大象传媒

Chapter 2

At first we were called the 3rd London Rifle Brigade. Then we became the 3rd Tower Hamlets Rifles. Next officers and N.C.O鈥檚 from 5 Division began to arrive. 5 Division was a regular division that had fought well in France.

We received our intake of conscripts who were obviously a special lot as most of them were lorry drivers or associated with vehicles in civilian life. There were bus and lorry drivers, dirt track and motor cycle people. It was obvious that we were to be involved with fighting vehicles.

In the event we became a Reconnaissance Regiment for 5 Division. Recce. Regiments were new battalions and I suppose took the place of the old cavalry in a modern army. We therefore become 5 Recce.

We were supplied with lots of very crude armoured cars and Bren-gun carriers (a light tracked vehicle). We also had a large number of motorcycles.

During this period I had attended the famous small arms school at Hythe where I obtained a 鈥淒鈥� which is top marking and stands for Distinguished. This ensured my promotion direct to full sergeant, avoiding the rank of lance-sergeant.

Sherborne was a very pleasant place and we were under canvas for a very good summer period.

After initial training we assumed a dual role of guarding the coastline against invasion and training as a Recce unit. The area we protected was North Devon and Cornwall.

The Division moved north and 5 Recce was ordered to Wilmslow in Cheshire. Our huge convoy travelled at night without lights: Bren-gun carriers, armoured cars, lorries and motor cycles.

At Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, we halted in the early hours and the locals appeared with refreshments, tea and food from their scarce civilian rations. I thought this very moving.

Wherever we went, the area was heavily bombed: Manchester, Wilmslow and finally Liverpool from where we crossed to Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland was fine except that it never stopped raining.

Northern Ireland was completely 鈥榖lacked out鈥�, as was the United Kingdom. In Southern Ireland however, there were no restrictions and of course there was a German presence there.

In our unit, there were quite a few Southern Irish and when they returned home for leave they were required to change into civilian clothing before crossing the border. Once I was ordered to accompany a leave party to the station and after what seemed a lengthy wait, I asked the station master why the train was late. It was not late I was told, but as it was 鈥渘ice and early鈥�, he鈥檇 let it go. When I explained what was likely to happen when the leave party was informed, he told me that it was no trouble as he would despatch a man on a horse to bring it back! It had been collecting milk from various pick-up points.

The locals were so very friendly. Although very poor they were anxious to feed us with Soda-bread and butter, eggs and bacon for which I suppose there was no shortage there.

We were housed in large metal buildings called Nissen huts on which rain beat down relentlessly. A large sack of woollen 鈥榞oodies鈥� was delivered to us in the Sergeants鈥� mess. It was full of khaki garments of large proportions and one could imagine old ladies thinking of big 鈥榤acho鈥� soldiers as they knitted. We ingrats found we could enjoy sack races by wearing a single sock on two legs.

As the weather worsened however, large 鈥楤alaclavas鈥� and scarves of great length were worn under our Battle-dress with gratitude.

When possible we were lorried into Portadown where large quantities of Porter were consumed by the Battalion.

The other Division in N.I. was a Welsh Division, and advanced training took the form of battles between the two forces and culminated in a large scheme. The training was hard and we suffered innumerable casualties often caused by peat roads collapsing under the weight of heavy vehicles.

At this time I was a troop sergeant and as I had no officer, I was virtually in command having three section sergeants, and I think five armoured cars, six Bren-gun carriers and a number of infantry.

After this scheme, a conference attended by officers and sergeants was held in Armagh cinema. The General was disparaging about certain people, particularly where map reading was concerned. To my amazement he then stated that during the night he had visited a roadblock formed by 5 Recce, which was highly successful. He added that this was commanded by a sergeant, and that he intended to send him to O.C.T.U. (Officer Cadet Training Unit).

As a result I said goodbye to 5 Recce. And sailed for Lanark where I reported to 162 Officer Cadet Training Unit.

The training at O.C.T.U. was different. We lost our rank and became officer cadets and were addressed as 鈥淪ir鈥�. In the army all other ranks address a warrant officer as 鈥淪ir鈥� and this included us. The Scots Guards Regimental Sergeant Major put the thing in perspective when he told us that he called us 鈥淪ir鈥� and because of his rank we called him 鈥淪ir鈥�. The only difference, he told us, was that we 鈥渕eant it鈥�.

The drill was different and this time we performed as guardsmen and not riflemen. My great pal John Martin and another Sergeant (Young) from 5 Recce were selected too. Sadly, John, who was commissioned into the Ox Bucks and Berks Light Infantry, was killed in a road accident teaching soldiers to drive.

5 Recce incidentally went with their Division to India to become part of PAIFORCE. They moved around the world so much that they were called 鈥渢he Cooks Tour Division鈥�. From India they moved through into Persia. After which they eventually fought in Italy and did very well.

The training at 162 was pleasant enough. We operated a lot in the upper reaches of the River Clyde. Eventually, I was commissioned to the 4th Dorsetshire Regiment, a Territorial Unit based at Sandwich, Kent at that time.

On joining the battalion, they immediately decided that as I had been in Recce, I was obviously suitable to go to the Bren-gun carrier platoon. So I became 2 I/C under Capt. James Riddle; the troops called him 鈥淛immy鈥� of course. On leaving Recce and joining an infantry unit again, I was hoping to get away from vehicles. That isn鈥檛 how the army works however, and I was sent on a motor transport course at 30 Corps H.Q. I seem to remember that this was in Tunbridge Wells but I might be mistaken.

Unfortunately, to create a good impression I tried too hard and came first on the course. (See letter of congratulation from the adjutant when I left for India.) Anyway, I had to run a course on M.T. maintenance, which was rather boring.

At this time not a lot was happening. The main threat was an invasion by the Germans. We did normal training but at the same time helped erect scaffolding and beach obstacles, laying mines etc.

On one occasion, a large area of mined beach blew up because of 鈥渟ympathetic detonation鈥�, probably because the mines were laid too closely together. A large area was involved and Sappers were killed in their H.Q., which was in a loo on the promenade.

At this time volunteers were called for the Indian Army and three of us put our names forward and were selected.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.