Swimbridge at War!
While the skies of southern England thundered to the sounds of Battle of Britain aircraft the local school children of North Devon were more concerned about their limited sweet rations and how to get one over on the newly arrived evacuees.
As part of class 4's History and English work Ray Liverton, a former pupil at Swimbridge School during the war years, was once again invited to reminisce and answer children?s? questions about his boyhood wartime days. On this occasion he brought his original gas mask and wartime photos. Children were interested to discover his name in the original school admission register.
Ray had an uncle, Cyril Smale who was based on an East Anglian airfield maintaining fighter planes, including one piloted by squadron leader Douglas Bader. Children, working collaboratively in pairs were asked to imagine they were Ray, 63 years ago, and write a letter to Uncle Cyril. All the facts had to be true.
Read their work after quotes from our school log book:
**********************************
Mr Drew, the Headmaster of Swimbridge School at the time, wrote in the school log book:
8. 8. 1940. This afternoon 47 official evacuees arrived and were received at the Jubilee Hall where, following tea they were examined by the Medical Officer of Health, Dr. J. Harper, before being registered and sent to the various billets.
12. 8. 1940 I have carefully gone into the matter of organising the school work and arranging the various classes during the weekend and yesterday I wrote to the County Inspector mentioning that if 15 dual desks for seniors could be sent hers, I could seat the 126 children on the roll next term.
9. 9. 1940 Re-opened school this morning. Classes rearranged, including the official evacuees, merged with the local children (total number on roll 126). . . A good start in National Savings this term, noted today.
14. 10. 1940 The number of scholars on registers now is 143 including 60 official and 3 unofficial evacuees. The promised desks have not arrived. The classes are overcrowded.
16. 10. 1940 Standards 4 and 5 will be taught in the (Jubilee) Hall as from tomorrow.
**********************************
'Liverton Towers'
High Street
Swimbridge near Barnstaple
Devon
September 15th 1940
Dear Uncle Cyril,
Thanks for my great birthday present; I always wanted a model spitfire. I hope to join the air training corps when I get a little older. They have a unit at RAF Chivenor.
The village has been invaded by loads of evacuees since early August. The evacuee boys are supposed to help us on the farms during our free time but they muck around a lot. School isn?t really very nice because it is full of these evacuees. They keep teasing us but we get our own back. We pretend that the cows are bulls and the evacuees run a mile from them whilst we play in the fields. We still have gas mask drill. I promised mum I would always have my gas mask with me, I won?t ever lose it.
Sometimes the Home Guard get us to hide and pretend we are Germans and they try to find us. Some of them get out of breath very quickly. We also squash tin cans (to be made into tanks and ammunition) and collect newspaper for the war effort. Mr Churchill says we all have to do our bit. I even had to paint the school roof, to camouflage it in case of bombing. Now I've got green and brown paint all over my trousers and mum says she can't get any more, not with the coupons and everything.
See you soon
Your nephew, Ray
High Street
Swimbridge
Barnstaple
Devon
September15th 1940
Dear Uncle Cyril,
I am missing you these days and hope that you are well.
You won't believe this, but sixty-odd nasty children have arrived at school and immediately started bullying us. They are evacuees. Last week we all got back at them by saying that all the cows in the fields are bulls. So now they are terrified of going in the fields, and we have them all to ourselves again, like before the little rats came.
It?s really tight because we only get two ounces of sweets these days, and I was just wondering whether you had any sweet coupons, because I'm sure that I'll make good use of them. If you don't have any, don't worry, because we?ll just go round and ask all the nans in the village if they've got any. At least we have got a clubhouse in the village just for us boys; girls aren't allowed (good thing, too!) I still go to Boys'Brigade and mum said that I should enclose a photograph.
The Home Guard keep wandering around the village with their broomsticks on their shoulders. They say that they are protecting us! They keep chasing us around, armed with broomsticks at the weekends, practising for when the Germans come! They haven't got any guns yet. Their base is in Mrs Knapper's lounge, and they meet there every Sunday morning. Everyone calls it 'Knapper's Fort'now. Mrs Knapper lives in the house on the square. Opposite our school the Home Guard have their ammunition dump. It would be exciting if it went up in one of Mr Drew's lessons.
I know your job is secret, but is it true that you work on Douglas Bader's plane?
Looking forward to seeing you soon,
Roy
(Ben & Natasha)
High Street
Swimbridge
Barnstaple
Devon
September 15th 1940
Dear Uncle Cyril,
Well the Summer Holidays are over. We went back to school on September 9th. Mr Drew said we now have 126 children on roll!
The sweets you sent me were very nice, thank you very much. As you know, we only get two ounces of sweets a week, which is not enough, so we go round to the old ladies and men and ask if they have any spare coupons.
I am not liking school very much, because there are lots of evacuees here and there is a lot of fighting in the school yard. Some of the new children are OK, but most are not like us and seem frightened of the cows in the fields. In my spare time I am helping to grow vegetables in the school garden, which are sold in the shop and the money goes to help the war effort. The Home Guard ask us to help with their exercises and my mates and I do. It's great fun!
I am missing you very much. We all love you. Keep safe. See you soon. Please write.
Love from Ray
(Richard & Rebecca)
3 High Street
Swimbridge
Barnstaple
Devon
September 15th 1940
Dear Uncle Cyril,
We haven't seen Dad very much lately, he?s been working at the tannery. He's been making soles for the shoes which the soldiers wear. He reckons it's an important part of the war effort, and safer than actually fighting.
It's been very crowded at school lately since the evacuees came. We have been having fights with the older boys, but we have been frightening them by telling them that the cows are bulls and to show how stupid they are, they believe us!
In my free time, we play soldiers with my friends (not the evacuees). We also play a sort of hide and seek when the Home Guard have to try and find us, as if we were Germans, and then they take us back to their base and question us. Some of the Home Guard have guns and uniforms, others haven't, and march around with brooms.
I know it's a secret, but is it true that you really are working on Douglas Bader's Spitfire? We hear that he is great at flying. What can you tell me? I am so proud that my uncle has such an important job keeping planes going in the Battle of Britain.
Looking forward to seeing you.
Bye!
Ray xxx
(Myles)
3 High Street
Swimbridge
Barnstaple
Devon
September 15th 1940
Dear Uncle Cyril,
I am missing you a lot. I don't see Dad much these days, because he is too busy in the tannery, making soles for the soldiers'shoes. We were having a nice peaceful time at school until the horrible evacuees from London arrived. Mr Drew, the Headmaster, doesn't like using the cane much, but he has had to lately, because there have been lots of fights. The townies don?t like us country boys, you see. We are having great fun teasing those horrid people! This is how: we say that the cows are bulls, so they don't go anywhere near them! We get some peace and quiet in the fields for once.
There isn't much to do out of school now that the war has started. Guess what we do? We pretend to be the Home Guard! It's really fun, marching up and down the street with broomsticks instead of guns!
Have you got any spare sweet coupons, please? We only get two ounces of sweets a week! I don't think that's very fair!
I hear that you are working on the plane which Douglas Bader flies. That sounds fascinating! Is it true that he has tin legs and still flies?
Hope to see you soon.
Ray
x
(Sarah S & Alexandra)
3 High Street
Swimbridge
Barnstaple
Devon
September 15th 1940
Dear Uncle Cyril,
School is OK these days, but I do hate all those evacuees that stink and have come to stay. The school is so crowded that we have to use the Jubilee Hall. The other day Mr Drew sent me to paint the roof of the hall so that it was camouflaged and wouldn't be bombed. We keep having fights with the evacuees and to scare them, we say all the cows are bulls. They won't go near them!
All the old men have to be in the Home Guard. They don't have guns, but broom handles instead, but some are starting to get them now. Their HQ is on the square. It is called Fort Knapper. When I'm not at school, I play Home Guard, and we pick up empty cans around the village for recycling. When the Guards are training, we have to go and hide and they have to come and find us. It's really fun.
Mum and Dad say hello. Dad is working really hard, so I hardly ever get to see him, and there aren't many sweets. We only get two ounces of sweet ration a week, so we keep asking the old folk for their coupons.
Is it true about Douglas Bader, that he has two false legs but is still a pilot in the RAF? I know you know him, as you are a fitter in his squadron. Write back soon. Keep on working.
See you soon.
Ray xx
(Michael & Colin)
3 High Street
Swimbridge
Barnstaple
Devon
September 15th 1940
Dear Uncle Cyril,
I hear you are working with Douglas Bader. What is it like working with someone famous. I hope you are ok. Can I have your sweet tokens because everything is rationed at the moment and we don?'t get enough sweets. Luckily we still get the Beano and Dandy and listen to Arthur Askey on the radio.
School is still boring especially arithmetic. It is getting very noisy since the evacuees arrived in the village. We cannot have any fun at the beach anymore because it is all mined in case there is an invasion.
My friend Tom and I play home guards after school most days. Sometimes when the home guards have their lunch they asks us to do their job for them by keeping a look out for Germans. I take my catapult and Tom takes his spud gun. I don't suppose they would do a lot of good but then neither would the Home Guards broomsticks!
Guess what, we had millions of evacuees. Mr. Drew (the Headmaster) didn't know what to do or where to put the new children so I suggested the Jubilee Hall. He said I was genius and let me camouflage the school roof!
Hope you are ok. Hope to see you soon.
Lots of love
from Ray.
(Gemma and Natalie)
High Street
Swimbridge
15 September1940
Dear Uncle Cyril
I hope you are ok. We all miss you. I don't see my dad much at the moment so I am a bit lonely. He works at the Tannery and he is very busy making soles for soldiers' shoes.
Swimbridge School is a bit more exciting these days as I am making more friends because loads of evacuees have come. There are loads of fights between us and the evacuees. Mr Drew (the headmaster) seems to be under pressure is even more grumpy now. The evacuees think all cows are bulls because they haven't seen a cow, before so we say don't go to near the cows because he will eat you; the town kids believe us!
In my spare times I go to a boys club that is for ten years and over but girls can't come and we play armies in the field. I am still in Boys'Brigade. Recently I had a photo taken in my B. B. uniform, which I enclose.
A Home Guard unit has been set up in the village. When the home guard are working out what to do if there is an invasion they ask us if they can practice on us with broom sticks because they didn't have guns yet. We pretend to be German paratroopers and hid in the woods. The Home Guard aim their broom sticks at us, going bang, bang and we have sticks saying bang, bang back.
How is the Battle of Britain really going? I heard you work as an plane engineer on an airfield near Huntington. Is it true you maintain Douglas Bader's plane. He was mentioned on the news the other day. We can't understand how he can fly a plane with two metal legs. Do you have to lift him in and out of the cockpit?
A serious affect of the war for my mates and me is that we can't get enough sweets. Have you got any sweet coupons by any chance?
Love from your nephew
Ray
p.s Happy Birthday xxx
(Toni & Rachel H)
See also: News Section: WARTIME MEMORIES for news of our ex-evacuee visitor.
As part of class 4's History and English work Ray Liverton, a former pupil at Swimbridge School during the war years, was once again invited to reminisce and answer children?s? questions about his boyhood wartime days. On this occasion he brought his original gas mask and wartime photos. Children were interested to discover his name in the original school admission register.
Ray had an uncle, Cyril Smale who was based on an East Anglian airfield maintaining fighter planes, including one piloted by squadron leader Douglas Bader. Children, working collaboratively in pairs were asked to imagine they were Ray, 63 years ago, and write a letter to Uncle Cyril. All the facts had to be true.
Read their work after quotes from our school log book:
**********************************
Mr Drew, the Headmaster of Swimbridge School at the time, wrote in the school log book:
8. 8. 1940. This afternoon 47 official evacuees arrived and were received at the Jubilee Hall where, following tea they were examined by the Medical Officer of Health, Dr. J. Harper, before being registered and sent to the various billets.
12. 8. 1940 I have carefully gone into the matter of organising the school work and arranging the various classes during the weekend and yesterday I wrote to the County Inspector mentioning that if 15 dual desks for seniors could be sent hers, I could seat the 126 children on the roll next term.
9. 9. 1940 Re-opened school this morning. Classes rearranged, including the official evacuees, merged with the local children (total number on roll 126). . . A good start in National Savings this term, noted today.
14. 10. 1940 The number of scholars on registers now is 143 including 60 official and 3 unofficial evacuees. The promised desks have not arrived. The classes are overcrowded.
16. 10. 1940 Standards 4 and 5 will be taught in the (Jubilee) Hall as from tomorrow.
**********************************
'Liverton Towers'
High Street
Swimbridge near Barnstaple
Devon
September 15th 1940
Dear Uncle Cyril,
Thanks for my great birthday present; I always wanted a model spitfire. I hope to join the air training corps when I get a little older. They have a unit at RAF Chivenor.
The village has been invaded by loads of evacuees since early August. The evacuee boys are supposed to help us on the farms during our free time but they muck around a lot. School isn?t really very nice because it is full of these evacuees. They keep teasing us but we get our own back. We pretend that the cows are bulls and the evacuees run a mile from them whilst we play in the fields. We still have gas mask drill. I promised mum I would always have my gas mask with me, I won?t ever lose it.
Sometimes the Home Guard get us to hide and pretend we are Germans and they try to find us. Some of them get out of breath very quickly. We also squash tin cans (to be made into tanks and ammunition) and collect newspaper for the war effort. Mr Churchill says we all have to do our bit. I even had to paint the school roof, to camouflage it in case of bombing. Now I've got green and brown paint all over my trousers and mum says she can't get any more, not with the coupons and everything.
See you soon
Your nephew, Ray
High Street
Swimbridge
Barnstaple
Devon
September15th 1940
Dear Uncle Cyril,
I am missing you these days and hope that you are well.
You won't believe this, but sixty-odd nasty children have arrived at school and immediately started bullying us. They are evacuees. Last week we all got back at them by saying that all the cows in the fields are bulls. So now they are terrified of going in the fields, and we have them all to ourselves again, like before the little rats came.
It?s really tight because we only get two ounces of sweets these days, and I was just wondering whether you had any sweet coupons, because I'm sure that I'll make good use of them. If you don't have any, don't worry, because we?ll just go round and ask all the nans in the village if they've got any. At least we have got a clubhouse in the village just for us boys; girls aren't allowed (good thing, too!) I still go to Boys'Brigade and mum said that I should enclose a photograph.
The Home Guard keep wandering around the village with their broomsticks on their shoulders. They say that they are protecting us! They keep chasing us around, armed with broomsticks at the weekends, practising for when the Germans come! They haven't got any guns yet. Their base is in Mrs Knapper's lounge, and they meet there every Sunday morning. Everyone calls it 'Knapper's Fort'now. Mrs Knapper lives in the house on the square. Opposite our school the Home Guard have their ammunition dump. It would be exciting if it went up in one of Mr Drew's lessons.
I know your job is secret, but is it true that you work on Douglas Bader's plane?
Looking forward to seeing you soon,
Roy
(Ben & Natasha)
High Street
Swimbridge
Barnstaple
Devon
September 15th 1940
Dear Uncle Cyril,
Well the Summer Holidays are over. We went back to school on September 9th. Mr Drew said we now have 126 children on roll!
The sweets you sent me were very nice, thank you very much. As you know, we only get two ounces of sweets a week, which is not enough, so we go round to the old ladies and men and ask if they have any spare coupons.
I am not liking school very much, because there are lots of evacuees here and there is a lot of fighting in the school yard. Some of the new children are OK, but most are not like us and seem frightened of the cows in the fields. In my spare time I am helping to grow vegetables in the school garden, which are sold in the shop and the money goes to help the war effort. The Home Guard ask us to help with their exercises and my mates and I do. It's great fun!
I am missing you very much. We all love you. Keep safe. See you soon. Please write.
Love from Ray
(Richard & Rebecca)
3 High Street
Swimbridge
Barnstaple
Devon
September 15th 1940
Dear Uncle Cyril,
We haven't seen Dad very much lately, he?s been working at the tannery. He's been making soles for the shoes which the soldiers wear. He reckons it's an important part of the war effort, and safer than actually fighting.
It's been very crowded at school lately since the evacuees came. We have been having fights with the older boys, but we have been frightening them by telling them that the cows are bulls and to show how stupid they are, they believe us!
In my free time, we play soldiers with my friends (not the evacuees). We also play a sort of hide and seek when the Home Guard have to try and find us, as if we were Germans, and then they take us back to their base and question us. Some of the Home Guard have guns and uniforms, others haven't, and march around with brooms.
I know it's a secret, but is it true that you really are working on Douglas Bader's Spitfire? We hear that he is great at flying. What can you tell me? I am so proud that my uncle has such an important job keeping planes going in the Battle of Britain.
Looking forward to seeing you.
Bye!
Ray xxx
(Myles)
3 High Street
Swimbridge
Barnstaple
Devon
September 15th 1940
Dear Uncle Cyril,
I am missing you a lot. I don't see Dad much these days, because he is too busy in the tannery, making soles for the soldiers'shoes. We were having a nice peaceful time at school until the horrible evacuees from London arrived. Mr Drew, the Headmaster, doesn't like using the cane much, but he has had to lately, because there have been lots of fights. The townies don?t like us country boys, you see. We are having great fun teasing those horrid people! This is how: we say that the cows are bulls, so they don't go anywhere near them! We get some peace and quiet in the fields for once.
There isn't much to do out of school now that the war has started. Guess what we do? We pretend to be the Home Guard! It's really fun, marching up and down the street with broomsticks instead of guns!
Have you got any spare sweet coupons, please? We only get two ounces of sweets a week! I don't think that's very fair!
I hear that you are working on the plane which Douglas Bader flies. That sounds fascinating! Is it true that he has tin legs and still flies?
Hope to see you soon.
Ray
x
(Sarah S & Alexandra)
3 High Street
Swimbridge
Barnstaple
Devon
September 15th 1940
Dear Uncle Cyril,
School is OK these days, but I do hate all those evacuees that stink and have come to stay. The school is so crowded that we have to use the Jubilee Hall. The other day Mr Drew sent me to paint the roof of the hall so that it was camouflaged and wouldn't be bombed. We keep having fights with the evacuees and to scare them, we say all the cows are bulls. They won't go near them!
All the old men have to be in the Home Guard. They don't have guns, but broom handles instead, but some are starting to get them now. Their HQ is on the square. It is called Fort Knapper. When I'm not at school, I play Home Guard, and we pick up empty cans around the village for recycling. When the Guards are training, we have to go and hide and they have to come and find us. It's really fun.
Mum and Dad say hello. Dad is working really hard, so I hardly ever get to see him, and there aren't many sweets. We only get two ounces of sweet ration a week, so we keep asking the old folk for their coupons.
Is it true about Douglas Bader, that he has two false legs but is still a pilot in the RAF? I know you know him, as you are a fitter in his squadron. Write back soon. Keep on working.
See you soon.
Ray xx
(Michael & Colin)
3 High Street
Swimbridge
Barnstaple
Devon
September 15th 1940
Dear Uncle Cyril,
I hear you are working with Douglas Bader. What is it like working with someone famous. I hope you are ok. Can I have your sweet tokens because everything is rationed at the moment and we don?'t get enough sweets. Luckily we still get the Beano and Dandy and listen to Arthur Askey on the radio.
School is still boring especially arithmetic. It is getting very noisy since the evacuees arrived in the village. We cannot have any fun at the beach anymore because it is all mined in case there is an invasion.
My friend Tom and I play home guards after school most days. Sometimes when the home guards have their lunch they asks us to do their job for them by keeping a look out for Germans. I take my catapult and Tom takes his spud gun. I don't suppose they would do a lot of good but then neither would the Home Guards broomsticks!
Guess what, we had millions of evacuees. Mr. Drew (the Headmaster) didn't know what to do or where to put the new children so I suggested the Jubilee Hall. He said I was genius and let me camouflage the school roof!
Hope you are ok. Hope to see you soon.
Lots of love
from Ray.
(Gemma and Natalie)
High Street
Swimbridge
15 September1940
Dear Uncle Cyril
I hope you are ok. We all miss you. I don't see my dad much at the moment so I am a bit lonely. He works at the Tannery and he is very busy making soles for soldiers' shoes.
Swimbridge School is a bit more exciting these days as I am making more friends because loads of evacuees have come. There are loads of fights between us and the evacuees. Mr Drew (the headmaster) seems to be under pressure is even more grumpy now. The evacuees think all cows are bulls because they haven't seen a cow, before so we say don't go to near the cows because he will eat you; the town kids believe us!
In my spare times I go to a boys club that is for ten years and over but girls can't come and we play armies in the field. I am still in Boys'Brigade. Recently I had a photo taken in my B. B. uniform, which I enclose.
A Home Guard unit has been set up in the village. When the home guard are working out what to do if there is an invasion they ask us if they can practice on us with broom sticks because they didn't have guns yet. We pretend to be German paratroopers and hid in the woods. The Home Guard aim their broom sticks at us, going bang, bang and we have sticks saying bang, bang back.
How is the Battle of Britain really going? I heard you work as an plane engineer on an airfield near Huntington. Is it true you maintain Douglas Bader's plane. He was mentioned on the news the other day. We can't understand how he can fly a plane with two metal legs. Do you have to lift him in and out of the cockpit?
A serious affect of the war for my mates and me is that we can't get enough sweets. Have you got any sweet coupons by any chance?
Love from your nephew
Ray
p.s Happy Birthday xxx
(Toni & Rachel H)
See also: News Section: WARTIME MEMORIES for news of our ex-evacuee visitor.