大象传媒

I was called up at 18 years old and chose the R.A.F having been in the Norton/Thurston A.T.C. I was sent to Gt Yarmouth for 'square bashing'; while there I joined the R.A.F Regional Band. We did a church parade every Sunday morning.
My medical failed me for flying, due to poor eyesight in one eye, so I continued my work as a Cobbler. On passing my trade test, I was posted to West Drayton, then on to No 31 base at Stradishall- I lived in Suffolk. Afterwards Wratling Common, Cambridge, and Morecombe. At 3.00am one morning we boarded a train North to the Firth of Forth, then onto a converted banana boat to Gibralter. In Gib there were several of us cobblers workingin a large old wine cellar and we repaired hundreds of pairs of srvice boots and shoes belonging to the R.A.f, SouthAfrican Air Force and Royal navy, under charge of Corporal Bentley.
I was moved to North Africa, mostly guard duty, on to Italy - Napoli with 56 P.T.C, just two cobblers in a tiny workshop. In Italy I met my future wife; she was working in the N.A.A.F.I.
Later I was in Monte Cassino with a maintanance unit. On Clothing Parades the Corporal for Cobblers and Corporal for Tailoring would decide if you needed new boots/uniform, or just repairs.
On V.E. Day I was in Gibralter, in the Alameda Gardens, playing cricket and later football with the South African Troops who played barefoot with their service boots hung around their necks - and they won! In the evening we went out into the bay to view the American Aircraft carrier, the Missisipi, which was leaving for the Far East. On return to Suffolk, I bought my own shoe repair and retail shop (from my Uncle) and continued working for 57 years until my recent stroke.

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