大象传媒

Part three of an oral history interview with Mr. Ivor Chappell about his early wartime experiences when he lived in Kempston, Bedfordshire. The interview was conducted by Jenny Ford on behalf of Bedford Museum.

SEE ALSO memories previously submitted to the 大象传媒 鈥楶eople鈥檚 War鈥� website 鈥� 鈥楯oining the D.E.M.S.鈥�, 鈥楩orever Young鈥� and 鈥楽ome Christmas鈥檚 Remembered, 1942, 43, 44 & 45鈥� by Mr. Ivor Walter CHAPPELL about his time in the Royal Navy posted to D.E.M.S. gunner duties on board 鈥楨mpire Spartan鈥� HMS Chrysanthemum and HMS President.

Call-up
鈥淵ou got the brown envelope with 鈥極HMS鈥� on here and this pal of mine that I was working with at Eastwood鈥檚, his name was Reg Hobbs, he lived at Houghton, he and Joe King were mates. When Joe never came back, Reg and me became mates. Anyway, we were working at Eastwood鈥檚 and Reg would say to me, 鈥楢ny news yet Ivor?鈥� 鈥楴o! Have you heard?鈥� His birthday was October the 1st - mine was October 25th, so we were both 18 (in 1942). So we were waiting now, what were they going to do with us? We were due to go in the Navy, hope we get into the Navy. And through the door one day comes this brown envelope, 鈥極HMS鈥� and we had to go this address in Cambridge for a Medical. I mean we are country boys, we鈥檇 never been anywhere, I mean the furthest we鈥檇 been is Luton or Northampton perhaps we didn鈥檛 know much about the world, crooks 鈥� only on pictures 鈥� we didn鈥檛 know nothing! We were na茂ve kids - we were 18. So anyway Reg calls for me one day, I鈥檒l tell you where we went 鈥� we went on the old Bedford 鈥� Cambridge railway line - which is no longer there. We caught this train, we got in the carriage, there was another old boy there, he had a cast in one eye and we were all going for a Medical. So we get off at Cambridge, our old hearts are going and what鈥檚 going to happen. 鈥楨xcuse me, can you tell me the way to 鈥� 鈥� 鈥榊es, you go down here, second left鈥� and eventually we get to this old school. We go in, name and address and papers and so forth and there鈥檚 a Naval Petty Officer taking it all down and a couple of WRENS for good measure. Then you take your clothes off - you keep your trousers on 鈥� nothing else. Roll your clothes up in ball and stick them over there out of the way but keep an eye on them. So we take off the clothes, well there are naked blokes all around us 鈥� I ain鈥檛 used to that! I鈥檓 not used to it. Anyway, I don鈥檛 know, Victorian outlook, I don鈥檛 know. Right, now go in there, fill these bottles. Well there was a lot who couldn鈥檛 fill their bottles - they鈥檇 already been before they come in there. So this Petty Officer said, 鈥業鈥檒l show you鈥� he said 鈥楽tand by鈥� and he went in he turned the taps on and the gush of water, 鈥極h, yes鈥� they say and they all rushed off to fill their bottles, running water does it, it triggers it off. So we fill the bottles and off they go. Then Chappell, Smith, Jones, number 1- so there鈥檚 all these doors you know 鈥� so I goes in number 1, we did eight doctors, eight! There was always the bit were he felt you down below and he said, 鈥楥ough!鈥� And he鈥檚 holding you down, he鈥檚 looking for ruptures. So, he said, 鈥楾urn your bloody face away, don鈥檛 cough in my face!鈥� 鈥楽orry Sir. Cough, cough.鈥� 鈥榊es, OK鈥�. That was OK so we passed him. Then comes the one where you drop your trousers and to be quite blunt he said 鈥楤end over鈥� and he looks straight up, you know. See if your hat is on straight, we all said. Yes, he looks right up your rectum. And then he comes round the front and then you sit down and they try your knees and your toes and then they test your heart and your lungs particularly your eyes and then you have to do this kind of thing and do that. We did these eight doctors and I always said, 鈥榃ell, if you weren鈥檛 fit then we鈥檇 never be fit.鈥� 18 years old and we were like tigers. I used to go up Ampthill Park running and jumping and all that stuff and it all stood me in good stead. Over at Eastwood鈥檚 wheeling barrows. So anyway we passed 鈥楢1鈥�. So then, when we thought the worst was over we had to go in this big classroom. And there was a WREN Officer in there, I never liked her, but anyway there she is, 鈥楥ome on, sit down, sit down鈥� and she passed out papers and they were exams to what you鈥檇 got up here, to see if you were cracked or what! I鈥檒l always remember one of the questions, if you were up 50 foot high and you dropped a pound weight of lead or a pound weight of feathers, which would hit the floor first? You would have thought the lead would have hit the ground first but it鈥檚 not heavier, they both weigh the same. You see, catches! Anyhow Reg said, 鈥楬ow did you get on mate?鈥� I said, 鈥榃ell I done all the easy ones, then I done the bit harder ones and I was on the real hard ones when the bell rung and we had to stop.鈥� So I said, 鈥業 done about 60% of them.鈥� And I passed! And Reg passed. So we were walking down these stairs and Reg says, 鈥楬ere, Ivor look鈥� and standing at the foot of the stairs was this old boy that - we used to call them boss eyed, crossed eyed. He was crying and we said, 鈥榃hat鈥檚 up?鈥� he said, 鈥業鈥檝e failed my Medical, this eye.鈥� So what happened to him 鈥� he perhaps became a sick berth attendant were you didn鈥檛 have to have 100% eyes or he went in the Army, whatever, we never knew what happened to him but his was a lovely old boy, ships that pass in the night. So we came home and we were 鈥楢1鈥�. So now we were waiting for 鈥榗all-up鈥� and it didn鈥檛 come till March 1943. So we were meeting again, Reg and I in the brickyard, 鈥楢ny news?鈥� 鈥楴ot a thing, not a thing鈥�. And then one day the manager, a Mr Paisley, a fat man, homburg hat, collar and tie, didn鈥檛 know what hard work was, we were making him thousands of pounds every week, working hard and dirty too. And he said, because he always mixed me up with my pal, I鈥檓 Chappell and he was Hobbs, and he come to me and he鈥檇 say, 鈥楢h, Hobbs鈥�. So he come to me one day and he said, 鈥楢h, Hobbs I understand that your are eligible now鈥� he said, 鈥榯o be called-up!鈥� I said, 鈥榊es, Mr. Paisley, yes.鈥� 鈥楴ow look鈥� he said, 鈥業 can perhaps pull some strings and keep you here and make you a Reserved worker. He said, 鈥榃e can keep you here, you are a skilled brickyard worker, Hobbs.鈥� I said, 鈥楽hall I tell you something Mr. Paisley?鈥� he said, 鈥榃hat?鈥� I said, 鈥楪et stuffed because I want to go!鈥� He said, 鈥楬obbs, no!鈥� He said, 鈥榊ou can鈥檛 mean that.鈥� I said, 鈥業 bloody well do!鈥� And he walked away shaking his head. He said, 鈥業鈥檓 going to see Chappell now鈥� and I thought you needn鈥檛 bother because Chappell is going to say the same thing as I just did. And that鈥檚 what happened. So that was goodbye to Eastwood鈥檚 eventually because we didn鈥檛 go until March 1943 and oh, that was five months from birthday to call-up. And the funny part about it was the day that my leave ended when I got de-mobbed, when the war was over, was almost within a day or two of when I got called-up in March (1943), it was almost exactly three years. Yes, a marvellous three years.

I took what they call a 鈥楥lass B鈥� release. That was because in 1946 there were so many Servicemen now kicking their heels and waiting to be de-mobbed when they could take a short cut called a 鈥楥lass B鈥� release and get back to Civvy Street, get back putting the country on it鈥檚 feet again. I mean what was wanted more than brickyard labourers? So I went in front of this stern RN Captain, you know, all the gold braid stuff. We used to call it 鈥榮crambled eggs鈥� around his hat, it was oak leaves but we called it 鈥榮crambled eggs鈥�. He said, oh, I had to go in, take my cap off, stand to attention rigidly, 鈥楽tand at ease.鈥� Caps off, stand to attention, standing there and as I say there was these Officers. They could of course lose the cosy life and all that that they鈥檇 been having, they were all going back to Civvy Street, they are not wanted anymore, same as me. But they were a little bit different to me because I was going to make bricks, what were they going to do? But anyway I thought you鈥檝e got to 鈥榮pruce him鈥� because he鈥檚 a stern RN man, he鈥檚 a RN and that鈥檚 stiff and stern. So if you want to get out you鈥檝e got to stretch the truth a bit 鈥� so he said, 鈥楻ight laddie, now I understand you want 鈥楥lass B鈥� release?鈥� 鈥榊es, Sir!鈥� 鈥榃hat鈥檚 the reason for this then? Don鈥檛 you like the Navy?鈥� 鈥極h, yes Sir, I think the Navy is lovely, yes Sir. But I鈥檝e been thinking鈥� 鈥榦h, have you? What have you to tell me?鈥� I said, 鈥榃ell Sir, I was thinking about my old parents, I mean my mum and dad are getting on a bit鈥� I said 鈥榓nd I鈥檝e been gone three years.鈥� He said, 鈥極h, yes.鈥� I said, 鈥榊es, and I鈥檝e got three other brothers, they鈥檝e all been gone years, four years they鈥檝e been gone.鈥� 鈥極h, I didn鈥檛 know that. So you want to leave the Navy, do you?鈥� And I said, 鈥榊es, Sir.鈥� He said, 鈥榃ell, 鈥楥lass B鈥� release鈥� he said, 鈥榗an鈥檛 you see your career in the Navy carrying on?鈥� 鈥榃ith all due respect, Sir, no!鈥� 鈥榃hy not?鈥� 鈥榃ell, I think you have to be born to go in the Navy kind of thing and I鈥檓 not Sir. I鈥檓 just hostilities only, HO and I think the country wants all the bricks they can get to re-build everywhere.鈥� 鈥橤ood point, good point lad, good point.鈥� 鈥楢nd I鈥檓 a skilled brickyard worker, Sir.鈥� 鈥楢h, right. Yes I think we鈥檒l grant you, we鈥檒l be in touch. OK laddie, you will take a 鈥楥lass B鈥� release, we鈥檒l be in touch.鈥� 鈥楾hank you Sir.鈥� Caps on. Lovely 鈥� and the PO said, 鈥榊ou lucky little sod.鈥� I did 鈥榮pruce him鈥�, because I didn鈥檛 believe 鈥� well I was going to come back and help to make bricks and the country did need people like me.鈥�

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