Freewomen

FREEWOMEN

LIBERATION

EARLY DAYS

After cleaning all week, Sunday was perhaps the only time that my mother found any time to rest. During the days of the week my mother was busy cleaning for middle class families who could afford a cleaner and then at night my mother headed to the City centre to clean business offices. Saturday nights were spent in the open air market which in those days closed about ten o’clock and of course refrigerators were almost unknown at that time. All the stalls sold off the produce which was perishable, but to people like my mother that was food which would make up the majority of our weeks food supply.

On Sunday morning my mother would have the ‘black leading’ out to clean and polish the fireplace and the brass work then shone so it gleamed. In those days housework or any other type of domestic cleaning was frowned upon if done on a Sunday. This was a chore that could be done without our neighbours knowing and then in the afternoon I was packed off to Sunday school. I used to protest at this as my pals in the street used to go to the local Methodist chapel only quarter of a mile away, while the one I attended was well over a mile away. My mother’s reason for this was because she was very friendly with one of the Sunday school teachers and she was sure then that I was all right. My own thoughts on this matter are that my mother had the opportunity to have a longer rest.

In September 1939 on a Sunday morning my mother heard on the wireless that we had declared war on a country called Germany but, being only four at the time this news made very little impression on me. So as usual I set off for Sunday school probably with a moan and off course making sure that I had my collection with me. Much more likely is the fact that my mother made sure I had the collection with me.
Halfway on my return home I had to cross a tip which with grassing over had been converted into a sports field. Half the playing fields in Bradford at this time had been made this way, and the joke was that you could identify a Bradford footballer by his knees which would be grazed and cut by refuse which kept popping up through the grass. Suddenly there was a terrible noise of a siren, the first I had ever heard, and as I looked around me I couldn’t see another living soul. I can assure you I was a very terrified and frightened and stood stock still until the siren finished. I then dashed home as fast as my legs would carry me never again to attend that Sunday school.

WAR PREPARATIONS

Prior to the commencement of war life was mundane, and every week passed with exactly the same activities as the previous weeks. At my local school, builders were busy erecting shelters on the sports field and we were all issued with gas masks which we had to take with us where ever we went. The shelters were soon constructed and then all the school had to file to the shelters and we were all allocated a place with a piece of coloured sticky paper on the wall where we wrote on our names. Fortunately, we never ever had to use this facility as any bombing which occurred at Bradford took place at night.

The houses in the street where I lived all had cellars and local council men were soon giving them extra support with columns of bricks and escape hatches were placed in the cellar walls. It was actually possible to go through these hatches and start from one end of the street and finish at the other. I do hasten to add we did have a bolt on the hatch to prevent our neighbours coming through any time they felt like it. The most major change in the street was when workmen appeared and removed all the iron railings in front of our houses. All the houses had pocket handkerchief gardens but, the surrounding railings maintained some privacy, but this was now gone.

Another major change to the landscape was the erection of water tanks on any available open space so there was a ready supply of water to douse fire bombs. At that time there was a local popular game called ‘piggy’, which consisted of a short piece of wood like a cricket bail and another piece wood like a cricket stump. The aim was to hit the shorter piece of wood on the end so it rose in the air and then hit it with the longer piece and send hit it as far as you could. Who ever hit it the longest distance was the winner. I have never seen this game since and certainly the war could be blamed for its loss of popularity as most areas where ‘piggy’ was played in were obliterated with emergency water tanks.

The authorities were determined to ensure that we the local populace were ready and prepared for war. Firstly at our local cinema all the local residents were crowded in and given a lecture by our local Air Raid Wardens about ensuring we kept a total blackout and how, by applying sticky brown paper to our windows, we could help prevent flying glass. This was followed by a demonstration in a neighbouring street on how to deal with incendiary bombs. The problem with local volunteers is that they immediately become in their minds more proficient than any professional. We had a long lecture before the moment all we kids wanted to see, which was a lighted incendiary. This was rather an anti climax due to the incendiary being reluctant to light and not much flame when it did, and was soon put out with decisive action by sand bags and stirrup pumps. One was left feeling somewhat sorry for the fire bomb which had been greatly out numbered by safety devices.

In the early weeks of the war my mother was recruited as a fire watcher in the street and she had to report to an empty shop at the top of the street at night when it was her turn on the rota. In the room of the shop there was a number of camp beds for children with only one parent, usually these were wives whose husbands were away serving in the forces. During the times I was awake I can recall my mother passing away the long hours of the night playing cards with the other fire watchers. The only times at this period we were to hear the air raid alarms were on official practises, and these were well broadcast to prevent any public panics.

LIFE CHANGES

In the early winter of 1940 my mother came home very excited to inform me that she had got a job on the railway which consisted of cleaning inside the front chamber of a steam engine. Apparently within the inside of the chamber are many tubes which for the engine to run efficiently have to be cleaned, and unfortunately it is to say the least a very dirty job. To my mother it was a steady job, and most importantly she was guaranteed a regular wage which was certainly more than she had been able to obtain before. Other advantages for her were free railway transport whereby in school holidays she could take me to live with her immediate family who lived all over the country. My mother had five sisters who had all gone into service at an early age, and then settled and married in the areas where they had gone to serve. At the time neither my mother nor I were aware that I would be given the unique opportunity to see various parts of Britain facing up to war.

I went with my mother to Manningham station where the steam engines for the LMS were serviced and, where my mother would work for the rest of the war. The sight inside the engine sheds would have made a steam railway enthusiast weep. The red livery of the engines was all being painted black, and every bit of streamlining or decoration which had been previously stripped off. In a corner of the shed was a pile of railway engine names, among these was one I can still recall to this day, and that was the Royal Scot. Everybody was very kind to me while I waited for my mother, and I was allowed to help turn the wheel for the turntable in the sheds. The next experience was one to die for. I was given a ride on the footplate of an engine and pull the chain which sounded the train whistle. Sadly my school friends never believed me when I told them later at school.

My mother appeared to have a lot of good friends because; she was expected to work hours which covered the sheds’ operating twenty four hours a day seven days a week. I spent many nights sleeping in other houses and a very kind neighbour provided me with meals such as at tea time and mid day. My mother being independent made sure she was paid for this service, and while she attempted to have permission for me to have school meals this was denied. Through out my school life it became noticeable that my mother because of her married situation was treated differently to other single parents. Also those officers who applied the rules appeared to take a great delight in notifying my mother that benefits were denied to her.

TRAVELLING WAR YEARS

My first school holiday away from Bradford was spent at my Grandparents who lived near Clay Cross in Derbyshire. This was at the height of the Battle of Britain and all we schoolboys were aware of our heroes in the sky. A Hurricane pilot commanded a lot of respect but the pilots of Spitfires were Gods and of course we could recognise a fighter pilot by the wings on his tunic and the top unfastened button on the jacket.

One day we went to Crich to visit two Great Aunties who lived in a cottage in a field above the village and directly above the present National Tram Museum. I can recall being fascinated by a double seat outside midden which I had never seen before, and the furniture appeared to have covers protecting every chair, and ornaments on the side board covered by glass cases. It was a nice day and I think they were glad to see me release much energy playing outside in the field. Then it happened, a low flying Spitfire appeared just overhead and I could make out the pilot and waved frantically as all small boys would do. He turned his plane and flew directly above my head and at the same time waggled his wings that was one special moment that has always lived with me.

That winter was a long time of nightly bombing raids and for a short period we took in a family from Anlaby Road in Hull. They like many citizens of Hull were bombed out of their home and my mother kept in contact with them for many years. Bradford was next to being bombed and during the night raid the streets residents broke all rules and went in groups to a neighbours cellars. Although bombs fell close by, we kids had a great time due to the entertainment given by neighbours, which was all the more enjoyable due to the fact that many of them had appeared so austere outside. We were still singing long after the all clear had gone, and it was a street night to remember. Next day, we kids were off to see the bomb damage and best of all collect any shrapnel we could find. These were great items for ‘swaps’ and I was lucky to find a piece of rope and parachute silk from a mine dropped by the Germans. My standing at school had never been higher.

My next school holiday was spent with my Aunt and Uncle in Cambridge. They had quite a large family and for some peace no doubt sent us all off into the centre to a film show. While watching the film all of a sudden the film was stopped and writing appeared on the screen to evacuate the cinema. Moaning about not seeing all the film we got on a bus which had only gone a short distance and then we were told to get off. We walked home but then we were treated to one of the best shows I had ever seen. Planes were droning above and dropping bombs around Cambridge, and all over the place were search lights cutting into the dark clouds above. Every so often a German plane was caught and held in the beams of the lights, and immediately we were all up on our feet cheering. The highlight was seeing one these planes hit by shell fire and seeing smoke appear from the aircraft as it started to descend.

I did have one or two holidays in Sheffield but my mother was somewhat reluctant to send me there, although my Aunt was always writing to my mother for me to spend time there. The reason for my mother’s reluctance was the fact that Sheffield figured very highly on Hitler’s bombing campaign. My cousin had been lucky to survive one day light bombing raid when she had developed measles and couldn’t attend school. Her class were in a shelter by the school which received a direct hit, and wiped all her school friends out. After moving a few times because of bomb damage they finally settled by Bramhall Lane ground and I stayed on a number of occasions with them. We spent many evenings at Bramhall Lane where there was a big search light unit and they used to give us kids piping hot mugs of tea. Added to all this was a detachment with a barrage balloon who, every night raised this huge balloon in preparation for air attacks. I did see a lot of the devastation which Sheffield suffered and yet like everywhere else it appeared to stiffen every ones resolve to beat the German.

1944 was one outstanding holiday at Cambridge and this was because thousands of American troops were in tents situated on the meadows outside the University Colleges. How those Yanks spoilt us kids with a thing we had never seen before called bubble gum, added to the delicacy was a sheet inside the wrapping with cartoons. Sweets were few and far between during the war and yet here were these charming men who talked like cowboys giving us white milk chocolate. We didn’t know it at the time but so many of these kind young men were to lose their lives at Normandy.

PROMOTION FOR MY MOTHER.

My mother who had a lot of experience of cooking for large numbers through her mother who had been cook at Haddon Hall Derbyshire applied, and got the position of cook manageress at Manningham railway department. These were happy times for my mother as she had an increase in wages and of course a much cleaner job. I could now go to the canteen when I was off school and my mother would always ensure that I got a tit bit or two.

Much of the railway work force at this time was captured Italian prisoners of war who always made a fuss of me. I got the impression that they were only to glad to be away from the active theatres of war and were quite happy to wait for the war finishing and then return home. Although they almost obviously received few treats they very often used to give me a piece of chocolate and talk to me about the delights of there home country. One problem they did cause was with local residents, who found their domestic pets were disappearing and finding their way on to the menu of these charming Italians.

In the final part of the war there were many delights to behold, particularly the VE celebrations in Bradford Town Hall Square and one began to wonder how so many adults could climb lamp posts and somehow hold there position there. Sadly, at that time there appeared to be a shortage of everything, from pubs with no beer, a dramatic shortage of cigarettes and very little choice of foodstuffs. Nothing could suppress the sheer joy of the war being over and one final moment for me was to be let out of school early to watch Winston Churchill pass down Great Horton Road in an open top car waving his customary cigar.

CONCLUSION

For many women like my mother the war was a turning point and certainly an expansion of women’s rights. While women served and worked in the First World War, very little had been achieved towards their emancipation. This was different, many women had achieved equal status to that of a man and no way were they going to let that go. My mother worked as a manageress for many years in various canteens after the war, and yes there were occasions she was discriminated against. The thing that was most noticeable is that women were given the opportunity to be employed in positions that were denied to them prior to 1939.

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