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This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Pauline Ward [daughter] on behalf of Alf Daines [the author] and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

Also during the 1939-45 war a V1 Doodle Bug fell in the village. I saw and heard the Doodle Bug coming, it was making a hell of a noise. It went right over us and carried on for sometime. When the engines cut out it didn't come straight down but glided back to the village. It landed at Hill Farm or Lower farm (known by both names). It fell in a 7-acre field that had just been harvested. It did not make a very big hole, but the impact broke the back of one of the sows that was in the field. The other sows and piglets were just standing like they had been mesmerised. The thatch on the farmhouse was set alight but not too badly. It was soon put out.

The Doodle Bug fell about 20 yards away from where a piece of Zepplin had landed in the 1914-1918 war. I was told later that it had been shot down near Colchester. Also had an incendiary dropped. It did not go off or set alight anything on fire. The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Guard tied it to a long pole and put it in the pond. It was there a long time. The Poslingford road was closed again for the third time when they said a land mine had dropped at Wentford Farm. The road was closed and we were diverted through the farmyard and eventually came out on the Poslingford/Clare/Chilton corner. The best of it was the diversion took you so you could see the thing in the ditch (they said that it could explode at any time). After a few days they found that it could not explode, as it was part of a mine that had fallen in Chiltern Street and had done some damage to some barns there.

A V2 rocket crashed at Edmunds Farm on November 29th at 19:50 hours. This rocket was called Big Ben 278. I think it was the 44th rocket to fall in this country. The farmer Mr. Strutt Parker that was living in Flax Farm was blown out of bed by the explosion. It was launched in Holland at 19:44 hours, so it only took 6 minutes to get here. (you might wonder how I knew this, well a Mosquito crew saw it being launched.

We were told the next day that the fire engine had been sent to Cavendish by mistake. When they realised it was Poslingford they tried to get there via the fields but got stuck on route. (I don't know if that is the truth).

Hundreds of planes passed over our village on September 17th 1944. Most were pulling gliders on the way to Arnham in Holland. This was known as Operation Market Garden. One glider broke loose from the Dakota that was pulling it and it came down near the Folly road in Chiltern. It had 7 men in it a jeep and guns etc.

There were a lot of different regiments of soldiers in Poslingford House in the first part of the war. When the troops came back from Dunkirk a lot of them came to Poslingford to be "sorted out" as there were Scots and Irish all different regiments mixed together. After a time they were all put back with their own regiments. After the army had left the house it was used as a holiday home for the young boys and girls from London and big cities, but they had to help out on the local farms. I think they did very well fruit picking but not so good potato picking and sugar beeting when it was wet. Some of them were wearing high-heeled shoes and sandals. If they got wet as they very often did, they could start walking back before they got picked up. The mud would be all up the leg. They would be wet through. As they passed us we would say, "now you know how we suffer on the land". They would soon swear at us then.

The Clare butcher would come on Tuesday and a Saturday. He would ask you on Tuesday what you would like on Saturday and the same thing Saturday for Tuesday. I remember him saying one day. "Madam what would like for Saturday" (you rarely got what you ordered) she said, "My husband would like a piece of Pork Bone". (We called Loin of Pork, Pork bone). When he came the next week he said "how did your husband enjoy the pork". "My husband said to tell you he doesn't like pork bone with tits on". He had sent her belly pork, which is a cheaper piece of meat.

As the war went on the farm workers were being called up for the forces, so the women used to go into the fields to help out at busy times. There were two Italian Prisoners of war at New House Farm, good workers they were too. In their spare time they would make lovely baskets, getting the wood from hedgerows. Sadly, one got injured. A heffer in Church Meadow at New House Farm came into season (bulling we called it) and got into Palmers Meadow at Poslinford Hall farm with their bull and cows. The two prisoners came to get the heffer back and the heffer ran straight at one of them and a horn went right into one of his eyes. He was taken to Bury St. Edmunds Hospital but never came back.

Some of the things we had when war broke out that we haven't got now were, the Shop, Post Office, Shepherd and Dog Pub, Blacksmiths Shop and the mission hut. There used to be a service in the church every Sunday and the five bells rang by Albert Hicks, Arch Barton, Bill Daines, George Mortlock and Herbert Bridge. Bert Hicks and George Bridge learnt so that they could help out if anyone was ill or away.

We had football and cricket teams also a darts club.

Two vans came on a Tuesday and one on a Friday that sold everything from Paraffin, oil, vinegar, candles, and pots and pans, nearly everything you could think of. A van used to come round when greenpeas were in season. The driver would stand in the road and shout "Peas peas 2d a quart, make you f**t more than you ought.

We had a home guard. They came out one evening per week and on Sunday mornings. They were called out in the middle of the night when someone reported paratroopers dropping in the woods. It was a false alarm.

One week per year we had War Weapons Week, Wings for Victory and Warship week etc. to raise money to help pay for different things to help win the war. We had something on every evening and on Saturday and Sunday had whist drives, children sports and sports for the older ones as well like football and catching eggs. We gave things to be sold by auction and jumble sales. It was a lot of work getting ready for these things but it was enjoyed by most of us. Later on we had a home coming fund so all had a little money when they came home from forces.

For a little pocket money I fetched cans of milk from Poslingford Hall. New milk was 3 old pennies per pint and skim was a 1/2 penny a pint. The skim milk was mostly used for milk puddings. I was paid 3 old pence per week from each household. I got six different peoples milk. I also took 2 buckets of water from one end of the village to the other for one penny, (3 times a week). If someone forgot something or needed anything quick I used to walk or run to Clare for 2 or 3 old pence. We could run from Poslingford to Wentford Farm in Grovel ditch, sometimes the roadside of the ditch and sometimes the field side. After saving some money from doing these jobs I had a grand total of £14.1s.3d when I left school at 14. I left school on the Friday and started work the next day at Poslingford Hall. Work started at 6am, breakfast at 9-10am, dinner at 1-2pm and work finished at 5pm. Saturdays we worked until 1pm. I used to go back on Saturday afternoon to separate and sell the milk, feed the hens and collect the eggs. I did the same on Sunday morning and afternoon. My first wage was £1.

We had lots of the Army on manoeuvres about here. Tanks, lorries, Jeeps, gun carriers, cars etc. perhaps 200-300 men. Children walking to school, people walking the footpaths. Never heard of anyone being raped or attacked. We never locked our doors (its not like it is now).

We had a searchlight here for part of the war and then it was moved to Cavendish. There was also a dummy drome. This was supposed to flash its lights when an air raid was on. We were told that a German Plane dropped a wooden bomb on it, I don't know if it did.

I also remember that four old cottages in the village were sold for £65 for the lot. I knew the man that bought them. He had got bombed out where he lived so bought these instead. A lot of the older people of the village said at the time, "Paying all that b***dy money for those old places. The poor old b**ger was robbed.

I could go on a lot more, but if I get in "LETS TALK" I think people will get fed up reading all this about Poslingford.

If people are interested in Poslingford I could write things that I have been told from the older residents, things that happened over 100 years ago. I can remember these things as clear as day, but I have terrible trouble recalling things that happened last week.

Just a couple more of interesting points. People tell me I must be talking out the back of my head when I tell them about one of the farmers, Mr Burton. He used to cut his corn with a binder using only one horse. They say you must need at least two horses because you need two to go on the pole. Well I'll tell you how it was done. The pole was fixed in the Tumble (cart) and the horse was put in the shafts to pull the cart, and the binder came behind. Mr. Burton would lead the horse. He didn't ride in the cart as he said it was quite enough for the horse without his weight as well. Mrs. Burton could pick up the loose ears of corn and push them in the shafe.

A woman looking after her husband and 4 brothers just up the road from where I lived had no coal to cook the dinner on so she used old shoes. We asked them if it tasted better or worse. We used to have a laugh even though we worked hard. We used to lift sacks of corn that weighed 16 stone and clover seed that weighed 20 stone.

Alf Daines

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