44. Irene DYER
BIOGRAPHY: Irene Wakerley ( nee DYER) was born on 23rd February 1925 at15 Powelett Place, Chalk Farm, London.
She was the daughter of Frederick DYER and Alice White.BIOGRAPHY: Irene married Ronald Ernest Wakerley on 2nd january 1943.During the war Irene worked on the land and in a munitions factory. Shemet Ron after they had been pen pals. There was a blind date and Ronmissed the first one. He sent a telegram to apologise and then made atelephone call. They met at the Red Lion and decided to go out togetheragain. Irene was 16 yrs old and they were married when she was 18.
History of Ronald Wakerley by Michael WALTON
In his own words, Ron was brought up in a Victorian family, although hewas born in the "Roaring Twenties".
He was an only child, Bessie would have loved more children, but Erniewas extremely thrifty. That was that Being an only child and ratheralone, Ron was a bookworm, devouring anything he could get hold of. Hereall enjoyed "Dickens". The summer before the war began, Ron enjoyed hisfirst holiday abroad without his parents. With a friend, he wentclimbing in thenBernese Oberland, Switzerland, followed by a week inOstend. He returned to the U.K. and completed his BricklayerApprenticeship.
If not for the war, Ron would have been called up for National Service inJuly, 1940, anyway, for two years conscription training. When war brokeout, major construction companies organised a recruitment drive, forvolunteers in the industry, to join the Roy a l Engineers, mainly tobuild airfields in France, to provide facilites to launch an offensiveattack on the Germans. Ron decided that being a volunteer and gettingR.E. Corps pay, rather than waiting until he was called up and going tothe Front Line, was a better option.
He was sworn in at Deansbrook Territorial Drill Hall in January, 1940,joining No. 683 Company,
He rapidly gained promotion through the ranks to Officer, enjoying theresponsibility & position, revelling in Army life.
February, 1940 - Ron reported to the R.E. Depot @ Chatham, for basictraining in 683 Company, along with 349 other men. Eight weeks later, theCompany was rushed off to Margate, to defend &
patrol the beaches there, as an invasion by the Germans was anticipated ,but never actually happened.
Soon after Easter, 1940, the Company took a troop train to Glasgow, wereput in a boat and were off to Norway, as the Germans had attacked thereand aid was needed. First Line troops could not be spared, so R.E.Companies were sent. Many perished, but Norway fell, before Ron & TheCompany arrived. They turned around & docked at Gourock, Scotland,marched down to Greenock and occupied an old whiskey distillery there,whilst the War Office thought they had been lost in Norway. It took 6weeks, due to the confusion, for new orders to arrive.
Ron's Company was split in two, his half went to the Shetland Islandsfirst then met up with the others on the Orkney Islands, once theirduties there were complete.
Following his exceptional abilities on all the courses he went on, Ronwas promoted to Full Corporal, then later, Lance Seargent. During aperiod of leave in 1941,he met Irene Dyer, following an exchange ofcorrespondance that occurred by chance. His next Stationing was as BartonStacey, in Hampshire, as an Instructor, a Drill Seargeant.
In 1942, he was sent on an Officer Selection Course, accepted forOfficer training , posted first to Caterham, then in November, 1942, toBarmouth, North Wales, for three months. Ron & Irene gotmarried by Special Licence in January, 1943, whilst he was on leave. Ronunfortunatlely caught Malaria, whilst out in Burma.
On his return to the U.K., had to spend some time in Shenley Hospital,Tropical Diseases section.
In 1943, Ron was stationed in South Africa for 6 months. Then spent 1943& 1944 in Burmah. Commisioned February, 1943, into the Royal SussexRegiment and posted to the 3rd. Battalion at West Hartlepool.
Three months there and then off to the Young Soldiers Battalion of theRoyal Sussex at Caterham.
Three weeks later he was posted to the West Africa Frontier Force and wasto join the Nigeria Regiment serving in Sierra Leone. After a long waitfor transport he arrived in Freetown then up to Nigeria, Kano &Sockatoo. For a few months he had a great time of leisure, then off toIndia to join Wingate's Chindits, up in the Central Provinces nearJansi.Ron moved across to Assam and then six months in Burma. WingatesChindits, was a newspaper name given to a Company formed by GeneralCharles Orde-Wingate, long range penetration groups or Chindits, afterthe mythical Burmese lion that guarded every Burmese temple. Ron saw morethan his share of action. Following a bad case of Malaria and then YellowJaundice, he returned to the U.K.
He was demobbed in June, 1946 and returned to his civilian occupation ofBricklayer. Ron & Rene moved to Borehamwood in 1951. He was a bricklayerwith the John Laing
Construction Company, in the early days and went on to have a 50 yearhistory with them. He joined the group in June 1934 as an apprenticebricklayer. In 1967 Ron joined Laings Allocation Department where he wasresponsible for non-mechanical plant. He was senior clerical officer whenhe retired. He became involved with The Elstree & Borehamwood MentallyHandicapped Society. He organised 3 Charity Walks from Southend toBorehamwood, in the early 1970's, which attracted thousands ofparticipants. Much of his hard work changed the fortunes of the Societyand many mentally hadicapped children had their lives improved. Threetimes a year he went to a chalet in Clacton, owed by Mencap, to decorateand maintain it.
His hobbies included film making, building doll's houses and voluntarywork. Much of the voluntary work was at Luton & Dunstable Hospital.
Notes for VERA MARJORIE BOWES:
Marjorie was a nurse during the war. They met when Fred picked soldiers up in a military ambulance.
More About VERA MARJORIE BOWES:
Christening: August 21, 1922, Hawnby, Daleside, Yorkshire
65. Anne DYER
Notes for ANNE DYER:
Anne died early, from a brain heamorage.
Notes for MICHAEL CLOVER:
Mick worked at Laings.His family originate from Suffolk.
More About MICHAEL CLOVER:
Residence: 2001, 17, Ibstone Ave., Bradwell Common, Milton Keynes. MK13 8EA
47. Rosina Jane DYER
Notes for ROSINA JANE DYER:
For a while Rosie & Irene worked together at Mills Engineering.
Notes for MICHAEL BRUNEL:
Michael was a descendant of the Brunel that built the bridge. He suffered from schizophrenia.