Title
Memories of WW2 in Leicester
Subject
Leicester in WW2
Description
John Revis recalls the start of WW2 at home, and Americans fighting at the local pub.
Creator
EMOHA
Source
Ref: EMOHA68/3
Publisher
EMOHA
Rights
You may use this item in accordance with the licence https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/deed.en
Format
.mp3
Language
English
Type
Oral history
Original Format
Cassette
Duration
2 min 16 sec
Transcription
At the beginning of the war, actually, though, the first Leicesters were billeted in our area around Walnut St through to Clarendon street. The first Leicesters were billeted in all the houses round there, and they were the first to go out to France, and I think most of them were wiped out - that group. But my father was then a divisional air raid warden and he gave me responsibility from the age of 10 for the family, because as soon as an air raid he had to go out, and he instilled on me I was the man of the house, at 10. And I had to get the whole of the family with the suitcase, with food and water, into the air raid shelter. And if there was a bombing coming near, I had to strut the walls and all sorts of things. Strut the walls, get timbers and, you know, sort of shore in case anything came down on you. I can remember watching Coventry burn. From the front doorstep. We saw it burning . We stood on our front doorstep, looking over to the West, and the sky was red. Everything was red. That was Coventry burning.
Did you have any connection with Americans in the area at all?
No, I didn't. The only connection we had was great. Fun to go down if there was a fight. It was usually fights at the Lifeboat Inn, which was in New Bridge St, just between Chestnut St and Walnut Street. It's a more modern pub than the rest, and that's the one the Americans tended to use, and there was always punching, punch ups, there and you'd get down as soon as you could see the Jeeps arrive with the with the police, with their white... White putties and white belts swinging their truncheons against the side of their jeeps, and then they swing them into the fellas and. And of course, the girls like them as well because they, yes, they, they had the money. Yes, the girls did like them, yes.
Did people gossip a lot?
Oh, yes. Oh yes. The expression in Leicester was she's standing in with him. She’s standing in - it’s a lovely expression isn’t it? She's standing in with the Yanks. Yeah.
Did you have any connection with Americans in the area at all?
No, I didn't. The only connection we had was great. Fun to go down if there was a fight. It was usually fights at the Lifeboat Inn, which was in New Bridge St, just between Chestnut St and Walnut Street. It's a more modern pub than the rest, and that's the one the Americans tended to use, and there was always punching, punch ups, there and you'd get down as soon as you could see the Jeeps arrive with the with the police, with their white... White putties and white belts swinging their truncheons against the side of their jeeps, and then they swing them into the fellas and. And of course, the girls like them as well because they, yes, they, they had the money. Yes, the girls did like them, yes.
Did people gossip a lot?
Oh, yes. Oh yes. The expression in Leicester was she's standing in with him. She’s standing in - it’s a lovely expression isn’t it? She's standing in with the Yanks. Yeah.
Interviewer
Colin Hyde
Interviewee
John Revis
Location
Interviewee's home
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