大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War website by Stoke-on-Trent Libraries on behalf of Peter Haynes and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

I started my working life working for the Midland Bank. I got a job in the Nuneaton branch. Prudential Insurance moved out of London to Nuneaton in the war so the branch was a very busy one! I earned 7/6 a week (38p) - and I had to wear a white shirt and suit every day. Twice a week the manager would inspect our fingernails!
I volunteered for the Navy in 1943 and was called up virtually straight away. I was sent to the Butlins Camp in Skegness - it was really a bit like a jobs fair when I got there. I saw a poster advertising the Naval Postal Service and put my name down for that.
We did disciplinerary training at Malvern - punishment there was running up the Malvern Hills with your rifle held aloft!
Then we went to London to learn the postal trade, from London I went to Devonport.
On my first ship my port of call was Sydney, then on to Ceylon. In Ceylon there was what Nelson had called the finest natural harbour in the world and this is where we established our camp.
From Ceylon I went to Singapore.
I had a fantastic war and tried to hang for as long as I could before being demobbed!

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