Len's war memories

Huddersfield Daily Examiner (Huddersfield, England), Feb 19, 2005

Len Parker's marvellous memories of his teenage years during the Second World War are now part of a BBC archive.

He sent them to Kirklees Libraries who submitted them to the BBC People's War website <www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ww2>.

He now lives in retirement at Totties after working at David Brown's for 30 years. But he grew up at Lowerhouses and went to Hillhouse School and as a 15-year-old during the summer of 1943, looked after the cattle on Castle Hill banking for a farmer for 6d an hour.

When it came to tallying up, the farmer preferred to make a trade instead of paying cash and Len accepted a double barrelled shotgun and cartridges.

Soon after, he met and became firm friends with 17-year-old James Allard Truman, the son of a solicitor. The two of them, with Len's dog Jet, became inseperable and hunted rabbit, wood pigeon, hare and pheasant in the grasslands and woodlands and caught trout in Freshfield Dyke.

They had an arrangement with a local butcher and on one three-day jaunt bagged 100 rabbits. It was all welcome food at a time of rationing.

James joined the Green Howards and took part in the D Day landings. Later his forward observation post was blown up by an allied shell: his three companions died and he was badly wounded. He sent Len pounds 2 and asked him to buy him a dog for when he came home. Len went to a village near Barnsley and paid pounds 5 for a whippet he named Monty.

"For some reason my fare home on the bus was 4d and his was six."

War had a serious affect on James. His plans had included going to medical school or training as a solicitor: instead he opted for a career in gardening.

Len's memories are among many from the Home Front. Anybody can add theirs to the archive, whether as a civilian or from a service perspective.

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