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24th December 2005
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WW2 People's WarWW2 People's War V45

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Hello JimmyFee I'm not JimmyFee
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FINED FOR ENLISTING
FINED FOR JOINING THE NAVY

BY JIMMY FEE

I WAS WORKING AS AN APPRENTICE PLATER IN THE SHIPYARD AT A WAGE OF TEN SHILLINGS A WEEK. EVER SINCE I WAS 14 YRS OLD I HAD BEEN TRYING TO JOIN THE NAVY BUT I WAS TOO SMALL.THE GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT LET ME LEAVE MY JOB AS IT WAS A RESERVED OCCUPATION SO I LEFT THE SHIPYARD AND WALKED TO LONDON ,IT TOOK ME THREE DAYS WITH A FEW LIFTS.I JOINED THE NAVY AT ACTON AND HAD TO FIND SOMEWHERE TO LIVE TILL MY PAPERS CAME THRU.A LOVELY MAN AND WIFE,MR AND MRS MYERS WHO WERE FROM JARROW TOOK ME IN AND TREAT ME AS ONE OF THE FAMILY.ONE MONDAY NIGHT ABOUT TEATIME A DOODLEBUG CAME DOWN WITH ITS ENGINE ROARING. HUGHIE MYERS SHOUTED GET DOWN EVERYBODY,MR AND MRS MYERS GOT INTO THE TABLE SHELTER,HUGHIE AND HIS WIFE WENT UNDER THE KITCHEN BENCH AND I DIVED UNDER THE TABLE,THE DOODLEBUG EXPLODED IN THE BACK OF THE HOUSE THE WINDOW HIT ME IN THE FACE ALONG WITH MOST OF THE SOIL OUT OF GARDEN BUT WE ALL SERVIVED. I SPENT THE NIGHT IN MIDDLESEX HOSPITAL WHILE A NURSE TOOK GLASS OUT OF MY FACE.I WAS BACK HOME IN NEWCASTLE WHEN MY PAPERS CAME. I WENT TO CHATHAM BARRACKS AND AS I WAS WALKING ON THE PATH ALL HELL WAS LET LOOSE WHISTLES WERE BLOWING., GET OFF THE PATH ITS FOR OFFICERS ONLY, SO THERE I WAS ,BACK IN THE GUTTER WHERE I CAME FROM. MY MOTHER WHOM I HAD NAMED AS MY NEXT OF KIN HAD TO GO TO COURT AND I WAS FINED SIX POUNDS FOR JOINING THE NAVY AND LEAVING THE SHIPYARD. MY MOTHER HAD TO PAY THE FINE OUT OF THE ALLOWANCE I GAVE HER. I DONE SIX WEEKS BASIC TRAINING AND WAS GIVEN THE RANK OF STOKER FIRST CLASS AND WAS PUT TO WORK CLEANING BOILERS ON OLD V.AND W DESTROYERS. HMS VESPER AND HMS VANQUISHER.BEING INSIDE THOSE BOILERS WAS HOT WORK WE HAD TO SIT NEAR THE MANHOLE TO COOL OFF BEFORE WE COULD GET OUT AS OUR BODIES SWELLED WITH THE HEAT. IMAGINE WHAT WOULD OF HAPPENED IF THERE HAD BEEN AN AIR RAID AND THEY WERE SUNK, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE RATS IN A TRAP.ONE SUNDAY MORNING AT SIX O CLOCK WE WERE PUT ON A TRAIN IN CHATHAM DOCKYARD. THIRTY HOURS LATER WE WERE IN GREENOCK SCOTLAND. WE WERE TAKEN BY FERRY TO A SHIP CALLED NEIUW AMSTERDAM , A DUTCH LINER, WE WERE LOCKED IN A ROOM ABOUT TWO HUNDRED OF US. THE NEXT DAY HAVING HAD NOTHING TO EAT WE COMPLAINED TO AN AMERICAN MARINE CAPTAIN WHO THOUGHT WE WERE PRISONERS, HE ARRANGED FOR US TO HAVE A FEED IN A MESS HALL DOWN BELOW . HE ASKED ME TO FIND SOME MEN LIKE MYSELF TO VOLUNTEER AS GUN CREW AND WE WOULD HAVE THE RUN OF THE SHIP AND A CABIN FOR NINE OF US WITH A SHOWER.THAT IS HOW I BECAME A GUNNER ON OERLIKEN NUMBER ONE ON THE PORT SIDE UP FORARD WEARING A BIG BADGE WITH GUN CREW WRITTEN ON IT WHICH ENTITLED US TO GO ANYWHERE ON THE SHIP. ONE NIGHT ON WATCH AT TWO O CLOCK IN THE MORNING I HEARD THE WAR WAS OVER IN DUTCH BY OUR DUTCH CAPTAIN. THEN AN ENGLISH VOICE TOLD US THE WAR WAS OVER IN EUROPE, WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INDIAN OCEAN AT THE TIME. SO WE THE GUN CREW SPLICED THE MAIN BRACE ON THE KINGS ORDERS WITH WHITE RUM. I LIT A CIGARETTE AND WAS TOLD TO PUT IT OUT AS WE WERE STILL AT WAR WITH JAPAN. OUR ORDERS WERE TO FIRE FIRST UNLESS TOLD OTHERWISE. ONE DAY A SUB SURFACED, THE AMERICAN GUNNERS OPENED FIRE AND PUT A SHELL THRU ITS BOWS. WE WERE TOLD CEASE FIRE AND A WHITE FLAG WAS RAISED WE THOUIGHT WE HAD CAPTURED A JAP SUB BUT IT TURNED OUT TO BE AMERICAN. THEY ASKED US TO TOW THEM BUT WE DID NOT STOP AS WE WERE LOADED WITH TROOPS. NEXT DAY WE ARRIVED AT FREEMANTLE AND WERE MARCHED ASHORE TO A BIG FIELD WHERE WE WERE GIVEN CAKES AND TEA. AN OFFICER GATHERED US ALL TOGETHER AND SAID THE AUSIES WERE DISSAPOINTED AT THE WAY WE HAD STROLLED THROUGH THE TOWN AND ASKED US TO PUT ON A SHOW OF REAL GOOD MARCHING BACK TO THE SHIP. WE DID AS HE ASKED US AND THE PEOPLE OF FREEMANTLE CHEERED US ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE SHIP SHOUTING WE ARE PROUD OF YOU. AS WE LEFT PORT THE NEXT DAY THE AMERICAN SUB CAME LIMPING IN AND THE AMERICAN GUNNERS ON OUR SHIP JEERED AT THEM FOR BEING SO STUPID FOR NOT SIGNALLING US THAT THEY WERE GOING TO SURFACE.
WE ARRIVED IN SYDNEY AND A CHIEF PETTY OFFICER LINED ABOUT A HUNDRED OF US UP AND ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY LORRY DRIVERS AMONG US , NOBODY MOVED. HE SAID I AM GOING TO READ SOME NAMES OUT. HE READ THREE NAMES AND MINE WAS ONE OF THEM. I SAID I AM NOT A LORRY DRIVER. HE SAID YOU DROVE AN AMBULANCE IN THE CIVIL DEFENCE. HOW HE KNEW THAT I WILL NEVER KNOW. I ALSO ENTERTAINED THE TROOPS WHILE WORKING IN THE SHIPYARD, I SAID WHY DON鈥橳 YOU PUT ME DOWN FOR ENSA. HE POINTED ACROSS THE WATER TO THREE LORRIES PARKED ON THE DOCK, THEN GAVE US A MAP OF SYDNEY AND TOLD US TO GO TO WARWICK FARM RACECOURSE WHICH WAS HMS GOLDEN HIND AND BRING ALL HAMMOCKS AND KITBAGS WITH RED BANDS ON THEM BACK TO WOOLLOOMOOLOO, AND DO NOT LOOK FOR YOUR OWN FIRST WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT I DID. WE LIVED AND SLEPT IN THE DOCK SHEDS AT WOOLLOOMOOLOO FOR SIX MONTHS. THEN WE WERE MOVED TO THE DOMAIN AND ARMY HUTS AND IT WAS CALLED HMS ALERT.THE COMMANDER WAS T.E.ROBERTSON THE BROTHER OF ANNA NEAGLE WHO LATER BECAME DAME ANNA NEAGLE THE STAGE AND FILM STAR. HE WAS A REAL GENTLEMAN AND THOUGHT THE WORLD OF GEORDIES. I BECAME HIS DRIVER AS WELL AS DRIVING THE LORRY. I ONCE HAD TO FETCH HIM BACK FROM A COCKTAIL PARTY, HE OFFERED ME A COCKTAIL AND I HAD ONE TOO MANY . WHEN WE GOT TO THE CAR I SAID I AM TOO DRUNK TO DRIVE AND HANDED HIM THE KEYS AND HE DROVE US BACK. I HAD MY TWENTY FIRST BIRTHDAY ON AUGUST THE NINTH 1945 THE DAY THAT THE SECOND ATOMIC BOMB WAS DROPPED ON NAGASAKI, THE SKIPPER GAVE ME FIVE POUNDS AND MY AUSTRALIAN FRIENDS GIVE ME THE FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY I HAD EVER HAD. THEY WERE MR AND MRS FLEMMING OF 16 JELLICOE AVE RANDWICK SYDNEY AND GAVE ME THE CHAMPAGNE THEY WERE KEEPING FOR THERE DAUGHTER BERYL WHEN SHE WAS TWENTY ONE.
FINED FOR JOINING THE NAVY
PART 2
THE DAY OF JAPAN,S SURRENDER I WENT INTO SYDNEY AND ALL THE PEOPLE WERE DANCING ROUND ME . I MET UP WITH AN AUSSIE AIRMAN AND TWO GIRLS WHO LIVED IN NORTH SYDNEY SO WE WALKED OVER THE HARBOUR BRIDGE TO THE GIRLS HOME WHERE WE HAD TEA, I DID NOT HAVE A DRINK OF ANYTHING STRONGER THAT DAY. I SAILED HOME IN 1946 ON AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER THE HMS PATROLLER. I WAS MADE THE SHIPS WELDER. I WAS OVER THE SIDE IN THE INDIAN OCEAN IN A BOSUNS CHAIR AND A BOWLINE ROUND ME WHEN THE CHAP WHO WAS HOLDING THE ROPE SAID I SEE IT IS STILL THERE, I LOOKED DOWN AND I WAS RESTING MY FEET ON A HAMMER HEAD SHARK ABOUT THIRTY FOOT LONG .IT WAS MORE LIKE A WHALE. I HAD BEEN OVER THE SIDE FOR THREE DAYS AND HE NEVER TOLD ME . HE SAID I THOUGHT YOU KNEW. I WAS TELLING ALL MY MATES WHAT A BRAVE BLOKE YOU WERE. THE SKIPPER SENT FOR THREE RIFLES AND SAID ON THE COUNT OF THREE FIRE AND IT JUST SLOWLY SWAM AWAY.
WHEN WE ARRIVED IN ENGLAND AT SEVEN O CLOCK ON GOOD FRIDAY MORNING IT WAS COLD AND FOGGY. I DID NOT LIKE CHATHAM BARRACKS WHERE WE HAD TO DO OUR DEMOB ROUTINE WHICH WOULD TAKE A WEEK , SO I PUT IN FOR A DRAFT . I WAS NOW A LEADING STOKER FIRST CLASS AND I WENT TO KITCHENER BARRACKS IN CHARGE OF EIGHTEEN STOKERS. THE DRAFTING COMMANDER SENT FOR ME AND SAID IF I COULD GET ANOTHER LEADING STOKER TO JOIN ME HE WOULD SEND ME TO HMS CULLIN SOUND AT HARWICH A REPAIR SHIP LYING MIDSTREAM. I GOT A MATE OF MINE GEORDIE PURVIS FROM GATEHEAD. THE COMMANDER HAD SAID IF WE STOPPED THERE A FEW WEEKS WE COULD SEE THE ENGINEER OFFICER AT NINE O CLOCK AM AND BE OUT OF THE NAVY BY TWELVE. WHILE WE WERE THERE WE WERE IN CHARGE OF TWO DESTROYERS HMS MEON AND HMS ETTRICK. A PETTY OFFICER ASKED ME TO DO HIM A SUB, I SAID I CANNOT AS WE ARE NOT THE SAME RANK HE SAID IT WAS OK WITH THE REG OFFICE, SO I AGREED AS HE HAD NO DUTIES THAT WEEKEND . NO SOONER HAD HE GOT ASHORE THAN I WAS PIPED TO GO TO THE REG OFFICE AND TOLD TO TAKE AN MFV AND SHORE PATROL TO IPSWICH AND PICK UP A PRISONER AT THE POLICE STATION. A LEADING STOKER WAS ON BOARD THE MFV AND SHOWED ME HOW TO GO ON. KEEP WITHIN THE BOUYS AND YOU WILL BE ALRIGHT. I MARCHED THE PATROL TO THE POLICE STATION AND SIGNED FOR THE PRISONER. I WAS SUPPOSED TO HAND CUFF HIM AND PATROLL THE STREETS OF IPSWICH WHERE HE WAS FROM. I SAID IF YOU GIVE ME YOUR WORD YOU WONT DO A RUNNER I WONT PUT THE CUFFS ON. SO WE PATROLLED THE STREETS OF IPSWICH AND WENT TO A BOXING MATCH AT THE LOCAL FOOTBALL GROUND WE WERE ON ONE BUS AND THE PRISONER WAS ON ANOTHER. AFTERWARDS WE WENT FOR A DRINK. I HAD NO MONEY WITH ME SO THE PRISONER LENT ME A QUID.LATER ON I ASKED WHERE HE WAS AND A GIRL SAID HE HAD GONE TO A DANCE. I LOOKED ALL OVER IPSWICH FOR HIM WITH NO LUCK. WE HAD ORDERS TO STAY AT THE YMCA AND THE NEXT MORNING MADE OUR WAY TO THE MFV. IT WAS GONE. THEN I HEARD A WHISTLE IT WAS THE LEADING STOKER HE HAD TOOK IT FURTHER UPSTREAM . WE SAILED BACK UP THE RIVER AND I COULD SEE ME SPENDING YEARS IN THE GLASSHOUSE FOR LOSING A PRISONER. JUST THEN HE POPPED UP AND SAID I KNEW THE MFV WOULD BE HERE SO I SLEPT ON BOARD. I CLAPPED THE CUFFS ON HIM.THE NEXT DAY GEORDIE PURVIS SAID TA TA I鈥橫 AWAY. HE HAD SEEN THE ENGINEER OFFICER AND WAS DEMOBBED. I RUSHED TO THE ENGINEERS OFFICE BUT HE SAID I AM SORRY YOU WILL HAVE TO COME TOMMOROW AT NINE . THIS I DID AND WAS OUT BY TWELVE AS PROMMISED BY THE DRAFTING COMMANDER AT CHATHAM. SO HE DONE ME A GOOD TURN AFTER ALL.

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