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I was speaking to my brother yesterday and he was telling me about the jobs my Dad had during the War. He worked at Dick Kerrs not sure if I spelt that correctly and then he worked at the Royal Ordnance factory in Euxton. He had to leave there when he lost all his teeth and started to turn yellow. He also worked at Barrow in furness on Submarines for a short while.
Apparently they built houses and the ground of the old factory in Euxton but people are not allowed to grow fruit and vegetables because of the contamination of the soil.
He also had a job as an Air Raid Warden. He and Mr Martin and Mr Woods and a few others would meet and then settle down in someones shed and play cards and smoke. They also made there rounds of the houses making sure curtains where closed.
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My father one uncle (and more importantly) my late father-in-law all worked at Euxton. I say `more importantly`, because he was transferred there from Woolwich Arsenal when Marjorie was just a year old. I often wonder what path my life would have taken if he hadn`t made the move.
My mother worked in a factory that made gliders, whilst my father was in the forces - It was called Fishwick`s (I think) and was situated behind the old Preston Royal Infirmary on St George`s Road.
Jim
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My Mum worked at Dick Kerr's on Strand Road too, in the machine shop, while my Dad was in the RAF. She worked nights because she'd have been paid extra for doing that. Her sister-in-law worked at Euxton's ROF but isn't that now the site of the Buckshaw Village housing complex? Ive also heard that no fruit or veg can be grown there for fear of contamination. Scary, eh?
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Mention of the incomers from Woolwich arsenal in 1939 reminds me of very nice people. Imagine me at 14yrs working at Leylands when this gentleman moved in next door and at the start of the war brought enough woodwork and things to build an air raid shelter in our back garden. In well remember the pump we fitted to keep the water down, and the little coke stove to keep us warm - none of it was needed after all. He moved on and two lovely people George Samuels and his wife came in. The very best of the bunch to us - lived there for years.
But to stand outside in 1940/41, and see the sky over Liverpool lit up with searchlights and see the flashes of the bombing, the AA shells exploding on the sky, we knew it was happening. When you heard the German planes passing overhead, it was into the shelter. All very nice to be told by those "in the know" you would not feel anything if they hit the ROF Factory!!! Does anyone remember the ONE bomb reportes to have landed in the goods yard at the ROF? It was on display in the entrance hall of the main office off Euxton Lane. It didn`t go off.
When we first entered the war Leylands were faced with the problem of light from the Machine Shops, so they tried painting the roof windows of the old Machine Repair Shop. Blue and Orange were tried before the traditional black. Then we were in the dark. Not to be beaten, sections of glass windows were converted into sliding lights, which were opened if it was fine, but when it rained we werin the dark again. Go to work in the dark and come home in the dark was a regular thing then. Street lights? not for some time, but then we got "star lights". I think they were 40 watt bulbs with shades round them. But it was something. I could go on a long time here but I`ll stop for a bit. Fourteen years old, and in a new world.
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William, The Vehicle museum is very dark inside because the glass roof is STILL painted black!!! Leyland must have used some good paint for it to have battled the weather all these years - or could it perhaps be on the INSIDE? It`s too high to tell.
Jim
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I read the story of a German bomber cruising around Leyland, waving to people, before he dropped his bomb on the Motors. It did'nt go off but I have seen photos of the beams in the roof that were bent. It was rumoured that the pilot had installed machinery in the toolroom and knew exactly what to aim for.
Anyone know any details?
John
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There is a large photo of a V1 [Doodlebug] parked on a dolly outside one of the hangars at the Nasa facility here in New Orleans. The odd thing is that the photo is dated August 1943. The V1 did'nt become operational for almost another year. Just how it got here is not known.
The facility originally made Higgins boats [plywood land craft] and cargo planes starting in 1940.
John
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I don't know when it was but my Mum was on the doorstep talking to the milkman she looked up and saw a plane in the distance. She asked the milkman why the plane was dropping eggs............
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quote:
Originally posted by rocketmanjohn
I read the story of a German bomber cruising around Leyland, waving to people, before he dropped his bomb on the Motors.
It was rumoured that the pilot had installed machinery in the toolroom and knew exactly what to aim for.
Anyone know any details?
John
I've heard a similar story in that he had been a premium apprentice at Leyland Motors prior to the war & did a couple of laps first before dropping his bomb.
My mother, who would be in her teens,once told me she & Annie Cottam watched the plane going round. She worked at Cottam's haberdashers on Hough Lane (anyone remember the shop)? Then my mum saw what she thought was a man falling from the plane and was swiftly dragged under the counter by Mrs Cottam.
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Hi Tony ...
I remember Cottam's ... I loved those stores, all the lovely
drawers with colored thread and silks. They were Alladin's caves for me!!
I think we also bought our socks from Cottam's.
T.D.
T. D.
