Surname
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Gallant
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Forename
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Bill
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Date of recording
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Dec 2008, Jan 2009
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Year of birth
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1922
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Place of Birth
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Occupation
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Farm manager
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Fathers occupation
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Stone Mason
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Present Address
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Aldeburgh
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Location Interview
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Aldeburgh
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Interviewer
Summary |
Richard Marson
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Duration
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94 Mins
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This recording consists of an introduction and 10 tracks; 5 from the first interview and 5 from the second.
Introduction/Forward. (1 mins 24) Bill was born in 1922 and the interview by Richard Marson was carried out at his home, The Firs, Leiston Road, Aldeburgh on 5th January, 2010. Bill left school at 14 and worked for Colonel Basham at his riding stable. Later he worked for Mr.Somerville as a milkman with a horse and cart, and then as a farmworker and eventually as Manager of the farm at Aldringham. Track 1 [10 mins] Interview by Richard Marson and Michael MacDowell. Bill talks about being in the Home Guard during the war and training in the evenings. He thought that the Home Guard was formed after Dunkirk. Remembers helping with the laying of concrete blocks on the beach. Also remembers the spikes and scaffolding being put on the beach together with 3 rolls of barbed wire, although there was a small opening left for the fishermen. Describes the minefield on the beach between Aldeburgh and Thorpeness and remembers hearing the explosion when the minefield was set off. Describes how he worked at Church Farm in Aldeburgh and then at Chapel Barn. Describes how the large gun on the seafront came at about the same time as the sea defences were put up. Describes how the Home Guard had rifle drill, marching and small arms training. Describes the training on the big gun. Mentions that a target would be towed down the coast from Lowestoft and they would practice shooting at it with dummy ammunition. Mentions that they practised this perhaps once every two months. Describes one time when they were called out during the night and fired with real ammunition, a 27lb cordite. Describes how the next morning the explosion from the gun had sucked up the tarmac in front of the gun. Mentions that gun had a range of about 12 miles and that they had to see the target to fire it. Track 2 [10 mins] Continues to describe the gun and mentions that some of the young chaps training would be called up from time to time. Mentions his rank was bombardier and he manned the gun until 1944. Mentions that he did not get paid or fed for being in the Home Guard, but mentions one time when he and a friend paid 2/- to finish up someone's meal at the Brudenell. Briefly mentions rationing and also mentions that the farmers were allowed to ask for extra rations during harvest time as the men worked such long hours. Describes his duties whilst manning the gun. Describes the other gun, No.2, near the Brudenell, and also mentions the rockets. Describes a lookout on top of the mill. [he now shows the interviewers photos]. Track 3 [10 mins] Mentions Bob Gilbert. [shows more photos] Mentions that not all the Home Guard were manning the gun. Mentions a gun near what is now the caravan site. Also mentions anti-aircraft rockets and when they were fired it was like a shotgun going off. Describes having lots of training on them but never actually fired one. Mentions a time when he fired on an aircraft coming over with his Bren-gun. Mentions that at the end of the war the Home Guard was disbanded and they all had to send their uniforms back. Track 4 [4mins. 33 secs] Mentions practising with the guns over the marshes. Remembers when a German place was shot down just off shore and the lifeboat went out and rescued the pilots. Describes the social life during the war and mentions dances at the Jubilee Hall. Mentions that the Americans arrived about 1943 and had a fighter base at Leiston where they flew P47's and later Mustangs. Track 5 [10 mins] Describes seeing lots of planes flying over Thorpeness on their way to Arnhem. Describes how he worked for the Somervilles at Church Farm for 47 years in various capacities. Mentions he was married in 1945 and worked at Hill Farm, Knodishall. Describes how he used to plough the land with Suffolk Punch Horses. Mentions taking the horses to Ipswich, the football ground, and winning prizes. Second Interview Track 6 (10 mins) Describes delivering the milk with his horse and cart, washing out the bottles and working at Church Farm. Mr. Somerville had his own dairy cows but also bought milk in from the United Dairies at Halesworth. Remembers the bottles having cardboard caps which you would press in. Mentions there was another dairy in the High Street, Hill Farm Dairies, and this was where Keanes the solicitors is now. Describes how he worked the milk round for three winters. Mentions that two girls also did the milk rounds in the High Street. Mentions that milk was rationed to ½ pint per person per day. Describes how all the farm land had to be used to grow food and mentions that Mr. Somverville took over Hill Farm at Knodishall. Describes how the marshes were flooded as a defence system, also they dug slip trenches and there were posts with cables tied across to stop low flying planes. Mentions that he worked 48 hours per week in the winter and 54 in the summer and got 48/-. Describes getting married in 1945 and moving to Knodishall and then then to Brick Kiln Farm at Leiston. Describes ploughing with horses although it did also use a tractor sometimes. Mentions he had 30 cattle and a pair of horses. Mentions that his wife came from Lee Road in Aldeburgh, the house that was bombed, but she was in Honiton in Devon at the time. Track 7 (10 mins) Mentions that his wife's grandparents were in charge of the laundry at Aldeburgh Lodge. Mentions that during the war there were about 14/15 fishing boats in Aldeburgh and it was relatively easy to buy fish. Describes the dances at the Jubilee Hall every Saturday night and mentions a band by the name of Jimmy Walsh. Mentions that the daughter who played in the band and lost her leg in the Post Office explosion. Also mentions going to the Pictures (cinema) every Sunday. Mentions the cinema at Leiston and also briefly mentions the Leiston works where they made guns etc. Remembers there being another ammunition works where Pegs is now, owned by the Strowgers. Describes the pubs in Aldeburgh, one in Victoria Road, The Albert, The Cross and the Mill at the bottom of Church Hill, the Cross Keys, the Victoria, the White Hart and the Black Horse. Describes how he did not get 'called up' as farming was a reserved occupation, but he did want to fly and went to Ipswich to try and sign on but as he had left school at 14 and was not very good at maths he was sent back to the farm. Mentions that he travelled mostly by bike and occasionally by train. Track 8 (10 mins) Describes having a ration book and mentions that when the farm workers worked later they did get extra rations. Mentions his sister who worked at Leiston giving out the ration books. Remembers getting his 'utility suit' at the end of the war and mentions buying ex army clothes from stores. Remembers buying a pair of boots for 52/- and repairing them himself when they wore out. Describes how his father used to repair his own boots and he learnt how to do it from him. Mentions that his father was a stone mason but later worked on the farm. Mentions a farmer Mr Pole. Describes how he used to plough with his horses and later with a tractor. Mentions the very cold winter of 1947 when the snow was still in the ditches in April and how the tractor went first and he followed on with his horses. Remembers he had to work late into the nights to catch up. Mentions that he took his horses to Peggs to have them shod. Track 9 (10 mins) Continues to talk about the horses and mentions a makeshift forge on the corner by the hospital and the blacksmith would come over from Blaxhall on a Monday to shoe the horses. Remembers the blacksmith used to shoe about 5 horses in the morning finishing about 1.00 and having a bottle of Jack Brown beer. Talks about the Somervilles and their relatives. Mentions Mrs. Prevett and Mrs Lindors. Talks about his bungalow where he is now living and mentions that the Somervilles and Prevetts told him he could live in it as long as he wanted. Describes the bombs falling in Aldeburgh during the war and remembers cycling around and looking at the damage. Describes how the planes used to come in over the sea and drop their bombs on Aldeburgh and the marshes. Remembers that one bomb fell in Victoria Road and all the windows in the Church blew out. Describes the blackout. Remembers that the Home Guard had to vaccinated against Typhoid and Tetanus and the injections were given by Dr. Nora who used the same needle on most of them. Mentions rifle shooting practice. Track 10 (8mins 30) Describes how he wanted to join the air force but had to continue working on the land. Mentions a young boy from the farm who did join the air force and trained in Canada and was air crew on a Halifax. Describes VE day and mentions he was harvesting and the farmer drew up in his lorry and offered him a lift home. Describes how the farmer and some other farm workers stopped off at various public houses on the way and Bill got rather drunk. Remembers his girlfriend was not too pleased and gave him his ring back. Mentions dancing in the High Street. Mentions that the following day he returned the ring to his girlfriend and they eventually got married. Remembers another celebration on the Saturday evening at the Jubilee Hall. Briefly mentions street parties on VJ day. |