We Won 2-1

2 new suits, a raincoat, shoes, shirts socks a one way rail ticket home, food vouchers and an honourable discharge bit of paper. Now that’s good value for 5 years of being fed, watered and transported free of charge to so many places of interest.

Almost forgot about the wages which were hardly noticeable. My weekly wage from April 1940 until August 1945 was 14 Shillings per week. But I didn’t get that because 7 Shillings went to my dependant Mum. Then 2 Shillings was compulsory savings. So I finished up with 5 Shillings each week which paid for a few Lemonades and a lot of fags. It also kept the mind alert because when I was serving somewhere off the beaten track I didn’t get paid.

So with a little help I beat the enemy but certainly not the paymaster. Many months later I received a Princely sum of £ 75,which I seem to have lost track of. Certainly just reward for saving 2 Shillings each week. 5 years and 4months for £75 seemed a pittance, but I did get 10 weeks paid holiday, allowing time to find a decent job. That was a laugh really as I was nothing before the war and now who would want a gunner?

From the age of 20 to late 25 my young life was put on hold, and now here I am without any qualifications trying to recover my wasted youth. England now has to find homes for all the heroes, who have returned safely. Single persons getting married ,having families, and still looking for reasonable homes to live in and hopefully start a family.

Unfortunately this has created a problem solved by a point system. Each family is given points for each child, age and sex. So an examiner visits my Hovel (condemned before the war) and decides that 0ne large bedroom with a double bed, a bunk- bed for 2 boys, and a single bed for 1girl is not over crowded.

Points are impossible to collect because of age, so my children penalise me because they are under 5 years of age and deemed to be innocent.
I now have half a point for each child . The family are now registered as Man, Wife and 3 “Harves.

This home was a hazard with the only toilet situated on a half landing, it also boasted a small corner sink . No hot water, no electric, no privacy and no way of being alone. We shared these delights with a family of seven who lived in the flat above .Thank goodness for lighted candles, they gave us confidence to pursue our needs.

The kitchen was paradise with gas lighting giving warmth and comfort, having a bit of a wash wasn’t a problem so if someone entered it could only be one of the family.

Paddington Borough Council were always sympathetic to so many needs. They allowed the wife and me to choose our first pram. So we went for the best, and were complimented upon our choice, especially as we were looking
for a cheap 2nd hand one. One day the council invited me to consider moving to either Harlow new town, or Slough under what was called industrial employment?
The wife definitely wasn’t keen on the idea but the children won her over. Sounds simple really, just like the war being over In weeks. So Slough became my aim in life.

Having told the council, all I needed was to get to Slough ,find a job, let the council have proof. So Monday came, I cycled to Slough and met up with Sam Pavey who was the cycle clubs friend way before the war. He offered me 3 choices of work . Fords .I C I, or Mars.

I C I was Sam’s choice, so began a day of medical check ups, X Rays. fitness tests, and the ability to get to Slough from Paddington. I got a job starting Monday. After a long day I cycled home and pondered my future. Of course the wife worried about the long journey but seemed contented when I decided to go by train. My first shift was 2 till 10 so I spent most of the morning looking at the clock in a sort of,(doesn’t time fly when your enjoying yourself way,?)

So with a clock number, a new white warehouse coat and lot’s of encouragement from my instructor, I began to feel less panic in my bones which seemed to have got the wobbles. It’s just gone 2 and I’ve got 8 hours to go.

I still had this nervous walk and was in need of a fag, but remembered I had been a brave little soldier for 6 years. So ICI Gloss and Emulsion were just trivial challenges I was soon to master. This was my place of worship. Terry was my teacher, and he looked educated, talked sort of masterful, and made me think how lucky I was .

Monday began at two PM walking to my place of worship with my lord and master. Terry led me to what seemed an empty floor the size of a tennis court. Scattered around were what appeared to be hatches as seen in submarines.

Not far from the truth either, exactly the same but different. On a sub they kept the sea out when shut. While the hatches I was looking at were to keep the paint in when shut.

Brilliant! I soon learn why I am engrossed in the mysteries before me. Sid you are now a tally clerk and this sheet of paper I have given you is an inventory ,which has a lot of words and numbers on .

Your job is to take hold of this wheelbarrow and walk to the relative number from the top line then find the identical wording, it could be a liquid or solid. Put the correct amount into your barrow and make for your allocated hatch, empty the barrows contents down the hatch, put a line through that line, then look for items on the second line, and start again.

Having completed the inventory you now need to prepare for clamping down the hatch, you will see a large round collar made from a wool substance, this you feed into a cmpletely round receptacle, making sure it’s fitted correctly, then bring the hatch cover down on to the hatch and turn the arm that fits across the hatch. You now have battend down the hatch.

It is now meal time so we will switch on our afternoon’s work as we head for the washroom. I am contented Sid that you have done everything right.

Meal break over ,Terry is still on about his football team as we turn and head to our work place. My blood drained and joined the maroon paint that was all over the floor. At the same instance Terry said “and we won 2-1.” Now we’ll have to clean up. I definitely wasn’t going to work overtime mopping up paint .So I left him to it after all it was his fault, anyway I didn’t get the sack and became quite clever.