Island Farm Stories

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Our only Sunday Story teller. Mrs Barbara Phillips born in 1937, riginally from Llwynypiain in the Rhondda and now living in Brackla, she reminds us of the Arsenal in Brackla and the existing dangerous conditions in there. She also tells us that when the American soldiers went to Tonypany they were billeted out in their houses. One stayed in her house, a white American, Sergeant Lynch who was spoiled by her father, an outfitter, who would press the Sergeant's trousers so fine that put the rest of the American soldiers to shame. He used to tease Barbara and tell her that he was Roy Rogers' cousin and when he got back to America he would send her a little pony which belonged to Trigger the horse. He was also a bit of a magician, always finding sweets behind Barbara's hair and ears... There was also a black American soldier. He was staying at No 1 in their street. They called him teapot-Victor because he was good at making origami teapots. Finally there was a Chinese looking American who lived in her auntie’s house. He was so good at ironing, he did all the ironing of the house while he was staying there... She also remembers as kids asking the Americans when walking through Tonypandy "Got any gum, chum?". They used to give the children long chewing gums; it was the first time the children had seen such shape chewing guns... Everything was rationed then, including sweets. Barbara remembers finding a hole ration page for sweets, which she handed over to the Police Station. She was told to leave it there for a month and if no one claimed it she could have it. Barbara went to the Police Station every day for a week. They got so fed up with seeing her, they gave her the whole sheet of sweets coupons. It was absolutely wonderful she said.

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