Surname
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Smith
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Forename
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Maurice
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Date of recording
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June 2009
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Year of birth
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1930
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Place of Birth
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Aldeburgh
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Occupation
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Retired
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Fathers occupation
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Labourer
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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 |
Colin Fletcher
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Duration
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110 Mins
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No of tracks: 13
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This recording consists of 13 tracks.
Track 1 [18secs] Introduction. Colin Fletcher interviewing Maurice (Morry) Smith on 23rd June, 2009. Track 2 [10mins] Morry was born on 'poppy day' 11.11.1930 at the Cottage Hospital which was in the High Street, but later bombed during the war in 1942. He lived at 8 King Street and was there when war was declared. Describes the house in King Street as having four rooms, two downstairs and two bedrooms upstairs. Mentions there was no electricity, it was all gas, and there was only one cold water tap. Lighting downstairs was by gaslight and upstairs by candles. Mentions there was a toilet in the back yard. Mentions his grandfather who was manager of Aldeburgh Gas Works and that Morry had the nickname "gassy Smith". His great grandfather lived at 77 King Street and collected money from gas meters for the gas company. Describes how his mother would lay her washing out on the beach to dry. Mentions the Esplanade Hotel, owned by Mr. Tibbenham. Describes his grandparents living above the gas shop in the High Street. Mentions he had two brothers, Peter and Derek, Peter has now died and Derek lives in Kent. Describes his father who was a sailor in WW1 and worked for Reades as a labourer and then ran the builders' yard along Leiston Road where Mariners Way is now. Mentions another builder in Aldeburgh by the name of Knowles. Remembers being evacuated to Worksop during the war during which time his family moved to 19 Leiston Road. Mentions two big cans buried at the builders' yard full of fuel gas which could explode and send burning builders' material across the road. Track 3 [10 mins] Remembers the doctors that were in Aldeburgh during the war and describes one occasion when he ran into a milk float, (a three wheeled barrow) and cut his knee and Dr. Dequincy picked him up and carried him home. Mentions that the milkman's name was Eddie Driver. Remembers that in those days doctors made home visits. Describes the High Street in the 1930's, 2 or 3 fruit and vegetable shops, Timothy Whites & Taylor's the chemist, three baker shops - Smiths, Leach and Eades, Pat Barley who ran the butchers, Farthings sweet shop where Morry would take his ration book and buy sweets. Describes a toy shop run by Lucy Pilgrim opposite the cinema. Describes going to Baptist chapel as a child along with lots of other children, although he could not remember his parents going. Remembers parties once a year. Describes visiting his aunt in Thorpeness, who lived in Mere Cottage, and going on the train from Aldeburgh. Describes how he loved watching the trains. Describes joining the navy and coming home on leave on the train to Aldeburgh. Mentions that before he joined the navy he worked at Leiston Aerodrome in the office when he left school at 14. Leiston Aerodrome was home to a fighter squadron, (American) flying P47 Mustangs. Describes going to work on his bike, showing his pass at the gate and entering the base. Describes a number of crashes he witnessed, the first when a plane was coming back and there was an awful screaming noise from the engine and the plane crash landed on Snowden's farm. Describes how he got on his bike and rushed to the crash site and the plane was upside down with the pilot still strapped in his seat. Luckily he was unhurt. Describes another incident when the plane was returning, after its' last mission was flying a victory roll when it flew into a telegraph pole and crashed on Hill Farm, unfortunately the pilot died. Mentions that there were a few flying 'aces' at the base and believed that they had to shoot down about 15 enemy planes before becoming an 'ace'. Describes going to Aldeburgh school and being evacuated to Worksop during the war when the whole school then closed down. Describes going on the train to Worksop and putting his head out of the window to see where they were going and lost his hat. Mentions that his mother was not too pleased. Track 4 [10 mins] Mentions that his mother was evacuated with them. Describes how when they arrived at Worksop they found their billets in Sherwood Street, Mum and Morry were in one house with the mother and father and Peter was next door with the son and daughter-in-law. Describes the road where they lived being full of coal miners and mentions the main colliery being at the bottom of the road. Remembers that the first thing the family did everyday was to make bread and Morry had to go to the corner shop and buy and yeast. Describes the coal deliveries and how the coal was delivered and just dumped onto the pavement. Describes going to Sherwood Street School, the girls being upstairs and the boys downstairs. Describes how the local children and evacuated children got on very well, although there may have been one or two scraps. Describes how they were only there about six months as the danger of invasion at Aldeburgh had passed. Mentions that his older brother, Derek, stayed on for two years. Describes the air-raid shelters at Aldeburgh School in the playground. Mentions there were four shelters each taking 20 people. Mentions it was not a very happy time as you could hear the bombs dropping and the machine gunning. Remembers coming out of the shelter and seeing the coal lorry with lots of machine gun holes in it. Describes another time when his brother Peter was at the WRVS in the High Street and some bombs were dropped. Mentions that his father was in the rescue party. Describes how one family survived a bomb by sitting under the table shelter and their house was demolished around them. Describes how the next day he walked along the High Street and saw lots of piles of rubble and mentions that the bombs hit the post office, Reades, the hospital, Hill Farm Dairy and one also dropped into the back garden of Eton House. Track 5 [10 mins] Describes how one day he was watching some soldiers practising shooting with Bren guns and he was shown how to shoot and managed to get a bulls eye. Describes another time shortly after the family had moved to Leiston Road, his mother took a laundry basket back to King Street to collect a few items and on the way back, via Westfields by the tennis courts, had to take cover as a German plane was machine gunning. Mentions that he has been back to the same place and the bullet holes are still in the fence today. Mentions there were two 6" naval guns on the sea front and these were manned for a short time by the navy. Describes how the beach was covered in barbed wire and concrete blocks with iron spikes in the sea. Also mentions that the beach between Aldeburgh and Thorpeness was mined. Describes how one day after the war he was in the cinema and heard a huge explosion and some bits and pieces fell out of the ceiling together with a lot of dust. Describes how the mines along the front had all been blown up, but no-one seems to know who set them off. Mentions that the only gap along the beach was to enable the fishermen and the lifeboat to get out, and that he did sometimes go paddling and swimming in that part. Mentions that a lot of the fishermen joined the navy during the war. Describes how everything was rationed, including sweets, and there was not much available. Describes having to take his gas mask everywhere with him, this being in a wooden box with a string handle. Mentions that once a week at school the children had to put their masks on and get them checked out. Describes the doodlebugs that came over Aldeburgh and mentions that A. A. gunners were sent here to shoot them down. Mentions that there were four guns at the bottom of Gorse Hill, near Golf Lane, and another set on top of Gorse Hill. Also mentions that the huts for the soldiers were also on a field by Golf Lane. Describes how there were search lights by the Brudenell and along Thorpe Road to enable the gunners to hit their targets. Describes the explosions as they hit. Track 6 [2.59] Describes watching this from his bedroom window and trying to keep a record but his father came and told him to 'get down to the shelter'. Describes the first doodlebug he saw was during the day and came up the High Street and crashed into the sea off Southwold. Describes the naval guns in Aldeburgh and mentions there was also a control tower but he was not sure where, possibly by the Brudenell. Remembers Arnhem Day, 17th September, 1944 and describes the sky full of planes. Track 7 [10 mins] Continues to describe Arnhem Day and mentions that the sky was totally full of planes and gliders. Remembers that he read somewhere there were 1600 planes that day. Describes how the planes came from all over England and there was a radio beacon at Slaughden to which they were all heading to group up before going across the channel. Describes how this went on for about 3 days and even missing school as there was so much to see. Describes how one glider crashed into the sea and the 3 crew and 1 pilot managed to get out, the pilot in a small dinghy and the crew stood on the wings of the glider. Describes how the lifeboat was launched to save them but another plane, a Walrus, flopped into the sea nearby and motored up to the glider and the crew stepped aboard. Describes how the Walrus tried to take off again but the sea was too rough and eventually the plane motored to the shore by the Martello Tower where it stayed overnight until some people came from Felixstowe and towed him off. Remembers the crew went to the WRVS who looked after them until the next day. Remembers the war ending, VE Day and VJ Day and mentions parties by Station Corner where the laundry is now. Describes how the soldiers who were billeted in Aldeburgh slowly drifted away. Mentions that during the war all the private schools in Aldeburgh were closed and these were used to house the soldiers. Remembers Golf wood full of tanks. Mentions various concrete roads that are still around, one in Golf Lane. These were used by the tanks because it was level ground and the barrel could be lined up with the gun sight. Mentions Churchill coming to Aldeburgh to inspect the defences. Mentions that there were many pill boxes around, even in the High Street by the East Suffolk Hotel. Describes the explosion at Oakley Square, where beach and river mines were stored. Mentions there were 3 sailors and 1 Chief Petty Officer working on the mines when there was an explosion and all were killed. Remembers that the Chief Petty Officer was called MacGregor and his wife later came to Aldeburgh and mentioned that she did not know what to do with his clothes. Describes how he suggested she bring them to the lifeboat station and when anyone was rescued they could be put into dry clothes. Mentions that Mrs. MacGregor later left some money to the lifeboat and there is a plaque in the boat house. Track 8 [10 mins] Describes how the youngsters used to pick up bits of shrapnel. These were the remains of the doodlebugs that had been shot down over Aldeburgh. Remembers going to the Rectory for lessons and also with Sir Basil Eddison at the top of Church Hill. Mentions Mrs Percy Smith, a great lady who should be a saint. Describes how they had these lessons as the school was shut but towards the end of the war it did re-open. Remembers dances at the Jubilee Hall where the soldiers would meet local girls and some eventually got married and stayed. Describes leaving Leiston Aerodrome and getting a job as a milkman for Hill Farm Dairy. In September 1946, when he was 15 he joined HMS Ganges at Shotley. Describes how he was there for twelve months training, doing rifle shooting, sailing etc. Mentions sailing 32' cutters. Describes two occasions where he ran into trouble whilst sailing, one at Parkstone Quay where he had a near miss with a large boat and another when he was sailing on the Shotley side and his tiller broke. Describes that life at HMS Ganges was hard, but not cruel, and that sometimes youngsters 'did a runner' but they were always brought back. Mentions that 2,000 boys were trained at one time, although he did think the training was a bit out of date. Mentions that the boys did carry on their schooling while training. Describes how he was eventually posted to Portsmouth on HMS Sheffield, a cruiser, and went to the West Indies. Describes how you start off as a boy seaman and then after a year became an ordinary seaman. Describes his duties as mainly gunnery but plenty of painting and other manual duties. Mentions that he served mainly on the old wartime ships. Describes being in a hurricane in Bermuda. Track 9 [10 mins] Describes another incident when HMS Sheffield had to rush off to British Honduras (now Belize) with troops onboard as Guatemala was threatening to invade. Remembers arriving there and remembers seeing a small Guatemalan gun boat which fled at the sight of the large destroyer. Remembers landing the troops and staying there for a few weeks. Mentions that the boy seaman still did their schooling whilst in Belize. Mentions that he was in the navy for a total of 9 years, 2 as a boy seaman and 7 as an ordinary seaman, and when he left he was also in the Reserves for a short time. Describes how whilst in the navy he joined the electrical and trained at HMS Collingwood in Hampshire. Describes how he met his wife, Jean, at her brother's wedding (he was on the same boat as Morry) and they were married in 1957. Describes the discipline in the forces. Describes living in rooms over the Cross public house in Market Square when he was first married and how they had to leave after about three months because the place was full of bugs and had to be fumigated. Describes moving to a council house in Franklin Road, and having four daughters and now has four grandsons. Describes how he carried on the electrical work after he left the navy and then went into building work. Remembers building the hard standings for the jet fighters at Woodbridge. Describes joining the Lifeboat crew in 1955 and remembers as a boy helping to turn the capstan to bring the lifeboat ashore. Mentions Syd Strowger who was in the film Moby Dick. Track 10 [10 mins] Describes working on the lifeboat and mentions that most of the crew were fishermen, including the coxswain, Johnny Burrell. Mentions that his navy training helped with the lifeboat training. Mentions that he still goes down to the lifeboat station now and regularly cleans the brass and helps out with the visitors on Saturdays and Sundays. Describes when he joined the lifeboat crew there were two boats, the Lucy Lavers and the Abdy Beauclerk. Describes how the Lucy Lavers was not used much and on one inspection they had to use the Lucy Lavers and show how they could all sail her properly. Mentions that the Lucy Lavers eventually went off to Jersey as a training ship and is now looked after by the Dunkirk Little Ships Association as both the Lucy Lavers and the Abdy Beauclerk went to Dunkirk to rescue our troops. Mentions that the crew did not go and that the navy sailed them across from Dover. Describes a couple of launches, one to a coaster 36 miles off and he was wearing his oilskins but had forgotten his sou'wester and on the way back got very very wet and suffered slightly from hypothermia. Mentions that all coxswains have to have a good local knowledge of the sea. Mentions another launch when the coxswain was Reuben Woods, and how, after eventually finding the stricken yacht and found out that they had repaired their leak and did not really need the lifeboat. Describes how he was never really afraid but sometimes concerned and one time got swept across the deck and was hanging on for dear life. There were no lifelines on the lifejackets then Describes another rescue of a coaster called Petunia. Track 11 [10 mins] Continues describing and rescue of the Petunia which did sink and the lifeboat searched for any survivors. Describes how they found the first mate, luckily he had a light that came on as he hit the water. Describes how they took him back to Lowestoft and he was then taken to hospital. Describes how the lifeboat then returned to sea to continue the search. Describes how, with help from the Helicopter from Bentwaters, they found the skipper just under the water, held up by his lifejacket, but unfortunately he was dead. Describes how they retrieved the body and brought it back to Aldeburgh. Mentions that that night in November the wind was blowing S.E. Force 9. Describes another rescue when the local fishing boats were caught unawares by bad weather and they all made it home safely except Yummy (David Keen). Describes how the lifeboat found the fishing boat and the fishermen did not have any lifejackets so the lifeboat crew gave them some to wear. Describes how they escorted the fishing boat back to Aldeburgh, passing through the first shoal o.k. but passing through the second shoal the fishing boat turned over and sank. Describes how the lifeboat managed to pick up two fishermen, Sid and Mick Wilson but the tide had taken Yummy back out to sea. Describes how they eventually picked Yummy up but he was in a very bad way and got him back to shore and then on to hospital. Mentions that the hospital later said that he probably only had two minutes of life left in him before the rescue. Mentions that the coxswain was Reuben Woods. Mentions two more rescues, one of a yacht that caught fire and another about a yacht who had attached itself to the light vessel before being rescued. Describes how the uniform has changed and it is much better now. When he was on the crew you only had oilskins, three quarter length boots, a sou'wester and a kapok lifejacket. Describes how the townspeople used to rush to the beach when the maroons went up and people who helped turn the capstan to bring the lifeboat back on shore were given brass tokens, (he thinks they were valued at about 2/6). Describes how the lifeboat returned to the beach slightly further along as it was not able to go back up the slipway. Mentions the concrete block still on the beach where the boat would be hauled up before eventually being put back in the boat shed. Mentions the lifeboat buoy and describes how this was used. Describes an incident when the Abdy Beauclerk was being hauled up and the chain broke, sending the boat back into the sea and throwing most of the crew off. Describes how only one crew member remained on board, John Sharman, and describes how he tried to get the boat back but could not manage it. Describes how the Lucy Lavers was launched and the crew managed to get on board the Abdy and bring her back. Mentions there was a model yacht pond at Slaughden. Track 12 [10 mins] Describes how the crew of the lifeboat has changed and mentions that there are now women on the crew. Mentions that you must not whistle on the lifeboat as it is said you 'whistle up the wind'. Describes how Aldeburgh has changed over the years, there is more building work, more cars, we have lost two garages so we cannot buy petrol. Mentions that Aldeburgh had 'lost everything we need and gained everything we do not need'. Describes three floods in Aldeburgh that he remembers, 1938, 1948 and 1953. Describes the 1938 flood was mainly from the sea and the 1948 and 1953 floods were from the river. Describes the 1938 flood and mentions Syd Strowger rowing his dinghy along the back streets. Describes the 1953 flood and mentions that he helped carry the girls out of the Jubilee Hall and then helped people along Crag Path. Mentions that the river wall collapsed and the water came up as far as the allotments, nearly to the fire station, and also the sea had flooded along the Thorpeness Road and that had come through the caravan park. Mentions that there was a dead cow in his father's garden. Describes how the railway embankment had stopped the flow of water from the caravan park. Mentions that if this had not been stopped the water from the caravan park would have met up with the water from allotments and Aldeburgh would have become an island. Mentions that this could still happen. Describes how his grandfather worked on a fishing smack out of Slaughden and used to sail up to the Arctic Circle and bring the fish back, the boat having a large well full of water inside so the fish could be kept alive. Describes one occasion when the mast of the smack broke and the boat was about to capsize but his grandfather took an axe and chopped the mast down, thus saving the boat. Mentions that the boat was then towed to Belgium by a Belgian trawler. Track 13 [6.42] Remembers playing on the river wall and mentions the Iona. Describes an occasion during the latter days of the war when he was playing up by the golf course and Halifax was returning from a mission. Describes how the plane was flying low between the golf course and Gorse Hill with its tail down and nose up. Describes the noise from the engines and that it was losing height. Describes how the crew sent up two red flares before the plane turned to the right and hit a tree, crashing into a field at Knodishall and exploded. Remembers running across the fields to the scene of the crash and remembers three smoking bodies being carried past. Describes that the rest of the crew were badly injured and he was not sure whether they had survived or not. Describes another occasion when he was at his Granny’s house in Thorpeness and he saw three Messerschmitts coming between Thorpeness and Aldeburgh and then they quickly turned around and flew the other way being chased by our Spitfires. Describes how one plane was hit and one crew member baled out and landed at the back of Aldeburgh. Describes how the plane then crashed into the sea and the pilot was rescued by the lifeboat. Describes how he thinks Aldeburgh has changed and hopes that all the new families moving in will get closer together and rejuvenate the town. Mentions that his first wage packet was £1.00, but he only took home 19s 8d., 4d paying for his stamp. |