Newport Stories:
Corpor Boy

James Griffin was born in September 1935 and has vivid memories of wartime Newport.
A Corpor boy was the name given to those boys who lived near Corporation Road.
This is his story.

"During the Second World War I attended Maindee School. Two teachers I remember were Miss Williams and Mr Elliott who was my teacher until I sat my eleven plus to go to Brynglas Secondary Modern School.

Enemy aircraft above

While out playing with my brother and our friend Carl Nickelson we saw some planes above and heard some shooting and thinking they were shooting at us, we ran under the Railway Bridge on Corporation Road. After a short time we moved from under the bridge to make our way home but were pulled into the A.R.P. post at the corner of Corporation Road and Kelvedon Street.

When the air raid sirens sounded sometimes our family would cross the road to my friend's shop at 237 Corporation Road. Mr and Mrs Nickelson's family and ours would then all go down the stairs into the cellar of the shop for the duration of the air raid.

In the war both my sisters worked for the G.W.R at the goods yard at Newport High Street. I can remember going there and one of the men, I think his name was Stan, lifting me up and siting me on one of the very big railway dray horses which delivered goods to the shops.

Across the road from our grocery shop at 248 Corporation Road and the corner of Halstead Street, there was a piece of waste ground on which they built a large steel water tank (in case there were fires after an air raid) and a brick air raid shelter along side Mr and Mrs Anslow's house. After the war they built four council houses on this ground.

Windows blown out

In July 1941 bombs fell on Eveswell Street and Archibald Street and a lot of people died and some were injured. After the air raid I remember we came out of our shelter in the back yard to find all the windows of our shop had been blown out by the blast of the bombs; also the window of Thomas the ironmonger at 220 Corporation Road.

I remember on one occasion a man came into our shop and asked my Mother if she had any cigarettes for sale. She said, "Sorry, we haven’t had any in yet". I said, "Yes you have Mam - there’s some under the counter." I had a clip round the ear for that.

My Dad worked for Lysaght’s Orb Works by day, some nights he was out with the Home Guard. He had an Army Lee Enfield rifle for his home guard duties and he used to keep it in his bedroom at home. One day I fixed the bayonet to the rifle and could not get it off. I thought I had broken it and kept out of my Dad’s way all day.

The Columbia Club

In August 1944 my sister Milly had her twenty first birthday and our Mam and Dad had a party for her. Family and friends were invited to the Columbia Club on the corner of Corporation Road and Gaskell Street. Our parents also invited some R.A.F airmen to the party. I can remember them marching down Corporation Road to the club. I remember them in their smartly pressed uniforms and cheese-cutter caps with a white flash. They all signed my sister's autograph book. My sister still has the book.

My sister Milly was going out with an American soldier called Richard. He was very nice and would bring me sweets and chewing gum. He also taught me some card tricks. When he was sent to Germany he sent me some German Nazi stamps and coins. I still have the stamps and some of the coins. We never heard from Richard again I hope he survived and returned home safely to America.

Lorries and jeeps

My mate Kenny White's father had a yard in Kelvedon Street where he would cut up old railway sleepers to make bundles of sticks for firewood to sell to the shops. We would help on Saturdays for a few bob pocket money. Some of the timber was old crates from the American army that had been used to bring parts for lorries, jeeps, and many other things from America. They still had assembly instructions on them so we knew how they were assembled."

- James Griffin, April 2005

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