WW2
as seen through the eyes
of those left behind in the parish
A lot of books have been written about the war, but they are mainly about the battles and progress of the war. Our opening exhibition at the Cemetery Chapel last November focused on how the people living in Calstock Parish lived through the war. Drawing on interviews we hold given by older residents we were able to look at the war through a different perspective.
West Briton
The Land Army 7th September 1939
"Volunteers for the Land Army are coming in shoals", Mrs. Peggy Pollard, organising secretary for Cornwall County Committee for the Women's Land Army, told a West Briton reporter yesterday. "We should show an enormous increase in Cornwall in a week or two", she added. "The Government are now going to ask farmers to give four weeks' training, and the Government will pay 15s. a week, and also give an allowance of 10s. a week to trainees. In addition to that, they are going to offer four weeks' free courses at agricultural colleges and farm institutes".
Educating The Evacuees 7th September 1939
School children received in Cornwall from evacuated areas are being sorted out this week, and the Cornish schools are re-opening next Monday...Eventually a total of 34,350 evacuees are being received in the county...The schools will be run on the double shift system. One week the Cornish children will go to school from 9 to 1, and the evacuees will go to school from 1 to 5. The succeeding week they will turn about.
Thousands Of Acres To Be Ploughed Up 14th September 1939
Cornwall is expected to have little difficulty in supplying and probably exceeding its allotted contribution towards the additional 1,500,000 acres of land, which the Minister of Agriculture proposes to bring under the plough this autumn owing to the national emergency.
Road Transport - War-Time Organisation Cornwall 14 Sep 1939
The war-time organisation of road transport is beginning to operate along the lines which will become constant as the emergency continues...For their vouchers under the petrol rationing scheme, which comes into force on Saturday, motor vehicle licence holders must, on that day, make application to their respective group organisers.
Maximum Prices For Potatoes 14th September 1939
Maximum prices have been fixed for potatoes sold for human consumption...They are:-one penny per lb., sixpence for 7lbs., or 11'/2d. for 14lbs.
29th September 1939 Identity cards issued
"Volunteers for the Land Army are coming in shoals", Mrs. Peggy Pollard, organising secretary for Cornwall County Committee for the Women's Land Army, told a West Briton reporter yesterday. "We should show an enormous increase in Cornwall in a week or two", she added. "The Government are now going to ask farmers to give four weeks' training, and the Government will pay 15s. a week, and also give an allowance of 10s. a week to trainees. In addition to that, they are going to offer four weeks' free courses at agricultural colleges and farm institutes".
Educating The Evacuees 7th September 1939
School children received in Cornwall from evacuated areas are being sorted out this week, and the Cornish schools are re-opening next Monday...Eventually a total of 34,350 evacuees are being received in the county...The schools will be run on the double shift system. One week the Cornish children will go to school from 9 to 1, and the evacuees will go to school from 1 to 5. The succeeding week they will turn about.
Thousands Of Acres To Be Ploughed Up 14th September 1939
Cornwall is expected to have little difficulty in supplying and probably exceeding its allotted contribution towards the additional 1,500,000 acres of land, which the Minister of Agriculture proposes to bring under the plough this autumn owing to the national emergency.
Road Transport - War-Time Organisation Cornwall 14 Sep 1939
The war-time organisation of road transport is beginning to operate along the lines which will become constant as the emergency continues...For their vouchers under the petrol rationing scheme, which comes into force on Saturday, motor vehicle licence holders must, on that day, make application to their respective group organisers.
Maximum Prices For Potatoes 14th September 1939
Maximum prices have been fixed for potatoes sold for human consumption...They are:-one penny per lb., sixpence for 7lbs., or 11'/2d. for 14lbs.
29th September 1939 Identity cards issued
Sugar Rationing For Bees 5th October 1939
The sugar ration for bees will be 15lbs. per hive per annum.
Calling-Up Notice 5th October 1939
A Proclamation was made by the King, on Sunday, directing that, with certain exceptions, all male British subjects who were within Great Britain on Sunday and had attained the age of 20 but not 22 are liable to be called up for service in the Armed Forces of the Crown. (The age groups were called up as needed.)
Collection Of Waste Paper By Boy Scouts 5th October 1939
As the war progresses there will be a storage of wood pulp, and waste paper will be extremely valuable as the most useful substitute. The Paper Control Board has asked the Boy Scouts' Association to co-operate in the collection of waste paper... All paper is valuable, including cardboard cartons, box-board, and brown paper, except carbon and greaseproof paper. String is also useful.
Gas Masks And Beards 5th October 1939
Mrs. Peggy Pollard, of The Ropewalk, St.Mawes, wrote to "The Times", on Thursday:-"Reading with much concern of the monks who have cut off their beards in order to put on their gas masks, may I put forward a suggestion for the comfort of bearded men who do not wish to lose this desirable adornment? Four curling pins may be bought at the stores and the beard tightly rolled up in these and tucked under the chin. The gas mask is then drawn over the face, beard and all, and is perfectly airtight. This discovery has been the means of preserving my husband's magnificent beard, and I submit it in the hope that it may save others".
War Helps Cornish Farmers 12th October 1939
The war has added more than ½d. a gallon to the price received for milk manufactured into creamery butter in Cornwall, while county milk manufactured into cheese is fetching over Id. per gallon more.
Their Day Not Done 12th October 1939
Owing to the rationing of petrol, horses are in demand again for agricultural and other purposes.
The Petrol Coupons 12th October 1939
The two basic ration books for private cars, motor cycles, and tricycles, which have been issued by post offices and local taxation offices, cover a period of two months...The value of a petrol "unit" is, for the time being, one gallon. This applies to all coupons.
A.R.P. for Dogs and Domestic Pets 28th December 1939
Owners of dogs and other domestic pets have been occasioned much worry as to what could be done with their animals in the event of an air raid. Spratt's Patent Ltd., with their usual concern to provide all that is best for dogs, be it food or appliances, have quickly come to the rescue and have placed on the market gas-proof kennel, which is unique in construction and which, after severe tests, has proved to function both simply and effectively. There are no bellows or intricate gadgets to be manipulated to keep the animal alive, as the used air is absorbed by a special chemical which is placed in a tray at the bottom of the kennel. The dog will not even be frightened by the noise of gunfire, as this is deadened by the walls of the kennel, but will be quite happy and comfortable for as long as the attack lasts. Interested owners of pets can obtain full particulars from Spratt's Patent Ltd., Appliance Dept., 41/47, Bow-road, London.E.8.
A.R.P. For Babies 7th March 1940
The new gas helmet for infants was demonstrated on a doll at Truro A.R.P. headquarters. The helmet, which completely encloses the upper part of the body, is strapped around the baby's waist. By working the bellows attachment (at the side) purified air is pumped into the helmet by the mother or person in charge, no skill being required for this operation, which can be interrupted for a few minutes without harm. A supply of these helmets has arrived in Cornwall and will be distributed in the near future.
Pasties And Rationing 22nd February 1940
Mr. I.R.Rathbone (Bodmin), in a written question to the Minister of Food, asked for an assurance that the Cornish pasties would be included under the heading of meat pies for exemption from rationing restrictions.
Meat Rationing 8th February 1940
Rationing of butchers' meat will be introduced on March 11th. The ration will be on a value basis, and at the outset will be at the rate of 1s 10d. a week for each person over six years of age, and half that amount for children less than six years old. Edible offals, such as liver, kidneys, tongue, and ox-tail, and manufactured meats, such as sausages and meat pies, will be free of ration. (Prices of various cuts were fixed.)
Exodus from Plymouth
Plymouth was heavily bombed during the war and many people were made homeless. Our branchline came to the fore when extra trains were laid on to bring people up to safety. Some local families opened up their homes to Plymothians, some managed to rent houses and some converted chicken houses to live in. Many just came up to stay the night before returning to work next day. They had to find places to sleep for the night.
From an interview with William Jury
Oh yes, they, I know we had a train coming up from Calstock to Gunnislake, one Sunday like, and one of our fighter's had got on the tail of a Jerry and we heard the burst of machine-gun fire and Jerry come down in the trees at Gulworthy; and another night, the 7.10 from Bere Alston was coming up from Calstock to Gunnislake and it was coming up past the church and Jerry opened fire on him; machine-gun fire; it was coming up there puffing hard you got to keep throwing coal in and when they slide back the doors to put coal in, a beam of light would come out; Jerry must have spotted this light and he machine-gunned that train, but he never hit him and he never done no harm, but that's what happened. You had to be very, very careful about lights. Well, you see you had to open the doors to put coal in coming up; oh it wasn't a very pretty time, you couldn't do nothing, you were just a sitting duck really.
Coopy Town
From an interview with Melva Burleigh in 1987
Course one of the biggest things with the war, the Hearns, a family up at Cox Park – they had a very big poultry farm and your father would know about them – and they got – they had to get rid of most of the poultry because of the, no food you see. You had it rationed but you couldn’t get enough and people used to come from Plymouth, just come up on the train and nowhere to go, just looking for somebody to take them in and they went up to the Hearns one day, went by there, and somebody came in and said ‘what are those houses out in your field?’ They said ‘Oh it used to be poultry in there’. ‘Well, can we have one?’ So they said ‘Good gracious, you can’t live in them’. ‘Oh, we can live in there alright’. And sure enough they had all these houses, they used to call it Coopytown up there. The people took them over and painted them up and divided them up and that and they lived up there for quite a long time. Then, course as the bombing finished, if they could get housing and work they went back again. But they were thrilled to bits with this place.
They just used to come up on the train and they’d get out at the station, they’d think we’ll get out here, see what, I know my Mum had some people come here and she said ‘Can’t you give me any room’, she said ‘We’ve been bombed out, burnt out and flooded out and then we decided to get out’. We had quite a few evacuees from – oh I’ve forgotten now, in the village.
East London? Perhaps.
Yes it was east end of London I think. But they gradually drifted back. Mum had a school teacher here, I still keep in touch with her. ‘Cos in a way there weren’t so many called up or anything around because most of them were engaged in what was considered necessary work. There was some of course, my husband was, but not like lots of places because of agricultural work and things you know. A lot of the quarrying was considered necessary for roads and so on and so forth.
I’ve heard before that when they were expecting a Blitz at Plymouth a lot of people would come up on the last train…
Oh yes, the trains would be crowded with them. And they didn’t know where they were going, just think well we’ll get out here, here’s some houses, we’ll get out. Anything to get out. But I was away a good bit then because as I say my husband was called up and he was still in this country, stationed up in Hampshire.
I suppose really Coopytown up here that’s a similar sort of thing to the chalets at Whitsand Bay, people coming out…How many houses would there have been up at there, I wonder up at the Hearns?
Oh I should think about a dozen or so, you know. But you know they had no idea of such a thing. When the people came and asked, you know, I know we said ‘Good gracious there’s people living in hen houses up there’. But you know they really did…. Course there was water laid on in the fields and that but they really got very house proud and made them quite nice.
And this would have been for well, I suppose, for a few years possibly.
Oh yes, some of them were there but as I say they gradually drifted back but some, one or two of them hung on for quite a long time.
East London? Perhaps.
Yes it was east end of London I think. But they gradually drifted back. Mum had a school teacher here, I still keep in touch with her. ‘Cos in a way there weren’t so many called up or anything around because most of them were engaged in what was considered necessary work. There was some of course, my husband was, but not like lots of places because of agricultural work and things you know. A lot of the quarrying was considered necessary for roads and so on and so forth.
I’ve heard before that when they were expecting a Blitz at Plymouth a lot of people would come up on the last train…
Oh yes, the trains would be crowded with them. And they didn’t know where they were going, just think well we’ll get out here, here’s some houses, we’ll get out. Anything to get out. But I was away a good bit then because as I say my husband was called up and he was still in this country, stationed up in Hampshire.
I suppose really Coopytown up here that’s a similar sort of thing to the chalets at Whitsand Bay, people coming out…How many houses would there have been up at there, I wonder up at the Hearns?
Oh I should think about a dozen or so, you know. But you know they had no idea of such a thing. When the people came and asked, you know, I know we said ‘Good gracious there’s people living in hen houses up there’. But you know they really did…. Course there was water laid on in the fields and that but they really got very house proud and made them quite nice.
And this would have been for well, I suppose, for a few years possibly.
Oh yes, some of them were there but as I say they gradually drifted back but some, one or two of them hung on for quite a long time.
Coopy House at Cox Park
Western Morning News 18 Feb 1942
FOWLHOUSE HOMES
New Colony at Gunnislake
FOWLHOUSE HOMES
New Colony at Gunnislake
BLITZED PEOPLE
Generally reluctant to move
Visiting the “fowlhouse” homes at Cox Park, Gunnislake, which were discussed at last week’s meeting of St German’s Rural Council, a “Western Morning News” reporter interviewed a number of tenants and found them all unwilling to return to Plymouth and generally reluctant to move at all. Many of the occupiers have spent a considerable amount of money and time making the huts comfortable and wind and weather tight and one of the larger ones has been divided into four good sized rooms. Mr A.O. Hearn of Albert Cottage, Cox Park, the owner, gave the reporter every facility for visiting any of the huts and speaking to any of the tenants. He stated that after the blitz raids on Plymouth last spring a woman discovered that he had some empty huts. He allowed her to take possession of one and was soon besieged with other families. “I could have let double the number if I had had them to let” he said.
SIXTEEN FAMILIES
What our investigator found
Hearn has sixteen families living on his land, a total of some 64 people including about 26 children under 14 years of age. Most of these people have been living there for nine or ten months. The large huts are 60ft in length and 15ft wide, and the smaller 30ft x 15ft. The height from the centre ridge about 8ft 6in to 9ft and to the eaves 6ft to 7ft. They are mostly of corrugated iron, though there are a few brick and concrete ones. All the huts have a plentiful supply of windows facing south. There is ample air space around each hut, which run to only two or three per field and they are well off the ground and have wooden floors. The land on which they are built is many hundred feet above sea level and there is a railway halt close by on the branch line Bere Alston, which runs through Mr Hearn’s property. Mr Hearn explained that the huts were put to house poultry and in 1939, owing to the shortage of feeding stuffs, he had to have about 3,000 head killed off. A number of houses then being vacant, the insides were cleaned and they were disinfected. Water was already laid on to practically every house and each was given a separate lavatory. Cesspits were dug in the fields
STOVES AND OVENS
There was only one hut now vacant, which had a leak in the roof that they were unable to discover until the occupiers left and all except one of the huts has an American stove with a baking oven. Some of the occupiers had made a garden round their huts and he had purchased cows so that he could supply them with milk and he was also able to supply his tenants with vegetables. There had been only one case of sickness since May and parents had told him that their children had thrived since they had come there to live. In every hut the reporter entered there was a bright fire glowing in the stove, with a kettle singing on top and a cat on the hearth.
Of course it wasn’t just people from Plymouth who came. Many children were evacuated here from London and anyone who had a spare room were allocated children. Dr Leakey’s daughter, Ella, was I charge of the billeting. It must have been a difficult time for the children, being away from home and family and some quickly had to learn to stick up for themselves.
Evacuee School Children
From an Interview with Gerald Wakem in 2008
Of course, then the evacuees arrived so then we used to have battle royals with the evacuees to start with. Well I suppose they were coming in our territory wasn’t they. Yes when it was sort of playtime, we always had playtime as they called it, break time now, they used to, you’d most like end up having battles but then there were so many of ‘em
I. Did they know each other?
A lot of them did yes, I mean you had brothers and sisters. Well then, there was so many that they had to start another class in the main hall for they had bought some teachers with them as well. Well up, you see they sort of had this streaming system where you had an A stream and a B stream and then when these evacuees had this class in the main hall that was 1E they called them, I don’t know why, don’t ask me why that was but I always remember.
What E for evacuee?
I expect.
American Soldiers
American soldiers were billeted in St Ann’s Chapel next to the lane up to The rifle Volunteer, in the Public Hall in Gunnislake and at the Boatyard, Tharsis and 2nd Mount Zion Chapel in Calstock.
This is an extract from an interview with Anne Galbraith whose mother, Mrs Henwood, ran a shop in St Ann’s chapel
Were there any American soldiers?
In this field and then, not the Brake, across the lane and then the other field over there. There were about six hundred black American soldiers here at one time all in tents. Swarming all over the place. Well, we did make a bit cos they would buy anything.
But in this area in a tent... it must have been
Oh yes, but they built Nissen huts, They used to buy - Mum did a very good trade in oil lamps because they had no lights in the tents - lamp globes and I remember making up scented things for them. They used to like to buy scented things for their hair and soap and things. And mother used to make something up - I can't quite remember what it was - it was some jars of hand cream - put the scent in, get the cream and put the scent in themselves. But I know it was a good time for business.
How long were they here for, do you know?
I don't know. I believe it was a transit camp. And they were all black, most of the time, very well behaved, better than the white - the white ones came I know at one time - I wasn't very old - but I remember them saying that the black ones would never come up over the hedge but as soon as the white ones came they were up here at the back door - because my mother always kept a girl to help her in the house, because she had the business and that. I always remember them coming up and talking to Mary. There were some very nice young men. I remember my mother having them in. They used to probably come up and have a chat and tell about their families. They used to come in for a cup of tea. One called Wilbur he used to come in and was quite happy to tell you about his wife and family at home.
Well, you see, across from the pub (Rifle Volunteer) we used to have a British Legion hall up in the field there. And there was a cinema once a week and dances and whist drives. All sorts of things happened in this hall in the village, it was very good really back then. You couldn't go anywhere anyway, so...
British Legion Hall - Rifle Volunteer PH in background
Did the local girls used to go out with them? Did you ever see them?
Oh yes, yes they did. Lots of sweets and tinned fruit. I always remember going to a picnic -it was a wonderful picnic because we had everything you couldn't get. With our families - the soldiers were there too and brought all these goodies you see.
Where was the picnic?
It was in Latchley, right down by the river because they used to go to the whist drives locally and some of the families got to know them quite well - we were only children, so we all went. I know mother went and some other people we knew and the children played about - it was a wonderful time.
Do you know how long they were here?
I don't. No.
Did it seem a long time?
It did seem a long time but we used to as children in our summer holidays, sit up on the pub car park hedge and wait for the convoys to go through because you'd get gum thrown at you. Especially when the second advance started, D day, the convoys used to go past our house, well past the school, and they'd throw gum at you.
Dr Hopwood
Dr Hopwood was an amateur radio enthusiast and just before the war broke out in 1939. He offered his services to the government. He had already started to form an Air Raid Precautions group (ARP) and he was also instructing women to be nurses. The war office provided radio equipment and he became one of their interceptors working closely with the navy. He had a surgery at St Ann’s Chapel. Several people in our interviews say it was rumoured that he was spying for the Germans, but documents in the archive confirm that he was actually working for the government.
Dr Hopwood was an amateur radio enthusiast and just before the war broke out in 1939. He offered his services to the government. He had already started to form an Air Raid Precautions group (ARP) and he was also instructing women to be nurses. The war office provided radio equipment and he became one of their interceptors working closely with the navy. He had a surgery at St Ann’s Chapel. Several people in our interviews say it was rumoured that he was spying for the Germans, but documents in the archive confirm that he was actually working for the government.
Below is one of the letters written to Dr Hopwood
Bombing
Most of the action took place in Plymouth, but some talk of planes coming over St Ann’s Chapel and one German plane crash landed in the woods at Bere Alston. Some Gunnislake boys went over to the woods trophy hunting – no-one thought of telling their parents where they were going. Some planes did fly over the parish.
From an interview with Keith Conium
Yes we seen the bombs dropped. You’d never believe what we saw with the Americans around here. Yes we were in, one day I, a day like this, clear beautiful sunny day, we were in the playing fields behind the junior school then, you know back of Delaware Road.
Behind the junior school, behind the Moorland Way junior school?
That’s right, there’s a football field there run right along parallel to the council houses isn’t there. The old council houses were there and the field ran parallel to that. I remember all of a sudden we got - there wasn’t just one German plane, there was forty at least and they was all flying in formation – three, three, three and there was an odd one out there. Oh quick. So I lie, we lay in the hedge, that was good wasn’t it, and they flew over and there wasn’t anything fired at them. It was like they was on a procession, like a show it was. Not one of them out of place or nothing, just merrily going along.
Did they drop any bombs?
Oh they did when they got down there didn’t they, not on us they didn’t. We were all shoved underneath the hedge as if that was going to do a lot of good like. But I mean that was it. I’ve also said, and Johnny Turner, Johnny old mate of mine, he’s very ill at the moment, we’ve often talked. We come out and we come up on the main road at St Ann’s and you could look right into Plymouth, you know. I mean through the night, when the blitz was on, it looked like Plymouth was on fire from one end to another. Where I lived at St Ann’s was 800 ft or so above sea level. I could see the Eddystone light and the breakwater lighthouse from my bedroom, you know how high up we were. And it looked like Plymouth was on fire from one end to another. I mean there was no doubt about that. This particular morning when we were going somewhere we thought what’s that, and all Plymouth was blotted out. There was just this thick, dark, black smoke drifting right across and it was the oil tanks at what they called Tangeys field, that was Torpoint. I mean they’re still there, they’re like round metal. But it was the oil for the boats and that you see. Very little flame, you’d see a little flicker of flame but there was masses of smoke and it went on for days before they got it under control and put it out. They said they’ll be back tonight because they can see where, you know. I suppose they come about three nights didn’t they, because blitz’s was about three days at a time like, you know.
Bombing in Plymouth – Dennis Steer
I used to go down Aunt Rene’s to stay when the war was on - Plymouth. I can well remember. She lived in Wyndham Street, it was quite close to
This is your auntie?
Yes. You wouldn’t go in bed, I suppose went to bed fairly early. You’d be in bed and in no time the sirens would go.
Fancy going down there during the war. Most people came from Plymouth out here, so you actually went.
Out of bed, out of bed, down the stairs, out to the back, in the coal house, shut the door. All there was in there, would be, well there was three flats, three or four flats there like. Then the siren would go after a while, clear, back to bed again and then ‘twasn’t very long before we were out again. Nothing actually happened just there.
It’s still there isn’t it.
It’s still there, but you know, ‘twas a miracle really, but they had a bomb come down from a plane. Only about three houses from where auntie lived and it didn’t go off and they say that if that bomb went off, it would have blowed down about three rows of flats. So that was a bit of luck wasn’t it.
It was. I can’t believe you used to go there in the war.
Well I did. I done it. We survived, Aunt Rene was always generous to ee like and her’d take me down around town.
Home Guard
The Home Guard (initially Local Defence Volunteers or LDV) was an armed citizen militia supporting the British Army during the Second World War. Operational from 1940 to 1944, the Home Guard had 1.5 million local volunteers otherwise ineligible for military service, such as those who were too young or too old to join the regular armed services (regular military service was restricted to those aged 18 to 41) or those in reserved occupations. The Home Guard were to try to slow down the advance of the enemy even by a few hours to give the regular troops time to regroup. They were also to defend key communication points and factories in rear areas against possible capture by paratroops or fifth columnists. A key purpose was to maintain control of the civilian population in the event of an invasion, to forestall panic and to prevent communication routes from being blocked by refugees to free the regular forces to fight the Germans. All of the villages had a platoon. They practised at the weekend and in the evenings, ‘defending’ Gunnislake New Bridge, watching on Kit Hill etc.
Most of the action took place in Plymouth, but some talk of planes coming over St Ann’s Chapel and one German plane crash landed in the woods at Bere Alston. Some Gunnislake boys went over to the woods trophy hunting – no-one thought of telling their parents where they were going. Some planes did fly over the parish.
From an interview with Keith Conium
Yes we seen the bombs dropped. You’d never believe what we saw with the Americans around here. Yes we were in, one day I, a day like this, clear beautiful sunny day, we were in the playing fields behind the junior school then, you know back of Delaware Road.
Behind the junior school, behind the Moorland Way junior school?
That’s right, there’s a football field there run right along parallel to the council houses isn’t there. The old council houses were there and the field ran parallel to that. I remember all of a sudden we got - there wasn’t just one German plane, there was forty at least and they was all flying in formation – three, three, three and there was an odd one out there. Oh quick. So I lie, we lay in the hedge, that was good wasn’t it, and they flew over and there wasn’t anything fired at them. It was like they was on a procession, like a show it was. Not one of them out of place or nothing, just merrily going along.
Did they drop any bombs?
Oh they did when they got down there didn’t they, not on us they didn’t. We were all shoved underneath the hedge as if that was going to do a lot of good like. But I mean that was it. I’ve also said, and Johnny Turner, Johnny old mate of mine, he’s very ill at the moment, we’ve often talked. We come out and we come up on the main road at St Ann’s and you could look right into Plymouth, you know. I mean through the night, when the blitz was on, it looked like Plymouth was on fire from one end to another. Where I lived at St Ann’s was 800 ft or so above sea level. I could see the Eddystone light and the breakwater lighthouse from my bedroom, you know how high up we were. And it looked like Plymouth was on fire from one end to another. I mean there was no doubt about that. This particular morning when we were going somewhere we thought what’s that, and all Plymouth was blotted out. There was just this thick, dark, black smoke drifting right across and it was the oil tanks at what they called Tangeys field, that was Torpoint. I mean they’re still there, they’re like round metal. But it was the oil for the boats and that you see. Very little flame, you’d see a little flicker of flame but there was masses of smoke and it went on for days before they got it under control and put it out. They said they’ll be back tonight because they can see where, you know. I suppose they come about three nights didn’t they, because blitz’s was about three days at a time like, you know.
Bombing in Plymouth – Dennis Steer
I used to go down Aunt Rene’s to stay when the war was on - Plymouth. I can well remember. She lived in Wyndham Street, it was quite close to
This is your auntie?
Yes. You wouldn’t go in bed, I suppose went to bed fairly early. You’d be in bed and in no time the sirens would go.
Fancy going down there during the war. Most people came from Plymouth out here, so you actually went.
Out of bed, out of bed, down the stairs, out to the back, in the coal house, shut the door. All there was in there, would be, well there was three flats, three or four flats there like. Then the siren would go after a while, clear, back to bed again and then ‘twasn’t very long before we were out again. Nothing actually happened just there.
It’s still there isn’t it.
It’s still there, but you know, ‘twas a miracle really, but they had a bomb come down from a plane. Only about three houses from where auntie lived and it didn’t go off and they say that if that bomb went off, it would have blowed down about three rows of flats. So that was a bit of luck wasn’t it.
It was. I can’t believe you used to go there in the war.
Well I did. I done it. We survived, Aunt Rene was always generous to ee like and her’d take me down around town.
Home Guard
The Home Guard (initially Local Defence Volunteers or LDV) was an armed citizen militia supporting the British Army during the Second World War. Operational from 1940 to 1944, the Home Guard had 1.5 million local volunteers otherwise ineligible for military service, such as those who were too young or too old to join the regular armed services (regular military service was restricted to those aged 18 to 41) or those in reserved occupations. The Home Guard were to try to slow down the advance of the enemy even by a few hours to give the regular troops time to regroup. They were also to defend key communication points and factories in rear areas against possible capture by paratroops or fifth columnists. A key purpose was to maintain control of the civilian population in the event of an invasion, to forestall panic and to prevent communication routes from being blocked by refugees to free the regular forces to fight the Germans. All of the villages had a platoon. They practised at the weekend and in the evenings, ‘defending’ Gunnislake New Bridge, watching on Kit Hill etc.
Calstock Home Guard
BACK L-R 1. Mervyn Studden, 2. ?, 3. Ben Denley, 4. ?, 5. Jackie Cocks, 6. Charlie Green, 7. ?, 8. ?,
MIDDLE L-R 1. Horace Vickery, 4. Ernie Trebilcock FRONT L-R father of Phil Colby, 3. Jack Brown, 4. Preston
BACK L-R 1. Mervyn Studden, 2. ?, 3. Ben Denley, 4. ?, 5. Jackie Cocks, 6. Charlie Green, 7. ?, 8. ?,
MIDDLE L-R 1. Horace Vickery, 4. Ernie Trebilcock FRONT L-R father of Phil Colby, 3. Jack Brown, 4. Preston
Metherell Home Guard
Back L-R James Ewart Matthews 'Ward', Garfield Cundy, James Cullis 'Diver Cullis', Hubert Matthews, Bill Brown, Joe Bolt,
Wilfred Green (father of Peter Green), John Matthews 'Jack', Bernard Clarke, (ATC cadet, married Joyce O'Connell from St Anns)
Front L-R Roger Langsford, Stan Skeet, Edgar Langsford, Jimmy Rundle, "Batney" Hunn Bill Crowle
Back L-R James Ewart Matthews 'Ward', Garfield Cundy, James Cullis 'Diver Cullis', Hubert Matthews, Bill Brown, Joe Bolt,
Wilfred Green (father of Peter Green), John Matthews 'Jack', Bernard Clarke, (ATC cadet, married Joyce O'Connell from St Anns)
Front L-R Roger Langsford, Stan Skeet, Edgar Langsford, Jimmy Rundle, "Batney" Hunn Bill Crowle
Notices sent to the Home Guard Platoons
From:- O.C. No.1 Company Hdqrs, Drakewalls, Gunnislake
To:- All Platoon Commanders and Section Leaders
8. 5. 42.
I should like to congratulate, heartily Captain Johns and all officers, N.C.O.s and men of No. 1 Company who paraded before Their Majesties the king and queen on Thursday, May 7th.
The men were very smartly turned out and all orders were obeyed with great confidence and precision.
The military bearing and keenness reflected great credit on all ranks concerned and I felt extremely proud; the day will always be remembered.
Please convey this to all ranks.
(sgd) L.M. Andrews Major
Capt. O.C. No.1 Company
Please do not forget the Exercise on May, 17th
From:- O.C. No.1 Company Hdqrs, Drakewalls, Gunnislake
To:- All Platoon Commanders and Section Leaders
11. 6. 42
From July 1st, 1942, next, a D.R. Section will be formed by Lieut. H.H. Preston.
Platoon Commanders are directed to arrange that Section Commanders remove the names of the D.R.s from their registers, as from midnight, 30th June, 1942.
At the same time a list of each man’s equipment must be sent to Lieut. Preston, 2 Rook Park, Calstock, who will issue receipts for same.
It is hoped that Platoon Commanders will encourage all men who possess motor cycles to transfer to this Section.
Communication is one of the most vital factors in the efficiency of the Company and Platoon Commanders will realise that the D.R.s will keep their lines of communication open in time of emergency.
(Sgd) L. Martin Andrews Major
O.C. No. 1 Company
All Sten Gun Holders should be at Company Headquarters on Tuesday,
16th June, 1942, at 7.30 p.m.
Please bring 1 magazine and 12 rounds of ammunition with the Gun.
Home Guard at Drakewalls
Reparations
Many public buildings, stately homes etc were taken over by the government to house troups or as hospitals or convalescent homes for wounded personnel. When the government handed them back, owners were allowed to make a claim for damages to the properties. We have records of both Gunnislake and Calstock making claims.
