john clarkson my life and war memories pt 1

John Clarkson

Transcript of being interviewed by the
WAR DEPARTMENT
When he was by then already in his 90’s

JC= John Clarkson
WD = War Department

WD Could you tell me when and where you were born Mr. Clarkson?
JC I was born at number 17 Ripon Street, Blackburn

WD What was the date?
JC The date was 26th May 1899

WD And what did your father do for a living?
JC My father was a jeweller. He served his time to being a jeweller and then he left that and he went to be an engineer. We moved from that address to Audley Lane, Blackburn and from Audley Lane, Blackburn we went to Mill Hill.

WD In Blackburn?
JC In Blackburn, it’s the outskirts

WD How many were there in your family?
JC There were! I had two sisters and a brother — me, three of us there was.

WD And do you remember much about your early life when you were a kid?
JC There was pretty well nothing too unusual, no I don’t think so.

WD Was it a comfortable childhood?
JC O yes! Oh yes! O yes! And my father died eventually, we moved back to Blackburn by the way, and he could get a job anywhere that chap. He set up house then in, where did we go? In Alker Street, Blackburn

WD What kind of houses were they that they lived in, were they comfortable?
JC O yes! O yes! They were in a row of houses, there weren’t many semi-detached houses then you know, and er! We lived on there then until we moved again to Winchester Street, Blackburn. No 1 I’m wrong, too early, we moved to Park Road, Blackburn, Park Road. From Park Road we moved to Culvert Street, Blackburn and in Culvert Street my father died.

WD What year was that, do you remember?
JC That was, yes, it would be 1911, I would say 1911. I was only young; I was going to school anyway
WD Now you moved house quite a lot, why was that was it just as your father changed jobs?
JC As I say he could get a job anywhere and he picked and chose, I must admit he was brilliant chap, but he used his brains in the wrong direction and he never materialised what he would have done had he done as he could or should have done, he didn’t do, however, he come to die in Culvert Street. He was buried and from there my mother and two sisters we moved to Winchester Street.

WD Did it cause any problems when your father died? When your father died were the family able to manage without him?
JC Well, of course we got too, we got too, he had a stroke and he was an invalid for three years, three years and he gradually deteriorated until he eventually died.

WD Did you have enough money coming into the house during that period, during his illness and after he died?
JC O yes! O yes! So eventually he died and then he was buried, we moved then to Winchester Street. Well in Winchester Street I was getting ready for work I got halftime I was a Half-timer.

WD Just ask you, which schools did you go to in Blackburn?
JC I went to a three schools, St. Mathews Infants, Norfolk Street, Mill Hill and Christ Church in Mosley Street, that’s all Blackburn.

WD What sort of education did you get though?
JC Just an ordinary secondary education, just an ordinary one, I liked my school, oh yes.

WD Where you a member of any of the Boys Associations that were being formed at the time, Boys Brigade or Boy Scouts?
JC They weren’t to that extent that they are now, no, I don’t think I could do that

WD Any interest in sport?
JC I were a keen footballer, I was a keen footballer and I do think that if I had pursued it I would have gone far, although I say it myself, however!

WD Who did you play for?
JC Well it was only local teams, it was St. Mathews, mainly St. Mathews and Christ Church Boys School. I won a medal with Christ Church Boys School and from there I went!

WD You went half time you said. What did you mean, what were you doing?
JC Well actually, I’m still a school. I go to school until dinner times, and then at dinnertime I leave school and go to the mill and I work from half past twelve, no! Half past one until half past five. I am only twelve years of old. I do that for a week and then the week after I changed over to mornings, I go in the mornings to work and school in the afternoon.

WD So you went to the mill in about 1911 that was when you were about twelve.
JC It would be, yes, it would be

WD Which mill was it, do you remember its name?
JC Canton Mill, first I learned at Canton Mill

WD And what did you learn, what trade did you take?
JC Weaving, weaving and from there I was moved then to, my sister was teaching me, we moved to Baines, John Baines Cecily Bridge, Blackburn that’s been running until very lately I believe its just gone out of print at present it’s trailed on, the trades disappearing, finishing off, its just finished I’m very sorry.

WD You were doing half-time from 1911 was that until you were 14?
JC Until I was 13, I left at 13, only twelve months of this and then after 13 I’m full blown, I got two looms on my own at 13. I had two looms on my own.

WD How did you work the looms, do you remember what you did can you tell us?
JC O yes! O yes! (Laughter) Well you wouldn’t follow it if I…

WD There might be some who would, so if tell us for the tape.
JC Well of course. The yarn comes in a great big roll, it’s put on and it weaves it and then shuttle goes backwards and forwards and it threads through, as it comes through it threads through and bangs it up and threads through you see. At the bottom it rolls up creates its own importance at the bottom until a mark will comes at say its finished, well you stop then and take that out and that foes into the warehouse and then it[s inspected then and if you have done something you shouldn’t do you will get fined three pence

WD What kind of thing might you do wrong that would get you fined? You said you got fined if you did something wrong, what sort of thing would you do?
JC Well if you were neglectful and you hadn’t done as you should have done, pick bits off, stop the loom if it was fast, it wasn’t going, there were threads coming as shouldn’t do, you stop the loom. Well if you were a bit negligent and let it go on, it rolled on and your mistake was going on there you see, so that when he inspected it “O look at it, look at it, fetch him” you had to be charged three pence, three pence.

WD Would you make many mistakes, did you make many mistakes?
JC (Laughter) Well yes and I got so far that I didn’t care two pence and of course I’m getting 14 and 15 and 16 and I thought this, I’m going to finish up nowhere here so
WD Hang on just before you go on there, what was it like in the mill you know as a factory environment what was it like?
JC Well there was mainly curtains mainly as a rule, window blinds. When you put them up at a window you can tell a fault straight away you see when you put them at the window.

WD That was what you were making?
JC Yes. Yes

WD And what was it like in the factory, was it noisy?
JC O terrific, deafening, I do believe that is why I wear a deaf aid now, through that, I do believe that, however I’ve had good wear out of them so I can’t worry (laughter). So how far have I got, can I get on a bit now?

WD Yes alright.
JC Well I come to be 16 and the war was on, the war was on then

WD Hang on! Just before, so you were in the factory when the war was declared?
JC O yes, yes

WD Do you remember the day war was declared at all?
JC The day, I couldn’t tell you the exact day, I know the 4th August, but the day I wouldn’t know the day.

WD How did you feel when war broke out because you were only young, you were only about 15?
JC Well of course, I was young eventful and I thought that’s something exciting is that, something out of the ordinary.

WD You didn’t think it would involve you though?
JC Not then, not then.

WD What about, was there any mistreatment or attacks on Germans?
JC No, I wouldn’t say so.

WD In the town, any attacks on German shops?
JC No, no, no, and the remainder, a few went, a few reservists were called up and a few volunteered to go and of course they said “O send him a parcel and send the other fellow a Christmas card and goodness knows what” and I used to look and grin and I though if I were in I’d get them. So it come about, I thought I’m going to enlist. I said “Hey mother, I’m going to list”. Well what for? “Well” I said “It’s going to over with and I’ve never gone”. “Well what are you bothered about?” “It doesn’t matter” I said, “I’m going to go.” So my sister said “Tell him he hasn’t to go mother, tell him hasn’t to go.” So I thought well I have no father, now these only these three “O” I said “I’m going to go.” So of course they got that impatient that they said “Get gone then” and true enough I went and ‘got gone’ I went and I listed.

WD How did you go about that which recruiting office did you go to?
JC I went to Canterbury Street Barracks at Blackburn

WD And what happened when you got there?
JC He said — er now then — he said, - I’m only 16. He said, “Fetch your insurance card.” I thought ‘now then’ I said, “I hadn’t one” “Well then you’ll have to stop at home until you have one then.” So that put me back quite a bit, anyway I come to be 16, come to be 16; I thought I’ve got him now. So I went again and the mate that I had he went in the, what did he go in? He went in the Artillery, Jimmy Carr, he went in the Artillery and left me stranded then, well I was all the more keen to go, more determined to go. So I went again and told him “I’ve got my Christmas! My card” so he said “Are you 18?” I said “O yes I am 18”. “Well” he said “come” how did he out it “come when doctors here he’ll be here”, this was about on the Monday and on the Wednesday he said “doctor will be here and he’ll pass whether you are fit or not.” So of course on the Wednesday morning I didn’t go to work, they said “Are you not going” “No” I said “No.” I went down, passed exam “O yes” I walked it easy. So of course I’m blown then, so we get sworn in as well and I said “now then.” He said “come tomorrow we will fix you up with your uniform.”

WD What date was this do you remember?
JC Yes February 8th 1917, no! 1916.

WD So you would be 16 and a half?
JC That’s right.

WD And didn’t they notice at your medical that you weren’t built up enough to be 18?
JC Well yes! More or less yes and I felt like!

WD And they passed you anyway?
JC Yes easy, I walked it as I say I walked very easy, I felt really good.

WD And they didn’t say anything about you looking younger?
JC No! No! No! They said you’re the youngest there is in this lot and they say 89, he’s 89, like as if they doubted me being in 89, he said “you should be over 90”. The reason for this is because I went when I was 16 that’s why. I’d made them years up while was 16.

WD So this was February 8th 1916 you went and were told to come back, what happened then when you went to report?
JC I went to report and got my clothes they issued me with my uniform

WD At Canterbury Street Barracks?
JC Yes, to take them home and put them on and report then the day after again back with my uniform on.

WD Did you know which Regiment then that you were reporting to because you joined the East Lancs.?
JC East Lancs., East Lancs., Yes.

WD That was the one; you knew you were joining them did you?
JC Yes they had got a feeding Battalion there going, they get their recruits and then they send them to these different centres where they are training them you see. Well he said, “You’ll have to go now” where did they send me to? They sent me to Southport, in billets in Southport, I thought, this is easy its good is this.

WD And which feeding Battalion were you joining do you remember the number?
JC Yes I was in the Fourth Battalion, the Forth East Lancs., which was a Territorial Battalion. The nucleus had gone they had to get more recruits into the Forth you see. Well I was sent to Southport, we were billets at Southport.

WD Look I got quite a few questions to ask you about your training so if we could just run through them in order just starting with your billets, what were your billets like at Southport could you describe them?
JC Yes, it’s funny is that we went with the daughter and son-in-law and we went to Southport and I said “that’s the street where I was billeted in Bridge Street, off East Bank Street I remember it well” and she were a nasty woman that woman.

WD What was wrong, what was nasty about her?
JC There was two of us billeted in each house and me and this other fellow were in and it was cold weather just like it’s been this morning, bitter cold weather and the regulations say you should have one man to each bed. She put us in a bed and she tied a rope to divide it instead, so of course we didn’t know any difference, we kept our own boundaries, we managed that way. One morning in particular I only told the son-in-law this the other week, one morning when the war was on they couldn’t blow reveille, they sent the fellow round blowing his whistle, you see the neighbours complained so he used to blow a whistle and go round. I said “Hey whistles gone come on get up. “It’s too cold” he replied. I said “it is cold, we’ll not go then.” So we didn’t go on parade. It’s only a rouse parade to parade you to see that you were up and then go back again. I said “we’ll be back again in ten minutes when we’ve answered.” This landlady is listening on the landing; they hadn’t gone to work that morning. She went to Company Office and reported that Clarkson and this other fellow, I forget his name, hadn’t been on parade that morning. So she come back “now then” she said “I’ll learn you for being so awkward I’ve reported you.” I said “you what! It’s got nothing to do with you.” So she said “it doesn’t matter you should be out with everybody else.” “Well” I said, “we won’t be.” We were fetched up at the Company Office. We were charged with being absent on parade and were given seven days C.B. (Confined to Barracks) we couldn’t go out at nights we had to stop in at nights for seven days, so after that I always remembered that woman, what a woman that was.

WD Did she provide any food for you or did you get that yourselves?
JC O yes, she used to say “don’t think that I’m making a lot of money out of you, you know, but I’m not” “Well” I said “your not underpaid, I don’t know what you are getting but we are not getting much moneys worth out of it you can’t be getting much”

WD What meals did she give you?
JC I couldn’t tell you what we had it weren’t good by any means and we had a full uniform. We hadn’t to have it in the house, we had to have it in the cabin at the bottom of the yard, we had to go and clean our buttons at the bottom of the yard she wouldn’t have us inside doing our buttons, which is ordinary. We were glad to get away from the place.

WD So it was an unpleasant atmosphere?
JC Unpleasant, it was really, very unpleasant. O! Terrific woman

WD Did she live on her own?
JC O no! She had a husband, he was an invalid, he had a bad chest, very bad chest and she was an invalid.

WD So you didn’t see much of him?
JC No he only came in at nights, at dinner times and tea times and then we got nothing after, you had to go to the YM for a cup of tea and a cake.

WD So she gave you breakfast and dinner what about lunch?
JC Well we had lunch as well they provided for that.

WD You didn’t eat with the troops?
JC No that’s right we had our tea and after tea well we were finished there was no supper you had to go to the YM for a cup of tea and a bun if you wanted one.

WD What would a typical day be like, what time were you woken up by the whistle, roughly?
JC Well it was dark weather well as you can judge now, its dark weather half past seven I would say seven o’clock, its dark at eight o’clock really, I would say seven o’clock at least.

WD Seven in the morning. So when you had this whistle you went to this parade, what way did you go to this parade?
JC Only to go outside and line up in this street, I line up in the street, it sounds a bit idle doesn’t it. I wouldn’t have cared if it had snowed.

WD So after you lined up in the street, then you would go and get breakfast.

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