The Moss family 2

Continuation of Living in the 1940’s

The raids stopped after this period and as it dragged on we looked forward to V E day, when it came we had a street bonfire and party, later when VJ day came there was not the same enthusiasm, we went round to the Sandgroves and joined in their street bonfire and party. When Howard was born I had stayed round the Sandgroves house, they ran things differently to my house. Things were very tight just after the war with rationing actually worse than when it was on, additionally we had some very bad winters, I well remember icicles on the inside of the bedroom in the mornings and the thick snow walking to school in the mornings. My mother and subsequently my father would not deal with black marketers to get extras, in her view they were worse than, if not Tories. My friend johns parents I believe were Tories, I quite liked them, but they did make the comment that socialists were people who kept coal in their bath, I thought this was very amusing and ridiculous as none of my parents friends kept coal in their bath, (neither did the Ramsdens) after a couple of visits round our house I got john to go into our bathroom to see that Socialists did not keep coal in their baths. The funny thing was that their house was a cheaper type of house on the estate to ours. I really do not know where they got their ideas from.
A couple of times during the war we went down to the “village” hall in Elm Park to the communal kitchen / restaurant. Presents at Christmas and birthdays were thin on the ground during this period I do remember that we used to get one modest present with an orange and a bright new penny. Oranges were very hard to come by. It really was a Christmas Stocking (sock). We did have our concentrated orange juice and cod liver oil and I suppose we were kept reasonably healthy, we also loved the powdered eggs, milk and potatoes but the food situation must have been a worry to our mother. From time to time Auntie Connie (family friend) used to come over with a bowl of dripping, we loved it on toast made on the coke boiler dropping its front to expose the red hot coals. We were all conscious of the human cost of getting these things to us across the Atlantic. I recall that there were hard words spoken about Mr Thacker the local Coop Manager from time to time. My parents thought the coop was run for the benefit of the members/customers but they thought he thought it was run for the benefit of the employees. A common discussion within our family.
My dad came home in 1946 due to his age, and I expect his family responsibilities. About this time the airfield’s Cinema was opened up so the locals could go, and I remember going to see my first colour film Bambi. then Paul Robeson in Song of the South. I sometimes went by myself but on one occasion had my leather flying helmet that my father had brought me home as a trophy stolen. I never found out whether it was a German, American or Russian helmet but was sheepskin fur lined and very warm. I have never seen another one like it. Like my father I have always enjoyed the cinema, before he was married he was a projectionist assistant.
The election came and we got the opportunity to see the politicians of the age at the village HalI ( believe it was called St Nicholas Hall) I well remember listening to Aneurin Bevan his reputation as a spell binding magician with words was well deserved, as was Michael Foot prior to his accident. The family were overjoyed at the result with Churchill thrown out and Atlee in, all their hopes before the war looked as though they might come true. However that was short lived with the abrupt end of lend lease and even worse taking on the American loan, this crippled the country with our infrastructure and factories shattered the Irish Americans got their own back. There were heated discussions about this situation. We had always argued and discussed with family and anyone else who came in around the kitchen table. Whilst the Americans had been life savers with their support and industry, lend lease had greatly benefited their factories and economy as well, it was a great shock, as they were people who we liked, loved, admired, lived and suffered with. Still they had others back home who hated us and we always knew that from before the war, Ambassador Kennedy for one. We were devastated when Roosevelt died, what a great man.
In about 1946/7 I started going to the Socialist Sunday School held in Becontree up the line on the tube, mostly I went by myself but one of the first days with my parents I remember was a Christmas or New Year and I was given a present from Australia (a wooden Warship) this did not float in my bath without a good list but I was over the moon with it. One of the older men members also gave all the children a silver three penny piece but I believe this was on his birthday. I enjoyed going and knowing that my parents had been members from their younger days knowing that I was always amongst friends, some of whom I still am in contact with. Learning great lessons and principles, which have held me in great stead throughout my life.
Another discussion around the kitchen table was I believe at just before Christmas 1946 or 47 this was about whether we should invite a German prisoner to stay over the holiday, as my father had heard there were some in the area and the fraternisation regulations had been lifted, we agreed that we would, although we anticipated that there might be a problem with language, none of us had another language or even a phrase book. It turned out that all the Germans had been offered places, so we never did meet one. Lets hope that they all went home safely with reasonable memories of their stay during the next year.

When my father was in Belgium he was befriended by quite a well to do family called Devadder, Madam Devadder (Mimi) had sent us over presents toward the end of the war, she once sent me a picture book of the story of the war with each of the characters (nationalities) represented as animals, printed in French. Joyce’s boyfriend Eric could speak French and he used to read it to us. This book I have given to the Imperial War Museum, I believe it is in Manchester. It is not something that I want my children or grandchildren to have. It was published in Paris in 1944 before the end of the war, it is not politically correct in this day and age. Mimi came over several times and in about 1948 invited me and my dad over, they took me to Waterloo field and climbed the mound, as well as other sites of interest. I have been interested in history ever since. We stayed in Ostend and Brussels where the Devadder’s had houses, it was my first trip across the North Sea and it was quite rough. My dad took me to other interesting places in London like The National gallery and Science museum and the British museum, there was also an exhibition in Trafalgar Square and the Banqueting Hall of war time things. The ceiling was the thing that impressed me most it is simply stunning. Of course we also did Downing Street and The Houses of Parliament at the same time.
After the war and before the National health Service was set up I recall going to the doctors with my mother and she having to pay for treatment as I recall it was “only” two shillings or half a crown but it must have been a good portion of her budget with only living on the RAF pay. Mrs Itzig the Docter used to operate from the third or fourth house in Southend Road from Farm Way but she in time moved I believed to Parrishe’s Office (estate agent), then into the new heath surgery in Rosewood Avenue. She was a woman who we all felt sorry for because she always looked more sick than we felt.
When I was eleven I took the eleven plus at Billet Lane school Hornchurch, I had no idea what it was, although I knew it was important as my dad gave me his best fountain pen to do the work. We all sat in the school hall, I looked at the questions but did not understand half if it, likewise my class mates. I believe that there was only one child from our whole school who passed. Classes were of 50 + pupils each then, I believe two classes went. So beckoned the prospect of going to Suttons Secondary school, which did not have a good reputation at this time.
Before this end of term the headmaster Mr Adams and Mr Hooper (form teacher) told us about Elmbridge Camp (boarding) school run by Essex County Council, I thought this was a great idea and took home details of this alternative school and discussed it with my parents. They allowed me to go although it meant me leaving home and will have been a drain on their finances. After passing an “oral exam” interview and medical I was organized to go by bus from Ilford. Arriving at this next portion of my life in 1949 was an interesting shock, the school was set in 27 acres of grounds using ex Canadian army huts just outside the Surrey village of Cranleigh. The dormitories held about 30 boys each in double bunks, and the school was run on Spartan lines, with at least one teacher coming from the outward bound school in Scotland. Typical was the Saturday morning cross country run, any weather in the winter, anyone who did not get back in front of the teacher had to do it again in the afternoon. In summer it was gardening or weeding on the Saturday morning. Cold water washing, but warm showers three times a week in the evening. The food was not much but we had been used to rationed food, I looked forward to my mums visit with her Fruit cake or Bread pudding. One good thing was that every Wednesday evening we used to have a film show. The area around this school was picturesque with a lane to Cranleigh village the other way to Dunsfold Hill. Parents were allowed to come down during term time once a month on the special bus, and we quite often walked out into the countryside. This is where I developed my love of cycling with my dad’s old Hercules bike. In the first term or near to Christmas there was a school trip to a Radio Exhibition in London, where I was impressed with my first sight not only of Television but brilliant Colour Television (only a test card). I believe this would have been in 1949. Nearby was the Dunsfold airfield which had been taken over by the Hawker Aircraft company. Research at this field ensured that we were amongst the first to experience the sonic boom created by breaking the sound barrier. At times the huts used to bounce up and down when the aircraft were testing. Several of us lads used to go over to this aerodrome and we used to creep into the parked aeroplanes I recall there was a York and a De Havilland Rapide. Hawker’s developed the Hunter from this site but this is going into a new decade.

Peter Moss

2005.

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.