Soldiers – Williams, George – Life Story

May 1940

The Life & Story Of George Williams
Born:  2 July 1922
Address: 29 Thomas Street, Kilnhurst, South Yorkshire

1922-28:

  1. Kilnhurst was a small mining village and the Pit called “Bob Hole”. Our house was in a row of terraced houses with a toilet in the yard outside.
  2. My Father was in the Lancashire Fusiliers in the First World Ward. Sent to Turkey and got wounded in the leg?
  3. My Mother, Annie Williams (nee Heyward? Tbc) was the mainstay of our family.
  4. We were moved all over Yorkshire. I had two older brothers, Jack, 2 years older than me; Bernard was the oldest but had bad eyesight. He worked at Cadeby Pit on the Cage on the Pit top.  Sister Jessie, next oldest. As soon as she was 14 years old she went into service at Keighley, N.E. Yorkshire.
  5. When I was 5 years old, my Mother took me to school via the “Crags” which was -2-3 miles away via the “Crags” and called Station Road School, Conisborough. From then on I had to go on my own, which was ok in the summer, but in the winter was very treacherous, where paths were very icy and covered with snow.
  6. When I was 7 years old I was transferred to Balby Street School in Denaby, another mining village. We moved into a terraced house in Balby Street. I stayed at this school until I was 11 years old.
  7. Then my parents decided to move into lodgings at 11 Chambers Avenue, Conanby with Mr and Mrs Welsh and they had 4 children.
  8. Our room was small and also had the old fashioned looking oven and fire. Nice and warm, also 2 bedroom. Sleep in large bed with Bernard, Jack and myself and Mum and Dad in small bedroom.  A tight squeeze all round.
  9. The “Welch’s” were a lovely family. Mr Welch worked down Cadeby Pit digging coal always whistling. But it was too cramped for two families, so Dad asked Conanby Council if they could find us a house. All the houses were owned by the Pits.
  10. We were finally given a house at 3 Denaby Avenue right by the “Trackless Terminal”. These were trams run on electric wires above the road. From Conanby/Conisbrough/Denaby/Mexborough/Swinton and Thornsloe.
  11. I started at Conisborough Senior Selective School, very nice school. Large playing field, football, cricket, tennis etc. PT. My teacher was a Mr Phillips, very strict, always got the cane handy.
  12. I was taken by my mum on Sunday to St Andrews Mission at Conanby Road run by Deaconess Ellis, very nice lady. Every Sunday morning we formed into a procession in 3’s to 4’s with our Banner in Front and marched down to St Peter’s Church in Conisborough for the service and then marched back.
  13. Also on Sunday afternoons, Mum used to take us to see Granny Heywood at Kilnhurst, we had to walk there, a distance of 4 to 5 miles, in all weathers, stay for tea. All Aunties’ were there from Kilnhurst, Conisborough, Edlington, Mexborough, Swinton etc.
  14. Mum and Dad decided on another move to 8 Prior Road, Conisborough, a terraced house, cheaper rent.
  15. Brother Jack was now working down Cadeby Pit. Eldest Brother Bernard still working on Pit Top and had a girl-friend Maud Light, and was lodging with them at Crescent Avenue, Conanby.
  16. I made quite a few friends; Jack Heywood, Bernard Atkinson, Frank Taylor and Dave Wyatt, all lived close by. We all got friendly and helped two brothers, names: John, Les at their farm opposite St Peter’s Church in the middle of Conisborough in the Main Street. In the evenings we used to boil potatoes for the pigs, clean out the stables for “Bonny” and “Captain” and give them fresh hay etc. set for the night, we also cleaned out cows with fresh straw for beds and hay and cow cake also for pigs.
  17. Not much money coming in, Dad no intention of working if he can help it. Eventually the employment office sent him to work for builders putting water pipes across the old football field. Mum sent me up with sandwiches etc. for him. I arrive found him in a trench, sitting down doing nothing, that was his first week and his last.
  18. Les and John Greasby gave my mum work in the summer pea-picking, potatoes, turnips, hay-making, wheat and barley etc. In winter mangles, swedes etc. frosty days and snow.
  19. Every Saturday nights, Dad went to the British Legion Club and Mum went with him? It was about 2 miles in Old Denaby down the Crags, winter or summer. Mum didn’t have much choice. We only had gas light in the house and would stay up until they were back.

1936:

  1. I was now 14 years old. Finished school and went to the Employment Office. First job offer was down the coalmine which I refused and was told they would send me to a job in London which I accepted.  I was given a railway ticket to Kings Cross, the tube to Tottenham Court Road. Just across the road was a large sign on the building, G.W. Scott & Son.  I saw the manager and started work the following morning.  I caught the tube to Marble Arch, and eventually found Kensington Garden Square, a large house, my room was on the third floor, I soon settled in.  Nice dinner.
  2. The following morning I got a tube to Tottenham Court Road and reported for work. The firm made and filled wicker cases fitted with cups, saucers, teapots and plates etc. for Picnics. My job was to take samples to large stores in London. My first call would be Selfridges at the top of Oxford Street and Harrods, by the Albert Hall, across Hyde Park and other big stores around the West End and Soho.  I found out a system of not paying on the tube, by using emergency stairs. On weekends I used to go to the Zoo at Regents Park or walk to Hyde Park, to the lake and listen to the speaker at Hyde Park Corner, or go right across to see Buckingham Palace or the Albert Hall.  I also went to the Royal Stables, saw coaches, horses etc.  I got home-sick after 6 months, so decided to go back home.
  3. Mum and Dad were pleased to see me. Mum still working with John and Les, Farmers, my old friends pleased to see me.
  4. I went to the Employment Office. They put me in for an interview at Cadeby Pit. I saw the manager who gave me a job in the Engine Room at the Pit Bottom.  My job was to pull the Bite Lever to alter the rail plates, for the lines of tubs coming and going to the coal face, known as the Middle East, 5 miles under Doncaster. I was given a Davis Safety Lamp. It weighed about 9lbs and had to hang on a belt. We drew lamp from lamp house on Pit Tod. Also had to buy a Dudley, held 5 pints of water and a snap tin for sandwiches. The shift was 8 hours, from 6am to 2pm.
  5. There was a large stable near the engine room which held ponies of all sizes, large ones to Shetland ponies. They only saw daylight about once or twice a year. These were used to pull coal trucks, empty and full at the coal face.
  6. I was finally moved up to the coal face, very hot, only wore a pairs of football shorts. I was to drive what was called a main and tail engine, run rider i.e. “adult” when collier filled 15 to 20 tubs, hold half ton of coal. They were linked together. My ropes were put on front and back. At the signal bell, started the engine to bring them to the main tunnel and on to the pit bottom. At the end of the shift had to bring the pony back to the stable at the pit bottom. Through return airway, sometimes we used to ride them back as the airway was very high. If caught, it was a sacking offence.  Three of us rode them back, one shift miner complained. The manager met us at the Lamp House and sacked us.

1939

  1. Next job was at the Yorkshire main pit at Edlington.  I met the deputy at the pit top; we walked up to the coal face about 1 mile? Where two conveyors met. There was about 2 tons of coal dust between the tracks.  They handed me a shovel and said to clear it.  I told him “it was a man’s job”.  I walked off to Pit Tod and got my cards.
  2. I went back to the Employment Office; they offered me a job at Sale & Browns Glass Works, producing medicine bottles, etc. I started on Monday, gave me like a toaster. I had to pick up white hot bottles, 4 to a toaster, also issued with asbestos gloves and put in a cooling bottle.
  3. Meanwhile me and four friends had been down to the Territorial Army and joined under-age. My two brothers had already joined.  What was originally the Kings Own Yorkshire Infantry was changed to the 57th Regiment Light Anti-Aircraft.  We were all accepted and trained, 2 nights a week on 2mm Bofor Guns.
  4. In January 1939, we were informed we would be going to a firing range at “Grange over Sands”, the other side of Morecambe Bay. For a fortnight on May 1st, we were only there a week and were told to go home on standby for full mobilization. War was declared on 3.9.1939. We were mobilised and took over the children’s school (by Doncaster Bus Station), also guards on Lindholme RAF Drome just outside Doncaster.
  5. In the second week of September, six of us, youngest, transferred by bus and train to Solihull to a Cavalry Regiment, namely 6th Warwick’s, who had been changed to the 37th Heavy Anti-Aircraft 3.7 guns, Royal Artillery, covering between Birmingham and Coventry. We were only there for a month, no action, on night on standby for most of the time.
  6. Our six were transferred again to Bolton & Paul Defiant Works near Wolverhampton where they made night fighters. We were given Lewis Guns to cover the factory, useless.
  7. We stayed at Wolverhampton and never fired a shot, no attacks on the factory until the end of the year. Again transferred to the 45th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment with Bofor Guns, 2 pounders.

1940

  1. Our next move was going to the Orkney Islands our Chief Naval Base. Went by train at night, stopping at Perth in Scotland, 2 hours. Then on to Wick, Port Scotland, short sleep (?6hrs?). Were put on a ship St Ninian, set sail 6am, very rough sea, a lot were sea-sick. We landed at Hong Hope Orkney at 10am Naval HQ. Our anti-aircraft guns here were Naval Pom-Poms, very good.
  2. The Sergeant we had in charge was a Regular Army man. He’d spent 25 years in India doing nothing, hadn’t a clue about the Pom Pom. One night the air raid siren went, we rushed to our gun pit. All Naval and Army search-lights came on.  We picked up several German planes. The Sergeant, dead scared, wouldn’t give the order to fire, so we decided to open fire. We had to hold the Sergeant at gun-point to stop him running.  All the Navy Ships were firing in Scapa Flow.  Cease Fire was called after 2-3 hours by stand down.
  3. Next day the Sergeant was removed and reprimanded. No Navy Ship was lost. We were the first anti-aircraft group to open up. Light and heavy and along with all Navy ships guns.

1941

  1. Shipped back to England and stationed at RAF MU Ternhill on Bofor Guns. At night on standby, German Bombers blitzed Liverpool.
  2. After a few months on Anti-Aircraft Defence of Aluminium Works at Dolgarrog in North Wales and back to the Lewis Guns. Carried out the morning on the River Conway Meadow and back in the evening, eventually sent back to Regimental HQ at Newport.
  3. Was then transferred to Saighton Camp, Chester to train 38 year old conscripts. First made me a Records Clerk, first job to type on foolscap paper, all record army numbers and names approx. 100 and had never used a typewriter.
  4. Finally helped training, i.e. marching and rifle drill on square. Eventually passed out and transferred to the 45th Anti-Aircraft Regiment and moved out to Lower Darwen, Nr Blackburn to cover an Ammo Factory.
  5. I was now made up to PT Instructor, Lance Bombardier. I had PT every day, long marches and standby on Gun i.e. Bofos.  I was fed up as a PT Instructor and asked for a change in trying to get 38 year old fit!
  6. I was told by the Officer in Charge that I could be sent overseas, a week later, was told to report to Woolwich Barracks HQ of the Royal Artillery Regiment.
  7. I went by train and was informed that I was being promoted to Sergeant and would be in charge of 50 men going as reinforcements to the Royal Artillery Regiments. I was told to go by train from Kings Cross, stopping at Perth for 2 hours, then on to Greenock.
  8. There we boarded the “Queen Mary”, and the officer in charge informed us we were bound for Egypt. Our job on the voyage was to replace all the canteen’s, sweets, cigarettes, drinks etc. on a nightly basis, also there would be boat drills every day.  The journey would take 28 days stopping in Cape Town, South Africa, to take on water etc.  For 3 days the ship, too big to be docked, stood offshore opposite Table Mountain and Freetown.
  9. Finally off again, round the toe of Africa through the Red Sea to Suez, Egypt. Disembarked on to the troop lorry to Cairo. Then disembarked at Almaza Aerodrome in Heliopolis and were put into large tents.  The temperature was very hot 75-80 Most men were sent up to the Battle in the Libyan Desert against the Germans and Italians.
  10. I was seconded to the Military Police whose HQ was at Cairo Railway Station to patrol Cairo to control men on leave from the War Front i.e. Libyan Desert against causing trouble in the night-clubs, bars, brothels and fighting i.e. too many drinks!
  11. I recall one day when going over a bridge an enemy fighter plane flew in over (Egypt?) and a friend dived to save a young girl and I saw his head blown off.

1942

  1. Eventually I was transferred to a Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment and put on a Bofor Regiment Light Anti-Aircraft on defence of the Suez Canal at Port Said and Alexander, protecting ships going through the canal.
  2. My next posting was to the Great Bitter Lakes which are in the middle of the Suez Canal on an old Navy Ship with Bofor Guns, anchored permanently to the shore.
  3. Just below us was RAF Aerodrome with Wellington Bombers which made daily attacks on German/Italian lines up in the Libyan Desert.
  4. Another move, our Officer in Charge decided to move us to the Middle-East Telephone Exchange in a concrete shelter approximately 2-3 kilometres from the aerodrome. Quiet at first, few weeks then Junker 88 came out of the blue and bombed the aerodrome, hitting a lot of Wellingtons spread around the drome all on fire.
  5. The next move was The Regiment First Light Anti-aircraft Regiment where we were moved to Palestine via Port Said, over the Suez Canal, Saudi Arabia. Very rough terrain, desert, rock and finished up in Palestine by the Sea of Galilee.  Was given a short leave at Tel-a-Vive and also visited Nazareth, The Dead Sea and Bethlehem.
  6. I also recall investigating tunnels in the city of Jerusalem.
  7. We then received orders to embark at the nearest Port of Haifa. At midnight on Destroyers, all our guns lashed to the decks, we set sail at midnight. After a very stormy crossing we arrived in a harbour, met by 2 of our Commandoes about 4am in a canoe. The island was called “Leros” and was held by Italian troops. We pulled into the harbour and set our guns along the quayside. Not one enemy in sight.  Put our Bofor Guns back on wheels and pulled out on the main road back of the harbour. We carried on for a couple of miles, saw lights ahead, set the anti-aircraft gun up.  No sentry. Captured the Italian HQ and Brothel! Without a shot.  Come daylight we embarked into the Harbour with our Bofor Gun.
  8. Next instructions we were invading Kos, the main island of the Dodecanese. Some of our troops were already on against the Italian troops.
  9. We landed at Kos Town, no problems; Italians gave in, not a shot. We moved from Kos to Town/Port of Kardamena, North East of the Island, fighting spasmodic Italians gave in, so we had a nice Harbour for the Navy to use.  We also took over the local airfield.  The RAF brought 2 squadrons of Spitfires in. We put our Bofor Gun into gun pits as anti-aircraft defence in case German planes came over. They were stationed in Rhodes which wasn’t far away.
  10. We started to get Air Raids from German bombers-fighters, so far no losses. Our Spitfire Squadrons came from Malta and did a good job, but the German raids were getting heavier, night and day all over the island.  Italian soldiers getting panic stricken when German soldiers invaded the north of the island.  At daylight saw a black mass coming down the hill, Italians in full retreat, panic stricken. We fired over their heads, they had thrown away all their arms, and the Germans frightened them to death.
  11. We were told by our Commanders to “breech our guns” and retreat to Kardamena where we would be picked up by the Navy. (We buried our tommy guns near what is now Kos airport.) No sign of the Navy so told to hide out in the hills.  We found a deep gully and slept there that night.  At dawn, a look-out with a mobile gun with Germans sat on it, pointing into our gully, so we were now prisoners of war.  We were marched into a large castle at the top of a mountain. Also all the Italian POWs were in a separate half of the castle grounds packed in like sardines.  We were treated well.
  12. After a fortnight, we were lined up and marched into Kos; it took us 2 to 3 hours. We were put into an old Castle by the Harbour.  We were finally marched on to an old merchant ship. Packed into holds, the cover shut and set sail in darkness all the way.
  13. We finally arrived at (Piaress?Poros?) on the toe of the Greek Peninsula. We were long marched through Athens and put in an old bombed out stables, guarded by Austrian soldiers, in two weeks, then marched to Athens Railway Station, put into closed trucks, 60 to each one.  1 bin for toilet purposes and a guard sat on the roof of each one, no seats.
  14. Our first stop was Belgrade in Yugoslavia Main Station. Several men suffered from dysentery.

1942-3

  1. We eventually arrived in Munich in Austria. We were lined up and marched to a huge Registration Camp holding Russian, Yugoslav, English, all nationalities and Jews.  Food was very basic.  Soup like water, coffee the same, 3 potatoes’ the size of a bird eggs.  We slept on bunks on shelves, 50-60 to one hut. Washing facilities again basic.
  2. Our next move, after 3-4 weeks, was going to take us to Stalag 8C which was situated in Sudeten Land which originally part of Czechoslovakia. We stopped in Bavaria for a week, contained in three huts with shelves as in Munich for sleeping, not very comfortable and outside what appeared to be 3 large pits with lime in it; apparently Jews had been thrown in. According to one of the German Guards only there for two days on the final lap.  Finally arrived at Stalag 8C, all of the area was covered by Prisoner of War Camps, French, Dutch, Russian, Belgian, Jews, and Yugoslavs. Lots of women camps, nationalities as above.  Huts hold 30-36 in each, toilets, wash-houses etc. all surrounded by barbed wire. Sentry box, searchlights, trip wires.  Woke up at 4pm by Guards to go on Square to be counted, usually took them 2 hours to count. Then given a little cup of coffee usually watered down and cold.
  3. The factory was called Herman Goering’s Benzene Fabrike which was producing petrol from coal. This part was covered with coal mines, all with slave labour, men-women, children, all nationalities. Air raids started, American planes during the day, usually flying 60,000ft, and bombs everywhere bar in the factory, which covered an area of 8 miles. Usually the bombs were dropped in little villages in the countryside or POW camps?
  4. The RAF came during the night, dropped flakes each corner of the factory and bombs in the middle. Causing severe damage to buildings, railway tracks, shelters etc.  These raids carried on right to the end of the war.  There were 3 very tall chimneys in the factory which were usually put out of action, soon as they started smoking.  The American Bombers came daytime followed by Lancaster Bombers at night.

1944

  1. By this time the German guards and civilians were getting very demoralised and the barbed wire around the camp was leaving gaps, so I and a friend who could speak French decided to make a breakout and try to get to Prague, capital of Checkoslovakia about 65 kilometres away.
  2. So broke out and made good progress for 2 days. We were going through a small village early in the morning, stopped a village Postman to ask directions, unfortunately he was German and reported us to a Policeman just coming down the road and the Policeman said he would have to take us to the Police station.  We were looked after very well.  The Officer said it was unfortunate that we had bumped into the only German in the Village!  They gave us a meal and were told that they were sending a Guard from our PoW camp to take us back.
  3. The next day we were marched through the village by two Guards from our camp to the local Railway Station to Brux? A small town, 2 miles from our Stalag. Finally we got to the Prison Camp, put before the Camp Commandant, ranted and raved for 15 minutes, given 21 days in a Prison, an old stable, cobbled floor, blanket.  During daylight, shovelling ash from the factory chimney fires into the large rail-trucks.  The meals mainly bread and water. Hard work. At night, slept on the cobbled floor with the one blanket.  Finished the 21 days and released back into the Prison Camp and back to work in the factory.
  4. Now very badly damaged, due to the constant bombing day and night. They were bringing in slave labour to clear the factory. All rail lines were twisted and they brought Jewish women from the nearby Concentration Camp with brutal SS Guards with 4 inch rubber truncheons, would have women trying to lift damaged lines out, as well as Russian PoWs’ men and women, only walking skeletons.  The Russian army already very near, overrun Poland and parts of Germany. The following day, gunfire over the mountains by Polish borders, German soldiers now on the run and civilians and SS soldiers taking gangs of Jewish men and women trying to get back into Germany. They could hardly walk, and if they fell by the roadside they were left.

1944-45

  1. Our guards were getting very jumpy, as the Russian Army now very close. Some already deserted.  The road outside the camp already full of German civilians-soldiers on the run.  All our German guards now on the run. Russian troops came in the Camp, very friendly.
  2. One German Officer, “Feltwabel” left in the Camp and he was drunk, waved his revolver at the Russians who promptly shot him in the stomach and he died.
  3. We were now told the American troops had landed in Czeckoslovakia and were coming to get us out and arrived 2 days later. They put us into lorries to the aerodrome where the next day we were put in Dakota Planes and were landed at an airdrome in Belgium.
  4. The next day we were put into Lancaster Bombers and landed at an RAF Drome in England. We were then given 2 weeks leave.
  5. I went by train to Leeds, where my Mum and Dad now lived. Due to war work, all the family were there.  Jack who had also been a PoW and Bernard and Jessie, her husband Sydney, also Maud, Bernard’s wife.
  6. Leave over; I had to report to Strensall Barracks in York and given a job to take men arriving from abroad who’d caught venereal diseases to Catterick to be cured.

1946

  1. I finished in the Army on 30th August 1946.
  2. Officially prior to the above, whilst still on Army leave and staying at my brother Bernard and Maud’s house, I went to the “Lord Conyers Pub”, walked into the “snug”, two girls sat there and introduced as Margaret Rogers and Jean Hope from Oxfordshire, my friend came in named Bob Tanner? And got talking, I invited them to the Picture House in Doncaster. I sat next to Jean, we got on very well and I arranged to visit her home in Oxfordshire.
  3. I went down and got on well with her Mum and Step-dad, fell in love and we got married on 24th August 1946.
  4. We lived with her Mum and Dad until 1948. Many new houses were being built in the village and we were given one, mostly for Ex-service men at 22 Park Avenue, Kidlington, Oxon.

1946-47

  1. My first job was through Jean’s Step-Dad.  He was a Paint-Paper Decorator for a firm called Wooldridge and Simpson, they specialised in College works and large houses.  I got on very well, but the wages not good, but I did learn a lot about decorating.

1947/1950

  1. I finally changed my job to “Osberton Radiators” who made exhausts, radiators, hub-caps, paint.  I got a job in the Polishing Shop which involved radiator cases, slats, hub caps, done in nickel and chrome.  Hard, dirty work, but well paid on piece-rates.
  2. Jean’s Grandad (William “Bill” Cosby) also worked there; Michael was born 19 May 1947. Judith was born 19 February 1950
  3. I changed my job and got a job at the Pressed Steel Works in Cowley who made car bodies and also paint shop etc. for Morris cards, MG’s and Wolsey etc. I started in the Press Shop on “Inspection” looking for defects etc. in A Building.  I got on very well. After 12 months was transferred to S Building Press Shop on night shift with night/shift allowance, more money and recommended by the Inspection Manager to be promoted to Foreman, Quality Supervision.
  4. This now included covering Morris Marina, Wolsey, Rolls Royce, body in white and Paint Shop and Press Shops in R&S Buildings.

1960-1975

  1. I joined the Oxfordshire Fire Service as a Retained Fireman from 10th May to 11th July 1975 a total of 15 years.  All types of fires, farm, hay-stacks, thatched cottages, chimney fires, cars, house.  Also a troop carrier plane with 42 Para troops on board.  It crashed just after take-off from Abingdon, plus pilot and crew. We spent 3 days recovering, bodies or what was left of them.  There was also a large fire in our own works in S Building; in effect we covered fires all over the county with permission from the Rover Co.

Addition information from cousin Keith:

Read the attached of my Uncle George, I remember him when he carried me on his shoulders along “first woods” at Conanby when we lived at 14 Fullerton Avenue (top of crags).

He, me and Tony walked to the Viners ponds where he and Tony threw my dog Nell into the big pond – this made me frightened for Nell; I was only little 3/5yrs old?

We then walked home to Fullerton Ave.

I always remember him as a strong, tall, good looking guy wearing classy pure white shirt and a pair ‘trousers’.

I remember visiting Kidderminster and staying at Uncle Georges and on Sunday he and Dad took me to the local pub.

I believe the next time was at Mum & Dads Golden Wedding Anniversary in a pub we (Linda & I) had in Little Houghton.

Next either Mum, Dad or both funeral. I remember he said, with immense pride and thanks of when they had him lodge with them at 11 Athelstan Road, Conisbrough, I am not aware of the circumstance.

 Suplied by Judith Sweetland