Katie Morter The Great War Interviews

BBC Four Collections,

specially chosen programmes from the BBC archive.

For this collection, Max Hastings has selected interviews

with Great War veterans filmed in the 1960s.

More programmes on this theme

and other BBC Four Collections

are available on BBC iPlayer.

I started at the mill when I was 13

years of age,

learning to be a ring

spinner.

And I only got a shilling

a week learning...for four weeks.

And then I eventually

became a doffer

and I got eight shillings

a week then.

And...I was working for eight shillings a week for about 12 months

and then I eventually became a ring

spinner and I got 15

and 6 a week.

That was the highest priced.

And we used to work...from

six

o'clock

in the morning

till half past

five at night,

and six

o'clock on Saturdays till 12 o'clock Saturday dinner time.

Anyway, I... We used to go out at night,

I had a friend,

and

we met these two young men,

and I liked mine

very much, and he liked me.

So, eventually, we...started courting.

And this went on for a long

time,

and I got to know

that he was

only in lodgings.

He had no father and no mother.

He was

a very steady young man,

very

big and fair, and he was all

that

a young woman would wish to see.

He was a lovely man,

really good and he was a member

of St Cross' Church at Clayton.

And we eventually made our minds

up that we would get married,

but we wanted a house.

So we saved our money up,

which wasn't much,

we couldn't save much those days.

Anyway, we did save up and

eventually we got a house in Clayton

for three and sixpence a week.

And we got it furnished

and we lived

there

and we was very, very happy,

because we was very much in love.

He thought the world of me,

and I thought the world of him.

And at times, at nights,

when you used to be at home -

I used to have lovely hair in those days -

and he used to do me hair

up for

me,

all kinds of styles.

And

he was a beautiful man.

And we...we worked

together

and we paid for our home

together

and we was extremely happy.

No-one was happier. And I was very, very proud of him,

especially with him being

a member of the St Cross' Church.

And then the war started.

And he didn't have any need to

go to the war, really.

He had no need to go to the war,

because his job was painting

cars,

I

believe.

But, anyway, he was very patriotic.

Well, we had a friend over in Canada

that had enlisted over there,

and he came over here

and he came

one night and asked us

would

we go to the Palace?

He'd

booked seats

for the Palace and would we go?

We didn't know what was on, of course,

and it was a great treat for us, so we went.

When we got there at the Palace,

everything was lovely.

And

Vesta Tilley was recruiting,

which

we never knew till we got there.

I wouldn't have gone

if I'd known, of course.

Anyway, we got there,

and she was recruiting

and she was dressed

on the stage

beautifully.

A beautiful gown, either silver

or

gold, I'm not quite sure,

but it was an evening gown.

And then they was all on the stage,

the officers and the tables

all

set out for recruiting.

She also had a big Union Jack

wrapped round her

and she introduced that song

We

Don't Want To Lose You

(But

We Think You Ought To Go)

and Rule Britannia

and all those kind of things.

And then she came out of the stage

and walked all around in the audience,

up and down either side, down the middle,

and the young men

was getting up out of the theatre

and following her back again.

And when she got

to our stall

where we was,

she hesitated a bit, and I don't know what happened,

but she put her

hand on my husband's shoulder.

He was on the end seat.

She put her hand on his shoulder,

and

as the men was

all following her down,

he got up and followed her down too.

And they all went on the stage

and they was all recruited,

taken their names and received

the King's shilling at that time.

And then he came...we came home

that night,

and I was terribly upset

and I said...I didn't want him

to go and be a soldier,

because I didn't want to lose him.

I didn't want him to go at all.

But, he said, "We have to go."

He said, "There has to be men

to

go and fight for their women,

"otherwise,"

he said, "where should we be?"

And he eventually persuaded me

that it was all for the best.

And he was only at home about two

days afterwards and then he went.

He went to Preston,

and I...broke

the house up,

because I didn't

want

to be there alone,

and went back

to live with me mother,

because it was near the mill

where

I worked too.

So he went to Preston.

And he was

at Preston a short time,

not very

long at Preston.

And then he

sent me

a letter to say he'd heard

they was

going to be moved

to Bournemouth

and

did I think I could get to Preston?

Well, I had no idea where Preston

was

then from where I lived.

It seemed miles away,

but I eventually made it.

And I got to Preston.

And just as I'd

got to Preston and made

inquiries about him,

I

found

out that

they'd been moved the day before.

Anyway, they was very

kind at the barracks at Preston,

they made me a cup of tea.

And I came

back home...heartbroke, really, because I hadn't seen him.

Later on, he made arrangements,

and I made arrangements,

and he was moved to Bournemouth.

And I went to Bournemouth. I went to Bournemouth

and I had a few days with him

at Bournemouth

in the billets

where they was.

There was a lot of soldiers there.

A lot of soldiers from Wigan

and they really made me very,

very welcome.

And we had a glorious

time at Bournemouth.

And then when...he was coming

home from Bournemouth,

on his last

leave before he went

overseas,

so I came home with him,

and we had a few days at home.

Not very many days, because they only

got six days leave at all that time.

So we came home to me mother's,

and he stayed home

and then he had to go overseas.

And during the time he was

a soldier,

I got

12 and sixpence a week,

12

and sixpence.

That was just the pay

and that was

all that I had...

beside working, doing that bit of work.

So he went overseas, and I never

saw him for about six months.

He sent word he was coming

home on leave at Christmas.

I was expecting him over Christmas.

And...in the meantime,

I'd

give the work up at the mill,

I'd heard there

was a better job at a leather works,

Noblett's Leather Works

at Audenshaw

it was.

So I went for this job

and I got it,

and it was a lot more

money than I was getting.

So I was fully

working at Noblett's Leather Works

when he came home

unexpected in January for his leave.

And the morning

that

I was going out to work...

it was Monday morning,

and I was ready for going.

We set off at seven o'clock

in the morning -

we didn't start till

quarter to

eight at Noblett's -

and I set off at seven o'clock.

There used to be a boy

called for me,

he would be about 15, that's all,

but it was company, we used to walk it.

And before he came -

I was getting

ready to go to work -

before this boy

came, there

was a loud knocking on

the door,

such a big knocking on the door.

And this voice shouted,

"Open

the door, the Jerrys are here!"

See? So me mother said,

"Oh," she said,

"it's Percy,

I can tell his voice."

And in he came, you know,

all mucky and what have you,

right from France.

He came in, and this boy just

followed him in behind him.

And he said,

"Oh,

she's not going to work."

He said,

"Tell the boss

"that she's

not coming

to work while I'm on leave."

So, eventually, I didn't go to work

and I stayed home

all the time that he had his leave.

But he was very, very filthy

and dirty, even lousy.

And mother said, "Oh,"

she says,

"you're not

sleeping in my bed

like that."

She

said, "There's a tub in the back

"and you'd better get

your things off, get them shirts off

"and whatnot and throw that khaki

out, see what I can do with it."

There she was brushing

down the sides, you know,

to see there wasn't

anything in

and all the rest of it,

and eventually we found

some

old clothes of his

that he had

before, and he had a good rest.

And then he said to me

during that day, he was tired,

and he only got six days leave,

and two days travelling

out

of that

had to be taken off the six days.

So he didn't have very long.

And he says now... He says,

"Now, Kitty".

He called me Kitty.

He says, "Now, Kitty,"

he says,

"what would

you like for a present?

"I'm going to buy you a present

while I'm home."

I said, "Oh, I don't know." I said...

I'm afraid

I was rather vain

in those days

and I was a rather attractive girl

and I said, "Do you know, I've seen

a beautiful hat down the street.

"Oh, it is a lovely hat!" I said, "I would like it."

And it was in a shop window,

and

I'd looked at this hat several

times.

And it was a lovely hat,

and I'd have loved it,

but it was such a terrible dear hat.

Them times,

that would be 1915, you see,

it was 19s 11d.

Well, we could a lovely hat them

times

for 2s 11d, you see.

And he said, "Well, come on, we'll

go

down

and have a look at it."

And I'll never forget that hat.

It was white felt, and it

turned up all around and with me

being dark...

And it had a big mauve

feather all the way in the brim and it hung over.

Oh, it was gorgeous.

So we got dressed up

after

I got this hat.

He bought it me. After, we got dressed up,

and I took him to the works,

Noblett's

Leather Works,

where

I worked.

And I introduced him

to Mr Noblett himself,

and they all shook hands with him.

And how pleased and proud I was

when he went in the leather works

and everybody could see him.

Anyway, he went back about the

Thursday night, I should think.

No longer than that. I didn't go with him to the tram,

because there was trams

those

days, you know,

there was no

buses, there was trams.

I didn't go with him to the tram.

One of me brothers went

with

him...and

a friend of his.

And he told this friend, it seems,

afterwards he told me,

he said, "I'm afraid I

shall never come back again."

Anyway, he went,

and I went back to

work afterwards.

And I worked

at Noblett's Leather Works

and then

I found out that I was pregnant.

During the time that he was away,

I was very, very lonely,

as I didn't

make friends very easily,

and all the

thoughts I had was for my husband.

And...it was... Times was very, very hard,

and I only had 12s 6d a week

and therefore I couldn't go out

and spend like anyone else.

And I used to sit at night

and try to do a bit of reading

or

a bit of sewing with me hands

to

pass the time away like that.

But it was very, very hard,

and

at times,

I would wonder

what

he was doing

and if he was thinking about me.

And wondering how he was going on

and

when I should see him again

and all things like that.

Well, my mother, in the meantime,

had

gone to do a little job

picking

strawberries at a jam

factory,

and so there was only me

in the house,

and I carried on and carried on and carried on.

And then I did a bit more work

afterwards.

When I found out I was pregnant,

I went up to see them

at the leather works

and told them,

and he said,

"We'll

find you a light job,

Mrs Morter."

They said, "Come along in,

and we'll find you a light job."

So I went back to work at

the Noblett's leather factory

when I found out I was pregnant.

And I worked there till

I was seven months pregnant.

And I had a very good job.

And then, I'd just give up work

on the Friday night...

as I received

word

on the Monday morning.

On the

Friday night,

I'd just give up work

and I'd gone to bed as usual

over the weekend.

I didn't go out very much,

because I had a very bad

time during my pregnancy.

And the only thing that I could

keep on my stomach was carrots.

And they was very, very cheap, and I

had two pound of carrots every day.

That was the only thing

I could eat

was carrots.

And I had two

pound of carrots every day.

Anyway, they suited me, you see,

and that was the best thing.

And I was only very,

very thin at the time.

Anyway, I'd settled down

and I'd just give up work, as I say,

on the Friday night.

I received

a letter on the Monday morning.

Well, mother had gone to the jam

factory and she'd left me in bed,

because I was getting on then,

you

see.

And she'd left me in bed

when

I heard the postman come

and I knew

that it would be a letter for me.

So I ran down in me nightdress

and opened the door

and snatched

the letter off the postman.

And...run in and

shut the door in me

nightdress

and me bare feet.

And I opened the letter,

and it was from his sergeant.

And it just said, "Dear Mrs

Morter,

"I'm very sorry to tell

you of the death of your husband."

Well, that was as far

as I could read,

you see.

I couldn't read anything else.

So I...I didn't know just for a few

minutes

what happened,

but I ran out...I ran out

of the house as I was, in me bare feet,

and I banged on the next door...

the

next-door neighbour.

And it was a Mr and Mrs Hirst,

and they let me in. "Whatever's to do?" she said.

And I said, "Will you read this

letter,

Mrs Hirst? Read this letter."

And she said, "Oh,

she said, you poor child."

And, of course, I don't know really

what happened then,

but they brought some blankets

and wrapped me up in them.

And they eventually sent word to me

mother at the works,

and she came home.

Me mother came home,

and... they treated me for shock.

I had a real shock. But this was only from his sergeant,

so I thought,

"Well, perhaps

it's just an error."

I wasn't sure what had happened.

I thought it's perhaps just

an error.

But later on...I wrote

to the

sergeant.

I wrote

and answered his letter

and I found

out later on, I had another letter

to say

that the man

that had sent me

word had also been killed.

And then later on,

I had

the official news.

So after I found

that it

was officially

known that he had been killed,

I used to pass me

time away trying to

make little baby

clothes for my baby.

And, eventually...the

baby came to be born.

It was born at home, but...I don't

remember it being born at all.

I had a very bad time.

I had two doctors and I don't

remember

the baby being born.

And I felt I didn't want to live.

I'd no wish to live at all,

because the world had come

to

an end then for me,

cos I'd lost all that I'd loved.

You see, there was no need

for me

to live, sort of thing.

But, anyway, the doctors said

I had to go away,

and they sent me to Gee Cross Hospital.

It was a fever hospital at the time

and

I was in there six weeks.

And then I came back home.

And they took

me baby with me the night they took

me.

And I remember the first time

I ever saw the little baby,

it was

in a little clothes basket,

because

they had no children's ward there.

It was in a little clothes basket,

and I thought that never was

my baby,

because it was such a little,

tiny thing, just like a rabbit.