206453 Section Leader Tom William Adams Auxiliary Fire Service from:Twickenham My Father, Tom Adams worked at Mortlake power station during the day and then after tea, went off to the fire station to serve as an Auxiliary Fireman. One of the tales he told was about Kingston-on-Thames going up in flames after some bombing. On the side of the river, apart from the smell of the tannery, there was a big timber yard that had a corrugated iron roof. This went up in flames and father was told to get on the roof and put water everywhere. As the flames got bigger and the roof got warmer the soles of his boots started to melt so he and his mates stuck the hose down their wellies in a vain effort to keep cool. Eventually they had to clamber off the roof as their feet were getting burnt. Apparently there was quite a row about him getting another pair of boots.
Another occasion happened on his way home from work on his bike along Chiswick embankment. He heard the sound of the infamous doodlebug. When it stopped he looked up and saw the thing coming down so he took cover behind the low wall of someone's house. The bomb landed in the river with a loud "wooomf" in the mud. The tide was out and it showered everywhere with smelly mud. Apart from the windows shattering in the cottage behind him and large pieces of the odd boat landing on him he was ok. Only when he got home he smelt terrible and was covered in mud, he couldn't have his tea till he had a bath which made him late for his fire duty!
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