I remember the Ex-Serviceman's Club being burnt down. It was ironic but a few weeks before there had been a big Fire Brigade display on the open ground outside the club. They got all the equipment working and everybody had a good time and then, not long afterwards, the clubhouse was burnt to the ground. We were on a job nearby and we ran across the road but we were too late to save the building.
Bordesley � this was mainly a cleaning-up operation as the fires were dying down in an area of factories and food warehouses. We came home with boxes of chocolate-covered Ryvita!
Coventry � the only description for this is HELL. We were there two days and nights, with no sleep and the main sustenance was tea. Although we found water eventually it was impossible to save anything. After this we were granted a spell of leave.
London � regional fire services were sent down to the south-east as relief crews, and were stationed at Watford in marquees, near to a hospital. The nurses came to the marquees to attend to the firemen�s feet. The blitz abated and the crews were sent home without going into the city.
Prior to D-Day the Codsall crew was sent down to Plymouth in case they were needed after the D-Day landings. The A.F.S. were treated as full-time firemen and were paid accordingly. The shifts worked were three days and nights on duty and three days and nights off.
DAILY ROUTINE
I was the PE Instructor for the group, after receiving training in Penn from Mr Heyhoe, Wolverhampton borough PE Advisor. Early every morning the crews exercised on the
tennis court at the Terrace. On one occasion, when returning from PE instruction on my bicycle and in full uniform, I went to assist at a factory fire which I came across on the way back to Codsall. I reached Codsall minus my service gas mask. This was returned six months later.
The crew of six, who manned the tender, included two gardeners, a farmer, a cost clerk, a carpenter and a driver. I had registered for the Navy but failed the medical because of defective hearing. I resigned from the A.F.S and went to work for ICI.
-26-
