大象传媒

This contribution to People鈥檚 War was received by the Action Desk at 大象传媒 Radio Norfolk and submitted to the website with the permission and on behalf of Mr. Frederick Charles Jude
September 3rd 1939 it was precisely at 10.30 am that my Father (captain of the belfry) called 鈥榮et-off鈥� as we completed our Sunday morning peel on the bells of St. Andrew鈥檚 Church, Great Ryburgh in the fine County of Norfolk. The six of us took our seats for the service of Sung Eucharist all well aware that at 11.15 am the Prime Minister, Mr. Neville Chamberlain would be making an announcement over the radio telling the Empire whether we would be at war or peace with Germany from that moment.
Our Rector, the Rev. F. H. Tatham who had lived through the first world war had lost one son in battle whilst two further sons had served in the forces was, perhaps, even more concerned than the rest of us.
For the remainder of that fateful day we all remained in close touch with our radio sets for fear of missing further developments and government demands with which we needed to comply. Later in the evening I well remember the broadcast speech by King George VI. It finished with that wonderful quotation of Haskins: 鈥淚 said to the man who stood at the gate of the year 鈥楪ive me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown鈥� and he replied 鈥楪o out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God.鈥� That shall be to you better than a light and safer than a known way.鈥�
With such an unknown future Grace and I decided to tie the knot as soon as possible and so we got married on 25th October, 1939 at Grace鈥檚 home Church at Thornage, where she had been organist from the age of eleven to the day of our wedding. Following our honeymoon we rented accommodation in Fakenham. Not long afterwards a single bomb fell on the town, landing in the garden of our good friends the Baldwins, he was the conductor at Fakenham Parish Church choir where Grace was organist.
I joined the ARP unit at Fakenham and served in the First-Aid and Ambulance section, my ten years experience with the Great Ryburgh St. John Ambulance Brigade qualified me for this voluntary work. Up to the 5th February, 1942 I worked in our printing factory Fakenham Lancaster Press, throughout the day and my call-up followed the decision of the King鈥檚 Lynn Tribunal which terminated the exemption from service of six months which was demanded by the two District Councils. Of that decision I was quietly pleased having seen so many friends disappear into the forces, I began to feel somewhat guilty and I鈥檓 sure people were thinking that printing stationery, visiting cards and even District Council requirements were a 鈥榥on-essential鈥� to the war effort.

At the age of 28 I joined the army where I hoped to be enlisted into the Medical Corps. for which I thought my ten years experience with the St. John Ambulance Brigade would have meant something. Alas my papers of enlistment clearly stated I was to join the 9th Essex Infantry Brigade, at Exeter.
5th February, 1942.The day has arrived when I start my army career,
After several hours of travel we arrived at Exeter Station, a Regimental Sergeant Major awaiting our arrival. He was the essence of command and I thought this to be the end of civilisation as I knew it 鈥� but said to myself, 鈥楯ude you have no alternative but to face it.鈥�
(The actual dates mentioned below during the first year of my army career are not necessarily accurate. It was a year later aboard the Stratheden that I decided to maintain an almost daily account that would cover my entire military service expressing my thoughts, feelings and perceptions. Aware as I was that this would be strictly against army regulations I was prepared to take that risk, it was a challenge, assuring myself that if ever there was any danger of being taken a prisoner I would dispose of all I had written).

12th February, 1942.Two very good friends I have made in this first week are Ted Harmer from Leeds and Tom Bowler from London. Ted from the civil service and Tom from the building trade where he is in business with his father. The intake brought in many Londoners who are very witty and are good company, one has to get used to their expletives and the cockney accent; they are generous and honest.
10th March, 1942. I reported to the MO and complained to him saying that those of us who for years had worked in temperatures of not less than 70 degrees should carry a ground sheet and not have to lie on wet ground. I sent a letter to the Camp Commander and orders came from thenceforth water-proof ground sheets were to be carried on all exercises!
8th April, 1942. Have had a 4day leave which was most pleasant. Back at Exeter we find ourselves involved with very advanced military exercises and my first attempts at bayonet charging were less than hopeless. The Sergeant Major shouted at me because I wasn鈥檛 screaming loudly enough and said the force of my stabbing wouldn鈥檛 have penetrated the chap鈥檚 tunic. Eventually I succumbed to the standards demanded by the 9th Essex having been told that 鈥榠f I didn鈥檛 get the enemy first, he would get me.鈥�
14th May, 1942 Apparently this was the first time such a request had been made on the 9th Essex and the Camp Commander proceeded to ask the following questions:
1. Those who are able to use an office typewriter raise your right hand? Ted Harmer, Tom Bowler and I shot up our hands and note of those who did were taken by NCO鈥檚.
2. Who have knowledge of bookkeeping? Again the three of us raised our hands.
3. Who amongst you have knowledge of economics? I alone raised my hand for this. (My 24 hour course with WEA during the winter of 1940 seemed to justify my claim).
4. Are any of you in business? Ted, Tom and I felt we could safely say yes to this.
The three of us would be on our way to Portsdown School to join the Ordnance Corps.

On arrival we were told what was expected of us: that we were to learn the principles of Ordnance before moving off to the Chilwell Ordnance Depot in Nottinghamshire. We were given an educational test in maths., an essay on the advantages and dis-advantages of mass production (couldn鈥檛 be better I thought, this was well covered by my course on economics). The next questions related to our entertaining abilities, we were asked if we could play the piano to which I perhaps foolishly said I play a few popular tunes. That was enough for him to enlist me as a regular pianist at the weekly dances, another chap of a similar qualification was likewise enlisted and between us we managed. He would play his dozen or so numbers and I would follow with mine, fortunately his repertoire was different from mine and we refused all special requests!
Life at the Portsdown School had been interesting,
With the course completed we found ourselves heading for Northolt aerodrome
鈥楾was here that I gained my first stripe, whilst marching up and down on the tarmac runway when the officer in command ordered the RSM to request Private Jude to drill the troops. I mentioned the fact that I had many friends in the Unit who are Privates and I was not prepared to forego this relationship. He then said 鈥渨ith discretion I鈥檓 sure you can overcome that problem,鈥� so I accepted this first step on the ladder.

August, 1942 Chilwell was a massive depot, it dealt with every form of transport and technical equipment that the forward front line workshops would deal with. At an interview with the Brigadier I told him I was not interested in a commission as I felt the war couldn鈥檛 possibly last for more than a year and I had a business to return to as soon as I possibly can. (How wrong I was about the ending of the War, we were hearing about all the secret weapons we had up our sleeves, the invisible 鈥榩lanes, the fact that somehow we were able to switch off the engine of any enemy aircraft).
The Brigadier was amazed and my CO was disgusted and hardly spoke to me following my decision.
So after 6 months training at Chilwell came to an end.
17th December, 1942. By train our Unit set off for Leeds. The people of Leeds are so generous and well meaning, it seems to justify the saying that the further north you go so the generosity and friendliness of the local people increases.
Christmas at Leeds was particularly splendid, we received so many invitations from the local people that it proved difficult to decide which family to accept, most of us felt quite embarrassed with such a choice we tried not to make those we couldn鈥檛 accept feel they were but second best.
14th January, 1943 So the day of the embarkation party arrived, I took Grace to the station and we said our goodbyes, for how long we knew not!
17th January, 1943. This morning we boarded a train bound for King George V dock in Glasgow. We were told of the deck on the grand looking 鈥淪tratheden鈥� which would be our billet for the voyage, 鈥楪鈥� deck was for me, I thought this sounds a bit low down, must be below water level I imagined, but on a ship like this it has to be good.
(Soon we were to find there was nothing good about 鈥楪鈥� deck!)

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