大象传媒

REVELATION

Joining the Royal Navy on July 23rd 1943 at HMS Collingwood, Fareham, Hants a (stone frigate) training camp for ten weeks.

1943. One by one my old school and Scout mates were leaving village homes and jobs, joining HM Forces, myself envied them. As we came 18 years of age, with our country having been four years at war, seeing and hearing about great deeds, fellow Briton鈥檚 were giving back punishment to our common enemies, as we had enduring from them for four years. 1943, at last the tide of war was turning for our countryman鈥檚 favour.

Everyone in the country wished to give the aggressors tenfold of that punishment handed back to them, the Nazi Germans and Japanese. To do our bit to achieve this and to avenge our aggressors, myself the Royal Navy seemed the chance to do just that.

Getting off the train at Fareham, a Petty Officer checking names, directing us to awaiting lorry, driven through the gates at HMS Collingwood, others before us marching and running about the camp, the Revelations of the Royal Navy became apparent.

The first full day was taken up seeing the doctors, having injections and vaccinations. Lad in front of me fainted, I caught him, placed him in a chair beside me, stepped forward myself. Next being kitted out, kit bag, various clothing, hat, hammock etc. by this time injections etc were swelling and becoming painful, made carrying kit back to our hut painful.

Our instructor introduced himself, a Leading Seaman Scott, and from now on we were to be Scott鈥檚 Guards.

36Y Class, in no uncertain manor. Next, familiarising ourselves with a sailors uniform. Myself having been two years in the Littlehampton Sea Cadets could help others with uniform, as in our training throughout our time in Collingwood. The time I had in the Cadets and Scouts before joining Navy became apparent in our training, especially ropes and seamen鈥檚 knots.

A summons to the Dentist, a check revealed two teeth to be extracted. The dentist injected pain killer in one tooth, told to wait out in the corridor. Being called back, sat in chair, the dentist pulled one tooth out then proceeded to pull other tooth, myself groaning and gasping, said afterwards 鈥渟ir you didn鈥檛 inject the second tooth鈥�, The dentist said 鈥淒idn鈥檛鈥� I, Oh well it鈥檚 out now!鈥�

I thought I was fit on joining, but after 2 or 3 days we were all exhausted. Parade ground drill, marching, physical training in the gymnasium, rifle drill, so after a week our fitness improved. Seamanship followed, lectures, handling of ropes and knots, marching and running with full packs and rifles, assault courses with gas masks on, being summer days, seemed to be getting hotter each day.

Air raid siren sounded one day, we were at rifle drill, throw our rifles up in the air (being old with no bolts) and dived down in the air raid shelters. A month before us 40 sailors were killed when a bomb from German aircraft hit a shelter.

Each morning a parade would be held on the parade ground with Commodore taking the salute, as we march past all 3000 of us. Prior to us being called, markers would go to a mark for each class. Rig of the day was bell bottom trousers, white fronts, (short sleeve arm, with large square necks). Fellow mates and myself waiting a call to run on the parade ground forming up on our own markers.

Some would have a last smoke meanwhile, the bugle call came, whilst running on myself, someone flicked a fag end up in the air. I felt a burning and felt something go down my back. I had to stand to attention, and then march past the saluting base, knowing all the time that this fag end was burning a hole in my white shirt and which afterwards caused a blister.

Each day in August that year on the parade ground, even at ten o鈥檆lock in the morning, became hotter, we were standing to attention for half an hour plus. Some class mates began to faint, some crumbled, and others fell flat on their faces blood coming from their mouths and noses. We dared not move a muscle to help them until ordered to do so, seemed minutes before 鈥淵ou and you carry seaman to grass area鈥� where Sick Bay Attendant attended to them. As we waited for order to stand easy, dozens were carried off, helpers to return to positions on parade ground.

A day came, like other classes before us, to be taken by lorry down to Gosport for a day rowing in a cutter around Portsmouth Harbour. We took turns at rowing, with orders from Leading Seaman Scott, orders as 鈥淕ive way together鈥�, 鈥淩est on Oars鈥�, 鈥淩aise Oars鈥� to go alongside of a ship.

We did tie up to a buoy for our sandwiches and bottled water. Great for a day away from Collingwood, but it rained all day.

One of our class would not raise his arms to shoulder height, so we all had to do extra marching drill into the evening. Considered after being dismissed, whole class would 鈥︹��. Culprit. Some nutters can not be crushed, last seen a Petty Officer each side of uncooperative person, moving his arms shoulder high for him across the parade ground. Duly charged and dismissed from Navy, sent to the Army.

Day came for our class to leave Collingwood, march out of gates, no marching out parade in war time, to awaiting lorries. A little smile on our faces, we had come to realise the barbed wire was not to keep others out, but to keep us in.

Seven days leave, WELL EARNT.

Lofty Mills

A8890833

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