Tag Archives: joy Lawry

Joy Lawry: WWII Lifeboat 1940s

The firing of the lifeboat maroons was stopped during the war. At night, when Dad  ( Walter Cotton, the Coxswain)’s phone  rang, he would answer it and while he was putting his clothes on, he would shout to me to get the men for the boat. So I would get up, put my shoes on, my coat over my nightie, and as I went out the door I’d grab my stick.   I would then run round the men’s houses in the pitch dark and tap on their bedroom windows with my stick and shout “Dad wants you on the boat!” and then go back to bed.  I might occasionally see an ARP man but usually nobody.

The Yarmouth Lifeboat had to take a policeman (a special usually) with them on a call and enquire the nationality of the men needing rescuing. Whether the enquiry was made before or after rescue, I don’t know!  After a while, the R.A.F. Air Sea Rescue boats were used, as most of the calls were for planes ditching and the A.S.R. boat was faster. Joy Lawry nee Cotton b 1922

 

Jean Maitland, Joy Lawry: WWII 1940s

Coastguard cottages 2013

Pump outside Coastguard Cottages 2013

George Warder was bending down filling his kettle from the pump in Coastguard Cottages pathway at 7 a.m. one morning when a German plane went over and shot him in his backside, much to the amusement of his friends. Luckily he wasn’t badly hurt.  It wasn’t so funny when planes went down off the pier. Jean Maitland nee Levey b1928

Most nights were disturbed by bombers on their way to bomb the cities, though we had some stray bombs around here, the Convoys being the attraction.  Our local milkman, survived a machine gun bullet from a passing German plane. The night Cowes was heavily bombed, a house at Bouldnor was hit and an elderly lady killed. Joy Lawry

Joy Lawry: WWII 1939

WWII

In 1938, for Yarmouth, like other communities, life changed; we were preparing for war. Everyone was fitted with gas masks and volunteers were called for A.R.P. duties (Air Raid Precautions) and for the L.D.V. (Local Defence Volunteers), later known as the Home Guard.  Conscription for the forces began with what were known as the “Militia Boys” and they all did us proud.  Yarmouth at that time was a very close community, families and their forbears having lived here for a very long time.  Our young men found it hard being taken from working as butchers, bakers etc. to, after a short training, becoming a fighting force.

Town Hall sandbagged 1939

Town Hall sandbagged 1939 photo: Eileen Smith

The A.R.P. had their headquarters at the well- sandbagged Town Hall to begin with, but moved later to the Royal Solent Yacht Club where frequent blood-doning sessions were held.  The A.R.P. consisted of telephonists, wardens, First Aid and ambulance drivers.  The ambulance was a laundry van, from the laundry in Heytesbury Road which was the main employer of women in Yarmouth, with some male drivers. Rescue practices were held at the Mill.
Some men and women went to work in Aircraft factories at Freshwater and Cowes.  Several girls joined the forces, and women took over from the men by driving delivery vans.

 from an article by Joy  Lawry nee Cotton b 1922

Margaret Lawry: Shops, High Street, Ablitt’s 1960s

Ablitt's the Butchers, High Street

Ablitt’s the Butchers, 1990s photo from Jane Blake

I worked at Ablitts on Saturday mornings and in the summer holidays in the 60s.    Mollie and Malcolm Mallett owned the business. Jim Smith, the butcher, and Phyl Hardy the cashier worked there too.  Jim always used to call you ‘My Gal.’ Vertically next to photo)

I used to cut up meat and make mince in a big mincing machine, and make sausages. Depending on which sausages we were making, I used to cut up various pieces of pork or beef and add secret ingredients and mix it all up by hand in a big metal bowl. With one hand I then put it in the machine and pushed it through with a wooden plunger, and caught it in the skin with my other hand.  I then plaited up the sausages and hoped 8 sausages weighed 1lb.

I used to deliver meat around the town carrying a big wicker basket, and remember a lovely housebound lady always gave me 6d tip.  I also delivered to Longs Wharf and Yew Trees when it was a hotel.  Mollie delivered meat by van out in the country.

Jim used to put sawdust on the butcher’s block at the end of the day and scrub it with a metal brush. That made a lovely noise and it would look like new again.

I always went home with sawdust on my shoes as the floor was covered in it, but Mum was used to it as Dad was a carpenter, and she’d worked in Ablitts when she left school in 1936.
M.S. b 1949