said, well where do I COME IN THIS, he said while at the war office, and haveing dinner with a certain Army Officer, OH no you didn't , you din't have dinner with my Officer Jungle Jim Evans , well yes I DID and you are telling me he spilled the beans about me, yes he did, and how did he know I was in Ely he asked if I new you as you told him thats where you most likely end up, OK what did tell you everything, so I SAID CAN WE keep this between us and he said yes, and till the day he died he never told anyone of my exploits , but now I am asking about this Spy, that droped at Littleport, and to listern to this man telling the story, it was like a boys own story, and from then on I had to know more about this man, well the man who was the Spy, was none other than, EDDIE CHAPMAN, a SAFE Blower, wanted by the police, well the police were after him before the war, and he got to Jersey, but was caught, and in prison, there, now war starts and Jersey is taken be the Germans, well our EDDIE CHAPMAN, thought if I turn Spy for the Germans, as I KNOW ALL ABOUT ENGLAND, so a deal was done, he trained as a spy for them, now really all Eddie wanted was to get back to England, and after his training he was Dropped at Littleport, where he gave himself up and asked for MI5 that all sorted, but promices made by the MI5 if worked for them as well, now you that the TRIPPLE CROSS is taken shape, the first cross , he crossed the germans, the next he crossed the british, but third was with the police who promised to wipe the slate clean after the war, of his crimes, all done, now Eddie had to get back to germany, so he was on a boat to Spain, and then back to germany, things went well, but EDDIE had to come back again to tell the germans where their V1s and V2s were dropping as they were not getting any info as the British never broad cast about them, so back comes Eddie, and this time lands at Bottisham area, and again off to MI5 he had his radio with him , now the V1s and V2s were dropping on London, so a cocked up story was sent back, that they were over shooting London, drop the range and they did now these bombs are dropping in open fields, now at this time D,DAY starts, and EDDIE stays, but we will never know how many lives he saved, through his deeds, now the war over, and Eddie wants his freedom, so off to the police to get it cleared up, and thats the third cross, you see all papers relating to crime suspects were bombed and burnt , and they did not tell EDDIE he did it all and neednt have done, as no papers about were found, and thats the tripple cross, but EDDIE CHAPMAN , became a hero, he did put his life on the line for the country he loved, but sadly Eddie died a few years ago, and a loveable crook, he was never given a medal for what he did, as he was a wanted man of crime, but he has a soft spot with every one , for his war daring exploits, there are many books about him.
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NO 39, THIS STORY IS ABOUT ME BEING FATHER CHRISTMAS,
PREFACE This is a true story of Father Christmas , and what he sees and hears behind the bushy white beard , that children tell to the man in the Red Coat and Trousers with White edging . You will read some gems of story�s and how they catch you out , as they are so honest , about their Teachers as well , and no holds bard . Me l can have a little snigger behind the beard , you see for a few minutes they can poor their hearts out to a man who is Magic to them . But there is a few people trying to spoil all this , they are known as Doo Gooders , you are not allowed to sit them on your knee or touch them , and have no contact at all , what a load of rubbish, l just leave it to the children , some are frightened to come near me , others just stand and look , some like to touch me , and others want to sit on my lap , so l just play it all by ear , then some just want to tell me all about their family�s others just tell me what presents they want , so now l am letting you know what they tell me , l have changed all the names of the children , but the story�s are the same . From Father Christmas and his little secretes. With Rudolf and his Red Nose
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MY STORY OF THE MAN IN THE RED SUIT WITH WHITE EDGING A few years ago l was asked if l would do this job, well being retied ,and the love of children, as l have two grown up Daughters, and four Grandchildren. Its my chance to put a little sparkly into the eyes of other peoples children, the myth of Father Christmas, from his side of the fence, l had a long think about this, so l thought of a bit of patter to ask the children, as they came in to see me, well this is it. Girls first, Hello, thats a pretty dress you are wearing, What do you want me to bring you for xmas Or thats a nice hair do you have As they leave, don�t for get to leave me a mince pie, glass of sherry, pail of water for Rudolf, and lovely red carrot to keep his nose red. Boys the same But start of with how old are you , then say you are big boy for that age, me at twice your age , l was only half as big. The answers from some of my questions were not what l had expected, so the names l have changed, but all are very true, and they are gems, l do know some of children�s parents, but there�s a lot of young people who moved into village , and l dont know where they have come from, to me that enriches the wealth of the village. Well here goes with some of the little gems from the children, l was in my grotto with all the pretty lights around me , and at my feet two sacks of presents to give away, a little girl in a black dress with sequins on it came in , this little girl about 5 or 6, l will call her Samantha, ( patter ) Oh thats a pretty dress you have on , yes, l am wearing specially for you Father -Christmas, that�s when it hit you in the right place, from an innocent little heart, and lump in my throat . In come George about the same age , Hello George , have you wrote me a list, so that l know what to bring Xmas night , yes l gave it to Mum, that�s OK then , then gave him his present, and said dont for get to leave a glass of sherry out ,and mince pie , (reply) you can�t have sherry , you cant drink ,and drive a sledge, thats against the law, ( Fatherxmas) well make a cup of tea then , l will tell Mum to leave everything out ,you make your own. Oh well some you win , some you loose, then little Charlie come in , hes frightened of no one , struts in bold as brass , Hello Father Christmas l saw you last year , well did l bring what you wanted , yes and more , good l thought you were a good boy, Dad tells me off sometimes. Then he says when do you go home , you mean to never, never land, no last year you said it was winter wonder land , well its the same, give him his present, some of these children have long memories. Next in come Jeanie just moved into the village, Hello Father Christmas l have just moved to the village , Oh yes do you like it here , yes it�s lovely, now Father Christmas you will remember l have just moved here ,yes, you will not take my presents to my old address, NO, Father Christmas are you listening , yes l got that , make sure you do , OK bossy boots I thought , I bet she knows where she is going in her life . I go to schools , pre schools , Church Halls , and Private Houses they all have Gems of storys , from childrens mouths And from their hearts , its straight out and no holds bard . Heres one that got me stumped , I will call her talkative Anne , this lovely little girl came in she
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XMAS 2 was wearing glasses, and all dressed up to see Father Christmas, straight in no messing, Hello Father Christmas you been here all day yes , are you tired, just a little bit, now you take it easy Father Christmas , she then hands me two tickets , so I said you going to have two presents , Yes , I have to get my bothers present , Oh yes is he ill , no hes at the football match, with Dad, l cant see why he wanted to go there, you only come once a year, he could go to the football anytime, yes l suppose he could, now for the next quarter of an hour l cant get a word in , she poured her heart out about her brother , family the lot she didnt take a breath, l just nodded , shook my head, my mouth was open but could get a word out, she was a real little busy body, l bet when she grows up , and something goes wrong , someone will get tongue pie, as l said there are some real gems, and all the time she was talking her hands were on her hips. Then I sometimes ask if they like there teachers, now one little bright eyed girl said , well hes nice but his breath smells, now mister teacher don�t have a pint of beer at lunch time , you were caught out , then one little lad said my teacher shes funny , she tells funny little storys , but l wish she would wipe her nose , as she keep sniffing, l said maybe she has a cold , what all the year, so maam wipe your nose . What ever you say they have an answer, you see teachers this is what is said behind your backs, and they openly tell father Christmas , you see l am the big man in the red suit who has all the secretes, but the bigger Girls, and Boys who now have sussed it all out, just come in , with a grin on there faces , which says l know you , now give me my present, but l always tell them to be good and well behaved, they always say we will , l hope they do . Sometimes the Mums bring the Tiny Tots in ,and some are a bit shy or frightened , the frightened ones l always say don�t force them , every child is different, the shy ones l always get a little wave as they go , at least l have broke the ice with them , maybe next year they will be better , l must thank the fatherxmas helpers in getting my grottoes, ready for me , they are great ,and in some the tea flows , so l am well nourished, but l often wonder what the parents say behind my back , when l tell the children to put out mince pies, a bucket of water, and carrots , l hear them say , l wish that fatherxmas would keep his mouth shut , aren�t l terrible. Now young Johnnie comes in , you now the one that ask all the questions you dont want answer, like how did you get here fatherxmas, Oh l flew across the sky , you cant do that you havent got wings, now waffle yourself out of that, and how can you go to every house in one night , now he has either sussed this out , or highly intelligent, lots of quick thinking to be done here, then my helper shouts next one coming in , right l have some more children to see , so l will see you later Johnnie, off he goes thanks helper you got me out of that one, l never thought of the questions that they might ask like that, these children today are very bright . Sometimes I arrive early at the venue ,and all the children are having fun , so I just stand there looking at them , just to get in my mind what to say to them , as I am not yet in the Red Suit , and Bushy Beard , well this day some of the children were running around and saw me standing there , nothing said , so off to the little room to change and get ready , everything goes well , presents all
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XMAS 3 all handed out, children happy, time to change back to myself again. Well as l was leaving , one little girl came up to me, and said you were Fartherxmas, no not me, he has gone home to Winter Wonder Land, Oh no hes not its you, no not me, yes it was he had the same shirt on as you, well anyone can have a shirt like that, not with a stain on the bottom of the sleeve, think fast now, fartherxmas has a Red Coat l have not got one, praying my wife has put it in the car, lets go, and look where fartherxmas was in the room, if l was fartherxmas it should still be there, now fingers crossed , and if l could my legs as well. In we go, no Red Coat great, shes half convinced, her Mum calls saved again as l still have fartherxmas boots on, and she didn�t notice, you scraped out of that Holden once again, then there are the one�s that want to touch you to see if you are real, or shake your hand, then there�s the ones that stand at a distance, looking in wonderment at all things around me, they must be thinking is this really real, then there are the ones that come in, and just stand there, and say nothing when you speak to them, they only nod or shake there heads. I just wonder what they are thinking, could it be , hes a silly old fool or hurry up , and give me my present l want to off with my mates. I can understand how an actor feels, as you are someone else other than yourself , hiding behind a mask, and no one knows you, Also my daughter came to see me, Dad will you come to our firms night out at their venue, yes OK now l have never been to an adult night out all women , my job to dish out the presents, well when l walked in there was all hell let loose, l think the wine they drinking helped, look Fartherxmas has come, and no one new me, they were worse than kids, so fartherchristmas did his job again , and put a few smiles on faces, thats the kick back you get, you made someones day. l was asked to turn up at a private house, so off l go presents have been given to me in advance, curtains all drawn so no one sees me coming up the path, knocks on the door, the little tots got a big surprise, Fartherchristmas with a sack of toys, l asked if all the names were there, yes we are here, a real farther Christmas at there house, it�s a picture to see all there little faces, some help you, some grab you by the hand, this way farther Christmas, then give all the presents out, photo call with the children around me, then on my way, and another happy household, all the money in the world can not buy that, As a Pop singer used to sing, l wish everyday could be Xmas, think it was Noddy Holder , and on a sadder note Bob Geldolf sang a song for band aid, Dose the starving in Africa know its Christmas or words to that effect???? When will the world get it right. Another year to be the man in the Red Cloak, and White Beard so its off to school dinner time line up for dinner , well theses a nice orderly queue , but not anymore I am hugged and pulled , and everyone talking and shouting at once . Now I got to get them back in line ,well a bit of bribery ,I said dinner first then I will come and sit with you while you eat your dinners ,and you can tell me what you want for Christmas .Well thats that now for me to sit and listen ,all goes well till I come to one little boy ,we will call him Gorge he wasnt eating his chips up ,so I said what about your chips ,answer , dont like them , but you must eat them they make you big and strong and grow up to be a big boy , still don�t like them again he said , right I said ,I might forget where you live , and you will not get any presents ,he thought for a minute and the chips disappeared very quickly , bribery farther Christmas , no not really just good old
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XMAS 4 fashion way to get children to eat up all their food and not waste it , perhaps some day he might pass that on to other little children . In the drop in book cafe l was in full dress ready for the children , when l had two lovely ladies sit on my knees , to have there photos taken , well you are never too old father Xmas . Round at Matthew wren close this year , the American Family put on a lovely display of lights in there front garden , and invited all the school children round for eats and drinks , this family has done a great deal for our village and school , but sadly they are off back to the states in may , they will be greatly missed , a family that integrated into our way of life , and also a little of there culture rubbed off on us ,good luck where ever you go . I also went to the pre-school again this year , now this time l am in a shed in the grounds , that�s been made into a grotto for Santa well at the time of them coming for there presents , theres Mums ,Dads, Granddads ,and Grandmas , all with cameras , theres sit on fatherxmas knee , stand beside him , wait give him the present again l didnt get it first time , or just one more , then theres Mum saying smile to Santa , Granddad wants your photo smiling at Santa , Charlie saying dont want too , yes we have all been there and done that . Now down at Pymore Chapel l am in a very nice grotto children coming in , Families taking photos , now theres a lady sitting in the hall , a wife of a friend of mine , he is always having a go at me for being dressed up on the day of the golden jubilee of the queen , l did have a sort of dress on, well pay back time , l went and cuddled his wife in my fatherxmas suit , and made it into a calendar , so every time he wants to know the date , he has to look at me cuddling his wife . Yes its great fun being Fartherxmas and its nice to get your own back as well with mates , but the trouble is its the press and media making too much stupid reports about what might happen to children , me I am not going down that road for anyone , if people dont trust me they must tell me to my face or shut up , as a Father and Grandfather who do they think I am , but I have great support from everyone .Its another year to put the Red Coat on and long Whiskers , my first call was for the Rainbows at village hall , this is a group of children like the brownies , well the person in charge she came and took me in the front door and said look who I found outside , they all shouted Father Christmas , me I said who , Father Christmas , I said again I cant hear you , and they all shout as loud as possible and come running around me , hugging me and holding my hands what a lovely time the children were having . Now its time for me go on stage and sit and give the presents out , they come up one by one , I ask them what they want for xmas , I see Mum or Dad in the distance , they nod so I then I can yes I think I can manage that , now one little girl came up she was as bright as button , she said to me Father Christmas how do you get on top of the roof to get down the chimney . Well one of Santa�s white lies come in , I said I climb up the drain pipe and its hard work , as quick as a flash she , my dads got a ladder , so I said tell him to put it up ,It will make it a lot easier , yes Father Christmas I will tell him , I now dreading meeting her dad . Then another little girl came up , very polite and asked a lot of questions , I was hoping I gave the right answers .
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XMAS5 then her Dad said sit on FATHER CHRISTMAS LAP , which she did , and he took a photo now l have a print of that , and the little girl said to her Dad l know he is real as he knows so much , thats one job done well . Next job Methodist Chapel Pymoor , not a big turn out of children , but those who did turn up was nice , some didnt want to come near me , others were chatting to me , one little girl had her photo taken by her Mum sitting on my lap , that was nice for the photo Alban . Today is Monday 13 - 12- 2004 Littledownham School 12 PM dinner time the first years at the school come for dinner , me hiding in the kitchen , after most of them are sitting down in l go , well its all hell let lose for a while , l do my rounds to each child in turn , and hopping l don�t miss anyone , l give everyone a cracker to pull . After a while l retreat till the older ones come in then in l go again , a little bit different as they know its me , well there is not much you can tell them only , l say to them ,on Christmas morning you give your MUM and DAD a big hug ,l make them promise they will do it , and also Grandma and Granddad . They all agree ,theres not much you can say to a 11year old . Now after l had played havoc in the dinning hall with the children l said to the Head you can have them now , thanks very much Santa . Well to my surprise , she said will you and your wife come this afternoon to hear them play their instruments and sing for you , yes great , l duly turn up with the wife , and the talent these children have got , the music teacher she must be very dedicated to get that sort of performance from them, and tea and cakes after served by the children . My next assignment was the preschool tots between 2 to 3 years , well thats hard work with them as they are not sure who I am and can be a bit scary for them so you have to tread very slowly an dont push too hard , I did have a photo taken with all of them around me for the play school Alban , that will be nice in later years for the children when they get older to go and look at the books and see them selves as tots with Father Christmas and no one will recognise me as I am hiding behind my white beard and red suit, never mind its a bit of history for the village .I am back again at preschool this time for the 4 to 5 year olds , this is where the majic comes in they really believe , and I tell them allsorts of tales , the finale one is where do they want the presents left , on the bed or under the tree , now a quick look at mum or dad and I get the answers , and the toys they want me to bring , a bit of sign language from mum or dad we get there , as they are about to leave I say , dont forget my mince pie and a glass of sherry , plus a pail of water for Rudolf and red carrot to keep his nose red . Now at this time a little girl came to see me with her mum , I did all the patter , then her mum said what about giving Santa a kiss , well , think about this , a little girl between 4or5 she stands infront of me , hands behind her back , eyes shut tight leans forward pouts her lips and wait for a kiss from Santa , which I duly obliged , one little girl happy , and she came back and put her head around the door and said bye bye santa , thats when its all worth while , this is Dec 2004 . I have no time for people who say you can not do that or that , and if ever I get told you can not sit children on your lap ,or touch them , and tell them tall stories , thats me finished , I am always in the presents of their mums or dads , or minders and as soon someone says you have got to be
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XMAS 6 vetted to do this , all l will say who vets the vets , if they say the Police well at the moment with their record , who trusts them , theres quite a few of them down loading porn , yes and they are being caught , this is why I say that piece of paper is useless it will not stop a child molester , these people are opportunists , I cant see how this piece of paper is going to stop them , many years ago if you murdered someone , you were hung from a gibbet , they still murdered people so that was no deterrent , there is no answer to all this , so I say let your children grow up as we have let them over last hundreds of years . Children have got to have the chance to make up their own minds in this world of ours , if they are not allowed to grow up normally it will be hard in for them in later life , you can not modicadly them , protect them yes , but not over protect , as in later life they will not be able to cope with the out side world , all l can say is if you have never been Father Christmas , you dont know what you have missed , its even Majic to me . But I am afraid the rot has set in , this year of 2005 I am being asked to register and be vetted , well its up to the people what they want , but I am not going down that road for anyone , I am married coming up to 56 years of married life , I have two daughters married , with two grandchildren each , they are now grown up ,and getting married themselves , and you think I want vetting to be with children , are your parents being vetted to cuddle your children ??????? I think not , going down this road there is no return to normal life anymore , you are going to say , but the world has changed no it hasnt its you that has changed by the hyped up fear of the press and the media , the people who pry on children have always been there , even when I went to school in the 1930s so what�s new , face facts and don�t let burucates rule your lives , you the local people know the people who can be trusted and who cant , you do your own policing , the trouble is we the grandparents get into more trouble with our own daughters for spoiling our grandchildren , and I call that my privilege to do that . Thats put my side of putting the world to right , just one more thing , the doo gooders of this world in my opinion should be put in prison till they learn sense . The trouble is to trying to find out who made these stupid laws as there is never a name to send an opinion too or a government address , the only thing to do is to plague your M.P, with letters .Well XMAS 2005 has come and gone , and this is the last tine I will be putting on my Red Trousers , Black Boots, Red Coat , White Hair , White Beard , and my Red Hat , its been a wonderful few years that I have done it , the tales the children have told me , and the madjic of being behind all that make up of make believe , to see their faces of wonderment , you see them come towards you , mum or dad with camera , some stop dead in their tracks and will not come near me , others shake my hand , some just touch me to see if I an real , some sit on my lap , and others come and tell me what they want , but the best ones are when they tell their little storeys of the family or about school , and some want to know what my house is like in Reindeer Country .But as the doo gooders have taken all this away , there will be no more photos for the family Alban, sad really , perhaps one day the public will wake up and reverse all this, and let children grow up to be normal , and not putting fear in their minds which can be very dangerous . EDDIE
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NO 40, THIS STORY WILL HAVE TO BE,,(WALKING IN THE MOONLIGHT WITH GRANDDAD) THIS IS ALL ABOUT 1930s POACHING AT NIGHT.
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PREFACE This true story is of my younger days in the years of 1930s to 1940s, in the villages of , Mangreen , Markshall, Keswick, Caister St Edmunds, Stoke Holy Cross, and Dunston Common, this is the area where it all happened . How did all this happen , well Granddad in his young days had a very hard life , with no education , can not read or write , so in his young days he turns to poaching , this in the 1895 the year he married ,was survival of the fittest , as granddad said there was always meat on the table . He met grandma , and married now she could read and write , in the end she taught granddad to write his name ,at this time they were living at Marham , but moved around quite a bit from farm to farm working , and then into business as a butcher , sheep farming , and so on , but the poaching days he could never loose , l think it was him against mother nature ,who can out wit who , l am sure he did it for fun in his way . Now in my young days with my mother we went and lived with Grandma and Granddad as certain things happen in our lives , well when l became old enough , Granddad said you are going to learn the ropes of poaching , boy we are going out in the dark and moving around with out making a sound and get a dinner . But you see poaching is strictly illegal , but it was done on a nod and a wink to the local Bobby , and you were his eyes and ears on his nights off , a community repour that went on between them , and what was a odd brace of pheasants and half a dozen rabbits now and then , also the Bobby always had a brace of rabbits hung on his door in the morning , no questions asked , they were not bribes , that was part of the community spirit in villages in those days , it just told the Bobby , old Fred Holden had been out that night ,and saw no one subspecies . Well l did learn the ropes of poaching , and l can tell you there�s a lot to learn , now you will have to read what l got up too , in my younger days . This true story is about My Granddad , Frederick Holden, one part of his life, and of Me ,his Grandson , Eddie Charles Holden , as my Granddad he had a very colourful life , he could just write his name ,he could not read , he worked all his life with animals on Farms , he never needed a Vet to his cattle , as he Doctored them himself with remedies that were handed down , but that�s another story . These are some of the local policemen of that time PC Thomas Bircham, PC Burton, PC Arthur Poole, and Pc Reeve or later Sgt Reeve , l bet they had a colourful life too , as they new everyone in the villages , and in those days only a bike to get a round on and in all weathers , today�s Bobby you need a tin opener to get them out of the car. If you write history it must as near to the truth as possible with warts and all and all these people are long gone, they were the law and people respected them , year 2000, no respect for law and order, it�s political correctness that rules, lets get back to calling a spade a spade not a bloody fork. EDDIE, C, HOLDEN
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P1 This is a true story of walking in the Moonlight and Poaching , with Granddad , this all happened in the 1930s , money was tight , more people out of work than in work , the big Wall Street Crash in the U,S,A, and in England the Stock Market took a tumble , you see industry had clasps ,thousands of men walking the roads to find work , yes money was tight all round , but as Granddad said we will have meat on the table , and we did . This is when my apprenticeship starts as a poacher , but you only go poaching in the Moonlight , that�s why l said walking in the moonlight , and you always walk towards the moon , then your shadow is always behind you , so at end of the night you end up back where you started from , that�s the first lesson , always walk towards the moon . Next lesson , walk as if you might tread on hot cinders , other wise , put your feet down gently then you will feel if there�s a dead twig under foot , because a crack of a twig can up set a pheasant , or rabbits , and that�s not very helpful , if a pheasant calls out at night , it carries at least a mile , and if Bobby Boy is on his travels , he will put two and two together , his mind says poachers , but in the other hand it could have been a Fox . Now Granddad had a 12g shot gun that took to pieces , the barrel went down one rubber boat and the butt went down the other , but he mostly carried it inside his special made coat that Grandma had made , he only shot when the Bobby was off duty , it would then be hard to find the direction the noise came from , if you are a poacher you mark out the routes you take in day light , and memorise them , for later on at night , and then after a few times it becomes easy . Then as you are walking your patch you do not walk in the open ground ,and across the middle of fields , you walk your patch around the headlands of the fields ,so you can blend in with the hedges , and never walk around the outside of a wooded area , always walk in the wood about a yard , as no one can see you but you can see out into the moon light , the local Bobby has been known to ride past within nine feet of us , when we were in the wood that was on the side of the road , its surprising what noise a cycle makes when ridden at the still of night . At times we have been walking on the road to get to where we want to start our nights work , and our Bobby has come ridding passed , all that was said as he went by , ill be back this way in about an hour , Freddy, l have done a bit of research to who the policemen could have been in this time of era , P.C, Birchham , P,C, Burton and a P,C, Poole also l am informed that a PC Reeve or a Sgt Reeve was around at that time as well. Granddad new then he had to be in the next village by then , or at least a mile away , you see the old rap pour came into its own , other wise if l see you in an hour ,ill book you . If you were in marsh land ,streams and dikes ,this could be a tricky time ,you had to know where all the crossing places were ,like planks of wood laid across a dyke or a tree that has fell across a stream , you never crossed on a bridge at anytime ,you could meet someone going the other way ,then your cover is blown , as they could meet some other person ,and say l have just meet old Fred on the bridge , l bet hes not up to no good , so you see theres a lot to learn , like being a spy isnït it . Well after a nights advents there was always one last job to do , and that was to hang a brace of rabbits or a pair of pheasants on the Village Bobbys door , then it was the night complete , it was never thought of as a bribe ,just to say we had been out and not seen anyone who should not have been in the village that night ,as you were his eyes and ears on his time off, what we could say now like neighbourhood watch. The next thing l learnt was to set snares, and purse nets , we will take snares first there are many ways in setting them , one you go out early evening set your snares in the rabbit runs through hedges ,under bushes, and in runs in the long grass , to set these you first put in a stake, to tie the snare too ,or you can tie it to a stem in the hedge and to a bush stem , then form your circle so your fist will just go through it
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P2 ,and now another little peg that you always carry with you , this should finish about four inches above the ground , and on top of the peg there is a little grove to insert the snare. This would then hold the snare about one and half to two inches above the ground , all this done but you must ,l mean must go back just about dawn, and see whats in the snares if you got one all the good, but never and l mean never leave a snare out in the daytime a dog or cat might just get caught , or the local farmer might just see it, then your cover is blown , and he might be waiting for you next time ,and put a few shotgun pellets in your arse , it would be no good going to the Bobby and say old Farm Giles shot me the other night , all you would get it was your fault you should not have been there poaching , the next thing to snare are pheasants , there are two ways in doing this , one you set your snare around the headland of the field ,about a yard into the field , a grass field or a freshly cut corn field , mostly you see pheasants in those areas next a stake in the ground and our little peg again , but this time we make a hole in the ground ,about one and a half inches round a the same deep , pop in some corn seed , now over the hole you put your snare about the same size as the hole , and about half an inch above the ground , Bright Boy Cock Pheasant comes along and in goes his head for a feed but as his head comes up the snare catches on the feathers and bingo ,dinner. Number two , get Grandmas prop or a nice long pole ,about an inch die;, now tie to the end of the pole the snare so that it is protruding past the end of the pole and the snare circle about two inches across , we are now ready for action , on frosty moonlight nights the pheasants perch up trees in the lower branches , so walking through a wood or copes , mostly they perch with their heads towards the moon and you approach from the rear of the bird , you are now about nine feet away from Pretty Boy who has dozed off , very slowly get your snare over his head then a quick pull down he comes neck broken no noise another one for the pot . Well that�s how to snare pheasants and rabbits , now comes a purse net job for rabbits at night you can all so do this in day time in reverse , first at night , now you get into a position near a rabbit warren , that means there lots of rabbit holes in the area , this called a waiting game , on a nice moonlight night and you are about twenty yards from the burrows , just sitting and quite still , now out come one or two rabbits and have a look around , no foxes or anything so back he goes in again ,and then in about two or three minutes they all come out , and they are running and jumping ,and eating , so now its your turn , lay flat on your stomach and crawl to the holes and put your purse net over them , maybe six to ten holes , that done just crawl back a few yards and clap your hands , in go the rabbits caught up in the nets , all nets full a nice nights work . But L did say you could use these in reverse in the day time , but you need a ferret for this , same thing put your purse nets over the holes , then mussel the Ferret so he can not bite the rabbits , put him down one of the holes as all run in to each other thats how they build warrens , as soon as the ferret is in the holes out pop the rabbits and caught in the nets , and its rabbit pie for Sunday dinner all steaming hot ,what a lovely smell . You see l know l am talking a lot about Granddad , but he had to learn to poach to put food on the table way back in the 1800s as Granddad was born in 1871 , he never went to school ,as you had to pay to go to school in those days , but through life he made good at the end , l think Grandma was the driving force . Lets get on with the poaching , this time it will not be in the moonlight , just to put you in the picture what went on in the country side villages , we are in marsh land in our Area full of wild foul of every sort , its breeding time for the birds , the dikes ,and the river are full of life , well out comes Grandmas prop again , but this time a spoon is tied to the end , now water hens, moor hens, and coats , are laying fast ,some have anything up to twelve eggs in them , before they start sitting fast . So we go and take one egg from a nest ,and test it by cracking it open , if its OK we only take six eggs from a brood of twelve , this makes the hen lay a few more so no harm done, as we talking roughly of hundreds of nests in that area , but sadly now cattle grazing gone and the marshes all ploughed up for other crops , all wild fowl gone , but it wasnt Granddad that did it ,
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P3 ,it was the farmers that followed that did it , l bet my Granddad would turn in his grave if he new his marshes had gone , wasnt a religious man but he always said , that every living thing on earth is here for a purpose no matter what . We must carry on , this time its fishing Granddad style , still with Grandmas prop but on the end this time a snare , and down to the river with the sun facing us , no shadows , so we creep along the river bank the water is very clear , you can see all the fish , we are after Pike , and in this river it is possible to catch one about ten pounds in weight , Pike are very shy fish so very slow moments , once you see one its lower your snare into the water and go from the tail end , the snare has to be large enough to go over the tail , this is a slow job , but once over the tail a quick flick and He is yours , once the snare is tight he can not get away , so now its pike fried in batter like cod . We must get back to the moonlight nights , l just thought you might like to know some of the other things we did , l can tell you water hen eggs omelette or fried with bacon and potato scallops nothing can beat that . To walk in the moonlight is another world , all the night animals and insects come out , and different sounds that you have also got to know , to know the rabbit noises ,OH yes they have a call system by their feet , they thump the ground with their back legs , if you sit and watch and listen , it could be to call the young out of the burrows , or to mate a doe , or to warn of predators , this is when you make time stand still , we have sat nearly all night watching rabbits and counting them ,to see if is worth raiding the warren , you see for a good nights work you need at least fifteen to twenty rabbits , some for your self others to sell , but remember the old saying breeding like rabbits , they soon make up the numbers again , remember no myxamatous at this time , but after the war it was given to the rabbits to get the numbers down , the person who did that should have been shot, they didn�t know anything about country life , it was a new breed of farmer coming to the land , not to nurture it but to destroy it for greed , get rich farmer . As we sit and wait for these rabbits , theres also someone else watching as well , you think you are the only one , but a long bushy tail has arrived not far away , he is flat on his tummy just edging forward very slowly , watching him , he does not strike till he is over a hole then makes his play , its like a flash rabbit does not know what hit him , its all over foxy off to his hideout , and that put an end to our night , but on some moonlight nights , as we walk the grass is full of little green lights ,it looks as if thereïs millions of them , it only happens at certain time in the summer nights , yes l talking about our little glow-worm , the female gives off this green glow to attract the male , she has no wings ,so only the male flys straight on to her , seeing all this with Granddad in the moonlight . Yes we have seen Brer Fox storking his prey and the little Glow Worms now comes to summer nights moon at its high , and in the woods still plenty of noise , this time from the Crickets , its a little brown insect a little larger than a grass hopper , mating is on the books , and its one against the other , we call it a chirping sound , but all they are doing is rubbing their hind legs together to make the sound , in my days as a young lad living in the country side there was always one in a house , usually in a little hole beside the fire place , and at nights he would start his little song , but to hear a cricket today ,you will be lucky , as the farmers have spayed so much insecterside its killed them off , and l have seen Grandma put a saucer of water near the hole so he could have a drink , weather it did drink from it I don�t know , but if you were in the woods and stand very still you could get one or two land on you, males chasing females , what�s new, they are quite harmless . Now the roads that go through Dunstan Common , Mangreen there are a lot of woods or copses right up to the edge of the roads , trees in these woods are of a mixed sort , Oaks, Ash, Pine, and Beech , with some Sweet chestnut, and the ground is covered with Ferns, or Bracken, this gives a home to a multitude of little animals , and insects , plus grass snakes, slow worms, and also a good place for hibernation of toads , so you see you had to know nature being in the country side , and
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P4 Again sadly most of all the trees and copses are gone made way for extra fields a word that pop up now and again progress, I dont call it progress I call it destruction of the country side, I mentioned slow worm but a leg less lizard and very quick. they are hard to catch , quite harmless . Now being in these woods with Granddad at night, we would sit on an old log of a tree, and listen for a pheasant to call out, they usually give a call if a Fox is around to warn his mates, so you note the area the call came from for a later date, as pheasants always go back to the same tree for the night, and in cause of a few hours you can pin point several pheasants roasting in trees, then when the moon is high , out we go to catch Pretty Boy Pheasant, now you may not be the only ones after these, other poachers from another village might have the same ldear, but one lot of poachers will not want to be seen by you, or you by them so comes to a stand off , at this point Granddad usually loads his gun, and stand and wait in the shadows of the wood till they have gone, l dont know if he would have used it, but in all the cases he never had too, and l never asked if he would have, me l would say yes he would have . I mentioned little Animals on the ground scampering around at night , they are hard to see as the leaves from last year are still on the floor, they are searching for beetles, grubs, and new shoots, the animals are mainly Shrews, Brown Mice ,and Field Mice which are smaller than a Shrew , the funny thing is that they are making more noise than we are , as they push their selves under the leaves , the best one is the Hedgehog now he dont care , he just trundles along , stopping now and then , to eat a worm or grub , and what a noise he makes eating , mooning and groaning all the time . We have often been in the woods about nine feet to the edge of the road , we are in the dark of the wood looking out , but anyone on the road can not see us , and many a time a man or woman on a bike has rode past , or walking home , and at times our local Bobby has rode past , then we new which village he was going too depending which way he was going , so we new we had at least two hours to do our job and home . We were also up against the Gamekeepers who were employed by the owners of the Big Halls in the area , such as Dunston Hall , Mangreen Hall, Keswick Hall ,and Caister Hall , it was very rarely that a gamekeeper came out at night , his job was to protect pheasants nests and partridge nests , for the shoot at the end of the year , now in my young days walking the moonlight fields with Granddad , we would often come across a barbed wire fence , and hung on this fences were dead Stoats, Weasels, and Foxes , now Granddad did not take too kindly to this , as he said all animals and creatures are here for a purpose he said the amount of young birds that were eaten by these predators was next to nothing , as they all would prefer a rabbit to a bird , l ask why ,well a rabbit will last a family of Stoats about three days, where a young bird will only last that night , so he said most predators are lazy ,they only kill to eat and fill their bellies, he said the gamekeepers only hung them on the wire to show his boss he had been out and about, and Granddad said if you see a gamekeeper out in the fields ,watch him as he is looking for game nests, and then he marks them with a stick or bent hedge branch , then at night , out we go to these nests sites , see what eggs there are in them and test one if ok take about six as most pheasants lay up to twenty eggs in a night we could get about forty eggs for breakfast . Then when you meet the gamekeeper he is mooning we all say whats up well half my pheasants eggs have gone , and it will be days before they lay some more , now granddad as quick as a flash says I bet its them hedgehogs I have seen a lot about in the fields and threes grass snakes . After the Gamekeeper had gone granddad said you can tell gamekeepers anything they will believe it , as they are too thick to think its poachers , with tongue in check. Granddad says its time to keep the game on our patch so from the threshing machine threes an out let for what they call chaffs, meaning waste seeds and husks of the corn plus all weeds seed , so into a sack it goes and on our nights out in the woods we spread this in patches it attracts all sorts of birds but mainly pheasants they love pecking this
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P5 Over so we get a share of birds on our patch yes granddad new all the wrinkles. Sometimes we were sitting on an embankment to the railway at night snaring rabbits and with no noise a lovely white owl or a barn owl would glide past or hover for a while then down like a stone he either have a mouse or pheasant chick, and off he would go not a sound, but the Little owl he�s a noisy little sod, he site on a railway fence post and he screech sometimes to attract a mate or just to say I�m about, he is no danger to birds or rabbits his main pray is beetles, large moths that fly at night or a small shrew nothing bigger. Then theres the Tawny Owl , now hes a high flyer he perches high in a tree with a good view all round and he starts , its (To -whit -to- woo) just telling everyone hes about , his main food is mice, small chicks, and water vowels , and he is another silent flyer all these owls can Hoover in silence. I suppose you will never see these birds anymore in Arable farming today ,as all the wild life has gone , all been killed off with sprays , granddad always said a poacher sees the best of our world , when people are at home and in bed they dont know what they are missing , and in the bargain we bring home next two or three days dinner , known as living off the fat of the land . I only went once with granddad to catch Woodcock, he said l will show you how to do it , he said they were very rare as the Romans nearly destroyed the lot , in stead of the marshland that they used to breed on ,they have turned to the bracken floor of the woods , so to catch these birds , we have to put up a net , stretched across four or five trees to height of six foot , the mesh size about an inch , this done , out of the wood to the far edge of the wood ,then its a slow walk through the wood towards the net , he said mostly the woodcock will run on the floor away from us , and then get tangled in the net , well here is hopping it works , and it does ,we get two woodcock they have a long beak and are quite big ,l would say the size of a partridge , but granddad released them , so l dont know what they taste like , he said there is not enough birds to take them , he said they will breed more ,but l never got another chance , Snipe were another bird granddad would not touch , they were marsh birds , he said too few in numbers . My next lessen is fishing but not for the swimming kind in mid stream , but the ones that crawl on the bottom , yes we are going Eel Babbing , now this is done with grandmas prop again , in day time we dig up worms , and a lot of them , we now thread these worms on to some wool thread , this we make in to a nice looking ball , this we tie to a long piece of string then tie it to the end of the prop , we are now ready , and with an umbrella , yes l am right a umbrella . Off we go to the river it does not matter about the moon , to which way its shinning this time , find a nice place , granddad said put the umbrella up , so l did and now stick the point in the ground so l did now its upside down on the ground , then granddad stands near the side of the river and put the worms in the umbrella , now in the river it goes , it just the bottom and he just lifts it up now and then just to feel if he has a bite from a Eel well it wasn�t long and out comes one straight into the brolly a just the bottom and he just lifts it up now and then just to feel if he has a bite from a Eel well it wasn�t long and out comes one straight into the brolly a k its off and in the river for another one it�s not long before we have about a dozen Eels now to pick them up as they are slippery granddad said no problem he brought some news paper and they stick to the paper then into a bag a good nights work its now fried Eels tomorrow with potatoes scallops with real bread and farmhouse butter what more can a man want. You have got to remember this all happened over about tens years as I didnt go out with granddad every time , now granddad has bought a rifle .22 which is no bigger than a airgun , but this holds 15 cartridges or bullets what ever you like to call them , a firearms certificate is needed for this , so the Bobby comes round and fills in the forms , granddad signs his name and pay the Bobby all done no problem , and as he walked away with a smile , and turn to granddad and said that wont make as much noise as the old 12bore will it Fred , a little grin and a wink from granddad. Great days in the country side in the 1930s ,now I get a few lessons with the rifle its a bit different to the old 12 bore, as the 12 bore, has a bit of a kick to it for a young on like me , but this all you hear is a little crack that can be only heard about 50 yds away , so if our Bobby is a mile away he will never hear it , neither will the rabbits, so on moonlight nights we can shoot the rabbits and not be heard, great but how it was so easy for granddad to get a licence, its main use is for shooting vermin, rats, crows, and foxes around the farm, and granddad said he hasnt got to be so near to the prey now as he can kill it a hundred yards away and more, instead of forty yards with the old 12 bore, he said theres only one draw back , he cant put it in his coat pocket, but you see in these days granddad always had a gun around the farm, and it was always hid in the same place in the barn ,all the workers new where it was , but strangers didnt and if anyone came looking around the farm, someone would get the gun and just walk out with it under his arm , no one threatened anyone you just walked with it as if you were going shooting rabbits and spook to the person , and just asked what he wanted , as sometimes you got Gypsies ,come looking for work ,or just to case the place to pinch some corn or hay for their horses , you see we had them in our days ,but they were never any trouble , really they were quite colourful with their horse drawn caravans . They only stayed on the village green about two days then they were gone , mostly they would go round the villages selling wood pegs that they made or telling fortunes at the door , grandma always said if they can tell you what�s going to happen , then why arnt they rich them selves , its all poppy cock grandma said , but she always gave them something . Granddad always said if the Gypsies are in the area of the village , its no good going out for a rabbit , or a pheasant as they have been there first ,always wait till they have moved on , looking back over the years ,l do not remember anyone in the village saying they have had something stolen , granddad used to say most Gypsies are good , but if you get a bad bugger , nothings safe , you see us kids of the village used to play with their children , at football or cricket , they never came to our school , but a teacher used to come to their encampment and teach their children , for about two hours in the evening , what stood out to me was that most of the children had Bible Christian names , and in today�s world we still have Gypsies , but not like they were , its a different type of gypsy now , very aggressive and think they should do as they like and to hell with other people , but there are shill one or two of the old kind and l know some of them . Well we Havant done much moonlight walking as we have talking about gypsies it all comes in to it , now theres one animal l havent mentioned yet thats stripy Badger , hes a night prowler like us and he will travel miles in a night to get a meal , he feeds on roots ,worms, grubs, and any birds eggs that are on the ground , now we only know of one Badger Set , that�s up Caistor Lane towards Porlingland in the woods it�s a bit hilly that way , and in the area is a roman burial ground , so they say , well we do have the Roman encampment thats all walled in quite close , some people have said they have seen ghosts of Roman Soldiers walking about at night , I think too many pints at the Rummer Inn or the Red Lion pub might be the answer , the old story of Badgers giving T,B, to the Cows on the meadows , granddad always said if Cows can catch it so can other animals , Foxes , Hedgehogs , Wild Deer , and Pigs , he always said if a farm has T,B, it�s because he is not a clean dairyman, the story goes that when a cow is laying down and chewing it�s cud , the badgers would creep up and suck the milk from the cow, that�s how cows caught T,B, (Bull Shit) says granddad , a cow would jump up as a badger has sharp teeth, now he did say it could have been Gypsies gone into the field and milked them as they need milk for their tea , that sounds about right to me , Cow�s are checked everyday to how much milk they give , so if one isn�t showing in the measure to what it should produce , a watch is kept on that Cow. All I can say is that when we have seen Badgers out at night they are mostly foraging in hedges or under growth in the woods it�s a very shy animal, and a little noise and it�s flat down on the Ground and blend in very nicely, we did have a scare one night, walking on the Roman walls at Caistor and finishing up in the Church Yard, all very silent, till a Nightjar started to call well it�s like a engine revving up at high speed, me I think the words are (I nearly shit myself) and granddad said I wasn�t bloody ready for him, so he was scared too, I think we were looking at the road at the time to see if Bobby policeman was around, we just weren�t ready for that Nightjar, to burst out, but granddad did say we have just past all those people and not one spoke to us, me I thought if one had spoken I would have been home way before granddad , It doesn�t matter what time of day or night when you go through a Church Yard the birds are always there and in the day time , black birds and thrushes sing all the time, and at night the nightingale is singing his heart out and he is only the size if a sparrow, and that�s walking in the moonlight with granddad, Yes walking in the moonlight with granddad, I suppose most people are little bit scared of the dark or being out at night, now the first lessen was , now look here boy there�s nothing out there that wasnt there in the day time, and he was right, nothing moved, the trees are in the same place, houses ,gateways, and fields are all still in the same place, so what is there to worry about ,all it is , it�s dark and a bit more silent , so from then on I looked at it in a different light, (but its dark ) pun. You see in my young days we grew up with Guns , as most people had them , and to see a Farmer or a worker walking down the village road with a gun under his arm was a common sight , mostly on Saturday afternoons with a ferret to bolt the rabbits from their holes or warrens , and yes we have got to thank the Romans for our rabbits as they brought them to England in about A,D,53, and made purpose made rabbit warrens and a keeper of warrens , I only know of one that still exists today, and that is in Thetford Forest , on the Brandon Road , near the Golf Course , how�s that for history. But today you must not even mention Guns and people start thinking allsorts of things, like someone will get shot , but the old saying goes, if you live in glass houses don�t through stones, the moral of that is , treat a Gun with respect , a Gun is as safe as a motor car , till the wrong person gets behind the steering wheel , the same with a Gun , its not the Gun thats dangerous it�s the man using it for the wrong purpose that�s dangerous , a GUN can not fire by its self , like wise a motor car can not drive it�s self , or even go walk about , yes I can say from the age of about ten years old to my present age I have always had Guns , now you can work that out for yourself age about ten when started shooting mid 1930s ,you are always hearing people saying guns kill you , but there is not very many people killed by guns but as soon as one is , up in arms ban alls guns , but there are people being killed everyday with the motor car , and as many as twelve a day in this country , but never get to the head lines , not one person has said ban all cars ,and lorries , l see no difference the person has been run over and killed is there a difference ??????? the person who shoots someone gets life, or man slaughter , the driver gets a fine and maybe band from driving for a year why, l in my time as a young Parachutist of WW11 l had the power in my hands weather a man lived or died now thats something , l never abused that power only when l had too , and there are still thousands walking around like me , thats put the world to right , lets get back to poaching well its winter ,and the migratory Ducks, and Geese are on the marshes , its time for roast Duck or a nice Goose , the brown mallard ducks are nice as they are as big as farm yard duck , or some Widgeon duck , now they are smaller but nicer meat , now theres two ways of catching these , one is to shoot them , thats a bit noisy , so we go for the silent way of netting them, we are going to use the same net as we used for the woodcock, but in a different way, first we have got to get about dozen long straight willow sticks or hazel nut sticks about twelve feet long and about at the thick end one inch, these will bend easy as they are still wet wood, now at the end of a dyke which is about four feet wide and about a foot deep of water, we then bend the sticks over the dyke like a half-moon and Push each end in the soft soil at the dyke edge , next we then spread the net over the sticks so it makes a tunnel ,the end which is at the end of the dyke we peg down ,now the tunnel is about twenty feet long with the open end across the dyke , we then have to wait for the ducks to roast on the water in the darkish moonlight , when there�s say two dozen ducks settled we make a call like a fox or dog quite away ,away from the dyke then approach very slowly so the ducks move towards the netted end , at this time of night they don�t like to fly so after a while they are all inside the net and that�s when we strike and fast , first to pull the loose net over the open end , now I am the one to go inside and get wet , I catch them one by one ,and granddad on top of the dyke as I hand them to him , he kills them straight away , all done roll up net and away with sticks and all, We usually get a mixed bag of ducks Mallard, and Widgeon, once home we separate them , we keep the Widgeon , as granddad said sweeter the meat, and one person can eat one , the rest either sold but a pair to Bobby on the beat, no questions asked no answers given. But Bobby knows old Fred has been out and about , well the last time I went to the Marshes , not a dyke to be seen all heavily drained that was in 2001, its arable land now all the lovely Water I rises , King Cups, and Water Lilies all gone , and the Frogs, Toads, and Newts , no more going with jam jar to catch sticklebacks and the marshland covered in buttercups ,cuckoo points, and daises all gone for what I call farmers greed , these marshes produced some of the best milk in the county, Farmers of the 2000 era are very ruthless ,the filling in of ponds, ripping up hedges to make bigger fields , filling in of dykes, and spraying with pesticides, insectaries, now all the wild life gone , and we talk about people destroying rain forests , hell lets put our own house in order first, I can see one day our Farmers are going to regret this as the land will be as dead as a DOH-DOO . Granddad had a saying (you cant take twenty-one shillings from a £1, ) thats what farmers are doing today, what granddad meant , was dont take all today , save some for tomorrow and his way of life paid off, we always had enough left for the next day. I can say this all the time I was walking in the moonlight with granddad we never got caught, but no dowt old Bobby Policeman new where we were at times , but perhaps he thought of his dinner as well, that was more important , who knows , and l will never know now as they are both dead , but l will say l am glad that l had the privilege to have lived in those times , and everyone helped one another ,yes a few blind eyes were shut ,and did it really matter , but l can remember my uncle come home after dark , and him swearing , the bloody Bobby got me tonight for no lights on my bike ,and his lights were then run by carbide crystals ,which gave off gas when water dropped on them by turning a tap on top of the light , these lights were very good and bright ,and there were no cars on the roads then , well only a few , this makes me smile now , as that was seventy years ago , hell a policeman isnt seen after dark in any village in these days of policing, only if you call for one, and that takes him at least two hours to get to you , and then the criminal is eighty miles away by then . But l will say this to be a poacher gives you a kick , the old heart pumps a little harder , and l suppose the trill of taking something that�s not yours by right , or was it to outwit the law of the land , which ever way you look at , it was fun at the time for me , and it taught me how to survive off the land , for nothing , the best thing that comes out of this is that no one got hurt , but made a few people live a bit better . l am including in this book a few sketches of how we did things as Granddad taught me. I hope you enjoy this little book of growing up in the country side in the 1930s , its a way of life that�s now almost died out , people have more than enough on the table now so there�s no need to poach as money is more plentiful than in my day , l wonder who after a days hard work ,now ,and go out and catch a meal for tomorrow , it could take all night . No doubt a lot of the modern conservationists will say you should not have done that , but in my time it was survival of the fittest and that meant food on the table , at least we never destroyed .Anything, there was always plenty left , I say to you all , why not at nine-o -clock pm one night and go for a walk around the footpaths of your area in the fields by moonlight , then at some point sit and listern to the sounds of the night , now if you do go out at night , sometimes you see things you had not bargained for , well this happened to us once or twice maybe more , now in the summer evenings , moonlight and roses , yes courting couples , and thats when you have to be very quiet , as they might think you are spying on them , as it could be a wife out with another man, or in reverse , yes this all happened in the 1930s as today, granddad always said , ( Boy you keep your mouth shut) you never told anyone, I never even told grandma, so think about it if you do go , Walk in the moonlight , to me at my age it was a giggle, to see courting couples, but there were some we new , and some we didn�t know , granddad couldnt careless , all he was interested in was next days dinner, as I said granddad taught me all there was to know about poaching, I been with granddad during the day at times around the farm , and one of the workmen would come up to him and say were you last night , no not me, he always had an excuse for not going out that night , OH thats OK then the workman would say , granddad would say why , well I was out and he would mention where , then say I thought I heard someone in the woods, granddad would say I bet it was old Bert the Gamekeeper , yer right Fred I reckon that was him , sort of passing the buck in granddads favour , after he had gone , granddad said l bet he was out with Mrs So and So , then laugh the old devil . I really must sign off now as the world has not changed , but the people in it have changed , l think the people have got very selfish ,not so much of the give and take , it seems all take. Now let me warn you all , if you do take it into your heads to go, WALKING IN THE MOONLIGHT, which l do recommend as you will hear and see things that you never thought existed, just to hear the Owls (hooting), Crickets ( chirping ) , Foxes(yapping), Badgers,(grunting), Bats(sending their clicking), Hedgehogs(chomping on a worm or slug), and the Field mice,(scurrying in the under growth), plus bunny Rabbit, (thumping the ground with his or her back legs calling for a mate)and last but not least Cock Pheasant ,(giving a call now and then to say a fox is around), thats life in the wild in the country side, from granddad and me , and now I am a Granddad too thats 70 years have past plus ten. and a bit. THE END, EDDIE, E,C.HOLDEN 18 ELY ROAD LITTLEDOWNHAM ELY, CAMBRDGESHIRE CB6 2SN TEL,;01353 698903 Email, eddie.holden@btinternet.com Website , www.eddieholden.co.uk
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41,
A WW2 STORY THAT COME TO LIGHT. THERE WERE MANY STORIES OF THING�S THAT HAPPENED SOME YOU WOULD SAY I DONT BELIEVE THAT, YET MOST TURN OUT TO BE TRUE.
THIS IS QUITE A STORY.
A B-17 , or a Flying Fortress as we called them this plane became to well known as the Lancaster, this plane I am going tell you about was called YE OLD PUB and was stationed at Kim Bolton, this took off to bomb a city in GERMANY, with hundreds of other U.S.A. aircraft, now the name of this pilot of the B-17 is Charlie Brown, and they are flying with 279th Bomber Group well on this mission this plane took a terrible pounding from A. A guns and fighters, but for all the pasting it took , the plane kept on flying, the tail and rear section badly damaged the rear gunner badly wounded, and the nose was smashed in and holes everywhere, and one engine stopped, now heading for home as the pilot thought his compass useless, so he was flying blind, now this plane happened to fly over a airfield a German airfield, so a fighter was told to scramble and shoot it down , the plane a M.E. 109, piloted by Franz Steigler, well as he approached the Flying Fortress he could not believe his eyes, of the state of this plane , and not flying towards England but going the wrong way, but despite having been told to shoot this plane down , Franz flew to the side of the B-17 and looked at Charlie Brown who was scared and struggling to control his damaged and blood stained plane, un aware which way they were going Franz waved to Charlie to make 180 % turn to head for England , Franz the German pilot then escorted them to the, right direction and guided them to the north sea, and put the stricken plane it�s cause for home, he then saluted , Charlie Brown , and turned away back to base, and Franz landed he told the CO, that had been shot down over the sea, and never told the truth to anybody , Charlie Brown and the remains of his crew were told at there briefing , and were ordered never to talk about it, and it was never talked about on the station, After the war Charlie Brown often wondered what happened to the German pilot, until 40 years later, he researched to find this pilot that had saved his crew, Franz was found he had never talked about it the incident not even post war reunions , well it all turned out to be a get together, as Charlie Brown lived in Seattle and Franz Steigler had moved to Vancouver, B.C. after the war and when they finally met they discovered they had lived less than 200 miles apart, for the past 50 years, what a story, of two very brave men , and in war a little compassion, can make all the difference,
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42 BE PROUD
COLIN POWELL, was in ENGLAND on a visit to a large conference ,and was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if plans were for IRAQ were for empire building by George Bush, Powell, gave his answer by saying , over the years the United States ,has sent many of it’s fine young men and women into war to fight for freedom beyond it’s border’s the only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return.. You could have heard a pin drop.
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43 TSUNAMI VICTIMS INDONESIA
A conference was being held in France, where a number of international engineers were taking part ,including French, American, and British, during a break , one of the French engineers said have you heard the latest dumb thing the Americans are doing, Bush is sending an aircraft carrier to Indonesia, to help with the Tsunami, victims ,what does he intend to do bomb them, A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly, Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people , they are nuclear powered and can supply electric power to shore facilities, they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousands gallons of fresh water from sea water each day and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck, we have 11 such ships how many has France got , YOU COULD HAVE HEARD A PIN DROP.
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44 HAVE YOUR PASSPORT READY.
AN elderly gentleman in his mid eighties from America , was asked to show his passport at the French airport customs ,it took a few minutes for this gentleman to locate it , the customs officer said sarcastically , monsieur you been to France before , this gentleman ,a Mr Whiting , admitted that he had been to France before ,then you should know to have your passport ready, the American said the last time I was here ,I didn’t have to show it the customs officer said impossible all Americans have show their passports when arriving in France, the American gave the customs officer a hard look , then he quietly explained ,when I came ashore at OMAHA BEACH on D-DAY , in 1944 to help liberate this country I could not find a Frenchman to show a passport too, (silence ) YOU COULD HAVE HEARD A PIN DROP.
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45,, THIS STORY IS OF OUR LOCAL R.A.F WITCHFORD WW2 ,,
I FELL 18,000 FEET, AND LIVED TO TELL THE TALE, by GUNNER SGT,
N, ALKEMADE, this story was researched by the CURATOR BARRY ALDRIDGE , OF R.A.F WITCHFORD MUSEUM,
As a young Air-Gunner based at then R.A.F WITCHFORD, near ELY as then in the ISLE OF ELY , now CAMBRIDGESHIRE, the time March 1944, SGT ALKEMADE true story .
He began his war service with the Air-sea Rescue but decided he wanted more excitement and opted to become an Air-Gunner, and was transfered to Bomber Command, and ended up at R.A.F WITCHFORD , and assigned to Flight Sergeant Newnam's squadron, and was soon in the thick of the action , now this 21 year old sgt Gunner ,on March 24 took off from R.A.F WITCHFORD with the ascignment of 18 aircraft for this nights bombing of Berlin with a further 577 Lancasters bombers , 216 Halifaxes, and 18 Mosquitoes, for this assault on the capital Berlin, but heavy winds meant that the planned formation raid went disastrously wrong , forced the planes to fly over the dreaded RUHR defences which was a bastion of weaponry of Anti- Aircraft Guns ,. 44 lancasters and 28 halifaxes were distroyed but Sgt Alkemade and crew were able to make it to Berlin and release their 4,000 lb bombs , mission completed and turning for home , but the crew looked on in horror as dozens of Lancasters were caught up in cross fire as German night fighters swooped in and before realised what was going on around , a shuddering of bullet fire hit their plane from nose to tail, plexiglass from the aircraft shattered and tore a gaping wound in Sgt Alkemade's leg , undesterned the young sergeant fired his guns on a closing German JU88 and sent it peeling away in a trail of flame, despite his lighting reactions the JU 88 had done extensive damage to the craft it wasn't long before the dreaded call , "BAIL OUT BAIL OUT ," from flight sergeant NEWMAN (PILOT) in a bid to escape Sgt Alkemade flung open the door to the fuselarge but was greeted with a fire ball that had taken hold he tried to get to the only PARACHUTE available to him but was forced back by the heat and choking smoke so back to his turret and facing certain death ,took the only option left for him to jump out the turret window falling backwards into the cold night, Alkemade could only watch the stars as he was falling 18,000 feet to earth, but he soon passed out or blacked out what ever , 3-20 am march 25 the time , but some three hours after Sgt Alkemade who flung hisself out of the Lancaster , with no Parachute was still alive the 21 year old opened his eyes and regained his senses ,by some maraculously his fall was broken by a combination of tightly packed fir trees and 18 inches of snow, had saved him from more than 3 miles fall from the sky , now next thing a cigarette and that was the only thing he could reach , Alkemade starts to feel a throbbing pain in his neck and back and realised suddenly that he was in need of help, reaching for a small whistle on his lapel he began blowing it he was soon discovered by a GERMAN FARMER , and a group dragged the Briton back to a local farmstead, after a clean up and taken to hospital , doctors discovered that Alkemade had burns to legs a twisted right knee, a deep splinter in the thigh, a sprained back, and deep scalp wound, burns to hands and face, then after patch up , the Gestapo did not beleave him , when he said he jumped with no parachute , but after farther quizzing taken to the Kommandant , after recounting his story to this incredulous Officer , he asked to provide proof take me to the crash plane and they did , where they found his parachute and harness snap , hooks and fastened lift web all untouched , then the high ranking officer took ALKEMADE'S hand and said a miracle no less, and he then taken to a P.O.W. camp his story was told to hundreds of captured soldiers , he was presented with a certificate signed by the Kommandant and three senior British officers authenticating his story was hailed a hero ,when they found the Lancaster , the pilot Flt sergeant Newman , and crew members were still there, after the war SGT NICHOLAS ALKEMADE returned to R,A,F WITCHFORD and married his girl friend Pearl , and later he discovered that other crew mates Wireless operator SGT BERWELL , AND SGT CLEARY ALSO SURVIED , after being blown out the plane ,,NOCHOLAS died in 1987 , but SGT ALKEMADE'S amazing story does not end there , when he was rescued by the German farmer , he took the whistle from Alkemade as a souvenir the farmer ,,Gottfried Voss, and was put in a draw for 50 years , later an ex R.A.F SERVICEMAN Sidney Thatcher and his German wife became interested in this story ,and Gottfrieds son , Gerhard , he showed this whistle to them and on a later trip persuaded him lend the whistle to the R.A.F MUSEUM AT WITCHFORD , now 65 years after its fateful journey that was attached to his lapel and now it can be seen today at Witchford museum ,,.. THIS STORY WOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN TOLD BUT FOR THE CURATOR ,, BARRY ALDRIDGE,, WHO DUG DEEP TO GET THIS STORY , AND WHAT A STORY ,
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