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I'm a pupil from Prudhoe Community High School, Northumberland, entering Matthew Christer's story onto the website, and they fully understand the website terms and conditions of use.

I was 16 years old when the war started, I lived in Prudhoe at this time. I didn't have a large family, there were four of us. School was OK, it was a catholic school though, we couldn't get in to any other schools. My house was never bombed. My late wife's auntie was bombed in London. I was working at Glendinning's. Working during the war was no different to working at any other time, you just had to get on with it.

I had a girlfriend too, she lived at Greenside, we met every weekend, we went to Greenside dance every Saturday night, all the Elvis Presley clothes were in at the time, but I never wore anything like that!

I wasn't evacuated during the war, there was no need, we were already in the country, only the people in the cities were evacuated.

I was 18 and a half when I was called up to the army, I didn't join, you had to go. I could have appealed against it but it wouldn't have got me very far I don't think.

I was put in the Army, the Service Core. They asked you where you wanted to go (eg, Army, Navy) but they decided in the end, I wanted to go into the Navy, but I was put into the Army. I wasn't married and I didn't have any children. My parents had no choice but to let me go, I received a letter from the war department telling me where to go. I wasn't very happy, obviously, i didn't want to leave my home and family.

We were given six weeks basic training. It was very different from my other job, you had to be smart and tidy in the army, you were representing your country after all. I didn't feel prepared to fight, but you did what you had to do. I was lucky, i didn't have to fight, i just delivered the ammunition to the men who were fighting. My views changed throughout the war, my views changed towards the Germans.

At night time, we wore long trousers, this was to keep the mosquitoes from irritating us, but in day time we wore shorts. It was as comfortable as you can expect, I was in my wagon most of the time so it was ok. I felt very proud when I was wearing my uniform, even though it wasn't the British Army uniform.

We were also given a rifle, then it was swapped for a sten gun. I hadn't used a gun before really, except when I was on the home range, you had no option, you had to have it.

You had a teacher when you first went into the army to teach you how to clean the gun, take it apart and put it all back together again, it was all explained.

We didn't have any daily routine, anything could happen so it just depended on what you were doing. You had to do your own cooking and it was mostly corned beef and beans. When I had the chance to sleep, I stayed in the wagon, I might have been in the middle of the desert so you just stayed where you could. We didn't get much leave, I had two 14-day leaves, and one 30-day leave, my leave from Palestine was in July, 1945. I didn't fight in any famous battles, I just delivered ammunition. One of my friends stepped on a mine, he was no longer with us after that.

I met some German soldiers once, they were alright. I was awarded some medals. D-day didn't actually feel that good, i was in Palestine at the time.

I did make friends with my Comrades, you had to get on with them. We used to find ways to cheer each other up, we used to tell jokes, you had to, or you would probably go mad. I did stay in touch with one man, Keith Gelesby.

The men from the allied armed forces were quite good, the Americans were friendly. I met some Frenchmen and Italians but they were captured. I think that it is important for young people to learn about the war, it might give them some common sense and stop them running around wrecking places.

My time in the Army was very good, i wouldn't do it again but we had to make the best of things.

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