Memories of Wartime

Father ran out to sea in 1939 but was hauled back from Barry in disgrace. They started running out of men in 1944, so began calling up. He was falsely diagnosed with diabetes so was never called up.

The contributor's grandparents (maternal) were farmers in Super Ely and hated it. They then began chauffeuring for Jewish store owners.

In St Athans, there was a big airbase full of American airmen, who used to host dances.

The contributor's mother was engaged to an American, who gifted her his University fraternity pin. This happened whilst she was courting the contributor's father, whom she met at a bus stop in St Fagans. They married in 1945.

In 1941 there was an attempted railway bombing. An engineering officer told the grandparents that there were exploded bombs on their land, which had to be detonated safely. This resulted in a shockwave that collapsed 8 of the house's ceilings, for which they received no compensation.

There was an escapee at the P.O.W. camp in Bridgend. The Home Guard were sent to look for the escaped German soldier, who was found by a local policeman. Grandfather tried speaking to the officer in German, to which he replied in perfect English, giving his name, rank and number.

In 1941 the contributor's grandfather found a human hand in the gutter from a bombing.