First of the month: report in, Armed Guard friends. (Finally, I beat Fran to the punch.)
Ron Carlson, Webmaster
Re: May muster
Posted by John Haynes on May 1, 2013, 8:33 am, in reply to "May muster"
Thanks for the early alert, Ron. Today, May 1st. is my 90th birthday and I feel GREAT. Having lunch with my wife and son and going fishing this afternoon. Saturday they are planning a family birthday party for me and a couple of other family members. What more does an old sailor need? Still looking forward to our trip to the UK with College of the Ozarks students for the 70th Anniversary of the "Battle of the North Atlantic". Cheers everyone and God Bless. John Haynes
Re: May muster
Posted by bob taylor on May 12, 2013, 2:07 am, in reply to "Re: May muster"
Have a nice trip to 'Jolly Old' My old chum Tom Bowerman bless him posted the following website. http://www.armed-guard.com/activity.html (my email address is now updated) And Many Happy Returns Of The Day.
Re: May muster
Posted by Fran Kent on May 1, 2013, 1:12 pm, in reply to "Re: May muster"
A bit tardy getting my flag up here. My aging cat is causing problems. Thanks, Ron, for lighting the fire. And happy birthday, John. In slightly more than two two years, God willing, I'll join you in that select group of elders who have completed nine decades. -- Fran
Re: May muster
Posted by Gerald Burr on May 1, 2013, 4:24 pm, in reply to "Re: May muster"
I thought this morning about getting greetings out for the monthly muster but I'm getting a little slow but have good intentions. I will be 89 in July so I'm a little behind John. My Spinal Stenosis is really slowing down our style of living but enjoying life with my wife of 67 years. Hope we can all greet each other in June. Gerry Burr
Re: May muster
Posted by Bob Higgins on May 2, 2013, 10:41 pm, in reply to "Re: May muster"
Had my 88th Birthday the 24th of April and am sill in fair health.Hope you all are having calm seas and a following wind.
Re: May muster
Posted by Fran Kent on May 1, 2013, 7:28 pm, in reply to "Re: May muster"
Gerry: Did the surgery help at all? I too hope we're all still here in June -- and beyond. -- Fran
Re: May muster
Posted by Al Burnham on May 3, 2013, 1:02 pm, in reply to "Re: May muster"
Checking in. A little late but Happy Birthday John. So far it looks like I,m the yongest. I,am 86, will be 87 in Jan. 2014. It certainly is good to see you all mustering in. As you have seen our fires have started early in Ca. In the Northern Ca. we also have a big fire going in steep canyon like terrain. No houses involved. ----Al
Re: May muster
Posted by Clarence Rutherford on May 4, 2013, 11:24 pm, in reply to "Re: May muster"
CHECKING IN! SORRY I HAVE BEEN LAX IN WRITING, BUT TIME KEEPS FLYING BYE. ALWAYS GOOD TO HEAR FROM YOU ALL. "WE" ARE GETTING SCARCE, SO NEED TO KEEP IN TOUCH! MY BEST TO YOU ALL. CLARENCE
Re: May muster
Posted by Roy Brown on May 4, 2013, 10:04 pm, in reply to "Re: May muster"
I'm still here! Happy Birthday,John...have a great time in England. Tell us about your trip when you return. My recent trip to the hospital must have helped in some way because I feel better. Probably due to a new heart medicine and doubling one of my other meds. My doctor said it was GOD that did it!!! I believe my doctor is right. All credit goes to God! Take care of yourselves and God Bless. Roy Brown
stuff and things
Posted by Roy Brown on May 8, 2013, 10:18 am, in reply to "Re: May muster"
My birthday is Mother's Day! Now who do you suppose will be on our kids minds???!!! Oh, well, such is life. I'll be 87. Happy Mother's day to ALL mothers. God Bless all. Roy Brown
Re: stuff and things
Posted by bob taylor on May 11, 2013, 2:46 am, in reply to "stuff and things"
During the sixteenth century, people returned to their mother church the main church or cathedral of the area, for a service to be held on Laetare Sunday. This was either a large local church, or more often the nearest Cathedral.Anyone who did this was commonly said to have gone "a-mothering", although whether this term preceded the observance of Mothering Sunday is unclear. In later times, Mothering Sunday became a day when domestic servants were given a day off to visit their mother church, usually with their own mothers and other family members. It was often the only time that whole families could gather together, since on other days they were prevented by conflicting working hours, and servants were not given free days on other occasions.
Mother's Day is celebrated this coming Sunday in the US
England does not have a Mother's day as such but uses a corruption of the above bygone custom.
The Sundays before Easter are:
Mothering Sunday
Curds and Whey
Palm Sunday
Easter Day
Bob Taylor
Re: stuff and things
Posted by Roy Brown on May 11, 2013, 8:10 pm, in reply to "Re: stuff and things"
Thanks Bob Taylor for the interesting history lesson.I had not heard the information you gave us. But then...I''m OLD, OLD, OLD!!! Gosh, I almost forgot, ALL you guys are OLD too!!! Thanks again, Bob. As I sit here this evening my mind goes back to 11 May 1944 when we were in Convoy UGS-40 off North Africa. We came under a massive attack by German JU-88 torpedo planes, Dornier-270 bombers, Heinkel-111 bombers, and a four engine FW-200 bomber guiding radio-controlled glide bombs. I remember because it was the evening before my 18th birthday! Wow! what a birthday "present" from Herman Goering. Memories...we each have 'em. God Bless all. Roy Brown
Re: stuff and things
Posted by bob taylor on June 3, 2013, 1:57 am, in reply to "Re: stuff and things"
I was born in Coventry in 1925. I started at Spon Street School in 1930, a typical back street stone school of the day. It was built in 1873 and demolished by Germany in 1940.
Most boys in my class were together for all of our nine years schooling. All mixed ok and I never remember any problems in or out of school even as it was a lower working class area. All of us went home for lunch. Not a lot to significantly remember about day-to-day activity. My friend Alfie Ward and I often ran little races together in the playground but as he was smaller than me I always seemed to win. A singular memory!
The normal school leaving age was 14 but in September 1939, when war had broken out, all boys who would become 14 before Christmas were called together and explained the new situation.As my 14th birthday was in November I was included.
"Your schooldays are now over," we were told. "Factories here need extra labour urgently and you will straight away be directed to your new jobs."
My new job was with Armstrong Siddeley, a company situated not too far from the city centre that had switched over their main production from cars to aircraft engines. The main metal working area in this factory consisted of lathes, grinding machines, drilling and milling machines. I was allocated to the latter. These machines were equipped with revolving cutters designed to cut and shape metal down to the required size. The metal in question here was mainly cast iron. But in my case it was steel, specifically threaded steel screws.
My job, or rather the machine's job, was to cut a screwdriver slot in the top of the screw. In the world of unfantastic endeavour I would rate this operation as pretty high. Under the watchful eye of the foreman I placed a screw in a chuck mounted on the machine's movable surface, then pulled a lever. The screw was propelled under a cutter so producing a slot. "There you are," said the foreman, "you've learnt a trade, carry on." Boxes of freshly minted screws arrived and I carried on!
I don't know if there was any air-conditioning in this building but I doubt it. From where I stood the far wall was obliterated by a foggy haze made up with mostly cast-iron dust, oily smoke from the turret lathes and particles thrown up by the grinders. Plus almost everyone smoked, continually by many.
Most of the men were unskilled but were needed for high-volume repetition work. They came from many parts of the UK and Ireland. The machines were set up by local skilled engineers and with a minimum of tuition could be operated by the newcomers. Everything was geared up for maximum production to meet the needs of the war.
The toilets, for want of a better word for these smelly hellholes, were always busy. After a visit to the crowded bare wall urinal, men would stand and natter as long as possible to eke out as much time as they could away from their work station. Bookies' runners were always available throughout the day and betting slips were passing around continually. Also making fun of and handing out hurtful comments to us boys seemed to hearten them considerably. The rows of cubicles were not cubicles at all but merely toilet bowls separated by waist-high boards. No doors. They were always fully occupied. After a while I tried to avoid using the toilets as much as possible. To this end I took my midday lunch break sandwiches outside to eat and find a quiet spot for a pee undisturbed.
1939 drifted into 1940, which is when Germany's bombing offensive hotted up. My Dad had constructed an air raid shelter in the back yard and he, my Mum and I just sat the raids out as well as we could. Not only were bombs howling down but small incendiary devices were interspersed with them. They needed a bucket of sand pouring over them if you had the nerve. A particularly horrific raid took place in November 1940. A large part of the fine old medieval city centre was flattened. Surprisingly my factory didn't suffer major damage and those who outlived the night were at work next day, with tales to tell of course.
In 1941 Germany invaded Russia and later that year Germany declared war on the USA. By 1942 I'd been transferred from screw slotting to milling cast-iron. I was also smoking, the combination of both no doubt lead to my constantly emitting much dark phlegm and having a permanent cough.
1943 August, aged 17, I joined the Navy.
Private Alfred Ward was killed in Europe in 1945.
Re: May muster
Posted by Earl Moore on May 6, 2013, 1:18 pm, in reply to "Re: May muster"
Wow another May Next month Ill be 88. Happy birthday John Have a good trip. Tell us all the goodies when you get back. Earl