Family Memories Birmingham MEB

Early Birds

We were twelve members of the office staff of the M.E.B. Dale End who had volunteered for early morning duties and also were rewarded for their service with the sum of 1/6 (one shilling and sixpence) for each morning. We would arrive without fail at 7.30 am to attend to the sorting of the mail. Two large bagfuls would have been brought from the central post office opposite the Town Hall. Then the sorting of it would commence to be collected by the staff arriving at 9.00 am.

There was a long table around which we would all sit, all of us being ex-service men with a wealth of stories and anecdotes about our War Service and experiences, which covered a worldwide field where we had served. Much banter and good-natured cross talk took place about the merits of our various branches. Altogether a "happy band of warriors".

Our acknowledged chief was an ex Indian Army Major who had served in India and Burma. He was target No 1 for our arrows, being pompous and full of importance in the field during the Far-Eastern operations. He was large in size and Jack would say that only a pinprick and he would burst. Not only was he himself large but so was Margaret his wife who also worked at Dale End. He would tell us of a new house to be built for them, in which to accommodate their bulk would have sliding doors and the bath would be at ground level. Jack was a Black Country lad from Bilston who had been in the Air Force and had served on supply duties to Air Force depots around the Pacific. He had fascinating stories to tell and was a master at repartee all in true Black Country dialect. One of his stories concerned being on guard duty in the dark duty hut when the officer arrived to check up and signed as he thought the guard sheet, which turned out to be a copy of the Daily Mirror, which my old woman sent out to me. He would tell us of arriving in Egypt when the first person he saw was Albert sitting on the bench outside the M.O's hut awaiting his turn. Albert was always ill and what a story for Jack to tell of seeing him thousands of miles from Dale End and above all still carrying out the usual pattern of the way of life in which he was adept.

Simon was the very energetic member of our early morning staff, the sort of chap who would always bound up stairs two at a time and do everything at double speed. He had also been in the air force. In due course he became tired of City life and left to start a sheep farm in North Wales. We would say that no sheep-dog would be needed by Simon he would be able to control his flock by his own actions.

James had been in the Ordnance Corps and lived in Handsworth Wood with a proud emphasis on the "Wood" part of his address, a point not forgotten by the rest of us. It was not far from Hamstead Colliery and Jack would inevitably bring to our notice that he lived next door to the Pit Mound. James's hobby took him into the field of sport not actively but as the armchair person who knew all the answers. He was a member of the Warwickshire Cricket Club and broadcast commentaries on their matches to the Birmingham Hospital Patients.

Arthur was also ex Ordnance Corps who had seen service in the Far East and so was Norman Heathcote who had remained on home service. Ian was devout being a strong member of the Baptist Church. But even so he was one of us and cheerfully kept outside the ribald nature of much of the conversation. Even so he was respected and no discriminating remarks were made concerning his sober attitudes.

Our two Naval representatives were William and George, both of whom had served on destroyers and thereby being well able to hold their own in conversation and arguments. Of course they enjoyed the prestige of having been in the Senior Service.

Joseph was a 14-18 War Veteran with tales of long ago. He was very convivial and always tried to give the impression that his jokes were original. But we knew otherwise as he was a Reader's Digest customer from which source many of his anecdotes came. He had a caravan at Brixham where he spent his holidays and many week-ends.

Michael was our editor and compiler of the example of the programme for our Annual Dinner, this event originating from his idea.

Mention must be made of John. He had retired from the M.E.B. Before retirement he had been one of our "Early Birds". His prestige was remembered and we thereby made him our "President" and Guest of Honour at our Annual Dinner. Being a 14-18 War Veteran he also had stories to tell us. During the General Strike of 1926 he became a volunteer bargee helping to bring supplies of coal from the mines of the Wednesbury district of the Black Country to be used in the Summer Lane and Nechells Power Stations. Another story was his account of the opening of Nechells power Station when ex-service men were invited to the ceremony and were lined up to have the honour of shaking hands with the Prince of Wales who had performed the opening.

These veterans, many of whom were disabled were also characters in their own right and had that spirit of comradeship brought into civilian life from their War Service. It was the same atmosphere with us their successors from the 39-45 War which gave rise to our being friends together when we got together as "The Early Birds". L Knight ex R.A.P.C (Malta)

(Names of the people mentioned above have been changed to preseve their identity.JFB)