Evacuee Boys (13 page)

Except on rare occasions, the only Melksham school had no room for ‘the Londoners’ so we were taught in a series of church halls spread around the town, involving a mile or so hike between lessons. After school, we were recruited to sweep acres of floorboards, employing large brooms and of buckets full of soggy used tealeaves, to keep the dust down. Brought back from retirement, elderly teachers well past war-service age – like rotund little Mr Foy – drilled French verbs into us and remonstrated with the help of hearty slap about the face when we got them wrong. Wispy white-haired English and history master Mr Bell, ‘Dinger’, had an unfortunate propensity to hit the wrong boy whenever some offending behaviour aroused him, usually resulting in whoever was nearest getting it in the neck. Rocking back and forth like one of those egg-shaped, pot-bellied, musical toy clowns, ‘Nick’ Redfern remonstrated in staccato time with his rocking, ‘You have not done your homework!’, while the big boys murmured
The Quartermaster’s Stores
song: ‘There was Nick, Nick, playing with his prick, in the stores, in the stores.’

Although two years younger than the rest of the class, I kept well up with the school work, which in a Central School included shorthand, touch typing and bookkeeping, that proved to be of considerable value in later life – but I was much chastened to be the only one still in short trousers. The others were so grown up and knowing about the ways of the world, with secret sayings and jokes whispered behind the hand that sounded intriguing – yet still much of a mystery to my innocent pubescence. I continued to hear the ‘F***ing’ word among other grown-up swear words, but I still had no clear idea of how it was done. It was definitely to do with girls, but as a good Scout, whose law said I had to be clean in thought and deed, and taught us to respect a girl’s body, I made no efforts to explore the subject myself. Being as always the youngest and somewhat the outsider, my older 14- and 15-year-old friends’ secretive ‘any moment now’ whispers were half-heard mysteries. Out in the fields, the 15- and 16-year-olds spent much of their time fervently engaged in a seemingly pointless game called ‘Kiss Chase’ with girls, and I remained ignorant about their purpose.

Melksham Baptist church. (Author’s collection)

Only having known girls who were my cousins – always older and wiser – my curiosity was not compelling enough to think of breaking the taboo associated with their superiority over little boys. Anyway, girls were sissy and a bit of a waste of time – especially Maureen Sullivan who seemed besotted by my disinterested presence next to her during the Saturday afternoon cowboy cliff-hanger movie in Melksham’s tiny ‘Picture Palace’. Lucky she was not there when I joined some friends in trying my first Woodbine cigarette near the front row. Instead of inhaling, I swallowed the smoke and soon threw up over the seats in front.

12
December
1940
– a postcard

Dear Mum & Dad,

Thank you very much for your card, thought it is rather plaintive. The 5/- was very useful and I already paid another 1/- for my fountain pen, got my laundry out, bought pencils and periodicals. I have just finished my English examination and yesterday I did literature and arithmetic while on Monday we had book-keeping. So far I have done quite well. We had quite a number of warnings lately but no bombs were dropped anywhere in the neighbourhood. I am glad that Daddy has again good prospects to get into the B.B.C. I hope he does by Xmas. I have seen Mr. Redfearn & he says that I should wait till the results of the Cambridge come out, than apply for a transfer.

Lots of love & luck from

Andrew

P.S. trousers have arrived & fit very well; chocolate too.

6
January
1941

Dear Mum & Dad,

I have arrived quite safely with John yesterday, & there was quite a surprise for me when I got back because Mrs. K announced that she was going to let my room on Wednesday, & therefore I should have to sleep on a garden swing (I think you have seen it in summer) in another room (which incidentally will not be nearly as warm as the other one was).

Today I went to school & have spoken to one or two of the masters. Mr. Boughton thought accountancy was a very good profession to choose only of course it would mean a lot of work. But he thought it was hardly worth while for me to stay here until March ‘working my time’, because really I should not learn much & would only get out of practice, whereas if I went home as soon as I knew the results, then I could get into what I had to do in an accountants office straight away. In view of this and Mrs. Kelly’s apparent unwillingness to retain me (she has been down to the billeting office to try & get me moved) I rather think it would be best for me to go home when I get my results out. I should like you to look out for advertisements in the meanwhile & try to see your Chartered Accountant & see if he has a vacancy.

Talking of advertisements, Mrs. Kelly says she saw an advertisement for the W.U.D. [Wiltshire United Devises] who have vacancies for boys between 16 and 17. I am not particularly interested. I don’t know what you think.

Mr. Williams said that he thought that accountancy was an already overcrowded line but of course with sufficient energy it was quite possible to succeed. He suggested that it would not be a bad idea to write up to the Civil Service in Bath. The Civil Service of course is one of the best & safest jobs to get into which pensions, but I doubt if they take aliens. Shall I try?

I am afraid by buying my birthday present I put myself rather short of money because the Scout trousers cost 6/11. I also bought two cycle lamp batteries (11
d
each) & a bulb (4
d
); the two batteries so that I should have them working for some time, because I might not be able to get them later. Also I met a friend who treated me to pictures before Xmas & now was short of money so I gave him 6½
d
. Together with a 2
d
bar of chocolate I think this expenditure adds up to 6/11

But of that I have to go to Trowbridge and have my photograph taken for the Police. That means that I shall probably have to borrow some money from John because the photographs might be expensive. Beside that I have not got my laundry out so try & send me some more money as soon as you get your wages because I really bought all these things out of my birthday money.

By the way, I went to the Police Station yesterday, & they took a few of my particulars, but they said they would want a lot more. Shall I give mothers date of birth as 1895?

With hundreds of kisses, & write soon please & tell me what you think of it all.

Hoping to be home soon I wish you luck from

Andrew

P.S. John cannot write on this letter, because I am posting it straight away so that it should get there in time.

9
January
1941

Dear Mum & Dad,

Thank you very much for your beautiful English letters, which I received first thing this morning. I think that I already have sufficient to say that I can spend a 2½
d
stamp despite my financial plight.

This morning a police officer called at school & fetched me out, & there he took a few particulars. I asked a lot of questions & found that I am allowed to travel, taking care of protected areas, that they will apply for me to be able to stay in Melksham for some time, because Melksham is a protected area & also for the retention of my bicycle. They told me that they will want your passport immediately, & my photograph which I shall have taken this afternoon after borrowing some money. So do not forget to send the passport straight away.

At school I spoke to Miss Crampton, the girls’ headmistress, & she said that apparently there is no chance for me to get a scholarship to a secondary school, but she strongly advised me to take up accountancy & in the meanwhile to study on at an Evening School.

Don’t be too hard on the Kelly’s. I can quite understand their point of view, since I really upset their plans by coming back. Last night I spent my first night outside the bedroom, & I slept on a sofa in the lounge. I arranged my blankets like at camp, & I was quite warm enough, & as comfortable as could be expected. They especially Mr. Kelly, seem to be trying to compensate me for the loss of my bed, by being extra kind to me & I get extra nice things to eat, & apart from that, Mr. Kelly gave me a beautiful Oxford dictionary, containing over 1400 pages, which should be must helpful.

Everybody seems to think that my best line to take is to come back to London & get a job at an accountant’s office, thus gradually working my way up to become a Chartered Accountant. Of course the problem is whether I should get the job in London or in Evesham,
22
& when. But in London, at least I shall be certain to be able to go to some Evening Classes & until we move to Evesham, I shall more or less pay for my own keeping from my wages, so that the financial side does not really come into it. However, look up all the advertisements in the papers, & make inquiries.

I think then, that we can take [i]t for granted that I am coming home in a month or two, & finally leave school. You will not have to pay any fares this time, because on going home for good, the Government pays the fares.

I think I have dealt with everything important except money which I hope I shall receive more of, during the week-end.

The weather here, is cold, & we had quite a lot of snow, but now it is quite dry again.

Lots of love from

Andrew

P.S. We have a half-holiday this afternoon so I am going to Trowbridge.

… continued by John

Dear Mum and Dad,

We arrived safely on Sunday safe and sound. Mrs. Robbins was very pleased with the presents from the Co-op guild. We play with it every night I am just going to the school party and I hope to have a fine time.

How are you getting on have you had many warnings? We havn’t had any warnings yet.

Lots of love and kisses from

John

P.S. [from Andrew] Do send me a lot of money, because I had to borrow 2/6 from Mrs. Kelly for the photograph & I shall have to pay 1/- for my registration book, & 1/10
d
for the laundry. Don’t forget the passport.

Andrew