no compensation could be claimed. This made it impossible for him to work in the coal mines. There was no other work available so he remained unemployed until the war came in 1939.

When I was 15 years old with no prospect of work locally and since I had left school at 14, my father was not having any unemployment benefit for me. They had to support me themselves.

I went to Birmingham to look for work. I had an uncle who had been in Birmingham for 12 months but he was in lodgings himself so I stayed with another family that was originally from Fochriw.

I had work with a car manufacturer working a 48 hour week for a wage of 15/- per week which worked out at 1.5p per hour. After paying for lodgings I had 12 ½ pence a week left over. In those days there was no paid holidays so, at Christmas, I would have to pay my railfare home plus pay for my lodgings in Birmingham even though I was not there. I would have a pay rise when I was 16 but that was 12 months away and the lodgings would have increased by then so I had to save all I could. I couldn’t stay in the lodgings every evening so I spent my time in the local library.

In 1935 the Italians were fighting in Africa and Hitler was making noises in Germany so it seemed that war was not far away. I was interested in mechanical things so I started to study aero engines. All the information was available in the reference library and it kept me interested at no cost.

In 1937 work was found for me at Ogilvie Colliery, Deri. I was still living in Birmingham. The landlady was having the profit so by coming home at least there was more cash for the family.

We were still living at No3 Station Terrace, Fochriw but this was now not very convenient since I was 17 and my sister Glenys was 13, so we moved to William’s Row and eventually to Martin Street.

I still continued to study aero engines with the object of joining the RAF if war came. By 1939 I had obtained two diplomas, one in aero engine maintenance and the other in engine overhaul.

When conscription came in 1940 I joined the RAF on 13 August 1940, but that is the subject of another tale.

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