This article was published in the West Sussex Gazette on 13th September 2001.

Born almost a decade after the end of the First World War, Harold Taylor came into this World in Arundel. He is the youngest of six children, having two half sisters and a half brother from his mother's first marriage, and two brothers from the second marriage, after she became a widow. In his second year Harold moved with his family to Chichester, went through the schooling system there and then onto working as a plumber's mate with his half brother, Bill. He then went on to work for another couple of firms before ending up at the Chichester Electric Company.

Having been at the Electric Company about a year, it came to my knowledge that there was a plumber in Bosham needing an assistant. I had applied for one previous job at Emsworth, but working out difficulties of travel, together with pay and expenses, it did not seem viable. So I went to the interview in Bosham and found it to be a one man firm working from Taylor's Lane.

The man, Tommy Guy, was father of two lads who had been at school with me. Alf was about three year older and the other boy, I think Tommy also, was a couple of years younger. Incidentally, he was doing the job I had originally wanted to do before I was old enough to leave school - working for Rowe's as an agricultural engineer. His tradesman was the brother of a friend of mine, and the son of the village blacksmith, Jack Knight, at East Ashling.

It seems that Alf was awaiting call up in the navy and Tommy wanted a replacement before he went. I took a drop in money to go there, but accepted the wage he offered, provided he covered the Employment Stamp and reviewed the wages after 6 months.

It was a fair ride each day, but I suppose for the summer months it was not too bad. I would take my pre-cooked dinner in a metal camping outfit, which Mrs Guy would re-heat for me, and I would eat out in the workshop. It used to be a tedious lunch break for me, with about 10 minutes eating and the rest hanging about.

I was quite happy with the work and attended some interesting houses. Tommy obviously had a good reputation and we would often travel 5 or 6 miles on our bikes. This again was a bit of a drawback, as, having spent that time travelling with him, I then had to get home. Rarely was our work towards Chichester. We would often have to cross the water to Itchenor using the ferry, which in those days was in operation by rowing boat.

Alf eventually went into the navy.

I got to know more and more of the ways around the district, working in the homes of many notable people. I remember one in particular, who lived on an old east coast sailing ship tied up at the Bosham jetty. He was Admiral Burgess-Watson, who was later called up to do convoy duties.

All this time I was still in the Home Guard, and Tommy was also. Earlier that year there had been some new moves afoot. In effect there were 7 platoons, but the Post Office kept their own unit, which was essentially a signals platoon. The powers that be decided to become adventurous and tried to organise the 6 platoons in the Sussex Battalion with a Machine Gun Section and a Signals Section.

When this came about, Alfie Shippam and I put in for the Signals and three of our four friends went for the Machine Gun Section. This meant us leaving our no. 6 platoon eventually. They were becoming overcrowded in view of the conscription anyhow, and the same comradeship no longer existed.

Of course Alfie was getting near call up age, whether he had made any preference I cannot recall, but when he was called up he went in the navy as a wireless telegraphist.

I think that by this time I had decided what I was going to do. I had tried to join the army as Boy Service, but my father would not hear of it. However, Flo came up with the knowledge that one could go to sea at my age in the Merchant Navy, and a neighbour of hers had a son who was a radio officer. It was suggested that I could go for training and my father had agreed. I do not recall if any date had been set, or if enquiries were still being made.

However, I started the signals training in the Home Guard. This was carried out at the High School, and the G.P.O. employees were our instructors.

I had made enquiries at Smith and Jewels war factory with a view to finance myself whilst I was not earning. I went to the factory in Quarry Lane where I earned about 4 times the wage I had previously got, although mainly made up by bonuses. I cannot remember the exact hours we worked. I think that they were in the region of about 50, but we were paid as the result of a bonus system for something like 104. I believe my hourly rate was 6d.

It was hard, in as much as one was standing at a bench all the time and one process led to another, so that someone was giving you work, whilst at the same time someone else was waiting on you for work. There was no meal break that I recall, only a trolley that brought tea and sandwiches round mid-morning and afternoon. We went home for dinner.

I started there in September and was leaving in December. They tried to persuade me not to leave and offered me the increase to 9d per hour, for which I should have waited till I had been employed six months. My mind was made up, however. I left the Home Guard, and the factory, and made my way to the big city.

It might be worth pointing out that there was control of labour at this stage during the war and one had to find a good excuse for changing or leaving ones work. I guess my excuses were good enough, as I had no bother.

In another story Harold tells us about his time in London whilst training for the Merchant Navy.

This article was published in the West Sussex Gazette on 13th September 2001.