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The Gas Chamber
The Regiment was on parade — behind us lay several weeks of intensive beach assault and battle training. Up ahead the prospect of forty eight hours of rest and relaxation before shipping out to embarkation stations.
The Commanding Officer was addressing the troops byt at that point in time the minds of the troops centred upon the R& R and many had made plans. I had already phone Irene and she was on her way to meet me in the local village some four miles from the camp.
The address at an end, we were waiting for the Regimental Sergeant Major to give the order to dismiss the parade by the order when it came was something different.
‘Staff Sergeant Perkins front and centre’ came the command and I stepped out form my troop and marched smartly forward wondering what more the C.O. required of his Regimental Instructor of Chemical Warfare. Some ten months previously I had volunteered for a course at the Army Gas School not that the subject of chemical warfare interested me greatly, but I had learned that Winterbourne Gunner where the course was set was a mere twelve miles from the Drome where Irene served as an ambulance driver in the WAAF. At the cost of some two way twelve mile cycle rides we had managed to enjoy some pleasant evenings together and I applied myself enthusiastically to the course receiving a glowing testimonial and a personal ‘distinguished’ grading. The title had been forthcoming and I had trained some 50 junior instructor. Between us we had brought the Regiment to a high standard of awareness and protection efficiency.
I gave the C.O. my ‘Sunday’ salute and received his instructions — a final check of respirators through a gas chamber — completed this day — completion reported personally. Before he finished speaking my mind was already racing. 742 officers and men, say 25 men to a batch, 30 twenty minute batches..I would need two gas chambers to complete in 5 hours. The first priority was a dispatch rider to keep my rendezvous with Irene to realign our date time to 1300 hours.

Setting up the Gas Chambers was the easy bit. A couple of 12 x 10 ft room in the Admin building, a swag of army blankets to cover the windows and cracks tressels to form triple entry with more blankets, a few candles for heat, an inverted tin and a supply of lacrematory capsules and we were in business.
Marshalling the troops took longer than anticipated but once the flow began my staff, acting as ushers, ensured continuity. But as 1300 hours closed in I knew another revision would be necessary.
This time I rode on the back of the dispatch riders 500cc Norton. I met Irene who understandably was not greatly amused but she consoled with the prospect of a bus ride into Dorchester whilst I went back to the task with 1800 hours set as our new meet time.
However it was 1815 when I was finally able to report to the C.O. that the mission was accomplished excepting himself and his adjutant and a couple of somewhat reluctant senior officers who condescended to comply. I resisted the temptation to give them a double dose of exposure without their respirators on. So with a small consolation of ‘well done’ Irene and I went into the local café for a hasty meal and caught the last bus from Blandford to Salisbury at 2000 hours. Our wonderful planned day concertinaed into 2 hours because the same bus was indeed the last one.

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