大象传媒

Ex Royal Marine Alfred Miles. Chatham 112135

We were listening to the wireless when the Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain told us that we had declared war on Germany, so my father said we should buy a new wireless.
We had to dig a big hole under a disused manhole cover as an air raid shelter.
I was working at a foundry and at night I had to do Home Guard patrol around the factory. Then I was called up for the Royal Marines. I had to report to R.M.Lympstone Camp, Devon, where we had to do square bashing. One day the Colour Sergeant had us on the parade ground. We were ordered to slope arms. We had old rifles and were waiting for the next order when it began to snow, so you can guess the snow was building up on our fingers. When the Colour Sergeant said, 鈥楳iles you are standing like a withering flower.鈥� Lucky no one laughed.
I was sent to Ceylon (now called Sri Lanka) where we were being trained for Jungle warfare. We were also trained in submarines to land on the beaches to see if they would be safe for landing craft.

While on guard one night on patrol, a water buffalo came out of the jungle at me. I shone my torch in its face and luckily it turned and went back into the jungle.
With our jungle training we were troubled with leeches, which we used to burn off with a cigarette, so that the wound did not turn septic. There were ants, large and small - the small ones used to bite. At night if anyone was coming across the paddy fields the insects would go silent, so you could tell there was someone out there.
There were also flying foxes, which used to roost in the trees and fly at night.
On returning to England I was classed medically unfit for the Commandos because I had ear trouble, so I volunteered, thinking I would go to France, but instead I was sent to London to do repair bomb damaged houses in Mitcham, where I was lucky to meet my wife, Gladys. We have been married 58 years and have two daughters and three sons. My eldest son came home one day and said 鈥淚鈥檝e joined the Marines, dad鈥� Why?! He said 鈥渢he discipline at home is too much鈥� but next time he came home he said that he appreciated the way we had brought him up.
I hope that my grandchildren and great grandchildren enjoy reading our stories and that they never have to experience the horrors of war.
My wife Gladys鈥� story - 鈥淚 didn't listen to my mother鈥� (see Peoples War story 7540210)

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