Work in progress
Previous | Contents | Next In September 1939 Hitler invaded Poland. According to Cliff’s diary, by the time he moved to Paparoa in March 1940 6,000 New Zealand men had enlisted for service overseas and wartime rationing had begun. Although he was still working for the Post Office and Telegraph Department, it was at the…
Previous | Contents | Next In early 1936 Cliff started attending Bible classes, mainly because some of his friends were. Working on farms had meant few opportunities for socialising, and there were boys and girls in Bible class. The fact they were getting home from church as late as 11pm suggests that they were having…
Contents When I visited him and Mum, and saw that he was still doing this I’d repeat my lecture about computer memory, and saving your work, and he’d say, “But surely it must be full up by now.” It reminds me of myself now — not bothering to comprehend or wanting to engage with aspects…
Previous | Contents | “I’ve seen Dad working like that, with the suction end of a pump under his feet pumping gallons of water as he used a pneumatic drill on solid lime rock, with water pouring down from above and from the muddy parts of the tunnel between each rock face.” John Baugh died…
Previous | Contents | Next From Cliff’s notes ~ Ian. There was a large winch to haul skips of coal up the long underground drive — the tunnel that led to the coal face. A heavy, endless wire rope was used, which at the top and bottom of the drive wound around a large steel…
Previous | Contents | Next This page is an extract from The Coal Miner’s Son, Cliff’s stories about the Depression and WW2, and the navigation reflects that. Click here if you want to return to THE BAUGHS. ~ Ian § Most of the following is in the first person, written by Dad, some in the third person,…
My father Cliff loved an audience, and his grandchildren proved to be better listeners than me. Dad and I certainly enjoyed a good argument — more I’m sure than those around us — but as his son I found sitting and listening to him harder than they did. Fortunately he didn’t just talk about his…