大象传媒

I was called up in 1942, January, early 1942.
I was a joiner at the start of the war; by trade, used to do a lot of work on air raid shelters; fitting them out
for the bunk beds, and all that stuff.
Then I was called up when I was, about 19, I think.
I went to Altringham.
I was drafted in 1942, yeh.
I went to Chelmsford, 'railway' camp.I did me basic training there. That was in the Duke of Cornwall Light Infantry. And then, when I'd done my training I transfered to the Dorset Regiment. I stayed with them, until we went across, D-Day; just after D-Day. And we got knocked about a bit.
Shot up I mean, you know, we got a lot of casualties when we got to France. So then I was transferred to build the South Lancs Regiment back to strength, and I stayed with them then til I was
demobbed in 1947. Oh yeh, I was in Eygpt for two years, that was after the war finished.I did two years in Eygpt, and then I was demobbed.
What we was doing was going to the Far East, really, because the war was still on in the Far East.
Although it had finished on the Continent but it was still going on there. We were going to the Far East but we only got as far as Eygpt; cos the war finished in the Far East then. So we just stayed there til we was demobbed. Which was 1947. Well, I was stationed in Eygpt, and there for two years, and we didn't get any leave, you see. So; after a...nearly two years they decided to give us a leave, a month's leave to come home from Eygpt. So I got me pass, and eventually, I got to Piccadilly Station in Manchester. I got the all night bus to where I lived in Sale. And I'm walking at 3 o'clock in the morning as I got off the bus; and I'm walking up the road with my kitbag and all me kit, and a policeman jumps out of a doorway, and asks me where I was going. I said, "I'm going home on leave." He said, "Where've you come from?" I said, "Eygpt."But he didn't believe me, you see. He said, "Trying to kid me, they don't send you on leave from Eygpt" I said,"Well here's proof." So I give him my pass, my leave pass."I'm sorry, son!" he said, "How far have you got to go?" I said,"Well I've got a mile or so to walk to my mother's. "Put your kitbag on my handlebars", he said, "Son, and I'll help you home with it." And he walks all the way home with me, with me kitbag on the handlebars.
I was in the Home Guard for two years before I was called up; did the Blitz, Piccadilly, Manchester.
And we had to go and stop people looting, and what have you; that sort of stuff. That was before I was
called up, like. So, that's what happened to me during the war

This story was submitted to the People's War site by a volunteer from Wyre Forest Volunteer Centre from a recording made by Clifford Renshaw and has been added to the site with his permission

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