大象传媒

It is still 1950 and I am at Bicester. We had not long arrived here and my first morning. I asked someone if they could tell me where I could go to get washed. One of the men said to me "Come with me" We walked along the path and there were hot and cold water but someone said that this was not every morning. After breakfast, I reported to the Company officer, also there were two other Corporals. I heard that Nathen, Harding, Private Hitchcock and Private Lee to go with the Company runner to the transport and to report to Captain Farley. On meeting the captain, I was of the opinion, that he had come up through the ranks. We three N C O's were taken to an Office and we were then informed of our duties. We watched tickets and Vehicle documents. Lee and Hitchcock were in the driving pool and on checking these vehicles work tickets. I have never seen so much crap in my life. Some you could not read, others were a lot more readable. The Mileage plus the petrol consumption, just to check was enough. I thought to my self, what a job we had been given. I dare not repeat the remarks from Corporal Harding, they are unprintable.
As we checked, we scratched our heads many times, so we stopped and took a deep breath. There were many times that we would take a walk around the site and then return to our table. When it came time to leave our duty, we really felt all in. My head was aching. On arriving at the Nissen hut, the others had arrived and some arrived later. Then came the question, from the others "Where was my last posting?" I did notice the faces but I did not know the nmes of these men. Then they asked me "Where do you live?" I replied "Mortlake in Surrey" Then a person by the name of Tony Nuttal and his cousin, Bert Nuttal said " We live there". It turned out that I knew their Uncle Mickey. Tony said "There are a few more of the lads from Mortlake, do you know a Ted Kimpton?" I replied "Yes, I do know his father" Both Tony and Bert said "You will see him in the NAAFI". So I now had a few more people to meet".
The next day, down at the Office, Tony popped his head in the door and asked "Is there anything that I can do?" Looking up I said "Tell the drivers I wish to see them tonight, when they are finished". Then Captain Farley arrived and said to Nuttal "Nuttal, take the lorry down to the site and then load a diesel engine, which they know about. A Pickford lorry will be calling for it". So off went Tony,then an hour later he returned, the Captain was present when it had been unloaded and then it was covered up, then he left.
We had heard that North and South Korea were at War, someone had remarked "I have read in the paper that the Americans have poked their nose in". We asked" Is there anything about us, England" "No not yet".
I was coming out of our billet when I noticed Jock Barr or was I seeing straight. He was a Quarter Master Sergeant with three stripes and a crown. I called over to him and he just waved and he shouted "See you later for a chat OK" Looking around the camp I thought to myself, what a dump. Compared to what I had left in Oldenberg. Perhaps this was my punishment to what I had done over the last few years. I was laying on my bed that night and my thoughts went to civvy street. I had a fear of returning to civvy street. I felt that I would not fit in and I thought "Have I still got that screw loose in my head".I was still not sure,will have to wait and see. That day has not arrived yet to be confronted. I was brought back to reality by any one wanting to buy a box of a dozen spark plugs. But one of the soldiers said " I can get a case full" Then my ears cocked up, how could a man say such a thing. Tony looked and said "Anything is possible, here, you name it and within 12 to 24 hours, it will be delivered". I was flabbergasted, was I hearing right or dreaming it. Speaking to Tony later, I remarked to him "Is it true". "yes" he replied."But not only us, but watch the hired transport, when they leave every night. I thought to myself, what a nest of thieves.
The next morning, at the transport site, there was a plain, three ton lorry and it pulled into the yard. I heard the driver ask for the Captain. The Captain and the driver approached a Fork Lift truck which was nearby. A Plant driver was instructed to load the engine. When it was roped down, the driver said that his Boss would ring later. I thought, why would they load here? Why not on the site? Was this another fiddle?
A few days later, I had to go to the Quarter master's store. here, Quarter master Sergeant Barr was in charge. On entering, I saw Quarter Master Sergeant Barr writing. I said "Good morning Sergeant, how are you?" He replied "OK".I said to him "You did well for yourself" He replied " Yes, after your posting I made Corporal, then the Quarter Master was demobbed, and then the Major promoted me, when we left 145 Vehicle park, then I was made Quarter Master". I asked him "How long have you been here?" He said "Six months, my girlfriend is still in Germany, but I write to her". I asked him "What happened after my posting?". He replied " All hell broke loose and by the way Corporal Hart, the Major Hurley got his rank back for him and he lost two years senority. If he had laid eyes on you, he would have killed you" But I replied "It was not me" But Jock said" Who else?". I replied to him"C S M Smith, the N C O that took over my duties, he was responsible, why you know, as well as I do, that the Major had given C S M Smith my job once that I was posted". "Have you got any proof of this" I said "Yes, I received a letter from Felix, with all of this information in the letter".
The five Corporals in our Battalion was informed that they were on a days promotion course, and Nathen, Lee and myself were included. It was drill,such as square bashing. A Sergeant Instructor, informed us that we would be put through drill and once that has been done, then when that had been completed, we would then each take over the Company of forty Corporals and drill them, as their Instructors. We did this all day and by the time that we were dismissed at 5.00 p.m., we were all deadbeat, and only fit for bed!. But after we had all had showers, we were OK, so we went to the wet canteen for a beer. Also in there, sitting at a table was Ted Kimpton. he was a Corporal in the Pioneer Corp. We started chatting to him about Mortlake and what had happened in the War, to soldiers and sailors. We knew him from our schooldays.
He was telling us some experiences that he had had. There was some Concientous Objectors, in the war, working under him and you had to watch them very carefully. When they were moving some cases of rum, they dropped one and straightaway, out came their drinking mugs. I shouted at them and then went and knocked the mugs out of their hands and made them empty their mugs. This, he said ,started a disagreement, so I told them "If you drop one more case then you will be charged with stealing". You had to watch them all of the time. Another time, he said, it was a very wet night and it was too cold to go out, so we were chatting indoors. This went on for some time and then I asked the Why had they not joined the Services?" They replied" We are against all Wars". My mate turned around to them and said "Then will you answer me a question" They replied "Yes". He asked " You are against fighting a War" and they still said "Yes". So he carried on "Then perhaps you can answer this for me. You are going on leave and the Germans have invaded England, you arrive home and on entering the kitchen, you see a rifle by the door. Also in the house is a German and he is raping your sister or your mother, what would you do?" The reply that came back was " That is an unfair question". They had an answer for everything.
Next morning, Tony came and said that the Captain wished to see me. So I went and at his office, I knocked on his door,entered and said to him " Do you need me Sir?"
he said "yes, go with Tony to Tongham" I asked "Where is that?" he said "It is near Staines in MIddlesex". So away we both went, it was a nice drive out. On arrival there, I handed the documents in to the person sitting at his desk. He replied "Can you loose this lot?" I said "No, I do not have anywhere to leave it". I noticed that they had a blow torch with cutting spanners in half. There was a heap of scrap . One vehicle was loading, at the rear, with two new vehicle engines. The driver was very careful with these. We unloaded and drove over, Tony said " We could have had a good load from there, must have been kits from every trade.
It was now September and Captain Farley was on leave for another posting. Our next Captain,arrived two days later. He was called Captain Billymore. I had seen all the drivers, from the pool, and I explained to them about the drivers trip sheets and that they had to be readable. Some of them had been unreadable and I told the men to work with me or otherwise, they would be off driving and working in the stores. The Captain sent for me and said "You will be working alone on documents". I thought that he was crazy!
I met Ted, now and again, in the wet bar. One night, when we were in our hut, I spoke about the Depot and I was told that the 5
R A O C Battalion, the camp and the stores covered an area of 45 square miles. It had been built, before the War. When it was foggy or misty, you could not see this place from the air. On travelling around the camp one eveing, I saw the hired vehicles leaving the sites. Most were carrying packing cases, but they were not delivering at that time of day. I spoke to Tony that evening, about these vehicles. he said "Tomorrow they will return empty". I spoke to the civilian detail Officer and he said" The Captain told him that he could have as many N C O's that he needed, so long as the vehicles work tickets were readable, they were then sent to the Royal Army Group officer" When I told him "I only need you, in fact, I had already warned the drivers". That is why Nathen and Lee got promoted to Sergeant. The Captain sent for me and said" You and 18 drivers will be billeted on this site, in three huts, one for bed,mess and for resting. None of you will do any other duties, you will collect food, three times a day from the cook house. Start moving down over the week-end".
A billet away from the main camp was good. I was given a list of drivers. Then I informed them of our move. I also told them, that if they ever stepped out of line, then they would be returned to the main camp, so for them to be warned. When the billet was ready, the Captain said for us to move down over the following week-end and by the saturday night, we had all moved in.
I said to the men "Now that we are all settled in, those of you on the Battalion rations, for you to try and get tea, sugar and tin milk. If you can, then we could have a cup of tea in the morning, then we would not have to go to the cook house to collect it "
The Captain came on a visit to the Office and enquired about men for Christmas Leave. There would be 5 drivers needed over the holiday, for duty at the Battalion cook house. I said "Sir, this has been arranged, in fact there will be 6 drivers, 5 of them from the North and was a Londoner, because his brother will be home from Overseas as he is in the Services.
Everything was now arranged and we all went on Christmas leave.
When I arrived home on the following evening, my Father asked me if I was going out for a drink with him. I replied " No, I have some letters to catch up on so I will write these. I was sitting by the fire, when my Mother said "When are you due out of the Army?" I replied " I do not know, what with the start of the Korean War, none of us know". I had a quiet family Christmas.
On returning to Bicester, after the Christmas leave, the other 6 drivers, went on leave the following day. Now it was nearly New year. We had a good knees up in the canteen, it was quite a night. It was good to see the service men and women enjoying themselves and quite a few of them were drunk, but the night went off very well.
Well now off to bed and awaking in the morning, would be the start of a New year, what it would bring, we did not know. Then it would be 1951.

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