´óÏó´«Ã½

AFTER L.I.A.P.

On completion of my LIAP leave, I left Hawick on the morning of 12th
October 1945 to return to Italy. I reached Rimini / Riccione on 19th October. The overland journey with numerous stops in transit areas had taken seven day.
So it was 'back to duty' and the army still clung to its old habit of making life as uncomfortable as possible. There were Guards to mount and perform. We were back to marching and rifle drill ' to pass the time.' M.T. inspections were 'popular' and I found myself on Orderly Sergeant duty frequently.
However, this was all to change quite dramatically.
On 1st November I was summoned from Guard duty and told to take charge of the local ENSA Theatre at Riccione. This would excuse me all duties within the Battery and it was a real break. I suppose I got the job because I was known as a bit of a pianist from various Battery concerts and in civvy street I had also done quite a bit in amateur operatics and drama.
On arrival at the Theatre, I found myself immediately involved with the Rossini Symphony Orchestra who were giving a concert that night. And that was only the start. In rapid succession we had Italian ENSA and of course films a full programme seven nights a week.
I really started to enjoy myself. We were on a circuit controlled from Rimini. I established contact with the Officer there, who came from Edinburgh, and between us we worked out the weekly programme of films and other entertainment. These were publicised on bills throughout the town; it was really great, I was back in a business I understood. Amongst the various jobs I found myself doing was to compere on stage for the Italian ENSA. Also the local Forces radio station was just up the road and this was very useful for putting out items of what was on at the theatre.
However, good things don't last for ever in Army circles and by late November the Regiment were under orders to proceed to Greece. I was not involved as my demob Group was 27 and it had been estimated that this would
come around by March 1946. What to do meantime ? I was offered a pre-release course through Army Education at the 2nd..AGRA school on Lake Garda.. I spent Christmas 1945 there.. By 31st December I was back with the Battery and I was immediately detailed to make the trip back to Garda with another party of students for the AGRA school.
It was on this trip that I collided, almost by accident, with the only other Hawick man I knew in the entire AGRA Group, Lieutenant Bill McLaren. It is not even correct to say I knew him for we had never met even on home ground. However, I knew he was around and that we had shared the War in Italy. Visiting officers from Bill McLaren's Regiment, 5th Medium had picked up copies of the Hawick local paper , The Hawick News, in 60th Battery Command Post and it was through them that I learned that there was an officer from Hawick serving with them.
We arrived back at Bressanone late at night. On arrival at the Guard Room I was told that 'Lt. McLaren was away at the moment but would be back later that night.' As soon as the name was mentioned, I realised that this must be the same Bill McLaren that I had still to meet up with. You have to remember that we had never previously met, so next morning when I had reported to take over the Barracks and we were walking across the barrack square, I simply turned to him and in my best local doric enquired, "!.......by the way, how's Hawick?" His jaw dropped and his face broke into a wide grin, 'Blimey, he said, 'it's Sergeant Murray.'
The same Bill McLaren was to go on into civilian life where, after a serious illness, he took up his old passion for rugby and in that sphere he was to become a top commentator for the B B C. His radio and TV commentaries were heard world wide; he was the voice of rugby.
The next time Bill and I met was back in our home town of Hawick. After a spell in hospital he was working as a Journalist on the 'Hawick Express'. It was the Editor of that paper, Jim Hood, who introduced him to the ´óÏó´«Ã½ as a rugby commentator. The rest is history.
THE ARMY HAS A LAST FLING.
I eventually caught up with the Battery at Salsamaggiore only to find that they were in the midst of a final pack up for a move to Greece. As I was not involved, I was told to expect a posting to 17th Field Regiment RA in Milan, to await demob. I moved with two others to 17th. Field at the end of January, and then my problems started all over again.
I should explain that my rank of L/Sergeant was classified as a local one. As I was a qualified Artillery Command Post Assistant, an "Ack' in artillery jargon, I qualified for tradesmans pay. The 23rd. Field Regiment had decided to give me local rank as otherwise I would have lost my tradesman status on assuming the rank of Sergeant. In simpler terms I was earning more money as a War - substanted Bombadeer (two striper) carrying out the job as an 'Ack' than I would have done with the rank of Sergeant where the tradesman element did not apply.
So what happened? As soon as I moved to 17th Field RA, and within three weeks of demob, they pulled a strip off me. I was hopping mad. However, there was little I could do but I made my feelings very clear to the Senior Ranks in my temporary unit. We had a very decent Major in the Battery and he was very apologetic but he had no authority to alter the circumstances.
I took my revenge on the RSM of 17th. Field. Like all typical RSM's Guard mounting drill was his pet baby and even on the run up to demob, guard duty still came along frequently. I've always possessed rather a loud voice. I think it stems from my younger days as a singer and the RSM of 17th Field was determined to get his pound of flesh from NCO's passing through his hands awaiting demob.
Guard mounting drill was something I really had perfected after nearly six years of practice but the RSM was unaware of this; to him we were still recruits. I said nothing at all to his instructions but on my first Guard with 17th Field I waited until it was my turn to give the commands, then I really gave voice. The Guard snapped to attention, the RSM took a couple of quick steps backwards. To his credit after that we became quite good friends.
However, the demob date was drawing ever closer and one of my very last duties was an escort job from Milan to Naples by train. It was almost as though I was being given a last long look at the Italian countryside over which we had waged a War for almost three years. We even went past Cassino on the same, now rebuilt, railway track where once I had nearly come to grief. The area of the old Cassino gun position was still clearly visible.

DEMOB

The Diary entries under 'Demob' really says it all. Between 15th February and 6th March the trappings of Army life began to scale down. By this time I knew that my release date was 9th March which appears to have been a Saturday and so it turned out. The Diary can tell the rest of the story.

9th March 1946:
The demobilisation process has begun. This morning we left the 17th Field Regiment RA and reported at the assembly centre at Milan. Our papers were checked and re-checked and we await our turn now for a train and a single ticket home. With luck I should leave Monday morning and be in England by mid-week. My demob centre is Redford Barracks, Edinburgh, ,which gives just the right touch, for it was there I started on 11th April 1940 and there , God willing, I am due to finish just short of six years later in March 1946, and in a matter of days from now. I feel vaguely excited and unsettled as though I want to cast aside something which demands a last effort and which in reality is no effort at all. I seem to be on the brink of something which can hardly be a reality but which, in fact, it very much is. It is difficult to realise that a date of return does not exist. It would almost seem that the whole thing would be more normal if such a date did exist, but that really is not the case. Fact is, I'm tired, dog tired, in mind and body. I need this rest and I shall have it. The future in war worked out its own destiny. Let the future in Peace do the same. I am sure it will.

10th March 1946:
Have not been into Milan again and we are off for Calais at 4.30 am. By tomorrow, all being well, we should have said goodbye to Italy and be en route for the Channel ports. The journey, single ticket, is very nearly begun.
#11th March 1946:
Left Milan at 0430 hrs. as arranged travelling by train and we got away on time., The route was the same as we followed when going through on leave in September and by the evening of ...........

12th March 1946:
at 5 o'clock we were pulling into Calais. The organisation there was very good and within half an hour of entering the camp , we were settled for the night. We are No. 1 area going to Scotland, and we sail on the first boat in the morning. We put our beds down for our last night on the Continent. It is nearly over.

13th. March 1946: This has been a momentous day for whilst I am still in uniform and sleeping in an Army barracks, I am tonight, on paper at least a civilian. We crossed from Calais to Dover this morning. The channel was rough and I felt thoroughly unwell but made it without actually loosing my breakfast. At Dover we spent a few bad moment getting through Customs, but I was lucky enough not to be searched and I could ultimately breathe again. We entrained at Dover and arrived at the depot at Aldershot about 3 o'clock in the afternoon. From the station we were taken in troop carriers to the Barracks and allocated a bed in a barrack room for our last night in the Army. There we packed our kit, such as we had, and a meal followed. We were then ready for the next stage of the procedure which commenced at 4.30 pm. 'Area 1' were called at that time and we paraded carrying the remainder of the kit that we would hand over. We passed through the 'Q' department and were relieved of that surplus kit. From there we proceeded to the 'waiting room', (a converted M.T. shed complete with easy chairs !) to await our turn for the final documentation. Our turn came quickly and we heard various instructions and then passed before a large number of clerks, both civilian and military, until we reached the end table where an Officer stamped a date on the remainder of our release book. It was the date of the expiring of our release leave. He shook hands 'Goodbye old man, good luck.’
I don't remember answering him. I passed out through a door, hurriedly tucking a ten pound note and a variety of papers in the large envelope the Army had thoughtfully provided. It was all over. I was a civilian. We finished the process that night by buying nine weeks issue of cigarettes from the Naffi and we were completely finished, It only remained to get our civilian clothes and these we would collect at Woking first thing in the morning. I had a wash and shave and took a stroll to the Naffi in town for supper. I suddenly realised that I was dog tired. The reaction was beginning to set in , in a big way. I badly needed to get home - to completely relax.

14th March 1946:
We left Aldershot at 8 am and proceeded by truck to the RASC clothing depot at Woking to collect our civilian outfits. The whole process was again simplified by the fact that 'Area 1' were again taken first, having furthest to go to reach their home towns in Scotland and also it was a quiet day at the depot. I was finished by 10.30 am and then we went by truck to Woking station, thence by special train to London and from there went our separate ways.
I caught the 12.45 pm from King's Cross to Edinburgh Waverley, arriving in Edinburgh at 10 pm with just five minutes to catch the last train for Hawick and HOME. I had a bad few minutes crossing the station but I made it and sank gratefully into a seat for the last lap of the journey. I arrived in Hawick at twenty minutes to midnight. The family were on the station and a taxi was waiting. It was nearly finished. In ten minutes I was there, I was HOME. after six years, all but a few weeks, I was finished with it all. I wasn't excited, I wasn't even emotional, I was just utterly and indescribably tired. A chapter of my life, undoubtedly the biggest and most exacting chapter I should ever know, had ended.

FOOTNOTE. Although my papers had said that my Demob. centre was Redford Barracks, Edinburgh, that did not work out. It would have been a nice touch for that was where it all started. However, who was I to argue I had been successfully DEMOBED
A SUMMARY

8th April 1940:
Joined the 38th Signal Training Regiment RA at Redford Barracks, Edinburgh. My intake squad number was 23. I was 23 years old having just passed my 23rd birthday on 3rd April, 1940.

September 1940:
Posted from Redford Barracks to 23rd Field Regiment RA encamped at Ewshot. Hants. I had passed out as a signaller and I was assigned to 60th Field Battery RA. They had 25 pounder field guns. Our training period continued and eventually our permanent billet was at Bovey Tracey, Devon.

21st December 1942:
We left Bovey Tracey on the night of 21st December 1942 for active service overseas. We went aboard ship at Glasgow and after 10 days at sea, we landed at Algiers, North Africa as a unit of the 1st Army.

17th / 18th January 1942:
60th Field Battery RA came into action at Medjez - el - Bab, North Africa on the nights of 17th / 18th January 1943. The North African campaign continued until the cease fire on May 12th 1943.

25th. September 1943:
We landed on the beaches of Salerno, Southern Italy, on 25th September 1943. The campaign in Italy continued and we eventually reached Padua in Northern Italy on 30th April 1945. On 1st May the following announcement was made "Last night General Mark Clark announced that all German military power in Italy had ceased."

8th September 1945:
Home leave under the LIAP scheme. From Riccione on this date . Journey by train throughout. Arrived Hawick on 13th September 1945. Left to return to Italy on 12th.. October 1945.

9th.March 1946:
Reported to the Assembly Centre, Milan for final demobilisation. Left Milan on night of 11th. March for journey home.

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