Many people of my age, born in the mid-1940's, will, like me, have no distinct memories of what it was like during the 2nd World War.

I've always been fascinated by those difficult times and, over the years, through research of old local papers, and also from correspondents to my TRM columns, I've learned much of what it was like living in Milford during that period.

In 1944, I was born in the Front Room of 47 Robert Street, and my dad, Lance Corporal Gunner Billy Dunn, despite his pleadings, failed to get a pass, so went AWOL from his Unit to travel down to Milford in order to see his wife and child. He was soon returned to barracks, of course, then, when he was shipped across to fight in France and Germany, although he was now a stripeless Private, with a snap of his wife and new born son in his pocket, he was a contented one. I, of course, knew nothing of all this as I happily lay, blowing bubbles in my pram.  

But those Milford kids, born a decade earlier, were a different breed, and today their childhood recollections include Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's Sunday 3rd Sepember 1939 announcement: "We are at war with Germany and their Allies," as well as some exciting ventures.

The escapades of "Old Pill Boy," born in 1930, are a perfect example, and here are some of his personal Milford Haven childhood memories of the 2nd World War: "Life was now a different kettle of fish. As children we all had to grow up very quickly.. perhaps the reason why the present day youngster doesn't resemble the youngster of my day.

Scotch BayScotch Bay (Image: Jeff Dunn)
"When thinking about it, we had more freedom and had to look after ourselves, youngsters today, on the other hand, have a more restricted freedom but seem to be spoilt rotten.
"Our free time was spent on all sorts of adventures. A small coaster had sunk just outside Castle Pill between Wards Pier and the Pill outlet, and in rough weather pom-pom shells and 303 rifle bullets would be washed ashore. We soon found out that by throwing them against the wall the heads would loosen, and we could obtain the cordite. When lit... the cowboys had nothing on us!
"One day I found a brown paper bag full of two- inch tubes. Not ever having had anything so shining and new before, I brought them home to show my mother who was making jam in a large saucepan on the open fire. She wasn't very interested so I threw the one I was showing her on the fire... and while she was in the process of reminding me of the message on the wireless about the danger of throwing things on the fire..it blew up..splitting the saucepan so that the jam put the fire out.
"With great excitement I told one of the gang. He took two of the copper tubes and disappeared into his house, only to come out again complaining that he'd put both on the fire and nothing had happened. His complaints were suddenly accompanied by a loud bang and a distorted kettle!
"We later found out that they were detonators, and many a pleasant hour was spent down the council fields after dark. The council fields was one of the areas we spent much of our time.
"It was a means of getting down to Scotch Bay or to the railway line for blackberries, a scramble area with the dandies and a sledging area in the winter (snow or no snow).
"Some of the more daring would have gorse bushes set alight and drive through them on the dandy.. at the expense of one person's Sunday suit!
"When the air raids started on Pembroke Dock it must have made us realise that it wasn't all fun. I don't remember dates or sequences of events but we did have an oil bomb drop in a field on the Neyland road, near Mr Jones' farm above Blackbridge.
"I went to see it, it was just a 45 gallon drum leaking oil and as it hadn't exploded we were kept well away by the police... We also had a bomb fall down the Meads behind Cromwell Road, and two or three more in the sea below the swimming pool... but more of them later.
"I don't know how it happened, but for some reason... and I can't for the life of me understand how it came about... five of us became messenger boys in the Fire Brigade in Sept 1941.
"My birthday, according to the application form, was 7/5/1928, but according to everything else it should have been 7/5/1930, so I was just eleven years old. "There were two of us who added a couple of years to our age, but looking at an eleven year old boy today it makes me wonder whether the officer signing us on had been on the bottle!
"Our duties were to report to the fire station at all times when alert sounded, night or day, other than during school times. According to the records we attended on Sept 21st, 28th and 30th; and also on Oct 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th,10th,12th... and so on. It seems that if there's a war on... sleep is not a requirement. Our purpose was to be available to deliver messages to different areas if there should be a failure in normal communications. When the siren
went we had a sequence so that the last boy to be called upon would be the same each time, because his mother insisted that he had a hot cup of cocoa before leaving the house.
"During this period a German aircraft was picked up in the searchlights, and with some shrapnel whistling about it seemed the pilot retaliated and dropped a stick of bombs.
"Some of us took cover in the garden of a house. We knew the house well... their bull terrier could open the front door with his teeth... as we learnt to our cost when carol singing previously! Some of the others preferred to take their chances with the bombs and dived over the bank towards where the bombs exploded.
"There had been arguments as to whether bombs could be seen when falling... they can!
"We reported to the fire station and I can't remember any fuss; we didn't even have counselling, and certainly no time off.
"The bombs fell in the sea below where the swimming pool was and to the left of the sewage outflow. On Spring tides, we could swim in the craters."

These "Old Pill Boy" wartime memories are a treasure and here are two pics to go with them.... one of Scotch Bay, the other of the 1940 Milford Fire Brigade.
That's all for now, my "words of wisdom" this week come from Washington Irving: "Whenever a man's friends begin to compliment him about looking young, he may be sure that they think he is growing old."
Take care, please stay safe.