Leslie William Bills

Leslie was born in August 1926 in Romford, Essex, a few years before the Great Depression of 1929. His father, William Joseph Bills, was a WW1 veteran of Flanders (late 1916) and served in the Royal Engineers as a Signaler at Villers Bretonneux in 1918. Before the war he had been a field engineer in the GPO general post office in Ilford, London.

Leslie's Mother Rose Jones in May 1915, met and dated Lieutenant William. Leefe Robinson, the famous Aviator who famously shot down the first Zeppelin in Cufley, on that day in Ilford 1915, Robinson flipped his lucky half penny in the air, his flying mate Frederick Sowrey had nudged his elbow for the young pretty lady walking by, the coin rolled across the street in front of Rose, Leslie based the book 'A Medal for Life' on the aviator, Sowrey himself became famous not long after downing the mighty Super Zeppelin L32 over Billericay in September 1916, Leslie would go to buy his first and only house in Billericay in the 1950s, and he still lives there to this day.

Leslie followed in his father's footsteps to become a dispatch rider age (Age 14 - 18) for the GPO in 1939, delivering post in bombed out conditions, each day taking the train from Chadwell heath to the city center, throughout the Blitz years, by night Fire Watch Duties in central London.

Leslie William Bills, Ex Bevin Boy, with Lamp Helmet and medal 1988

On the 23rd August 1944 Leslie was served with a notice to serve as a Bevin Boy by the Ministry of Labour to work in the coal mines of Northumberland

During October 1944 Leslie became a Fire Watch Spotter under the body Auxiliary Fire Service Organization the (AFS)

On 13 November 1944 Leslie was sent to Cramlington Training Colliery near Newcastle upon Tyne, Cramlington was operated by experienced coal miners and RAF staff, to get new recruits into a fit and conditioned state for mining.

After his initial training at Cramlington Colliery, Leslie was posted to Fenwick Pit,[1] which is near to East Hollywell[2] near Whitley Bay in Northumberland, & this is when he became a Bevin Boy..

On his first pay day after one week the Pay Clarke said "Name?" Leslie replied "Leslie Bills I'm a Bevin Boy" Clerk replied "You cant help that lad, don't worry about it, here you are bonny lad", and was handed one pound and eighty four pence in todays money.

Leslie was issued with the miners lamp, belt and helmet, along with safety boots and overalls

Leslie after being released from active duty of coal mining in 1948, continued to pursue his previous career of being a Telegraphist with the GPO in Ilford, but after some time Leslie wanted to switch trades and become a Draftsman in the Engineering field, Leslie retrained and when qualified worked for the Essex River Board.

Leslie after witnessing flooding in Chelmsford, took an interest in working with flood defenses and preventative engineering measures, after the catastrophic floods of Canvey Island in 1953, working with the Essex River Board and River Authority

from 1965 worked for Benfleet Council as Assistant Senior Engineer responsible for all drainage and flooding matters, after the Amalgamation of the Essex River board & River Authority, Leslie was promoted to Principal Drainage Engineer of Canvey island, prior to this the Authorities were responsible

A Rising Tide, after the floods of 1953, Exercise of working as the Principal Drainage Engineer on Canvey Island for 15 years.

In 1973 a meeting between the Essex River Authority & Canvey Island Council, Canvey Island Council and quickly became a senior engineer, from 1974 to 1989, Leslie William Bills had the responsibility of rebuilding and upgrading the sea defenses, pumping stations, and all flood measures of Canvey Island he was the Principal Drainage Engineer for 15 years.

In 1983, Leslie was invited by the BBC to appear in a documentary with Ex Miners and Bevin Boys, the documentary was produced by Tyne Tees Television at the Morton Colliery in Durham.

One interesting proposals were submitted by Leslie a Harbour at Thorney Bay, designed to allow over night stays for the then Thames Sailing Barges. In 1985 the opening of the newly built Sea Bathing Pool, Newly built Hight street Pumping Station and other at; Cofferdam, Caisson, Point, & Furtherwick Road, and a new concrete lifeboat ramp to assist the RLNI along the seawall.

In 1990 Canvey Islands drainage and sea defense overall responsibility was divided between the Nation River Authority, Castlepoint District Council, Anglia Water Plc, & Essex County Councils Highway agency , Leslie went on to become a Consultant Engineer, way into retirement and wrote a book 'Canvey Island, A rising Tide', about his experiences as a Civil Engineer on the Island.

Leslie went on to write a series of books, a mixture of DIY Do it yourself books, Romantic, and Biographical, Historic.

(1992) The Cavernham Bird house (Thatched)

(1991) The Cavernham Chimneymill, Publisher Cavernham Marine.

(1992) The Cavernham Wheelbarrow Planter, Publisher Cavernham Marine.

(1992) The Cavernham Postmill, Publisher Cavernham Marine.

(1993) The Cavernham Dove / Pigeon Cote, Publisher Cavernham Marine

(1993) The Cavernham Watermill, Publisher Cavernham Marine

(1994) The Hatch Boat / Publisher Cavernham Marine.

(1995) The Cavernham Garden Furniture, Publisher Cavernham Marine.

(1995) The Cavernham Garden Chalet / Shed, Publisher Cavernham Marine.

(1996) The Cavernham Wishing Well, Publisher Cavernham Marine.

(1998) Regency Style Doll's Cabinet, Publisher Cavernham Marine.

(1998) Child's Rocking horse, Publisher Cavernham Marine.

(1990) A Medal for Life:[3] Biography of Captain William Leefe Robinson VC[4] in collection of the Imperial War Museum London

(2002) Marmalade Cottage Birdhouse, Publisher Cavernham Marine.

(2004) Canvey Island: A Rising Tide[5]

(2005) Fettered Freedom,[6] Publisher: Cavernham Marine, the experiences that Leslie had as a Bevin Boy in ww2 in the collections of Imperial War Museum London,[7] British Library,[8] National Coal Mining Museum Caphouse Colliery Wakefield.

Leslie went on to become an experienced boat builder and model builder, building three wooden boats in traditional construction techniques. At the age of 94, he is still a member of the Bevin Boy Association and the Guild of Chartered Engineers, still keeps correspondence with the Bevin Boys Association, and families of the Bevin Boy miners from 1948 in Hollywell community in Northumberland.