Ernest Coombs
Born 15th February 1926
The family consisted of the following in the order of age: Ron (christened Frederick Ronald), Ruby, Leslie, Me, Elsie, Betty and Peter.
When he was very young Leslie was taken out by a young girl in a pushchair and let him fall into a pond, but didn’t repot it as she was afraid. He developed rheumatic fever and was very ill all his life until he died in his teens. He was an excellent artist and won a prize for his work drawing a cartoon for Punch.
Peter had meningitis as a baby and subsequently was mentally retarded.
Father was a porter on the railways at the Bricklayers Arms, eventually becoming a supervisor. He was very good at sport, achieving breaks of over 100 at amateur billiards and snooker events. He played football and was considered for Millwall.
The family was poor but generally life was happy. Our first home was at Moorside Road, where we played mostly in the street, knocking down ginger, hopscotch, rolling down hill in a car tyre (fortunately not many cars in those days), etc. I seemed to be involved in a number of minor accidents like cutting my head open when swinging on railings or falling off our home made four wheeled carts. Fortunately the clinic wasn’t far away, also many musical events at home at Christmas etc when our many Aunts and uncles came to our house. Father played the piano, uncle Ern the banjo or ukulele and uncle Will the drum kit. Also remember watching the impressive firework displays of Crystal Palace from our house as we were on a hill
We then moved to a top floor flat in Capstan Road where memories were again of playing in the street and one particularly hot night we slept out in a tent on the lawn behind the flats.
We then moved to Downham Way. Things I remember are helping father in his shed where I learnt a lot of DIY. Father liked to repair clocks and watches and was very patient. He also tended his roses in the garden with great care. Also Monday wash days with mother over a tub all day using the scrubbing board and an old fashioned wringer on the patio in the back garden. Also heating bath water in the copper in the kitchen and having to pump it up to the bathroom.
Sometimes went on outings, organised probably by the local church. I often won many of the races that were arranged as part of the day out. The local Methodist church held cinema shows of old black and white silent movies which cost 2d (tuppence). Someone played the piano as accompaniment. A new library was opened nearby which enabled me to borrow many books, as I read constantly.
I won a scholarship to Brockley County, starting there in 1937 and had to travel quite a distance by tram and then quite a long walk up a steep hill as the school was at the top of Hilly fields. First learnt to play rugby which has been a lifelong interest ever since, also boxed for the school and never lost a match.
Attended the local primary school Downderry from which I often played truant. One lady teacher who often disciplined me eventually pushed me through the 11 plus.
When the war started the school was evacuated to Ticehurst in Kent. Initially it was split up at various locations in Ticehurst, Wadhurst and other villages. My initial billet was Ticehurst and we had to travel a long way in the winter out to a hut at Best Beech. Eventually the school was housed in a magnificent Manor with beautiful grounds at Oakover in Ticehurst. When Mother came to Hurst Green, a villager further on from Ticehurst, I transferred there which meant quite a cycle ride to school and sport. Mother later returned to London and I moved to several billets but all in Hurst Green.
We had a very good time during all the years at school. We watched the Battle of Britain fought out above our heads and helped in the holidays reaping the harvests and other such work including hop picking and got to know country ways very well including fishing, catching rabbits and cleaning and skinning them.
I was a member of the school’s ATC and became a sergeant, studied Morse code and aero engines which led me to volunteer to become a pilot with the RAF whilst still at school and before I was eighteen. Went to RAF recruiting at Euston and eventually accepted on RAFVR for P/N/B category (Pilot, Navigator, Bomb aimer) with number AC2 3036219. We often visited airfields in our ATC training such as Biggin Hill and Croydon going up in training aircraft and saw Spitfires and Hurricanes land after operations. Also went to places like the Grand Hotel Torquay which was taken over by the RAF for aptitude tests e.g. cockpit simulators.
When the doodlebugs (V1) and V2 started in 1944 again most of them were overhead. I think we must have seen the first V1's often being chased by our aircraft. Because of this new danger the school was transferred to Llanelli in South Wales. I think they were surprised to see a number of 18 year olds turn up. Had passed my A levels in Pure maths. Applied maths and physics and as the RAF didn’t want further recruits at that time I studied advanced maths and became captain of rugby. Arranged rugby matches against various local sides who seemed surprised at how good we were for schoolboys.
At Xmas when I went home I was told there was no longer a billet for me so I stayed home and got temporary work, first at a garage then with a building firm doing the wages. Still no call up for the RAF, fortunately I was able to wear the RAFVR badge otherwise because of my age, people looked at me wondering why I wasn’t in the forces.
Because Downham Way had been bombed out Mum and Dad had moved to Blackheath where we shared the building with Aunty Ruby. Don’t remember when this happened and have only faint memories of staying there.
Eventually the RAF said I wasn’t required as their losses had not been as many as anticipated and I was given the option of a parachutist or the Navy. I joined the navy as a radar mechanic. Spent most of my time at the HMS Collingwood at Fareham under training, played rugby for HMS Collingwood who had a good team and several times for United Services Portsmouth. Eventually served in a destroyer HMS Aisne joining her in the Clyde where we sailed past Her Majesty as part of the fleet taking the salute.
Then transferred to an oil tanker, HMS Bulawayo (sister ship to the infamous Altmark) whose object was to carry out experimental oiling at sea of other vessels, which could be very tricky.
Our home base was Portsmouth. Finally spent time at Chatham sealing radar rooms for ships being laid up.
Left the navy in 1948 joined Cooper Brothers, the well known firm of chartered accountants in the city. Took two qualifications and became a fellow of chartered Corporate Accountants and a Chartered Secretary. Traveled all over England and Scotland auditing and later investigating companies in financial troubles or sorting out a number of frauds. One highlight was four months at Kilembe Copper Mines in the mountains of the Moon in Uganda. About the only leisure there was to visit the Queen Elizabeth Game Reserve at the week-ends. After 10 years with Coopers joined Solex/Zenith carburettor Group in 1958 for 25 years.