Lincoln and Districts Historical Society

Number 48 October 2019 President: Dr Rupert Tipples 3295 634 Lincoln and Districts Secretary: Adriana de Groot 3253 320 Historical Society Editor: Dr Rupert Tipples 3295 634 Did they eventually get Radios in the Classroom? Editorial We did get one eventually. There was a teacher who’s name We begin this issue with the second part of Alec was Woodhead (I think) She had a little house up by the Woodward’s reminiscences of Broadfield School in Wheatsheaf Hotel on Selwyn Road, and all the kids biked the 1940s. The first part raised considerable favourable up to her house to listen to the kids programmes in the comment. Unfortunately it also contained an error, the afternoon at 2.00 o’clock. All the kids sat around her radio accidental use of Newton for Lincoln’s Garage instead in her front room. There was a 2 o’clock session that was of the correct Hewton. That was the Editor’s mistake. broadcast for Schools. In about 1947 - 1948 they got a =Secondly, we have a report of 150th Anniversary of the radio in the school. Mrs Woodhead organised that. Then formation of the Lincoln Ploughing Association. There was she left and we had Alison Webb. a celebratory ploughing match and a dinner on Saturday, 7 July last. Then to complete the issue we have an article about Brigadier Reginald Miles, probably Springston’s My Uncle got killed in the First World War. We had most famous son, and his army service. He deserves to Chappie, Bill, (and) 3 cousins in the last World War. be better known. Mel and Jan Griebel discovered him on Billy was in New Caledonia, Chappie was in Egypt. The a visit to the New Zealand Army Museum at Waiouru. Gallaghers across the road they had 3 people in the war. They have been working to make him better known. In Ray was in the Merchant Navy, Lester was in the ASC and his role helping Springs RSA President, Ivan Norton, Mel Fred was in the Tanks. They all came back. There was a explained to the 2019 Springs ANZAC Day parade Miles’ huge fuss. Lester Gallagher volunteered, he wasn’t waiting achievements and significance. He should, perhaps, be to be called up for conscription which was too nerve considered on a level with Bernard Freyberg, but has not wracking, so he volunteered. But people that Volunteered been done so because he was taken prisoner in 1941 and signed on for a 2 year contract cos the war was going to be then died in Spain after escaping from Italy before he could be repatriated. A more detailed account of his life can over by Christmas. So after 2 years they had to bring them be found in The New Zealand Dictionary of Biography, back. So they came back and there were huge celebrations Volume 5 1941-1960, pages 347-8 when Lester came back from the War. And a lot of those Rupert Tipples people who came back refused to fight again. Editor Alec Woodward’s reminiscences for the Broadfield School 150th Jubilee reunion – Part 2 World War 2 and after Can you remember the day that they announced the War was over? Oh yes, Yeah, I was at School - If Peace had been declared 1986 Sketch of original Broadfield School by Andrew Drewitt in the afternoon we were to have the next day off. It was (than aged 12) declared in the morning so we had the afternoon off. Because there were lots of people sitting here in what Gordon Butcher’s Grandfather lived on one side and his they called “special jobs” who hasn’t been to war, and Father on the other. Someone from there with a radio weren’t going to go. But Lester volunteered to go back would have heard. In those days everybody listened to the again anyway, but he didn’t go to the front anymore, radio very closely because of the War. I was only 10 when as far as I remember he was in Mesopotamia guarding all was said and done and we heard that the war was over. German prisoners. He had to speak 4 different languages Everybody went silly yahooing and carrying on and the to organise them. They were building roads and stuff. We rest of it. Well, the older kids did, then we don’t hear much about the war in the Middle East. It’s not all packed up and went home. very much reported on. 1 Did you have any procedures in place at School during turned up. How to smash holes in the petrol tank. All the War in case you were attacked? public places had the notices too. But we had nothing No we didn’t have anything at Broadfield School. Lincoln like that at School. School had slit trenches dug all over the place. I remember going into Cathedral Square with Dad and Mum on a Did you always have shoes? shopping spree and there was wire fencing up…in the Yes, but not all the kids. There were some old people middle of the Square and everybody chucked all batteries, and scrap iron for the War Effort…Victoria Square was all called Ayers. They lived in a house on Robinsons full of slit trenches. There was a Home Guard in Lincoln Road, the first on the right from the Ploughing Match and people from Broadfield and the area were all involved. Corner. They only had a pump at the back door. An It was held in the Hall at Lincoln. Sundays was the Home old 2 storey English style house. They lived with Guard day and I remember seeing them all parading their Grandparents because Vic Ayers’ wife had died outside the hall in Lincoln. There was a Browning machine unexpectedly very young and he had 5 kids. gun on the back of a truck and us kids all climbed across it. Worked all the levers, clack clack clack. They had wooden The old lady had TB as well, a lot of people had TB guns to practice marching, saluting etc, with. Here’s a in those days. I remember my Dad said the Old Man funny story. Arthur Barrett lived around the corner from was a remittance man (sent away from England to home. My Dad was over 52 to he didn’t have to join the the Colonies because they were the black sheep of Home Guard. Arthur Barrett was part of the home guard. He was called the Emergency Peoples Police EPS with a the family or disgraced their family and were sent a black arm band on. We had black outs at 7.00 to 8.00 pm. remittance from their family in England to stay away). Well that’s all right, He came around looking for lights He just rented the house from old George Smith and and he could see a crack of light through our window. So he used to go catching rabbits up on Waterholes Road he knocked on the Door. Dad opened the door. There’s with Rabbit Traps and stuff and come back with a someone at the door, turn the outside light on. Well that bike full of rabbits. They called him “Bunny Ayers”. was against the law. Well, Arthur said, “your full name and He was an old bloke and they were hard up and their address” and Dad said “but you know me Arthur, I just live kids went to School bare foot. Everybody collected around the corner”. We had another friend come out from clothes, second hand clothes, cos everything was town, Bernie Stuart, a long time ago now, just visiting at rationed. They dragged out old knitting and stuff the weekend. and unravelled it to make socks for the service men In the Corner paddock, Old Billy Dunne owned it, and he and stuff. Find old suits and cut them down to make didn’t do much with it apart from graze cattle in it. And it clothes for kids with old flour bags inside them. Sugar grew Mushrooms so before Bernie went home he decided bags were used for packs on their back and you could to go and get some mushrooms. He borrowed the torch buy sugar bags full of onions etc. and he went down there looking for mushrooms in the dark. That’s all right, he got a few, then he thought what I had a second hand school bag to take my stuff to are all the cars doing around here? It turned out they had school in. Made of leather. We didn’t have biros, pens, spotted him and thought he was signalling for planes or lead pencils. Some kids had coloured pencils that they something. He just ducked through the fence and came had before the war. We had bits of meccano sets that back to our place quick. It was a major alert, someone out had been picked up from kids’ toys and stuff before in the paddock flashing a torch. It was very real, the Japs the war. After pencils you had your own pen to write were coming, and if it hadn’t of been for the American’s defeating the Japanese in (the) battle of the Coral Sea NZ with, an ink pen with an ink pot that sat in the ink could have been invaded. Dad was out at the gate and wells of the desk. That was a very basic pen with a nib Roger Coleman told him that Singapore had fallen.

Load more