When I was a youngster I was spellbound by the tales told by my maternal grandfather, "Pop" Edwards, from Robert Street, about all the "scrapes" he got into during his navy days.

Grandparents and indeed, great grandparents, are a wonderful path to learning
more about the life and times of days gone by.

And this week I'm continuing with a few of the recollections of "Old Pill Boy" and his gang, from Milford during the Second World War.

"On the seaward side of Black Bridge is a large pool, gouged out by the water coming through the sluice gate from the Hilton side of the bridge. We used to swim in there, catch crabs, and altogether spend more time there than at the swimming pool on the Rath.

"It was called 'The Baisley' and it was many years later I found out why. A chap called Jack Baisley used his time collecting large stones, which he used to construct a curved wall around the pool at Black Bridge, so enhancing the work done by nature.

"We were very lucky in Milford with regard to bombing, just the one at the Meads meant for Goose Pill, and the oil bomb above Black Bridge, on the area which, I believe, is called Gardeloupe (for some reason) which was meant, I would think, for the Depot.

"Quite a few aircraft crashed in Pembrokeshire, the nearest one to Milford being on the Docks, when a Wellington bomber with an Australian crew crashed, all the crew were killed. (this tragedy has appeared in previous TRMs).

"All that was left then, were the mines dropped in the harbour at night, with the hope of sinking some of the ships assembling in Dale Roads for convoy duties.
We used to watch trawlers nicknamed The Football Boats... Huddersfield Town, Derby County etc on Saturdays and Sundays, steaming around the harbour blowing the enemy mines up with rifle fire.

"One stormy night one mine blew up in Scotch Bay. I managed to get a large part of it the following morning, but the police took it away while I was at school.
Scotch Bay was the receiver of many things, good and bad, sports equipment from a torpedoed American Liberty boat, baseball bats, balls, hats and boxing gloves, as well as sides of pork and bacon strewn over the beach and very smelly until they were removed.

Cellar HillCellar Hill (Image: Jeff Dunn)

"All sorts of things happened in Pill during the war. There was the artist on Cellar Hill beach, seemingly sketching the Depot. We contacted the police and he was taken away and never seen again!

"Our gang would cook dinner in the den in a cast-iron pot, all the veg plus two Oxo for meat.

"The rest of the day was spent red-eyed, with black smoke streaks around eyes and down cheeks. Should've had a chimney in the den!

"We built a bonfire, and Granny Marchant kept guard over it, preventing Middle and Top Pill boys setting fire to it. She was a dab hand with a bucket!

"It cost threepence for five Woodbines. Adults, for a joke, would give us safety matches with nothing to strike them on, little knowing that they would strike on glass or green paint.

"The owner of a house in Murray Road could never understand why his back door was always scratched, but luckily he always repainted it green.

"There was no electricity in houses in Pill, and probably not throughout Milford, but my father had a diesel generator, which we ran for a couple of hours each night charging large glass batteries which then gave us electric light. This was especially a requirement on a Monday for the programme on the wireless 'Monday Night at Eight', made up of quizzes, games and exciting serials.
Wet celled batteries could be charged up by Mr Backhouse at his music, musical instrument and wireless shop at the top of Charles Street for the price, I believe, of one shilling.

"Eventually Pill did get electricity but somehow it wasn't as comfortable as a feather mattress, a candle, and 'Biggles' to read during a cold, wet wintery evening. Under those conditions we used to volunteer to go to bed.

"So the war continued. A Focke Wolfe 190 was picked up in a trawler's net, and the ship steamed into Milford docks with it balanced precariously on the fo'csle. It was said to be the first piece of that aircraft to be acquired by the War Office.

"On the other side of the picture they also had to contend with hauling mines, torpedoes and other ordnance aboard and were committed to secure them and bring them into Milford.

"One skipper, after bringing ordnance back on his previous trip, and with the safety of the crew and ship in mind, cut away the nets on his next trip because he thought they contained a mine and a torpedo. He was fined on returning to port; a cash sum and so many trips ashore.

"We had a lot of trouble with a gentleman called 'the one-armed' farmer. He made our life purgatory if we ever went too far into Hilton Woods. We did get our own back on odd occasions when he came into Milford on his horse, offering to hold the horse while he did his shopping. Once he had left the Market Square we would let it go!

"The war was slowly easing. Hitler was dead, just the Japanese, and the worry of personnel being posted to the Far East.

"The Barrage Balloon went from Pill Lane field, and the Bofors Gun from the far end of the Rath.

"I have tried to write this article from memory, they are events that did happen, a little mixed up perhaps.

"The Pill people were good people, a fact realised by many. When I have asked people to do me a favour and they are not too inclined, they have done the favour with the remark: "Ah well, you're a Pill boy" - a reflection on the people with whom I was brought up."

What gems these memories of Old Pill Boy are, and, growing up in Pill a decade later, I'm more than delighted that some of his, and his gang's escapades, continued unabated through our "Vicaries" gang. Some of which I described in my "Giggles on the Gunkle."

Here are two pics to complete OPB's tales: Black Bridge in 1945 and Cellar Hill.

That's all for now, except for this week's quote from Rodney Dangerfield: "You know you're getting older if you have more fingers than real teeth."

Take care, please stay safe.