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This story was submitted to the People’s War Site by Three Counties Action, on behalf of Ted Watkins, and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.

At this time I was a Sapper in the Royal Engineers (Movement Control) working in the RTO (Railway Transport Office) at Haverford West Pembrokeshire.

If RTO means little to the person reading this, a simple explanation is, that we were involved in most movements of service units, individuals and equipment.
Fortunately for me I had the pleasure of being billeted in a comfortable private home known as ‘civvy digs’, much better than being in an army camp.

My first knowledge of the Japanese war being over was when my landlord arrived with a cup of coffee to celebrate. I thought ‘coffee’ a bit strange but started to drink to find that it was a good half brandy. The following day I attended a local street party.

As I was due to be drafted overseas within a short time, my thoughts were — thank goodness that’s over, I will not be going to the Far East.

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