Reader Mr P W Price offers his memories of demobilisation

On being demobilised from the RAF in 1946 following the 1939-45 war, I took up employment as a roof slater and tiler, this was following a 26-week training programme at a centre off Kirkstall Road in Leeds.

I was found employment at the firm of Messrs E & E Thornton who were located on Manor Lane, Shipley, at the time.

There were seven or eight elderly slaters working there, no doubt having been too old for military service.

One little story relates to a particular slater named Arthur, a man who appeared to have a hatred towards all of his fellow men, or should I say he gave that impression.

It was related to me by a young apprentice, Jack Smith. It appeared that prior to the war, his father had been a slater’s labourer and was employed by Messrs E & E Thornton, his name being Fred.

I am not aware for how long Fred had suffered at the hands of Arthur, but I’m sure it must have been a blessed relief when he escaped his clutches on going into the armed forces.

Whether or not he had joined up or been conscripted I am not aware, but the point is he was called into the army.

Initially, he was stationed at Bradford Grammar School, or should I say in the building that was to become the school. It had just about been completed by the outbreak of war. In the meantime, the pupils carried on using the old grammar school.

The government commandeered it as an army barracks, the same as they did with many buildings up and down the country. Fred, being so near to home, was granted a sleeping-out pass, which meant he could spend the hours at home in his off-duty time.

That gave him the opportunity of being able to have an hour or two out with his civvy street mates in Saltaire, using the Rosse Hotel on the occasions when he had a bob or two to spend. This went on for quite a few weeks until his army unit got the word they were on the move.

Fred had to break this sad news to his wife and family and also to his mates up at the Rosse. So, on the final night before the troops were to depart from Bradford Grammar School, Fred made his farewell visit to the pub.

It was handshakes and free pints all the way round, then Fred went home to have his last few hours with his family, a night’s sleep and to pack his kit. I imagine he would catch a bus from Saltaire to Bradford Grammar School to be in time for morning parade, which he must have done.

Then it was line up in the grounds of the school, right (or left) turn and marching off into the unknown.

Off they went, kit and all, striding along Manningham Lane on their way down to Forster Square railway station. What would be known as a troop train was waiting there for them and they boarded this, and it was anybody’s guess where they were bound for.

The train moved off, pulling into Shipley station, the lads thinking it would be a temporary stop before going on to their destination proper. Not a bit of it – the order was ‘all out with your kit, and parade in Station Lane’.

This they did and marched off, finally arriving at Baildon Barracks on Green Lane. That was it, Fred was stationed there for the duration of the war.

Baildon Barracks was the base for a great deal of mechanised military equipment.

Apart from the RASC with their covered vehicle transporters, there were what were known as “half-tracks”. These were half motor vehicle, half caterpillar track, besides sundry others.

Little wonder there were sentries placed at the point where Green Lane starts from the Otley Road end. After all, this was wartime and there was always the possibility of Baildon Barracks being sabotaged.

That being the case, Fred Smith had to take his turn on sentry duty. Whether or not he did this duty between continued sessions at the Rosse Hotel, I am not qualified to say.

All this brings us back to the activities of the slating and tiling firm of E & E Thornton.

War or no war, leaking household roofs needed repairing, this including the housing along Green Lane, and this is where Fred got his revenge on Arthur.

Arthur would have trundled his cart, piled up with all the required equipment, ladders, etc, all the way from Manor Lane to beyond Baildon Bridge. He had done so in vain, for if the intended house roof repair was anywhere on Green Lane, Arthur would be denied access.

With the co-operation of his army mates, Fred made Green Lane a no-go area as far as Arthur was concerned.

The old saying “revenge is sweet” applied only too deservedly in this remarkable and somewhat amusing true story.