麻豆社

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Bill Ross of the 鈥楢ction Desk 鈥� Sheffield鈥� Team on behalf of George Adams, and has been added to the site with his permission. Mr. Adams fully understands the site's terms and conditions.
Other parts to this story can be found at:

INDEX: A7544630

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This is a transcript taken from audio footage made by the Department of Sound Recordings at the
Imperial War Museum,
Lambeth Road,
LONDON SE1 6H7.

It has been copied almost exactly as recorded, therefore the terminology and grammar are as spoken and have not been manipulated in any way. Where place names that could not be found in an atlas, and/or unfamiliar terminology are mentioned, phonetic spellings are used and are subject to alteration.

On some occasions, sentences were not completed; the following symbol is used to denote that: 鈥︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹��
Only repetition has been suppressed.

Bill Ross 鈥� 麻豆社 People鈥檚 War Story Editor.
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Interviewer: Er, could you tell me when and where you were born Mr. Adams?

George Adams: 19th of January, 1922 at New Whittington, Chesterfield.

Int: What did your father do for a living?

GA: He was a works clerk at Staveley, he worked at Staveley.

Int: And how many of you were there in the family?

GA: Just mother and father and myself, just the three of us.

Int: Which school did you go to?

GA: New Whittington first of all, then on to Tapton.

Int: What did you want to do when you left school?

GA: I didn鈥檛 know actually, it just happened that this job came up at Staveley where my father worked. They asked if it would be any use, they said, 鈥淵es, send him down,鈥� so I went to see them and I went into the laboratory there on the foundry side.

Int: What were you actually doing?

GA: Training as a metallurgist. I stayed there until I went into the forces in 1940.

Int: Had you been in the Boy Scouts or the Rover Scouts?

GA: Yes, both the Scouts and Rover Scouts.

Int: What sort of activities were you doing with them?

GA: Camping, walking, all that kind of thing.

Int: Did it have a military side to it?

GA: No.

Int: Were you in any other boys鈥� organisation?

GA: No, none whatsoever, just the Boy Scouts.

Int: Were you keen on sport?

GA: Yes; football, cricket, playing with the school, I played after I left school at fifteen. I played with New Whittington and then the Derbyshire League. I played football just on the local sides.

Int: Now, what do you remember about when the war broke out?

GA: Well, the first thing I remember, that really involved us was when we became messengers with the wardens in the village.

Int: What did that entail?

GA: So many nights a week in the wardens鈥� post. You鈥檇 go out with the wardens, and if there was anything happening 鈥攏othing, thank goodness ever did whilst I was there, before I joined the forces, if it was needed, they鈥檇 send you off to pass messages on to other sections.

Int: So, you were acting as a runner.

GA: That鈥檚 right.

Int: Were you on foot or did you have a bike or something?

GA: On foot.

Int: But nothing actually happened during your period.

GA: No, not during that period before I joined up.

Int: Where were you based?

GA: In New Whittington, they had them in all the villages.

Int: What sort of post was it?

GA: It was an office at the Wagon Works in New Whittington, and we also had another post, the main one which was a brick built place, built specially right in the centre of the village itself.

Int: How many wardens and runners were there to cover?

GA: I can鈥檛 tell you exactly, but they鈥檇 enough to do two nights a week, then they鈥檇 enough to cover so they could relieve, then get two free nights, working much as they did on guard duty.

Int: So, you just walked round the whole of the town.

GA: That鈥檚 right, round the village, yes; just checking on lights and seeing that everyone had the blackout up and no light showing, things like that.

Int: Now, did you think the war would involve you, to a greater extent than that?

GA: Yes, I think I鈥檇 made my mind up. I was too young when it started, but I made my mind up that I would go into the forces.

Int: Did you volunteer or did you decide to鈥︹��..?

GA: Yes, yes I volunteered.

Int: Why did you actually decide to volunteer?

GA: I think, like a lot more people, that it was a great thrill, and you鈥檇 see things, and also, my wife 鈥� my girl, as she was then - her brothers, two of them had been called up and I thought this seemed a bit unfair, so I decided that I would go too.

Int: Were you patriotic at the time?

GA: Yes.

Int: Where had you got that from?

GA: I think from my father and the family. My father had been in the First World War and I think this is where it came from, from people who had been in the First World War, and I think this is how it spread myself, this patriotism.

Int: Had he told you much about the war, the First World War?

GA: Yeah, quite a lot. He contacted an ex Commanding Officer whom he found out was in Sudan on a cotton plantation, so he wrote to him. When it came over, they fixed reunions and they continued that right up to after the Second World War.

Int: Had he had bad experiences, your father, or had he got through鈥︹��.?

GA: He鈥檇 had some bad experiences in the front line, on the western front, yes.

Int: Had he talked to you about it, before you went in the forces?

GA: Yes.

Int: You said it was a bit of a thrill, had he not sort of鈥︹�︹�︹��.?

GA: Yes, he tried to play it down quite a lot, 鈥淜eep out, wait until you鈥檙e fetched.鈥� Because he鈥檇 done the same, he鈥檇 volunteered and they had a really rough passage those people did.

Int: So, you were patriotic and your friends had gone, were there any other reasons you decided to join up?

GA: Er, not really, no.

Int: Did you hope they would let you choose what you went into, you went into the army didn鈥檛 you?

GA: Yes.

Int: That was part of your reasoning.

GA: Actually, I didn鈥檛 choose a mechanic鈥檚 work, I applied first of all for aircrew, but they weren鈥檛 taking any aircrew at the time. They just put you down as mechanic, either E or A first of all, and then I went on to the riggers鈥� side, which was airframe, and from there, a period at Ensford, on that course.

Int: Hang on, so, you volunteered for the RAF, was that on your birthday in January, 1940?

GA, No, it was June, 1940. No, it was just before June and I went in, in July, I believe.

Int: How did you go about volunteering? Where did you go?

GA: Sheffield.

Int: Why Sheffield?

GA: That was the main place for volunteering for the R.A.F.

Int: And what made you decide on the R.A.F.?

GA: Well, I think it was the thrill of it really.

Int: The R.A.F. had that sort of reputation, rather than the army or navy then.

GA: Yes, that鈥檚 what I felt, yes. It鈥檚 be more interesting, even if it weren鈥檛 aircrew, it鈥檇 be more interesting work.

Int: Where was the recruiting office in Sheffield?

GA: I believe it was at the Cutler鈥檚 Hall.

Int: That was a specific R.A.F. recruiting office was it?

GA: Yes.

Int: What happened when you got there?

GA: We just interviewed.

Int: What sort of an interview?

GA: Nothing really, they just questioned me, the way you鈥檙e doing now, you know, date of birth and everything else, and that was it.

Int: That鈥檚 when you told them you wanted aircrew.

GA: Yeah.

Int: And did they knock you straight back?

GA: Yeah, straightaway, 鈥淲e鈥檙e not taking any aircrew.鈥�

Int: Did they say why?

GA: Well, it was early on and the big schemes in Canada hadn鈥檛 got going, they were just hanging fire and they were full of all they could take, I think that鈥檚 what had happened.

Int: Were you very disappointed?

GA: Yeah, I was really.

Int: So, they knocked you back, what happened then, did you get a medical?

GA: Not at that time, they sent for me a few weeks after, and I had the medical at the same place, Cutler鈥檚 Hall.

Int: What sort of a medical was it?

GA: Strict.

Int: It was strict?

GA: Yes, very strict.

Int: What did it cover?

GA: Er, you went through, I should say four doctors at least.

Int: Do you think you鈥檇 have passed if you hadn鈥檛 been fit, in other words, was it a serious medical or just for the form?

GA: No, it was a serious medical 鈥� everything.

Int: What did you pass out as?

GA: A1.

Int: Anything else when you reported to Cutler鈥檚 hall?

GA: No, you passed A1, then they said that they would notify you when your call up date would be, and that was it.

Int: So you went back home again.

GA: Yes,

Int: How did your family react when they heard you鈥檇 done the deed 鈥� signed up?

GA: A bit sad, but at the same time, they accepted it.

Int: What about at work?

GA: Our boss was quite annoyed, (laughs) very annoyed.

Int: How did he show it?

GA: Well, how can I say?...........His attitude was, 鈥淲hat do ya want to do that for?鈥� and, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e all right here, you needn鈥檛 have gone in.鈥�

Int: Could you have applied for a reserved occupation?

GA: Yes, in the lab, yes.

Int: But you didn鈥檛 apply for it.

GA: No, I didn鈥檛 apply for it.

Int: What about in the village, I mean, did you feel a bit of a hero going off to war?

GA: No, there were lots of other lads, four or five of us went together; all friends.

Int: All into the R.A.F.?

GA: Yes, we all went into the R.A.F.

Int: Had they gone with you when..........?

GA: Yes, we all went to sign on together. I think I was the first called up, I think I
was the first to go for the medical.

Int: So when were you first called up, do you remember the date?

GA: 23rd of July, 1940.

Int: And what did you have to do when you were called up?

GA: I had a travel warrant issued, we went straight through to Warrington, to Padgate. We stayed there until we were sworn in.

Int: When was that about?

GA: We were sworn in on the second day, and we stayed there a couple of days kitting out.

Int: How were you kitted out, what were you issued with?

GA: Just the two suits of blue, everything else, shirts, everything that was required for the full uniform, gasmasks, everything that was required for the R.A.F., gas capes. There were no steel helmets at that time, well, not immediately.

Int: While you were there at Padgate, were you in the barracks?

GA: Yes.

Int: What were your first impressions of the military lifestyle?

GA: It didn鈥檛 worry me really because I鈥檇 spent quite a bit of time away from home, here and there, so it didn鈥檛 disturb me.

Int: So where did you go from Padgate?

GA: Up to Hednesford.

Int: Hinsford?

GA: H E D N E S F O R D.

Int: What were you doing there?

GA: And that was 鈥� first of all, you did a week or a fortnight on drill, rifle ranges and things like that. Then you started on the riggers鈥� course, or anyone on engines, on the Mechs.鈥� Course.

Int: Right, we鈥檒l take those things in turn, what were your living conditions like at Hednesford?

GA: The huts were pretty good.

Int: Can you describe them?

GA: Just the ordinary wooden hut, er, with the single beds, 20 or 30 to a hut, a locker, biscuits for your mattress and a shelf for your things above. Everything had to be in 鈥榓pple pie order鈥�, the same in the morning, your blankets had to be in 鈥榓pple pie order鈥� with your biscuits.

Int: Was there any heating in there?

GA: Yes, two stoves, in the centre, one at one end and one at the other. The only problem was that on the night that it was cleaning night, you had to block the stove so you couldn鈥檛 have a fire. Next morning, there should have been an inspection, so if the C.O. didn鈥檛 get round, you couldn鈥檛 have a fire that night and it was winter, y鈥檏now, we were in that period, we didn鈥檛 leave there until December, so we had quite a lot of cold weather up there at that period, 1940. That was our only grumble at Hednesford.

Int: You were responsible for cleaning the whole of your hut were you?

GA: Yes, everybody used to take a job, buff the floors, black the stove, and everything else.

Int: Did you have a special way to lay your kit out?

GA: Yes, the kit inspections were only about once a month, it wasn鈥檛 too bad. It was like in the First World War, nothing had altered.

Int: What about washing and showers?

GA: Yes, there were baths, you could get a bath, there was hot water, so you could have a bath any time you like.

Int; What about food?

GA: Quite good really, it was very fair compared to some of the stuff we had later.

Int: What sort of food were they dishing out for breakfast, for instance?

GA: You鈥檇 porridge, you鈥檇 sausage, you鈥檇 beans, the only thing I didn鈥檛 like, they used to dish up a lot of beasts鈥� heart, I wasn鈥檛 very fond of that.

Int: Was that stew at lunch do you mean?

GA: No, it was for breakfast sometimes.

Int: What about lunch, what would you get for lunch?

GA: You鈥檇 a cooked lunch, and quite sufficient.

Int: So, you got plenty of food and the quality was all right.

GA: Very fair considering the number they were catering for; very good really at Hednesford.

Int: How did you get on with your fellow recruits?

GA: Oh, we鈥檇 a good crowd in our billet, we were all pretty wild.

Int: In what way?

GA: I dunno, I used to meet up with......I used to fit in with a bunch that were wild. There wasn鈥檛 a lot of drinking, bags of fun and games in the billet, fixing beds and one or two scraps, and things like that, but nothing really viscous. It was all good fun; we鈥檇 a good crowd.

Int: No bullying then.

GA: No, strangely enough, no.

Int: What about your N.C.O.鈥檚, did you have a corporal in with you?

GA: Yes, we had a corporal in the bunk.

Int: What was he like?

GA: Er, they changed occasionally, you got a mixed bunch, but usually, very fair. The flight sergeant who was in charge of our section, he was a right character really. His attitude was frightening at first which nobody took any notice of. I always remember the first time he got us together, after we鈥檇 had our inoculations, one afternoon. He got us in this billet, and he鈥檇 had us on parade, but he hadn鈥檛 introduced himself. 鈥淵er don鈥檛 know me do yer? I鈥檓 Billy, Billy the Bastard.鈥� So, of course, we all laughed, and he said, 鈥淵er鈥檒l not laugh when I鈥檝e finished with yer.鈥� And that鈥檚 how it progressed. But I鈥檓 afraid we took the Mickey out of him terribly really. It was.........we drove him........oh dear, it was awful really, on parade in the morning. He鈥檇 call everyone to attention, and someone at the top would shout, 鈥淏illy, Billy, Billy.鈥� He鈥檇 go spare, he鈥檇 say, 鈥淲ho said that?鈥� A voice at the bottom said, 鈥淚 did, I did.鈥� But he never did anything, he never had us out after class or anything like that.

Int: Was he popular in the end?

GA: He was popular, but he did some really stupid things in a way.

Int: Such as?

Pt 2: A7541381

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