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�28th April. Passed between Sardinia and Corsica. Heavy swell in afternoon.

29th April. Sighted coast of France. Passed group of small islands in afternoon and turned into bay. Saw sunken ships and railway arches along the cliff. We arrived near Marseilles.

30th April. Started at 2pm, lorry to sidings, twenty-one of us in our goods van.

1st May. 7.30am at Valence, then along Rhone Valley; at Lyons by noon, then along Saone Valley by Macon, Chalons sur Saone to Dijon by evening. Continued along the Marne overnight.

2nd May. At Chalons sur Marne in the early morning and saw Rheims and its cathedral midday. At 3pm we stopped at Laon for a meal and rations. Saw the cathedral on the hill. Left at 5.25pm and got to Hirson at dark.

3rd May. Breakfast and changed trains at Ath, in Belgium. Heard we may get home leave 鈥� so 鈥� a sing song in carriage! Arrived Brussels.

4th May. No pass, no money, can鈥檛 go out! Tossed for second place on leave with Bob Smith 鈥� I won! One man goes on leave every three days. Changed my money to Belgian and tried Belgian beer this evening.

7th May. Brussels is very crowded, Germany believed finished.

8th May 1945. Into our new billets 鈥� V.E.Day. I left Brussels at 8pm and travelled overnight by rail to Calais.

9th May. Sailed for Dover at 12.15pm, then got a through train to Stockport. I had to walk home from Stockport to Cheadle Hulme with full kit; everyone must have been celebrating. However, a woman living in Longshut Lane, en route, came out and asked me in for a cup of tea 鈥� the first I had in England for years home at last 鈥� the first time since 10th or 11th April 1941.
I knocked on our house door at 11pm. My mother called out, 鈥榃ho is it?鈥� 鈥業t鈥檚 me, Harry鈥�, I called. Before opening the door, she shouted, 鈥業t鈥檚 Harry, it鈥檚 Harry!鈥� Dad was in the bath and had to get himself dried quick!

20th May. 2.50pm train from Stockport arriving at Dover, and to local Transit Camp at Kearsney.

21st May. Sailed from Dover to Calais in the morning, had a walk round Calais in the afternoon, and got soaked. Left Calais at 6.30pm by train through St.Omer, Armentieres, Roubaix, Tourcoing and arrived Brussels at 1.30 am on Tuesday. Got the tram to the Transit Camp.

22nd May. After the late arrival, I located the unit and started work at the depot in the afternoon. We are all attached to 20 A.S.D., but it is still 862 A.S.D. in fact.

23rd May. Drew battledress, cap, flashes, etc.

26th May. Had a rifle inspection. Went to a dance at the 鈥�21 Club鈥�, but left early. I had gone on my own as none of my mates were available. There were far more soldiers than females so few partners. On the way back to the billet I met a W.A.A.F. at the tram stop. I had to change trams there and saw her waiting. I wondered if she spoke English, which she did. It turned out she was 鈥楧uty N.C.O.鈥� and was working late and returning to the Caserne Baudoin. I walked her there and arranged to meet her tomorrow evening.

27th May. As it happens, it was a fateful meeting yesterday 鈥� the W.A.A.F. I met at 5pm today was Mary 鈥� officially Cpl. Pettit. We went to Wesley House and then to the Y.W.C.A. Club.鈥�

In subsequent days, the diary contains notes mainly of leisure activities in the Brussels area.

鈥�6th June. Moved into Reserve Store of 19 A.S.D in centre of Brussels.

21st June. Went with Mary to a football match at Anderlecht Stadium; R.A.F. Team v. R.S.C. Team. Many of the players were professionals from Arsenal, Birmingham, Everton, Sheffield Wednesday, etc. It was not uncommon to have these professionals in many of the matches I watched.

23rd June. A fateful day! Mary and I became engaged and had a celebration party on the following Tuesday.

30th June. My unit left Brussels.

1st July. I went on rear party to M眉nster via Louvain, Venlo, and across the Rhine at Wesel. Wangled on to the rear party on purpose. It gave Mary and me an extra day together.

17th August. Packing this day. Left 862 A.S.D. for 40 R.H.U. At first in M眉nster we were not allowed to fraternise. We had three letters from the Commander in Chief. The first said, 鈥榊ou must not fraternise at all鈥�. That was in March 1945. By 12th June we were permitted to speak to small children. From 14th July we were allowed to 鈥榚ngage in conversation with adult Germans in the streets and in public places鈥�, but were not permitted to enter their houses."

Humour did exist in M眉nster as well. The following was to be recited by the Poet Laureate of 862 A.S.D., accompanied by singing from Messrs. Foster, Smith and Blood: -

鈥業f you can keep your head, Mr. Foster,
Tho鈥� your name is struck from the Python roster,
And you can yet wear a smile, Mr. Smith,
Tho鈥� your M.P can still give you no griff,
Then surely you cannot tick, Mr. Blood,
The buggers can鈥檛 keep you in M眉nster for good!'

"18th August. Left M眉nster by lorry at 7.30am via Venlo, Ghent, Bruges, arriving at 111 Transit Camp at Ostend at 9pm.鈥�

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