Geoff. W. Jaques

Name : Geoff. W. Jaques

Rank : T.B.C.

Ser. No. : T.B.C.

Dates at Cranage : 2 Years 1954 - 1956

No.61 M.U. Ground Wireless Mechanic

Geoff. W. Jaques contacted myself on 24 February, 2013 with the following message -

“I am ex national serviceman stationed at cranage 1953/54 I ran our Astra cinema there. I have seven hundred negatives of the old camp. Mainly of personnel they are in well bound cases complete with a register all named and numbered. Also a film shot in 16 mm now on DVD about a day on the camp. Would you be interested”.

Of course, there is only one answer I could give and and after a quick trip over to Scarborough to meet Geoff and his wife, Marie, you can now see the photographs here and the film footage here.

Below you can find more information on Geoff, and his time at Cranage, along with some more photos and some posters that he saved from the waste bin before he left the camp in 1955.

Geoff. W. Jaques of Newby, Scarborough started his National Service with the R.A.F. at Liverpool, where he spent a period of time within the armoury. From Liverpool he was posted to R.A.F. Cranage, which by this time was a large storage depot along with being used by No.20 P.T.C. to house families who were following husbands and fathers around the world with the R.A.F.

When Geoff arrived, he found the camp to be of a rather relaxed atmosphere, which as he discovered was the result of the commanding officers up-coming retirement. This was all to change when the new C.O., Sqn/Ldr Pollock arrived ahead of schedule, unannounced and in ‘civvies’. He went on the spend several days observing the goings-on, making notes of all complaints, which he intended to put right.

When the cooks complained of their long working days, starting at 06.30hrs, C.O. Pollock duly went along to the kitchens the following morning only to find the place empty. That was one morning they won’t have forgotten in a hurry as he promptly went to their huts and dragged them out of their beds.

The day after this rude awakening the cooks, along with many of the camp personnel including clerks, firemen and commissioned officers turned up bright and early to scrub the cookhouse and dining area from top to bottom. Thereafter the C.O. would make visits to the kitchen, without prior notice, where he would line up the staff and check everything for cleanliness, including hands, clothing and equipment. Anyone found to be at fault was given extra duties.

During this time Geoff was also involved in ‘operation clean-up’, given the task of washing the pots, pans and dishes. “Believe me, washing up at home is a doddle compared to all that” he recalls.; “500 plates, three times a day, without a dishwasher, is no fun”.

As the last in the line of five generations of master painters and decorators, Geoff decided that on his next visit home he would collect the proof of his qualifications and request an interview with the C.O. Most of Geoff’s mates thought he was mad to do this, indeed Geoff himself said he found the C.O. to be “a most formidable chap”, who had been a heavyweight boxing champion of the R.A.F. Pollock had lost a leg in the war, and was ‘most tetchy’, but even with an artificial leg he could get around the camp as well as anyone.

After listening to what Geoff had to say, Pollock decided that Geoff could serve the camp much better using his skills and gave him a small workshop where he set about improving the camp signs. He even made a special sign for the entrance, with a map showing the layout of the camp (see photographs below).

One of Geoff’s other roles was to run the camp Cinema, the Astra, succeeding Arthur Woodhams, from Sevenoaks, a “right character”.

In those days the camp barber would charge a shilling for a haircut, and after one weekend visit to London, Arthur returned to camp with a fancy haircut which he announced had cost him a full 15 shillings!

Geoff and Arthur went on to become good pals which lasted until Arthur’s passing in 2012.

Arthur must have done a good job of training Geoff, because when he was sent on a course for projectionists in Melksham, Wiltshire he came out top of the group. This pleased the C.O. so much he included it in his announcement during the next parade. Indeed, when Geoff’s brother “Cec” (also a projectionist in the R.A.F.) told him of a new French projector, the “Debrie” which could hold a full programme on just one reel, the C.O. bought one for Cranage. It made an incredible difference to both vision and sound, compared to the old worn out projectors previously used.

Although there were cinemas in the local towns around Cranage, it wasn’t a straight forward trip for personnel and their families to go and see a film and so the Astra was a much needed part of Cranage life.

It showed the latest films of the time - two feature films, two ‘B’ supporting films, a cartoon and the latest newsreel. Added to this there was a children’s showreel on Saturday mornings.

Geoff made the timetables for the films to be shown each week, and gave one to the C.O., who, when the last programme was shown at the camp, presented Geoff with the timetable along with a typewritten letter on the back (see photos below).

A cine camera was hired from a shop in Northwich and a film was made of the camp, see the Ground Level Photography page. It included a church parade and a sports day along with shots taken from the high level water tower and at the time, everyone found it to be very impressive.

Unfortunately Geoff was ordered cut the original full length film into sections and present each of them to the relevant section leaders, but what he has salvaged and put back together, along with a soundtrack and voice-over is invaluable to those interested in Cranage.

When the C.O. heard that Geoff’s wife, Marie, was to visit him, he ordered that a room should be prepared in the medical section, and Geoff’s pals on the camp provided a bed and a wardrobe along with curtains for her and the couple mostly ate in the officers’ mess during her stay. They were also invited to dine with the civilian manageress of the N.A.A.F.I. in her quarters and they attended a dance at Goostrey.

Many demob parties were held for servicemen who completed their service at Cranage and there were many pranks too. For one such party at the Black Bear, Sandbach, Geoff temporarily changed the sign. He made a new one on which he painted a nude black woman accompanied by the pub’s new name, the “Black Bare’.

It cause “quite a commotion”, Geoff recalls, but the landlord thought it was great, keeping it in the yard and charged people a nominal donation for charity to see it.

Late in 1954 the camp closed to the R.A.F. and transferred to the U.S. Army as a satellite for R.A.F. Burtonwood. With this, Geoff moved on to Bowlee to complete his service, operating a telephone switchboard. The best bit about the transfer was being woken, with a pot of tea, every morning by the duty officer.

For their 50th anniversary, Geoff and Marie visited the area, which provided them both with a happy coincidence.

Having booked into the Bull’s Head Hotel, Congleton, which they liked very much, it happened that they were unable to stay there for a third night due to the imminent arrival of the builders. The hotel manager arranged for Geoff and Marie stay at the Holly Lodge Hotel in Holmes Chapel - The very hotel at which they stayed 50 years earlier as newly-weds!

They still have the receipt from that first visit - 15 shillings (the same price as Arthur’s aforementioned haircut) for each of the two nights’ stay, 6s/0d for each of the two dinners and 4s/6d for lunch, making a grand total of £3.16s.6d!

Geoff and Marie Outside the Astra CinemaTheir receipt from the Hollies, 1954Marie outside the Hollies Hotel [now the Holly Lodge] 2004Geoff at the former entrance to Cranage camp, 2004Geoff outside the Black Bear (Bare), Sandbach, 2004Geoff and Marie in the Black Bear, 2004Arthur Woodhams and Marie Jaques 2007Geoff and Arthur in the Astra projection roomArthur and Geoff sinking a couple of well earned drinksArthur & Geoff outside the Education BlockGeoff congratulates Arthur on his demob.Behind them is the camp map sign the Geoff created at the request of C.O. PollockGeoff’s demobGeoff’s copy of the Christmas menu, 1953.To see the full menu, click hereOde to R.A.F. Cranage by B. GoldsmithLetter from Sqn/Ldr Pollock on the reverse of the final programmeThe final programme, Monday 29th November, 1954Poster for Whist Drives at the Families ClubPoster for a Barn Dance in Middlewich, 1954“Fighting Irons” cartoon by Geoff.Cartoon of the projection room by Geoff.Glen Miller pun by Geoff<>