I interviewed Jack Weeks for The Wartime Memories Project on Sunday 23rd May 2010 2pm.
Q. Can you tell me a little bit about your life before the war?
A. I was born in Devon in 1917, I went on a farm and the people there was so good, and that, and they couldn’t do enough for me. When I went on this farm I didn’t have anything, ‘cos as you know back then times were hard and you didn’t have much clothes. I got on this farm and the old farmer said have you got any clothes? I said yes. Well where is it? I said I’m wearing it; I’m standing up in it. So I said if you’re a bit ashamed of me or anything like other, say so, I said, and tell me to go and I’ll go and get a job somewhere else.
Q. Did your parents give you their blessing to finding a job on the farm? A. No. You didn’t get their blessing, no. You’d rather have a kick up the arse! I went to school to 14 and I left and as I say I got this job and they were so good the old man said to me one day when we were having a supper. Oh, I don’t think you would mind looking after the cattle and that for me, we wanner go to Plymouth shopping. There was big shopping centre still there then. I said, well (chuckles), you paying me so I said how can I refuse; I said of course I’ll do it. He said, I know that, have yee got anything? I said such as? Well he said clothes and that and I said no, I’m afraid I hadn’t. I said I come from a poor family. The farmer said what are we going to do? I said well in what way? Well he said, you haven’t got nothing. Well I said I’ve either got to work ee here until I get enough money to buy some clothes or else you can lend me and I can do it that way, so, I went on. There was no other help. The old farmer and his wife had one son, they had more sense. When they came home from this day shopping the old man said (I had the tea all ready because they kept a good table and there were plenty of food) how you come on? I said we can go out and look at the stock, see what the position is. He said I don’t think that’s necessary because I know what you done you done well. And I got three shillings and six pence a week. So went around and I said now if you not satisfied at what I’m doing I’d wish you tell me and then I said I can move on. I was quite content on the farm. I stayed on the farm until I went in the forces at 22.
Q. What did your father do? A. He drove a steam roller and worked for the council.
Q. Did you have a big family? A. We were 8. There was Ron, Harry, Joan, James, Sissy; somewhere about 8 and I was the oldest and stupidest.
Q. Tell me about the work you did on the farm? A. I milked the cows, there was cattle, sheep, a sheepdog; you could say I was a Jack of all trades.
Q. Did you enlist or were called up? A. Well I was walking up the High Street one morning and an old lady half way down, an she said how gotten you in the army then? Well I said, I don’t know and I ain't bothered by it. Well your Charlie he’s gone. I said, well, to tell you the truth misses, Charlie would lick anybody’s arse for half a crown but I ain't going to and with that I joined up; I had to go up to Exeter. A friend of mine said, I be going up Exeter then? I said I don’t know but I got to go there. Well he said I’m going to Exeter, you can jump on the back of my motorbike. So I said all right then, thanks very much and went up there, the recruiting office. Funny old geezer there, but I didn’t like their attitudes but I thought, well, but I’m joining up and I’m going to get more of it. You didn’t get any choice then to join the army as they were only too glad to get ee in there. The man on the motorbike didn’t join up as he had a private job. Yes! Right then! You’ll have to go up to Blaise Castle. I said where is the heck Blaise Castle? Bristol! I said I don’t know nothing about that. Oh well he said you’ll soon learn. Get fixed up, the clobber, and you have to catch the train to Temple Meads. And from there I had to walk to Blaise Castle where I did my training. I was an artillery bloke.
Q. Do you recall your first days in the service?
A. Got in there and I started training and I said to myself I must pick this up smartish because I don’t want to be here long. Then they wanted a volunteer and to go up to get a cap for somebody and I was the only one to volunteer. I walked from temple Meads with the cap to. I’ll go and buy some fish and chips as I was a little hungry, I went in there and you couldn’t see nothing but fog. So a lady come out and she said excuse me soldier, where you making for tonight? Well I said I don’t know where I’m going to be truthful. She said you’re new here? I said, I, but I’ll expect I’ll find my way about and she said you’ll have a long walk back, I doubt if you’ll catch a train back. Anyway I set off walking, up over the Downs and going down Blackboy hill (by Whiteladies road, Totham). Got on the station just as the train pulled off. I went up to the driver and said when’s the next train? Not ‘til tomorrow morning! Oh, I said, damn me! I said I’m supposed to be in by tonight. Oh well you won’t do it now then. And I said well somebody will have to get in touch with the military police and tell them I’m stuck here. Oh won’t be able to do that. (chuckles) Oh I said, if you can’t do that I must walk on. I was on the train at Corsham and eh, the little cafe was open and I went in. Oh I’m sorry soldier you’re too late. So I said well how there going to get up to camp? I don’t know. I said well this is a bit of how-de-do, I said I got to get up Hudswell camp by midnight; that’s by Corsham. There was old chap there. Soldier, you lie down at there couch, he said and I’ll wake you in the morning so you can catch the first train out and you’ll be up there. And I thought it was ever so good of them, that’s what he done. I got back up there and course when I got up Corsham there was a lot to do but unknown to me whilst I was away they sent me on a farm. What happened see was the old farmer up at Corsham, he was friendly with the commander and he had got in touch with the farmer and he said (this commander used to go in there and have a drink there every morning) farmer, I have a chap here who would suit you; you can have him for so long. And that was when I went out farmer Minties to work and when that finished I went to Warminster. I came home from having inoculations and he were turning the cows out and he said, good God Jack what in.... what have you been up to? I said I don’t know, why? He said ye look as white as a sheet. Oh well I said I will get over that I expect and ee said Win has been looking for you. Oh I said, what he want? Well he wants you to stay ere. And sleep ere. He said you don’t have to go back to Nissen hut. You have your food with wee, that is hee wife and his son and his daughter. I had a good time up there. And I used to do the cooking. I got an old oil barrel, converted ee so I could cook on it. And then the sergeant Major, ee came up one day. He said Jake! Want you! I said how many more want me! I said I’d better cut myself in half. Oh what you want? I want you to do me a favour. I said but everyone wants a favour! Still never mind, tell me what it tis. He said we are short of wheel barrows down in the dump and I want you to come with me this afternoon and we are going to nick some of thee barrows. The red caps were no way in the march then. (you’re aint going to believe it). I said what time are yee going for these wheelbarrows? Two o’clock! I said I’ll be there. So up he comes with a Will’s WD and HO Will’s van then, do you remember driving they about? We were driving they about then. Right he said I’ve got it all mapped out (chuckles). He said we’ll get a load of wheelbarrows, then we got to get some coal and I said what else do we want? Well anything you can think of. I said you’ll want wood. Yea all right, get wood (chuckles) Tell about crooks! Their nothing way near it, but the funniest thing, we enjoyed every minute of it. The army were supplying it!
Q. What did your family think about you joining up?
A. Not a lot. I never told them. I just wanted to go on and do things my way, I was having just a good time! Parents they wouldn’t have.. whether you were there or..... Things were so hard that they were glad that you were gone.
Q. Did you soon make friends with others?
A. Oh yes, we made lots of friends, quite a few years. Some used to visit now. I will have to look through the pictures for my friends.
Q. What was the food like in the army?
A. We were stationed at Portishead and what we call oil. The food was bloody lousy! And that same Sergeant Major I was telling ee about, he and I used to go round some of the pubs scrounging grub, and they would. I used to know a young lady down Portishead, I know her name. She was good as gold, she always give us stuff to take back with us. I used to go up at ten o’clock every night and take her home and she used to give me a basket of grub. She worked up in there cafe. Poor old Cinders, she used to give me a basket of grub. I shan’t tell you her other name (chuckles).
Q. What was the accommodation like for you and your men?
A. They had a Nissen hut; they couldn’t go on the farm, could em. I used to go in the farm because I got up early mornings. I was in uniform on the farm. The Red caps would have been after me!
Q. How did people entertain themselves?
A. The war was on. You had to make your own; self made.
Q. What did you do when you were on leave?
A. Occasionally go home for a week.
Q. What were you trained on?
A. I trained on big guns then our Captain said to me one day, I’ve been looking for you. Oh what for? You have to learn to drive a van. I said I don’t want to learn. Look he said (he was a nice chap), you’re going to learn, make no mistake about that, he said I’m going to learn you so you can’t get out of that and he said I shan’t do you any favours as all I want is somebody that is trained. So all right then, what’s the perks? There ain't no perks. Why ain't there any perks then, surely I get something in return? (chuckles) He said you will in a minute! I said all right all right then, I’ll not again thee. So I learnt on big lorry first and then I had to go at a Bofors gun. Now he said I want you in ere because you been a good chap and I wanted ee to stay in ere. I said doing what? Well there’s lots of things I want done around here and you capable of doing it. Oh well I said all right if you want to bend your back so much, then I got a job inside. He said to me one day I‘m glad I caught you. I said Oh what do you want? I want you to do me a favour. I said it seem to me I’m doing everybody a favour and I aint getting any back. So what as got to be this one? Well he said would you mind putting the flag up mornings? Putting ee up saving ee coming up. I used to sleep in the shed, in the hut then and the condition was then that I would sleep in the shed providing he never pinned PT on me. All right you got my permission; he said I won’t bother ee again. I said as long as you don’t bother me the flag will be flying at six o’clock. I’d take it down in the night and put it in the shed. I was sort of stores clerk, cooking.
Q. What were some of the pranks you and the others would pull?
A. No, never pulled a prank on any of them but they tried. I wasn’t very big but they come worse off.
Mr Weeks has a photograph marked ‘Ceylon 1943’ on back.
Q. ‘There’s something written on the back’? A.. To one who is very dear to me, my loving wife Doris. 1943! My Pal and I there.
Q. What we have now is your old war time photographs and what we’ll do
is go over them. This photo shows you and your mate
A. My Scotch mate. We were in barracks doing jankers. This is in India.
(Another picture) That’s Nelly (Nan’s Brother in Law’s wife). There’s my father, Cecil, working for the Council. There’s Harry who just died.
That was Gold Face Green in the back ground. I remember going along Gold Face Green and the wheel coming off! We just took it as a joke. I didn’t do much driving the time I was out there. You see, I didn’t want to drive at all and our officer, he said if you don’t learn to drive you won’t be any good. I had to book up and learn and that’s what I done. Well I got more fun then, where as you could only drive a light vehicle, but it turned out as you passed your test you were able to take on the big ones. Mind where we used to drive sometimes, well, it put the wind up ee. The roads were dangerous with everybody on err and see there were all sort of obstacles in the way, animals were always there.
Q. When you left this country, how did you get to Ceylon?
A. Boat. The biggest laugh of all was when we moved up to Scotland, Tidwell, the joke was the boat weren’t ready. Little did we know the boat was out err waiting. I remember when I came back, a lady up there from the shops, we were talking one day, she said how did you get out there, she said there was no boat. I said there is transport, the Malogen. She said my husband has a book on that; I’ll let ee have it. Mrs Gardner wouldn’t have it; I said I know I did. I discovered it was a merchantman. I boarded at Greenock. We got on the boat and we went to first trip was South Africa. We had a stop at Freetown, then we went down to Durban, that was a lovely place. We waited for another boat and this other boat was a bit long coming so we had to put up on the playing field in Durban. And there they said we don’t want these troops going short for anything; they’re our guests. Cor we did have some lash ups too. Like all things they come to an end. We went from Freetown to Bombay. That was a dirty * place. Language uh. We went to Calcutta. Then we went down to Ceylon in a smaller boat. (later in the war) Then we got off the boat at Rangoon; I was always volunteering, I volunteered to bring the prisoners of war home.( Jack thinks he went from India to Ceylon and back to India and then Burma)
(He Looks at another photo from India 1944.
and reads) from your dearest husband Jack. There was me by my tent.
Q. What did you do in Ceylon? A. I used to write forms out. I was so interested in Ceylon. When I found out I was going to Ceylon I made up my mind what I was going to do. I was going to be sociable, I was going to mix in with them learn as much as I could about the people, the country and everything, and that I accomplished
Q. Did you enjoy yourself in Ceylon?
A. I had a wonderful time. One part of Gold Face Green was curry and the other part Singhalese. We had an opportunity. One Singhalese said what are you having tonight. Came with me and taste curry and rice. I said I would only be too happy to oblige. We got into the canteen there, he put up a * big plateful. I said what’s that for. He said get it down. I got that down and then this other chap came along and he said you are coming to tea tonight, I said ar I don’t know. He said he spoke to his mother and father and they want ee to come and have tea with them. I said all right and they were a lovely family: Mother, father and the son and daughter. And when I went in and seen what was on the table and she said don’t be afraid and eat want you can and leave what you can. And didn’t I tuck in to rice and curry, I thought I was going to bust. And we went for a stroll after and that was what we done. Ceylon was a beautiful place, fruit, you didn’t want for anything.
Q Did you keep any correspondence
A. Only the photos these kept. She didn’t keep any photos.
Q. Did you receive any Medals?
A. I never bothered but there were several times I wish I had put in for them. I haven’t got much time; you could stick em on your hat.
