大象传媒

This story is submitted by Pat Yates, an Age Concern volunteer, on behalf of Derek Yates and with his full permission, etc.

At the outbreak of war my brother Chester was almost eighteen. In 1938 he had joined the TA with two of his friends and so they were called up on the 2nd September and told to report to their local barracks in Stockport.

It was a hot day when he left home - seen off by my mother, my sister and myself. He was in full service marching order, carrying three packs and pouches with his greatcoat and cape and wearing his army boots with WW1 issue puttees up to his knees. We watched him walk away from us, and after fifty yards or so one of his puttees gradually unravelled and was trailing along on the pavement behind him. At the end of the road he sat on the wall of a house, took off all his equipment so that he could get to his ankles, and laboriously wound back his 'leg bandage'! Brenda, my sister, and I were in stitches laughing at this performance, but at last he was ready and with a wave he went on his way and out of sight. Then I turned round to find my mother in tears. It was no joke to her; she was remembering the first World War when so many left home and never returned.

War was declared next day and that evening who should walk through the door but Chester, proudly showing off his rifle - a WW1 Lee Enfield! They had sent him back home because there was no ammunition for the rifle, there was nowhere for him to sleep and no army catering facilities. All was chaos; nothing had been planned.

Although he had little training and was completely inexperienced, Private Chester Yates' first job was defending the Barton Bridge over the Manchester Ship Canal and the Mersey against the possibility of a German parachute landing - an illustration of how prepared we were for war in September 1939!

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