大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Elizabeth Perez of Stockport Libraries on behalf of Mary Blood, Harry鈥檚 widow, and has been added to the site with her permission. She fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

From his call-up into the Army in January 1941 until his 鈥榙emob鈥�, Harry Blood kept a diary. It followed his early progress from Glasgow to Egypt, around the Cape of Good Hope, through the Western Desert to Sicily and Italy. Near the end of his service and his diaries, he had a chance meeting with W.A.A.F. Corporal Mary Pettit at a tram stop in Brussels. Not lacking in graphic and humourous descriptions, there came a happy ending as he and Mary married not long after, having a long and happy marriage. Only minimal editing has been done to exclude one or two brief entries which contained little of interest.

Fred Kennington
Stockport
March 2002.

鈥�19th August. Sailed from Ostend at 10.00am on the 鈥楤en-my-Chree鈥�, one of the Isle of Man ships, arriving at Dover at 3pm. Went on by train to Charing Cross and stayed in London overnight. This was now my 鈥楶ython鈥� leave. In case you wonder what 鈥楶ython鈥� leave was, the answer is that for anyone serving overseas for longer that four years, on return to England, had only 鈥榟ome postings鈥� and did not return to Europe. There was another form of leave called 鈥楲ilop鈥�. This was leave in lieu of 鈥楶ython鈥�. In this case, service personnel came back to Britain, but had to return to Europe before demob. Some who had expected to come on home postings on the 鈥楶ython鈥� basis did not get home at all and all was not well in the unit! Brussels had been a good posting. It was a leave centre and the various entertainments such as opera, theatres, etc. were all free as was travel on the trams. If asked, we said, 鈥楯ust charge it to Churchill鈥�. The Forces Clubs were wonderful. The Monty Club was a Royal Palace; the Hotel Metropole was the biggest hotel in Brussels with its own cinema; the Y.W.C.A. had been the house occupied by the Chief of the Gestapo, having great chandeliers, etc.

21st August. Visited Mary鈥檚 family at Lincoln for the first time, using this leave and returning to London on 2nd September. Mary was on leave for two weeks. While at Lincoln, I developed a bright red rash up one arm, then up the other. I had to go to the doctor who said it was urticaria (nettle rash), the worst he had seen. I had to have an injection daily to get rid of it.

7th September. Mary, still in the W.A.A.F., was posted from Brussels to B眉ckeburg. The W.A.A.Fs. were not allowed out of the camp without an armed guard as things had not totally settled in Germany. 鈥業t was strange to have a walk in the woods accompanied by somebody with a rifle!鈥�, Mary said. They were not allowed to travel by road either, having to fly every time.

19th September. This was the end of 鈥楶ython鈥� leave and I had to report to a Transit Camp at Southend.

2nd October. Mary left B眉ckeburg for England.

23rd October. Posted from Southend to 636 Co., R.A.S.C. Bulwark Camp, Rhoose, near Cardiff. In the next weeks I was moved within the unit, eventually by late November, to a detachment at Ely Camp, on the outskirts of Cardiff.

4th December. Preparations now in hand! I bought myself a new suit - 拢7.15.0 鈥� and 鈥� the wedding ring 鈥� also 拢7.15.0.

11th December. Awarded the 1939/45 Star for service in Africa, Italy, France and Germany.

12th December. On leave until 27th December.

21st December. This is it 鈥� the big day! Mary and I were married at the Chapel, Portland Place, Lincoln, followed by a reception at the Grand Hotel. Looking back, we met, by accident, on 27th May, became engaged on 23rd June and here we are, married six months later!

Early 1946. Posted to No.1 Holding Battalion, RASC, Little Budworth, (Oulton Park), Cheshire.

Mid April. Posted to S.T.4, War Office, Northumberland Avenue, London. This was an excellent posting for me. We lived in civilian housing in central London and we had ordinary civilian ration cards. We could go and get meals in the various Forces Clubs in London and, before coming home, I could get the rations due to me and supplement the family rations. Perishable goods like meat, etc. went to Mary鈥檚 aunt at Grantham. This was a good weekend spot as I could catch the express to and from London, and the meat helped her out. The tinned stuff etc. was saved, and Mary built up a fair stock cupboard for when we settled in Stockport.

July. Posted to C.S.D. R.A.S.C., Turvey, Bedford.

31st July. Posted to Guildford 鈥� to collect demob suit.

31st July 1946. Home 鈥� demobbed! I was on demob leave until 15th November 1946, being Demob Group 35. I was called up on 4th January 1941, so the total service was more than five years and ten months, of which four years five months was spent overseas.

I would not see my demob leave out as I had to return to work on the railway in September 1946.

Mary was Group 32. She had volunteered for the W.A.A.F. in early 1940 and was demobbed in December 1945.

For the intervening months we had to go our separate ways to some extent. Mary went to stay with her family at Lincoln during the week. While I was posted to London, I went by train to Grantham, and Mary came over from Lincoln and we stayed with her Aunt there. It was easy to get to and from as Grantham was a main line station. When I was at Turvey, we each made our way to Stockport at the weekends, staying with my family. So, overall, that wasn鈥檛 so bad.

Housing was extremely difficult to get in 1946, but my Dad found a house for sale in Dysart Street, Stockport. It needed quite a bit of attention and what Dad gave us for a wedding present paid for re-decoration. You were only allowed wallpaper in one room then but, as it was not in good condition, we were able to get two rooms papered. The other rooms had to be distempered and the fashionable thing then was to have the distemper stippled. Mary came over and cleaned it out before I was finally released and we started our proper married life in a house. I remember somebody saying to me, 鈥榊ou left home in 1941, went into the Army, did the 鈥楪rand Tour鈥�, and went through the War unscathed until you got to Brussels and met Mary. Then you came back with a wife and into your own house!'鈥�

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