- Contributed by听
- jeanbu
- People in story:听
- Muriel Jean Draper
- Location of story:听
- England
- Background to story:听
- Army
- Article ID:听
- A2165636
- Contributed on:听
- 31 December 2003
In 1943 I was an Army Clerk stationed at the South East Weapons Training School in Old Bunn Hill New Dorking. The food was rotten and quite the worst Army Rations any of us had eaten. We were constantly complaining and gave the cooks a lot of stick.
Some months later some soldiers from our base were caught unloading fresh meat and carrying it into the local town butchers shop. Our army food was being sold onto the Black Market and exchanged for substandard meat!
There was an investigation to discover who was behind this scandal. The Quarter Master Sergeant Major at our Weapons Training School was thought to be the ring-leader and rumoured to have made a fortune from selling our food.
Soon after, at dawn, a detachment of Military Police arrived at our barracks. The accused, if guilty, would be punished and must have been very frightened. I was scared enough by the sight of them but was glad those responsible for stealing our food would be caught.
The Sergeant major was to be arrested and Court Martial led. The police knocked and shouted through his barracks door for him to surrender himself into their custody. There was no response, he must have been tipped off and gone AWOL. An officer then ordered his door to be broken in and the Sergeant-Major was found hiding inside lying in bed!
There would however be no Court Martial. Unable to live with the shame the S-J was dead having shot himself in the head.
Before the police came we were glad the thieves were going to be caught. After they left we were sad this had ended in tragedy.
漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.
Story with photo