Surname
|
Ashford
|
Forename
|
Ronald
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Date of recording
|
2008
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Year of birth
|
1922
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Place of Birth
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Slaughden
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Occupation
|
Retired
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Fathers occupation
|
Boat builder
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Present Address
|
Aldeburgh
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Location Interview
|
Aldeburgh
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Interviewer
Summary |
Heather Mabey
|
Duration
|
58 Mins
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No of tracks: 6
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This recording consists of 6 tracks.
Track 1 [9 mins] 18.7.08 Born Slaughden 1922, the last house at the north end called The Hazard. Originally Clarke's Farmhouse. Described how the sea took away about 30 acres of the farm and there was nothing left except the farmhouse. Described how he left Slaughden when he was four years old. Described severe storm in 1926 when everything was washed out. Described how this had happened four times previously. (He has a photo showing the shingle up to the first floor). Described how the family then moved to Aldeburgh. Described how he was carried out on the shoulders of George Ward, who worked on the quay, also described how his sister, Phyllis, was also carried out. Described how they went to live at 5 Hartington Road, a house owned by his mother's step-sister. He gives a brief description of his family, his mother was born in the last house at the south end of Slaughden, Shepherds House. It is now 20-30 metres out under the sea. The Hazard probably 10 meters out. Described how nothing is left of Slaughden apart from the Martello Tower. Describes a photo of a painting dated 1865 that he has, showing the first lifeboat on the east coast. Describes the original painting and that it belonged to Mrs. Smythe who owned the builders yard at Slaughden and who also had a business at Leiston. Describes how Mrs Smythe brought the painting into his shop as the frame was damaged. Describes how surprised he was that the painting was of Slaughden. The painting was then owned by Joan Smythe (the daughter). Described how he managed to get a photograph of the painting. Described how he went to Aldeburgh Primary School and left at 14, description of classes approx 30 in class. Described how he then went to stay with an uncle in London and went to work as an apprentice for a clock and watchmaker in Princes Street, Charles Frogham's. The company made watches and clocks for royalty. Description of war 1939 when he was 17 and the company moved to Bushey near Watford because of heavy bombing in London. Track 2 [10 mins] Description of workshop being taken over by the government to make instruments for war. These included time pieces and the 'Predictor' which was an early form of range finder for setting guns to fire on aircraft. Description of going home and joining the Local Defence Volunteers. Description of being called up in October 1940 and joining the Royal Army Service Corp. Described how nothing much happened before Dunkirk apart from the odd air raid - called this the Phoney War. Described how he thought the enemy was clever as they waited for us to send over everything we had (which was mostly out of date tanks etc. from WW1). Described how Hitler met with no resistance and marched from Poland to Dunkirk in 5 weeks destroying 2 armies with his modern tanks and bombers. The French hadn't modernized their army and were practically defenceless. Description of the troops on the beach and being rescued by the small ships. Described how it was not only the English who were rescued but French, Dutch and Polish soldiers. (This was before he was called up). Description of being called up and going to Ashton Under Lyme, Manchester. Description of army taking over two or three mills to house all the soldiers, 100 beds on each floor. Description of Peace Agreement being made after Dunkirk and Churchill's famous speech "we will not surrender". Description of troops being sent to Shingle Street and of German invasion. The troops being positioned along the shore from the Martello Tower to Shingle Street, with a clear view. Describes the gun fire and explosions for 6 hours. Description of soldiers being at a dance at the Jubilee Hall in Aldeburgh when the Officer called the troops to Shingle Street. Description of sea being on fire and several hundred burned bodies being picked up the next day. Described how he was not actually there and this was what was seen and heard as he was still in the LDV at that time. Described how the troops were told to look our for paratroops as it was believed there were 5000 paratroops in Norway and were going to be dropped between Lowestoft and Aldeburgh. Described how we would have had no chance of winning the war if this has happened. Track 3[9.37 mins] He then mentions the Peace Agreement and talks about traitors in this country. He mentioned he had an uncle in the war department who described how if the traitors signed the Peace Agreement and would be protected and could leave England and go to Canada or Australia. These included the Duke of Westminster who was head of the Masons, (the Grand Master), and powerful people in industry, Halifax, Baldwin, Cripps. Described how they all signed the agreement. Described how this was all secret and that the documents would come out in 2021. Description of how Malta and Gibraltar had to be reinforced as the troops had been moved to France and had left these islands undefended. Described a new unit formed REME the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. Described how they needed instruments makers who were mechanically minded so he transferred over. Described how he was then sent to Gibraltar by sea from Scotland which took 3 weeks. Describes Sicily the siege of Malta and that it was the most heavily bombed area in WW2 and that the island was awarded the George Cross. Described how the soldiers that fought were given a replica on the 50th anniversary. Described how Malta was used mostly for enemy submarines to reinforce Rommell's army but after we won back Malta it was the beginning of Rommell's defeat in the desert. We then invaded Sicily, fought in the Messina Straights then on the Italy. Described how the war came to a close with Montgomery heading 8th Army. Described how he was then transferred to the Normandy Campaign and the invasion of France. Track 4 [9.36 mins] Description of being demobbed in 1945 and coming back to Aldeburgh to recuperate for several months. Description of taking over a music shop in the High Street and setting up a jewellers shop. He was there for 8 years before moving further up the High Street. Described how he had a flat above the shop and lived there for 25 years. Described how he then opened a general shop by the railway station this used to be Moyse coal office. He took a lease from the Railway Company. The store sold everything, cakes, cigarettes, etc. he also did clock repairs. Described how after five years sold this and moved to Leiston a good position by the traffic lights and opened a jewellers. The lease in Aldeburgh ran out after 2 years and he had problems with the Inland Revenue, also had a stroke and was in Ipswich Hospital. Described how he bought a bookshop, turned it into a jewellers with a workshop behind in Aldeburgh High Street but retired from there in 1984 due to ill health but still ran the Leiston Shop. Description of Grandfather, George Winter, involved with collecting tithes and rents for the Wentworth Estate, once a month, from The Mariners Inn, Slaughden Description of his father telling him how the sea wrecked the Mariners Inn in 1918. Described how his father used to go in The Mariners and how as a child Ronald would play around the ruins. Description of the largest house at Slaughden, Scots House, and how the sea would wash through it. Description of being evacuated at 4 years old, and seeing the sea washing over the shingle bank. Track 5 [10mins] Described how in the 14 century Dunwich was connected to Slaughden along the coast but it is all on the sea bed now, about 2 miles out. Described Aldeburgh then as being a small fishing village with a church, the Moot Hall, 2 windmills one at Fort Green the other by the church and a few fishermen's cottages. Description of Slaughden being a major shipbuilding town that had sent four ships to Henry VIII's navy. Describes a model of the Marigold built in Slaughden by a shipwright which was displayed in the Mariners Inn and where tithes were paid. Describes how Captain Basham displayed the model in his shop window for the town to see. Description of Prince George coming to Aldeburgh to name the lifeboat and how Captain Basham gave the model to the Prince without the town's consent. Described how he tried to get it back but the Royal family didn't know anything about it. Description of lots of correspondence. Described a photograph showing the model to be about 4 feet long. Description of father being a boat builder and owning 2 sheds which were destroyed in 1953, and losing his business and stopping work. Described how Ronald gave his father a job repairing clocks. Described how the sea wall was not there in 1936 and was finished after the 1953 floods. Described how the Martello Tower was saved, could walk under it after the 1953 floods and how it was reinforced with new foundations. Description of the windmill near the Brudenell on Fort Green, and remembers the sails turning. Description of the windmill being turned into a house with an extension. Describes the hand laundry owned by Miss Pettit. Describes how the washing lines took up the whole length of Fort Green and were filled with washing. Track 6[10 mins] Description of ladies at the laundry doing the for the washing for the girls who attended Belstead School. Description of his father riding his bike through the washing on a track and seeing the long blue bloomers which were hung on the inside lines so that people could not see them. Described how when Miss Pettit retired she gave the rights of the land to the town, although she did not get the transaction done lawfully. The council then took it over and gave rights to the Latimer Club to use part of the car park . Described how this was fenced off. Described how the Club was then sold off and a consortium took it over. Description of the controversy over the land. Finished by saying that he had a very active life, owned three businesses and had achieved a lot. Postscript to Ron Ashford's statement. In 1920' and 30's fishing at Aldeburgh so good that approximately 100 boxes were sent at a time to London fish market by train. About 20 families made a living from fishing. There are now only 2 or 3 families operating. 24.9.08 |