Site Records

Site Name: RAF Sopley ('AVO') R3 GCI ROTOR Station

RSG site visit 23rd May 2000

ENTERTAINMENT
Brindley Boon was mainly responsible for the entertainments at Sopley. Another pioneer was a radio-telephone operator Bill Lyon-Shaw. In civvy street he had been a theatrical producer and involved in West End shows, namely 'Soft lights and sweet music' and its sequel, 'Softer lights and sweeter music'. As these shows were still running in various parts of the country at that time, Bill was the regular recipient of his share in the production royalties, which in the eyes of other airmen put him in the upper income bracket in 1941.

Bill Lyon-Shaw was a character, not unlike a younger edition of Charles Laughton. In the early days it was suggested that a show should be produced in the village hall and Bill was asked to undertake the production. He enlisted Brindley as his musical director and pianist, and they worked out a revue entitled 'Out of the Blue'. Bill knew all the tricks of polished stagecraft and rather despaired at the humble attempts of the others. AC2 (Aircraftsman second class) Shaw could never remember names, however and to catch the attention of someone in the cast he would simply snap his fingers with the velocity of a rifle shot and call 'Sprawston'. There was no one of that name there, of course, but when the magic name rang out the entire company would turn in his direction. Then, having effectively gained everyone's attention he pointed, to the person he wished to address and quietly say "Yes, you"; it never failed.

In 'Out of the Blue' Bill Lyon-Shaw and his wife, Anne, brilliantly performed a sketch, 'Take a card'. Bill was the magical illusionist and Anne 'volunteered' from the audience and was expected to carry out his instructions until he revealed the card she had chosen from the pack, without his seeing it. Anne wrecked the act by a series of planned blunders and the patter was brilliant. They had obviously performed this act many times. At a well-timed professional pause an enthralled distinguished guest in the front row said in a loud stage whisper, easily heard throughout the entire hall, 'poor fellow, he can't get it right'.

That scene was certainly more successful a few weeks later when the show was presented at the Regal Cinema, Ringwood, for a 'Wings for Victory' week.

After the war Bill Lyon-Shaw became a TV producer, linked with several BBC hit variety shows, then he went to Tyne-Tees television as its first director of programmes.

For the first Sopley venue Brindley enlisted the help of several colleagues to form a vocal group, singing patriotic and sentimental songs and especially one song composed by Brindley to some words written by Patience Strong. The vocal party consisted of Larry Savage, Fred Comber, Norman Walling, Walter Naylor, Dan McHarg, John Earl , Denis Skeet and Brindley himself. Denis Skeet was a Gilbert and Sullivan devotee and composed (or adapted) limericks descriptive of members of the happy gang, in terms which might have provoked legal action but mainly they were taken in good part by everyone. Denis assures me they are not for publication!

Perhaps the greatest achievement was 'Moonshine', an original musical play in which some 50 station personnel were involved.

Walter (Shorty) was much needed as a stage manager and handyman. In 'Out the Blue' he chewed a large hole in the stage of the village hall, then impressed everyone by his efficient repair after the show.

Brindley also held 'Musical Appreciation' evenings which were well attended and very much enjoyed by those off duty. It was an introduction for many of us into 'serious' music.

We also had a Brains Trust evening and I personally recall my old friend, the Padre at Middle Wallop, telling us he thought the kindest person was Gordon Richards, as he got the most and best out of a horse by being kind to the animal. Debating society evenings were often held on watch if there was a 'stand-down' and many and varied were the subjects under debate. Perhaps not quite up to the Oxbridge standards but very enjoyable.

A more adventurous performance was presented at the Palace Court Theatre, Bournemouth early in 1945, this time on a professional stage. The play was 'Quiet Wedding' by Esther McCracken, which was very well received by the residents at Bournemouth as well as the service personnel. It was in fact the last thing I remember at Sopley, as I was posted within a few days.

A liberty run was available on Friday evenings, which meant that our station lorry, usually driven by Thelma, took us into the Square at Bournemouth and we had to be back at the pick-up point well in time for the return journey, or else we were left stranded. There was always plenty to do in Bournemouth and plays or concerts of our choice. There was also a tea dance at the Pavilion each afternoon and the WAAF were never short of partners as Bournemouth was a reception area for Canadian airmen. They were only there a short time, awaiting postings to permanent crews, so our partners were always changing, and it was not wise to make a date for another day, as most likely your partner had gone by then.

In the summer we cycled to the coast and sometimes went swimming at Mudeford, Barton or Highcliffe and I remember being covered in tar from some poor ship and needing plenty of hot water to scrub clean from that swim. We also swam in the River Avon which ran past Winkton House. There was a boat which we could use to row up the river and one summer we were all serenaded when Italian POW's came to cut the weeds in the river. They were willing to chop logs and firewood for us, in return for a few cigarettes and we were well stocked with fuel for the forthcoming winter evenings.

Transport generally was either on foot or issue bicycle. We must have cycled for miles in the countryside, going to Ringwood, Ibsley, the coast or wherever we fancied. If we went to Bournemouth we usually left our cycles in Christchurch and got a bus into town. The local police were constantly chasing us because we did not always have lights. Partly this was because the batteries were hard to find and once when one girl went to buy them locally, she was told, "They are only for war workers", she was, of course, in uniform.

Occasionally we had a boyfriend who had his own transport and one such friend had a motorbike. The pillion was his groundsheet tied on with string, which was quite uncomfortable; but we got around. More than my dignity was hurt when he went too fast over the railway crossing at Ringwood and I bounced off. Fred Bowler had a motorbike and he towed a couple of cycles behind him, with rope tied round his waist. He remembers taking Leslie, the cook, for a trip into the New Forest and in return was invited into the kitchen for bacon and egg. Leslie was in fact a barber and was rather inclined to peel the potatoes by slicing them into squares and discarding the thick peel. The kitchens were always infested with cockroaches, in all the billets and I even forfeited my weekly egg when I saw a big, black cockroach jump into the pan as my egg was being fried. I did tell Jeanne after she had eaten it, why I didn't have it myself!

I can't recall what we did have to eat in those days, but I haven't eaten a single baked bean or fried bread since my discharge. After D-Day we came under the Americans for our rations and oh, the glory that first weekend when we saw the first frozen chickens we had ever seen. The cooks didn't know what to do with them so hung them round the big open ranges to thaw. Shades of salmonella, but we did all survive. We loved those first weeks on different rations, but were soon seen cycling into Christchurch for a cup of English tea with fresh milk, rather than coffee with tinned milk. It was no joke after a few weeks to be asked how many eggs we could eat for breakfast, and we were even heard to remark, "Oh, no - not tinned pineapple again!"

Parties were held frequently at all the billets and we took it in turn to organise these and to help generally. I shudder now to think of how many jellies were made with golden syrup and gelatin! The idea was to have fun and a good time was had by all. Diana McGeorge had the good idea of teaching the men to dance and I was roped in as a partner. The idea was good but the staying power of the men was weak. The lessons didn't last very long. One disadvantage of these parties was that they were held after our 1 - 5 duty which meant that everything had to be tidied that night before bed, as next morning we were on 8 - 1 duty so just time to 'Stack' our beds before watch. That was usually the time the admin officers chose to have an inspection too. There was no love lost between the admin officers and ops. personnel who had been typecast as 'snooty' or the 'crème de la crème' (we didn't act that way but had long ago been so described.) When we had a kit inspection at Winkton House, we had two staircases and it depended which route was taken, but we allways had full kit by kind permission of the girls who had been first in line.

Fun was something grabbed with both hands as duty was only a few hours away even on our one night off in three, we had to be back by the inevitable 23.59, unless we had a late pass and they were not handed out generously. On our short 36 hours pass we usually hitched to London or wherever we lived. London was the general venue for those of us who could not reach home and I shudder to think of the risks we took, but personally I was always treated with respect and could never have got around without those lifts. Whether by truck, lorry, jeep, private car or, once, a hearse.

The more usual haunt for everyone before or after duty was the local inn, the Woolpack, under the hospitality of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Lane. They treated us with love and affection, as one of the family. There we could have coffee before duty and could sit all night with half a pint of cider. In the latter years we had a service canteen which was run by the local ladies and which we all very much enjoyed and appreciated. Here there was a room where we could play darts, cards or just talk. But the Woolpack was part of our service life and the Lanes are spoken of today as they were all those years ago - with great affection. My last night at Sopley was spent there in the 'select', where I had so many pints bought for me I could have swum in it all. It was there I said my farewell to Sopley and it was also there that I visited with my children years later, to tell them a little of life in the village, to tell them about Sopley and a few years out of my life.

Sopley Park, alas, is no longer there and was in ruins when I visited it in 1985, once more walking up the drive. Wiltshire Lodge, the home of 'B' Watch, is now divided in two houses, and Winkton House, 'C' Watch WAAFery, has been turned into flats after initially being used as a hotel when we left. The Vicarage was the home of the male population on the camp and still stands today.

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