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WW2 dispatch ridershttp://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/08/a2356508.shtml |
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| BlazingPalace |
My dad before joining the RAF was a dispatch rider with the local council (Croydon) He was 17 and in a job making parts for aircraft in a factory off the Purley way.
He was a keen flyer with the air cadets and was just waiting to be old enough before joining the RAF as a pilot. During the height of the bombing raids during the blitz he would have to ride his push bike from Croydon Town Hall to the satellite fire stations with orderings for the trailer pumps etc. Sometimes because of lack of communications with telephone wires down he would have to cycle from Croydon to as far as Brixton with an ordering during a bombing raid, being young he thought it was really great and exciting. He has some great stories of different events happening to him whilst running his messages, during the daylight hours watching the dog fights and night time seeing the sky above London glow red |
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| smudger22 |
And we moan at our job sometimes?
Like the oldies say "You've never had it so good" :D |
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| BlazingPalace |
As I start to type this I hope I am not giving you the idea that my Dad was some kind of Fire Brigade anorak.
One early evening he was sent by his mum down to get some fish and chips for his dads tea, as he walked down the road he saw several fire engines racing down the road, as he looked he saw a deep red glow in the sky so decided to follow. As he got closer the glow got bigger and bigger with more people walking with him towards this glow, more appliances rushing past, it was the great fire at Crystal Palace. He walked / run from Norbury to Crystal Palace to see the blaze. Mind you he got the “belt” when he got home several hours later with no fish and chips for his dad |
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| smudger22 |
I thought I'd seen him as he ran past!
:D |
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| Blaze Bear |
you knicked his chips, didn't you!! |
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| BlazingPalace |
smugger is like that!! | ||
| smudger22 |
Go on laugh it big boys, in 18 months I'm off ! Ha!
Then we'll see who's laughing. And yes, I did nick his chips. :roll: |
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