Roy Murray's account of World War Two

This story was submitted to the peoples war site by Zach Bromberg-McCarthy and Jendayi Davis of the Back in the Day project on behalf of Roy and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

The following extracts are taken from an interview, which was conducted by the above named persons on the 27th of October 2005.

None of Mr Murray’s immediate family fought in the Second World War but he proudly tells us about a family member who fought in the Falkland War.

Roy couldn’t remember the declaration of war because he was only about 7 years of age at the time. It wasn’t until he grow up that he gained a better understanding.

Like many other of the elders we interviewed Roy was born on the sunshine island of Jamaica in the parish of St Thomas. He recalls what school was like back in the day: “It was all right and it remained the same during the war. Teachers told us that war was no good for anybody at all…we were told about it in lessons.”

Q: Was there conscription or did people just volunteer?

“People volunteered.”

Q: What contributions did your Island make to the war efforts?

“The contribution was plenty work. We meet we demands and all them things.”

Q: Because the island was a British colony did that mean everybody thought that they were also at war?

“Yes everybody did think they were at war but we don’t get no fight or anything we only hear about it.”

Roy couldn’t remember any radio broadcast. He was busy enjoying his childhood. He recalls: “I would meet friends, play games and all those things. I went to dances and cinema…saw movies on cowboys and all those things.”

In 1961 Roy decided to follow in his brothers and sisters footsteps and come over to Britain. He chose Nottingham because that’s where his family had settled.

“My brother come to England and say if I want to come and I say I would come and try it and it was all right.”

Roy mentioned that his sister used to work at the munitions factory in Chilwell, Nottingham. His first job was operating machinery in a factory.

“I come and I go to this place and straight away I get a job. So I came on Friday and started work on Monday. The only thing was that the money was small…everything was cheap though…not like now when the pound don’t value nothing.”

Q: Was there much difference between home and Britain?

“I’ve never felt British. The two parishes, England and Jamaica they are good to me. No differences between them to me. I don’t find no fault with Nottingham.

“Nobody love war…war is a thing that they shouldn’t have…I don’t love war.”

Even though Roy as settled in Nottingham he still call’s Jamaica his home. Roy as been back to Jamaica on vacation in the past but plans to go back in the future.

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