I spent four years in Birmingham as a telegram messenger boy (wag) from 1943 to 1947
Growing up in my teens on the Glebe Farm Estate in Birmingham was a very eventful period .
Neville Chamberlain declaring Britain at war with Germany in 1939 changed the lives of everyone ,all able bodied men were then enlisted into the forces, unless they were in a reserved special occupation. All fit women were then directed according to age also into the forces or taking the place of the enlisted men, on the land in the Land Army, Bus drivers & conductors or direct into the many factories making munitions for the war, guns ,tanks, ships, plans, ammunitions-shells bullets, mortors ,mins, handgreades etc
Glebe Farm Estate was only a short distance away from big large factories on the Chester Road Castle Bromwich producing and building many aeroplanes every month, mainly Spitfires Fighters planes and Lancaster Bombers which when built were towed across the road to Castle Browich Aerodrome to be tested for airworthyness before being flown to the many RAF Stations on operational duties
The Chief test pilot at Castle Bromwich was the well know Alex Henshaw who with his other pilots flew in all weathers good or bad, as the planes were so urgently needed. We became used to seeing and hearing many aircraft
Total blackout was in force at night air raid wardens patrolled the streets wailing sirens alarm sounded the alarm night or day when the bombing started ,people hurried to take cover in the shelters were possible we eventually had an Anderson Metal Shelter buried and covered by soil in the back garden in the early fourties inside had bunk beds with blankets , food ,drink etc, some night raids could at times last a long time
Many barrage ballons were sited around Birmingham one only a short distance away & held on by a thick wire wound onto a big metal drum & held on a big mobile heavy vehicle , also nearby on occasions a mobile noisy anti aircraft gun was brought in usually at night when the raids started , seach lights probed the night sky for German Bombers we could tell by the particular sound of their engineson some of their bombers as they approached us overhead. I remember the B.S.A. Factory & the Castle Bromwich Plan Factory both badly damaged by air raids as were many other factories all over the country with many civilian Casualities
Rubber Gas masks were issued to us but thankfully never used, for a few months during the worst of the bombing some children of all ageswere evacuated with teachers , we went to Bardon Hill near Coalville Leicestershire and attened schools in Snibston & Hugglescote , My brother and I did not stay long our parents wanted us back in Birmingham
Back in Birmingham on leaving school at 14 years old my brother started work at the G.P.O. Telephones at Fordrough Lane in Bordesley Green Birmingham in 1942 , also at 14 in 1943 I started as a Telegram boy Messenger for the G.P.O. in Birmingham Head Office in Pinfold Street
After being assessed and being medically passed fit by the post office doctor, similar to the Police uniform was issued Pillbox Hat with a shiny peak and my Hat badge No 109, tunic & trousers red piping-brass buttons leather belt with leather pouch with metal buckle
Commencing duty you were daily inspected ,boots , belts, uniform ,brasses , shirt, haircut etc before being let out on the streets.T o familiarise yourself with the large area you were delivering to you were given 2 days tuition by a regular senior messenger boy before delivering on your own.
Most outdoor messengers purchased a small wakelins Birmingham street guide and a Birmingham street map from Stamford & Mann stationers in Needless Alley off New Street which were both invaluable not just in Central Birmingham but in the many outer districts which you may be sent
Attendance times for messenger boys began at 6am with staggered attendances , 12 noon start being the last of the week day , and with Saturday attendances on a 48 hour working week
Telegrams were widely used during this period by firms advertising of goods despatched , greeting telegrams on birthdays and weddings, and peoples arrival or departure times of ships – planes coaches or trains and also sadder times priority telegrams in yellow envelopes had a blue edge printed on it ,advertising of deaths both civilians and forces personnel, also details of admittance to hospital or similar urgents messages
On the happier ones wedding etc a tip could be given on some occasions !!! . In busy times for longer journeys at the discretion of the inspector a cycle was authorised to be used
A big network of teleprinters across the nation was used to send & receive telegrams in Birmingham the instrument room upstairs & also in the basement housed many working teleprinters , Mobile phones were many years away
All during the war and long after everthing was in short supply ,food was rationed ,everyone had a ration book containing vouchers to exchange for food when available at the shops , with long ques ,petrol & coal strictly rationed . Growing veghetables in your garden was encouraged “Dig for Victory”was the slogan. Keeping poultry , rabbits, pigs, helped
Being sent out on delivery to any where in central Birmingham made you very familiar with all parts of the region, council house , town hall, museums, civic buildings , hotels, theatres, cinemas, casinos, cathedrals, churches, railways stations, snow hill, new street & moor street , central hospital- aciddents & childrens , the gun quarter shadwells street, newspaper offices, Birmingham post & mail canon street evening despatch corporation street lewises & greys big shops in bull street many banks and offices firms in the jewellery quarter ,Assay office, law courts lawley street railway goods depot was a popular place to go , messengers preferred to go through new street station & queens drive along the fish markets in bell street , to all the various stalls in the market , then to the well know bull ring . with many road side traders, then down by st martins church and Smithfield market . Many city visitors asked us for directions
After central Birmingham I was stationed at Yardley District office in Willfrod Road, delivering by cycle towards Small Heath in one direction , and all of Yardley all of Sheldon and just short of Birmingham Airport and away across Stechford , Glebe Farm Estate to Kitts Green , 7 Tile CROSS many miles were covered in all weathers , it certainly kept you fit
For holiday cover I was used and stationed way over at Union Road in Shirley P.O. on the Stratford Road many miles from were I was based
Victory was declared in Europe by Winston Churchill in 1945 followed shortly by V.E.Day after the Atom Bombs were dropped on Japan many thankful celebrations every were
In 1946 I was tested on a B.S.A. Motor Cycl by M r Spendlove chief in charge at Camden Street P.O. Garage, we travelled around the city centre & Harborne and then across past the BSA works in Small Heath up the Coventry Road along the trolley bus route past Elmdon Airport ( now the Birmingham Airport)up to Meridan. After passing out ,for a short period I was posted across to Ralph Street Smethwick,riding a B.S.A. 250cc around the area (another learning curve)
In 1946 the best was yet to come a posting nearer to home in Erdington P.O. in New Sutton Road were there was 3 motorcycle messengers and 2 on cycles
The motor bikes P.O. Nos were 907-908-909 all BSA 350cc kharks coloured ex army machines ,I had 908 reg no GLP 875 mainly which was the best of the three (eventually I was told they were replaced by BSA Bantams ) cheaper running cost etc Bike no 908 was then purchased by Mr Spendlove when put up for sale by the post office I would say a very good buy !!
No crash helmets were required by law , we were issued with a leather helmet similar to a pilots Mask & Gogles 2 pair leather gauntlets ,a leather jacketand 2 pair of big kneelength khaki coloured over coats & big over trousers.plastic macks not yet made then. In bad weather rain or snow they were much needed in a long day period
A old BSA 250cc with a hand gear change fixed on the right hand side of the petrol tank was used as a reserve when your own bike was being serviced by the P.O. Mechanice it was great to get back on your own bike , The delivery area extended down to Gravelly Hill (now Spaghette Juction) Stockland Green Kingstanding,Perry Common, Short Heath, all of Erdington B23 & B24 Pype Hayes & Tybarn Road many residential areas factories & shopping areas on Wednesday afternoons also delivered to Great Barr on some Sundays .On occasions when we were needed we went back to Birmingham Central on overtime and delivered to anywhere in the whole of Birmingham central and many outer districts, map books & street guides very useful, but enjoyed the change
All of the 3 motorcycle messengers at Erdington gained our 3 red stripes on our right arm for our good service and attendance during our time as messengers
The winter of 1947 was very bad winter indeed over a long period the council ran out of grit for the roads, deep snowdrifts & icy roads even the buses & police stopped as it was that bad but we all struggled on ,taking much much longer to get around
As young messengers in Central Birmingham we were given day release to go to Bournville (Cadburys) to prepare for our Civil Service Exam, taken later in Suffolk Street ,Evening classes at Hope Street School in Highgate also helped us prepare before hand ,time passed very quickly in the time I had as a “wag” but I saw a lot and learned a lot and made some good friends
I then went in the arm for 2 years in 13/18th Royal Hassars spending 18 months in Banghai-Barce & Tobruck driving armoured carrs and motorcycles despatch riding but that’s another story
On demob I returned to the Post Office as a postman at Yardley D.O., a PHG IN Head Office ,in the Reg letter Room, a Phg at Birmingham Z Foreign Parcel and customs depot ,later as Asst Inspector back in Birmingham, in the Parcel office on Swallows Street Deck ,in letter sorting office the duties at New Street & Snow Hill Station before returning to Birmingham Z as Asst Inspector in the customs depot and the outward foreign letter & parcel section , very interesting sections too long a story to go into great detail but more friends made
I retired in 1989 with the I.SM, how time flies but the best years of my life
John Lucas
Birmingham
1943 -47 messenger boy