‘Time stood still in a Muddy Hole’Opening the Society’s September meeting in the Regency Hall, Chair Mary Cavell warmly welcomed members and guests and introduced our speaker, author Pat Strickson. Mrs Cavell went on to outline one or two domestic matters including the planned Xmas party and an exhibition, still in the planning stage, about the history of our village. She asked Committee member Sarah Whiddett to outline progress to date. Sarah informed the meeting that she and the society’s archivist, Penny Brace, were planning an historical display here at Regency Hall in Summer next year. Any relevant information/ articles for potential use in the exhibition would be gratefully received and should be sent, marked for donate or loan, to Penny Brace, our archivist, at The Regency Hall, Saundersfoot. She can be contacted for advice, on Tel: 01834 811515. Mrs Cavell then introduced our speaker, author Mrs Pat Strickson, who had kindly agreed to address tonight’s meeting about the content of her recently published book entitled ‘Time Stood Still in a Muddy Hole’. Before outlining the content of her book, which tells the story of the late Captain John Hannaford, one of the last Bomb Disposal Officers of WWII, Pat Strickson referred to various exhibits which she had displayed on a table at the front of the Hall. Attention was drawn to a piece of shrapnel which members would have the opportunity to examine when she had spoken. The co-operation of John Hannaford’s family has also allowed Pat to assess and report on his life outside of his war effort. He met the lady who was to become his wife, Joyce, a widow with a small daughter, two years after the end of the war in 1947.After they married John adopted the girl and they went on to have a child of their own. He trained as an architect before and after the war and for many years worked at The Property Services Agency where he became a Principal Architect. However, his link with bombs hadn’t finished and he moved on to work at the Aldermaston nuclear weapons factory in Berkshire. He always kept notes, sometimes on cornflake packets or bank statements and wrote that he “didn’t like it at all”. But by now his status had risen and he had become an Associate of The Royal Institute of British Architects (A.R.I.B.B.A).Featured at the centre of the displayed exhibits was a framed oval shaped water colour painting of the De La Warr Pavilion at Bexhill on Sea. She had come across this per chance, on a bleak, wet Saturday afternoon when she sought shelter in a charity shop not far from her home. She had been intrigued by the painting and decided to buy and take it for framing locally, that very day. The shop assistant recognised the painting and added to its mystique by describing the artist, an elderly gent, who’d once brought it in for photocopies to be made for his friends. She added that the man had been a war hero and that she’d had many a conversation with him. Furthermore, as the shop was not too busy, the enthusiastic assistant typed the artist’s name into her pc and rather proudly showed her customer that the person concerned had been none other than Captain John Hannaford, a Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal Officer from WWII who had passed away on Armistice Day 2017, at the age of 98. His work had been one of the most dangerous war time activities i.e. deactivating and removing unexploded bombs. Later, and over time, Pat Strickson’s extensive, detailed research revealed that Captain Hannaford had privately been deeply disappointed that the men of WWII had not received the recognition they deserved. This shocking information had spurred her to explore the whole story further. The fact that Winston Churchill had issued an order that bomb disposal officers treat their work as top secret, had made her job so much more difficult. The authorities at the time had feared not only that the enemy may have been given vital secrets but that coupled with the effect of heavy bombing raids, civilian morale would be damaged.Indeed, it was decades after John Hannaford’s retirement that this brave Captain’s family discovered just what his contribution to the wartime effort had been.Spurred on by the covert nature of John’s heroic contribution to the success of the war, Pat Strickson felt driven to find the missing pieces of his story. Extensive ‘detective’ work eventually led her to contact John Hannaford’s daughter who, after consultation with other family members, consented to further research. Piecing together the life story of this man, who was in action at the tender age of 24, the author was to uncover some of the secrecy surrounding acts of heroism and courage as people had come face to face with untimely deaths from booby trapped bombs and mine clearance. Through his work with bombs, he became directly involved in the mass preparations for war. From school days at Wolborough Boys School, he went on to study at Newton Abbot Technical College. His prodigious talent had been noticed by the headmaster who arranged day release at the local art college for him. At a time of severe recession and great poverty, John’s luck continued as his headmaster guided him to an apprenticeship with established, esteemed architect Josias C. Beare ARIBA ARCA. From here John moved to an apprenticeship at the Ministry of Works in Whitehall. At first, while he gained his bearings he lived with an aunt and uncle who ensured his wellbeing and took him to shows and cinemas. He saw several shows and heard Judy Garland sing ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’. After the uplifting experience of “Top Hat” with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, John who was now 20, joined in with the dancing and general high spirits of the young folk around town. Apart from the fogs which fell in London he loved the frantic pace but whilst enjoying the excitement of his life, he remained mindful that no one knew how long peace would last. His first job in this new environment, was on a survey of Westminster Abbey in preparation for the coronation of King George VI. Tiers of seating galleries had to be skilfully planned around some 100 tons of steel and the job did not go without hitch. In the end the survey took three months to complete. Although, with others, John was praised for his contribution the senior architect was sacked! As a result of his work, John was given the job of steward, positioned outside the gates of Buckingham Palace. He was able to invite his parents from Devon to the event. Patriotism abounded and the streets took on a party atmosphere with flags fluttering on the Mall and souvenirs and photos of the young Royals appearing everywhere! As the mass preparation for war progressed John and his team were transferred to the Royal Ordnance Filling Factory at Chorley, Lancashire some 220 miles from London. He spent 2 years there in the planning office. Security was paramount. Later, this became known as the biggest munitions filling site. Mega amounts of explosive components including lead azide, fulminate mercury, RDX, and TNT were stored there – the most dangerous materials used in World War II. Even the touch of a feather could have caused them to explode. The component parts for shells were produced at different locations. Of course, the admin, explosives and filling sites were kept separate. Individual buildings were linked by paths, roads and railways behind the 9mile perimeter fence. Welfare of the workers was top priority and they had their own fire and police stations plus a medical centre. The workers’ canteen was equipped with a stage for concerts and the like. Whilst there, John enjoyed a full social life with concerts, dancers and other entertainers. Gracie Fields was a popular visitor and all her songs including ‘The biggest Aspidistra in the World’ proved to be terrific morale boosters. John and his team learned to live in the moment.In 1939, he took a holiday with friends in the South of France and Italy. The holiday mood soon shattered on returning home where he faced London with sandbags lining the sides of roads and windows were blacked out. Corrugated steel Anderson shelters were in some gardens but elsewhere signs directed folk to use the crowded public shelters.In September that year the British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, was compelled to announce that Britain was at war with Germany. Although war had been expected as tensions had been mounting for some time, the sound of sirens caused widespread panic. King George VI took to radio to warn of dark days ahead and called upon his people to be strong. By the start of 1940, 44 million gas masks had been distributed. The fall of France meant that Britain now stood alone, and the bombing of British towns began with London. John had enlisted and received his call up papers at Chorley in 1940. He was to report to 567 Company Royal engineers at Trafford Park. After a 2 week delay due to illness he reported to his base. Despite a somewhat bumpy start due to his colleagues being something of “a rough lot” (mostly sons of dockers from Liverpool) they settled in together amicably and John was later to describe them as “salt of the earth”. Their base was a filthy, run down stately home set in an atmosphere of industrial grime and the brass badges on their hats changed colour with the pollution. They practiced marching and digging trenches in that foul atmosphere. John was not cut out for this aspect and had once bribed a colleague to help! His eloquence had paid dividends and he was given a new role i.e., to report direct to the Major in writing and with sketches, about their various sorties. His men were deployed from Manchester to Cardiff and beyond, building up trenches with sandbags in preparation for invasion. John was able to go on ahead in his Austin car, making sketches of places within a ten-mile radius. However, that lifestyle came to an end when the major broke it to John that the car was to be withdrawn in favour of a motorbike! Life went on and just before Xmas the men were sleeping rough when they were sent to New Brighton.At teatime, one day, they heard the drone of waves of military planes followed by the sound of bombs exploding on the docks at Liverpool which had been unable to defend itself and was pounded into the ground. John and his unit watched this unfold through the night from a slip trench. When he went indoors to add some warm clothing his window was blown in and he watched a big house down the road being demolished with the sound ‘of a bus coming down’. John and his men were called upon to help clear the devastation but not having seen such fatalities before, they were just as shell shocked as the people of Liverpool. He summed up the situation as “a hellish nightmare and a close shave’. It was there that he witnessed an unexploded bomb go off and blind a young soldier. Soon after this experience, John learned that he had been put forward for a commission and would be sent first to Chester and then to Aldershot for six months training. The officer training at Chester was comprehensive and included management techniques. At Aldershot he was given the opportunity to fly an Avro plane, just like his father before him. He was determined to be the best officer he could be and regarded that posting as ‘an adventure’. His posting turned out to be a Bomb Disposal Company in South Wales. He was surprised but tried to put on a brave face and keep cheerful as he started his training in 1941. He enjoyed the status brought by his new career path and the level of responsibility and authority that came with the job. He was placed in Cardiff for six weeks, with an experienced bomb disposal officer. His training then continued in Ripon and when he had passed the course, he went to Swansea to work with another, older officer, an excellent tutor who had completed his training just six months before John. He was an excellent tutor and earned John’s respect at once.

As time progressed, John became increasingly philosophical and affected by the events around him. His health suffered, and he later regretted not knowing he could have requested a transfer away from the pressures of bomb disposal. As time went on, more detailed knowledge of bomb disposal and safety measures grew, and although he had moved from bomb disposal after 2 years, John continued his interest and note keeping on the subject. His niggle that work of the bomb disposal people was not recognised, like that of RAF pilots, was expunged before his death on Armistice Day, 2017. Media coverage of the Afghanistan War had brought into focus, indeed highlighted, the dangers faced by bomb disposal personnel. The nation’s memory recalled WW11 and the devasting bombing of the UK. At last attention turned to just how John and his team had successfully dismantled all those unexploded incendiary devices.The interest and enjoyment of the Society members and guests was apparent, and a vote of thanks to Mrs Strickson was proposed. Chair, Mrs Cavell announced that our Christmas Party was planned for Wednesday, December 11, at Wiseman’s Bridge Inn. Members and friends who wish to participate should register their name at the meeting on October 16th when the speaker will be Peter Neade who’s subject is ‘Madagascar - The Welsh Connection’