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We all got our postings, Les and Jock went to Italy, and I went back to Germany to Munster and a large barracks. I had to take shifts manning a huge telephone exchange, I hadn鈥檛 got a clue what to do. On the first day I had everyone connected to the wrong people, utter chaos. Lucky enough I was soon posted to Neheim to the 49th Division Signals Regiment, the North Hants Yeomanry again, in barracks but not so large.

It turned out I was the senior soldier there except for a sergeant so I got my stripes back once more. I was put in charge of the signal office, all I had to do was detail the guys to duties on a roster. We had an NCO club; darts, billiards, cards, swimming pool and I spent most of my time there. No excitement any more and I missed my mates.

The peacetime army did not appeal to me, even though the Sergeant guaranteed that if I signed on for 6 years I would soon be a sergeant major with my service and experience. But I鈥檇 had enough and on the 1st October 1946 I was demobbed and a civilian once more. I received a weeks pay and a princely sum of 拢120 as a gratuity and we were allowed to keep one uniform, a great coat, 1 pair of boots, underwear and a shirt. I was also issued with a pair of shoes, socks, one serge suit, a raincoat and a trilby hat.

I went home to work and began working as a butcher again. At first I found it hard to settle down after army life but in 1948 I married Pat Washer who I met in Lewes before D-Day. We had 2 children, a boy and a girl, and 5 grandchildren, 4 boys and 1 girl. Sadly Pat passed away in January 2003, and I鈥檓 a resident of a nursing home after having both legs amputated above the knee in 2002 after contracting MRSA in hospital.

The Commandos was a chapter in my life I鈥檓 glad I didn鈥檛 miss, the comradeship and lessons I learned.

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