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JOIN THE ARMY AND SEE THE WORLD

WRITTEN BY HERBERT MURRAY.
SUBMITTED BY HIS SON

On the 1 Sept 1939 the day Germany invaded Poland, I went to Perth to volunteer for the R.A.F. but was turned down as I was in a classified reserved occupation. Undaunted I tried to join the Army, getting a medical and then interview with the Colonel only to be told I was in a reserved occupation but would notify me in due course for further interview and date of call-up. After more months than I had anticipated I reported to the Colonel who informed me I would be called up in a few weeks time, to R.A.O.C. as a driver and all necessary documents would be forwarded in due course.
My destination was Leicester for initial training then posted to 15 A.S.D. Marston Magna, Yeovil, Somerset driving motor cycles, cars, utility trucks and heavy transport. One day I was told to collect a car for the C.O. Major Stewart Jones (later Lt Col), on arrival back at unit he inspected the car, told me to take him home and pick him up at 0900hrs. After driving him for a week he told me his driver has been transferred and I was to take over until I was posted to Egypt.
Following seven days leave and kitted out with tropical gear at Cottingham near Hull we travelled by train to Port Glasgow and embarked on the troopship Orion with 6500 troops plus 500 crew only to go down the river to convoy assembly area and anchor for a week.
Finally the convoy was assembled which consisted of one cruiser, five corvettes, twelve troopships and the Commodore on the Orion, the cruiser kept station on a parallel course on the port side of the Orion. Our first port of call was Freetown, West Africa where we anchored for a week while the warships hunted a U boat. About three weeks later we approached Durban and soon became aware of the Lady in White - Perla Gibson, with the aid of a loud hailer she sang the songs of the day in such a professional manner, what a marvellous welcome by one remarkable lady.
After the ship docked we were allowed ashore to view this beautiful city where the pavements are wider than many of our roads. Two days later we set sail for the Indian Ocean, not on the Orion but on a foul smelling Norwegian rust bucket called the Bergensfjord, which had a permanent list to port. This ship had 1600 troops, two lifeboats and one raft; the Captain informed everybody that if anything happened to the ship it was every man for himself as the lifeboats were for the crew.
For three weeks it howled a gale with the ship being tossed around like a cork and some troops like myself were seasick for the whole journey until we arrived at Aden. Approaching Aden the convoy split with six troopships to Aden and six to India, six hours for fuel and water then three days up the Red Sea, Suez Canal to Port Taufiq where we disembarked for rail transport to a holding camp outside Alexandria. Next day eight of us went by road to our new unit, the 69th Inf Brigade, Workshops, 50th division, T.T.
Preparations were now being made for the invasion of Sicily on the 4th July 1943 when we were on our way from Alexandria, three months later the Germans retreated to Italy.
In due course we sailed back to Liverpool then by rail to Brandon, Thetford where leave was arranged, then preparing for D-day.
At that particular time there was not a lot to do in mid winter, so I approached the chief clerk to seek his approval to tend the various coal fires in the offices to which he readily agreed and told me if I wanted to practice on an old typewriter to go ahead. In due course I did lots of typing for him, filing correspondence etc. One morning he asked if I would do duty clerk for one night saying ‘all you have to do is answer the phone’, I agreed and about 0200hrs the phone rang ‘message from H.Q. are you ready’ yes I replied ‘From Charlie, Roger, Easy, Mike, Easy’ I said ‘hold it I’m only at Roger’, I had half a sheet of paper filled by the time she finished. I puzzled over this message until the chief clerk arrived and asked if there was any messages ‘yes but I cannot make it out’ he read it and smiled, you take the first letter of each word which now means - From C.R.E.M.E.- Chief Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineer, I certainly learned the hard way.
The chief clerk then asked me if I would like to go on a course for technical clerk as a vacancy was coming up, I agreed, passed the course and all ready for D-day.
It was arranged I would go on the advance party as workshop clerk, and the Corporal would follow with the rear party, unfortunately I fell victim to malaria and hospitalised, and would now travel with the rear party.
When we arrived in France I noticed the Corporal looked shattered and he reported sick the next morning. He was admitted to Field Hospital, and a month later he returned and told me he was being sent back to England to be discharged, unfit for active service.
By Christmas 1944 the Division was moved back to France to reform, billeted with a family in a street called Rue du Clinquet in Tourcoing and on return it was obvious the German Army were in deep trouble and sued for peace.
V.E. day 8th May followed by V.J. day 15th Aug 1945.
I was posted to Egypt and Palestine and demobbed in June 1946.

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