John Tarling

Personal interview in March 2022

John Tarling at Dr Bell’s School, 3rd row back, next to headmaster Mr Cook on the left.

John Tarling was born in Fishponds in 1932 and lived at 643 Fishponds Road on the corner of Alexander Park. He attended Dr Bell’s School in Fishponds, which is where he was when war was declared. Being so young, his early memories of the war are sketchy but he does remember their narrow escape when, during the Bristol Blitz, nearby houses in Wharf Road were completely destroyed. After this, his parents took the decision to evacuate John and his sisters to safety and they ended up in the tiny village of Halse, near Bishop’s Lydiard in Somerset.

Halse, Somerset

In those days, Fishponds was much less of a suburb of Bristol and had a closer feel where everyone knew each other. There wasn’t as much of a culture shock with his new life as for some but being away from the many factories, and therefore potential targets, must have been a relief. John thoroughly enjoyed his time in Halse and stayed in touch with the family for many years so much so that the mother of the family came to live with him in later life.

John returned to Fishponds around the time of D-Day when the main American presence had moved to France but he well remembers seeing GIs around the streets. With other local lads he would go to the American hospital at Frenchay and chat to those who had been wounded in Normandy. The conversation didn’t cover the action the GIs had seen – they wouldn’t have wanted to relive it in any case – but they were generous as ever and gave John and his friends many sweets. John would also see their jeeps and trucks coming and going to the hospital.

Another way in which John had contact with Americans was through his sisters. As with many Bristol girls, they were very much charmed by the GIs and their access to all kinds of otherwise inaccessible gifts, such as chocolate and stockings. His sisters had trips out with their American guests such as to Weston-Super-Mare.

John’s sister with friends and a G.I. in Weston-Super-Mare

With more G.I.s at Weston-Super-Mare

In fact John ended up marrying a ‘GI bride’. Like many others, she had followed her soldier back to the States where they were married and had two children, dreaming of a better life than could be had in post-war Bristol. However, she never really settled and found it hard to fit in and, despite joining a GI Bride group, she was lonely and felt she didn’t fit in with the traditional Italian culture of her husband so returned to England where she met John. They married and spent a very happy life together in Fishponds.

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