The Villager

MEMORIES OF WORLD WAR 2
By John Ford
Magor during the second world war saw some
scary and exciting things happen which stay
in my memory today.
In 1940, a large brick air raid shelter was built
in The Square alongside where the St. David’s
Hospice shop is today. A machine gun bunker
was also dug out on the south side of the
railway bridge, which was used to look out for,
and fire on any enemy troops that came across
the moors. Occassionally we played inside
them which didn’t please the local policeman.
Air raid
wardens and
Home Guard
volunteers
were based
at the
Temperance
Hall. At
weekends, to
help with
their training,
Norman
‘Kipper’ Allen
and I would
be asked to go
and lie down
in a derelict
house or barn
and wait to be found, be treated for our
pretend wounds with bandages and then be
taken back to the hall for a well deserved cup
of tea.
The Home Guard consisted of young and old
volunteers. Lambart Bird, a local farmer from
Undy, all five feet and a bit of him was the
Sargeant, he also had a very loud voice which
helped.
For some fun, we used to march behind them
from The Square to a field on the top of
Vinegar Hill, which was their training ground.
4
There was also the
serious side of the
conflict in our villages.
We lived in Brassknocker Street, and our
house had a stone built shed. When we had the
first air raids, my mother and father would
make us go and sit, by candle light, amongst
the coal, bikes and tools in the shed until the
all clear sounded.
We also had the blackout to contend with. We
bought black material from Miss Adams
drapers shop, now Bliss hairdressers. The
material was made into curtains to stop any
light being shown at night making it difficult
for enemy planes to spot areas of housing.
Mr Vaughan, the local policeman was very
strict on the blackout and he used to patrol the
village shouting, “put that light out”, even if he
saw just a chink of light through the curtains.
We had quite a few bombs dropped around us
when the German planes bombed Bristol. If
they didn’t drop them in Bristol, they would
turn above us with their distinct engine sound.
Bombs fell at Wilcrick and Blackwall on the
moors. The loudest of all was the night three
were dropped on the Bridewell at Undy in front
of Mr and Mrs Pritchards house, now Mr &
Mrs Woods (Undy Builders) house, and
alongside the Causeway Road behind a cottage.
Thankfully there were no serious injuries.
With all that went on during this period there
was no photographic evidence, but it was very
real and we all survived.
DO YOU HAVE ANY HISTORICAL
STORIES THAT YOU THINK MIGHT BE OF
INTEREST TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY?
IF SO, PLEASE CONTACT
THE VILLAGER ON 07595 220864
OR EMAIL INFO@THE-VILLAGER.NET
Please mention The Villager when responding to adverts