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Gnr. Clement Albert March
British Army 197 Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery
from:Woolwich
My granddad, Clement March, came home from WW1 and died in 1964. Before the war he worked at the Woolwich Arsenal making munitions. His family came from the Gloucester area to work in the Woolwich Arsenal, as did his wife's family.
After the war, he went back to the Arsenal but had a fall on cherries in the market square outside the Arsenal main gate. He broke his hip or leg and it wasn't put right. He had a big built-up boot and a bad limp. He could no longer work in munitions and cleaned the toilets instead. He then took up shoe mending, shoe making, and making cricket balls. He did this through the 1950s and 1960s. I remember his shed and the sheets of leather for the soles. My nan (also in the photo) mended shoes. They lived in Plumstead all their married life and were married over 50 years. They had two girls - my mum (who also worked in munitions in WW2). My dad was also in the Royal Artillery in WW2. I have great memories of granddad. I was born in 1950. He let me get away with so much, I remember him repairing shoes so much I used to do my own. He did say he went to Italy and brought back two lovely brooches made of tiny, tiny stones in patterns/flowers, and a pretty silk hankie. I asked his daughter (my aunt) if he ever spoke of the war, but no he didn't. But I now know what he must have seen and went through. I do remember he had a great respect for horses that came on deliveries to the door and he always had a look and a pat or a carrot.
