My father Harold Gandy was 29 years old when the war started in 1939. The picture below was taken in 1940 - the same year when his wife Minnie Taylor Gandy was photographed at the Rainhill War Hospital. .
Dad in 1940
Dad was exempted from military service during the war as he was enployed in a strategic industry for the war effort. In 1928 he started at the Pilkíngton- Sullivan factory in Widnes, part of Imperial Chemicals Limited (ICI). Pilks as it was called was located down by the River (Mersey). Dad was 18 years old when he started at "Pilks" and was employed for at least 30 years before getting his gold watch.
Photo Halton Collections
ICI Pilkington-Sullivan Works (Pilks) in background
Before that he worked on the steam winder at the shaft head.at Cronton Colliery, seen on the photograph below to the right of the chimneys. The steam winder lowers the lift at the pit head which takes the miners down the shaft and brings them back up again.
Cronton Colliery, Whiston
Mum was a nurse at Whiston Hospital, Dad worked at Cronton Colliery in Whiston. Pehaps this is where they met.
Dad in the War
Dad was in the Home Guard - see photograph above. Duties included guarding the pipelines across the River Mersey which were used to supply the chemical industry in Widnes with salt from the Cheshire salt mines. The Home Guard also manned the anti-aircraft guns which were intended to protect the chemical plants in the town from German bombers. They were equipped with Swedish Bofors anti-aircraft guns, called "Boffers" or "AckAck"-guns.
He was also a member of the ICI Pilkington Sullivan Air Raid Precautions (A.R.P.) Service.
Dad's ARP identity card
The main task of the A.R.P. was to protect civilians, uphold the blackout and help the auxiliary services such as fire brigade.
The machine shop at Pilks was Dad´s workplace. He was not directly involved in chemical production but it was the work of the fitters and maintenance staff to keep the factory going.
Photo courtesy Bob Martindale
Dad at his drilling machine in "Pilks" workshop
Dad retires from the ICI
Mum`s older brother Bill Taylor did the presentation - he worked in the Office at the ICI.
Dad & Bill played cricket too
Dad and Uncle Bill played on the same cricket team in their younger days, probably a works team. Dad kneeling second from left, Bill standing third from right.
Parks Department
After retirement from the ICI from ill health due to the adverse effects of chemicals, Dad was employed as a groundsman by the Halton Borough Parks Departmen at the Victoria Gardens along the River Mersey promenade and the playing fields and bowling green at Crow Wood. He also found time to cut the lawns and tend gardens for older residents on the Crow Wood Estate.
Dad in 1982
Dad died in April 1989, a few weeks after Mum. He was 80 years old.
Mum and Dad were cremated and their ashes spread in the garden of rememberance in Widnes Cemetery, just along Derby Road where they lived most of their lives.
