231363 Cath Mallison Womens Land Army I've recently got hold of a book that my granddad Luke Kearns wrote about his life for his grandchildren to get to know more about him after he died.
He came over here as an agricultural labourer, and for a period of time in 1945 for about 6 months he worked the land at Lincolnshire with Mick Murray, John Feerick, Mattie Lyons and they drank and sang at The White Horse Inn. They worked Richard 'Dicky' Dennis' farmland until the foreman 'Sulky' replaced them with prisoners or war workers after a pay dispute. The group had to split up and move out, my granddad ended up at Youngs farm the 'other side of Sleaford' with Paddy Byrne. Sometimes the living conditions were good if they got a group going, but mostly lads had to sleep in the barn among the cattle faeces. The Youngs were very kind and helpful though and he and Paddy stayed in a caravan there
Paddy and my granddad drank at The White Hart. There was a Land Army Girl, about 20, called Cath Mallison that my granddad had a romance with but he suffered a bereavement and had to leave, and because he was grieving didn't answer her letter, there is a whole chapter on this! They went on dates to The White Hart, and my granddad would sing and play melodeon there. He helped out at the local vicarage garden party and accompanied Mrs Grimshaw who played the piano at dances. Before he left he got them all to bet on a horse at 45-1 following a tip off from an American man. The horse, Kerry Piper, won
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