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This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Roger Marsh of the ‘Action Desk — Sheffield’ Team on behalf of Arthur Ward and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

Refer to Chapter 1-- A4345544 -for links to other chapters.

LIFE IN THE ARMY

by
ARTHUR WARD

Chapter 9 — Embarkation Leave

April 01, 1942
We left at 2115 arrived Sheffield 0130, stayed in the station canteen until 04-15 then on the first bus (route 21) and arrived home at 0505. We saw my dad just before he left home to go to work at Waleswood Colliery. Later there was a letter from Nessie to say that she was not coming.

Went to Swallownest picture house with my mother and Eva and saw "Four Mothers".

April 03, 1942
My dad's birthday. He was 51 years old.

April 04, 1942
Caught 12-20 bus to Sheffield with dad. Met AI White and then caught the tram to Hillsborough and saw England beat Scotland 4-1. Jimmy Hagan had a good game and Tommy Lawton scored all four goals.

RASC band played at half time. AI came home with us and we went to the dance at Swallownest Church Hall.

April 05, 1942
Went on a walk round Ulley with dad and Al. After tea we went to Sheffield and he caught a train to Penistone.

April 06, 1942
Bus to Sheffield met Al and we went to Bramall Lane:

Sheffield United 3 Rotherham United 3.

Dance at Church Hall at night.

April 07, 1942
AI went home on 1315 bus. I caught bus to Rotherham at 1720 and saw "40,000 Horsemen" at the pictures and missed the last bus at 2100 so caught one to Whiston and walked home from there.

April 08, 1942
Bus at 1315 to Sheffield. Met AI on LMS station. Train at 1414 to London. On the train I saw Willis Rowley (RAF) who had been a friend of mine when at school. He was on his way back to his station at Maidstone.

We visited a canteen at Charing Cross then walked through Trafalgar Square and past the Houses of Parliament.

We left at 2115 to Seven Oaks, Tonbridge Wells to Ashford. Truck to Mersham and arrived at midnight.

75% of the battery were away digging trenches on the coast.

April 14, 1942
Took'C' Sub gun to Ordnance Workshops at Ashford for repairs.

April 16, 1942
At this time a gradual break up of the Regt. was taking place. The following men from our battery were posted overseas:

Gnrs Alan Milner, Norman Paley, W Ridley, R G Robinson, Don Stewart, Tom Livesey (the part time hairdresser), Syd Philips, Frankie Dunne, D Newton.

April 18, 1942
Inspection of billets then with Al to Ashford and saw'Sun Valley Serenade'.

April 21, 1942
More men left for overseas, Gnrs: Connell, Carroll, Atkins, L/Bdr Hubbard (who I shall miss as he played left back for our Regt. and before being called up he was on the books of Leicester City), and Sgt. Stevenson.

April 22, 1942
Football at Bethesdon 279 Bty 1 v RAOC 0.

April 23, 1942
Same again - filling sand bags for the gun pits after marching 6 miles to Sellindge.
L/Sgt. Roe, Bdr Peacock, Gnr Maginnity were posted abroad.

April 24, 1942
For the coming week all 46th Inf Division were to work all night and sleep during the daytime. This was so that we would be used to fighting at night-time.
This idea was on instructions from the new Corps. Commander General Bernard Montgomery, later to command us in The Desert Campaigns in Africa.

April 25, 1942
My first step on the Promotion ladder. I was promoted to Unpaid/Acting/Lance Bombardier. (L/Bdr - one stripe).

I was then dismissed from my last guard as a gunner (or so I hoped).

April 25 1942
Reveille 1600 hrs. Roll Call and Physical Training 1630. Breakfast 2115. 1st Parade 2200 hrs.

This meant we had breakfast at 9 o'clock at night!!!

Night time laying on the guns with a break at midnight until 0030 hrs.
Night occupation. Then break for dinner at 0300 hrs. 0400 hrs. Lecture. 0630 maintenance. 0730 tea and finish work for the night.

Went to bed at 1215. Lights out 1230 (in the afternoon).

April 27, 1942
Reveille 2000 (i.e. 8 o'clock at night).

It was dark by now!! Parade at 2200. Dress - Full Battle Order - steel helmets, haversack, one blanket and two ground sheets. We left at 2230 and marched to Dymchurch which was 12 miles away.

We arrived at 0215 where we slept on a concrete floor in a disused chalet, which before the war had been a holiday camp. This was within sight of the sea.

April 28, 1942
Reveille 1830 hrs. We left at 2200 and marched 7 miles to firing ranges at Hythe. We fired live rounds with our 303 rifles then marched back to Dymchurch. The MO and his assistants were kept very busy dressing blisters on many feet. I had 2 blisters myself so I was lucky.

April 29, 1942
Left at 2115 and marched 12 miles to Mersham. Arrived back at 0145. We were all allowed to go to bed as we were all well blistered and all in. Parade was at 0945 for foot and rifle inspection. We went back to bed at 1130 hrs.

Reveille 2000. Breakfast then night laying on the guns. Then we had a lecture on Director work.

April 30, 1942
Captain Green gave a lecture on Gas Drill. At 2000 there was a full parade of all the Battery to say goodbye to our Battery Commander Major Jarvis as he was being promoted but transferred.

We were all sorry to lose him as he had always treated us all fairly.

I mounted guard as guard commander for the first time.

May 01, 1942
The night time schemes had now been completed so we were back to normal routines working in the daytime and sleeping at night.

This week had been called "a week of nights".

May 02, 1942
Went to the anti tank firing ranges at Rye but these had to be cancelled due to a very high tide.

May 03, 1942
Church Parade - Smeeth. Y

May 04, 1942
I mounted guard at 1600 hours for 2 hours as a replacement for L/Bdr Gallimore.

May 06, 1942
Film show at Hatch Park - "Raid by Commanders" and "Next of Kin".

1800 on 24 hour guard. Our guard duties came pretty often now as we were understaffed because so many gunners had been posted to units in the Middle East.

May 08, 1942
Reveille 0530. Left Mersham at 1030 via Smeeth, Ham St to Lydd. We were billeted in barracks overlooking the English Channel.

We fired guns in prepared gun pits facing the sea and France.

The billets were very good with 4 canteens, 1 picture house and 5 pubs. Quite a welcome change for us.

May 09, 1942
Firing live shells.
My address is: L/Bdr A Ward
"C" Troop 279 Battery
70th Field Regt. RA
New Romney (Lydd)
Kent.

Whilst in this area we saw the miniature railway which carried (full size) passengers over the Romney Marshes. It was run like a proper railway but the engines and coaches were only very small.

May 10, 1942
We were all put on stand by for possible embarkation leave.

Each day we fired live shells whilst our guns were laid on defensive lines in case the Germans invaded. We had several schemes when we slept out in the open in dull, damp and drizzly weather. There were no civilians in the area as everyone had been evacuated away from the coast.

May 16, 1942
Our Eva should have married Ken Evans but I had a letter saying that it had been
postponed to 6 June 1942.

May 17, 1942
I was on 24 hours in charge of the guard.

May 20, 1942
My worst day in the army so far. I was told that I had to leave 70th Field Regt. On the following day in charge of an embarkation party.

An embarkation party was several men who had to be prepared to go overseas at very short notice.

At night I went out for a drink with some of the lads whom I had been with for 2 ½ years. I said cheerio to GG Dawson who was going on leave.

May 21, 1942
After our last goodbyes we left by truck to New Romney station then via Ashford and London Bridge then tube to St. Pancras.

I did not make a note of who was in this party I was L/Bdr in charge. I think there were about 8 gunners who included, Bill Turner, Tom Pridmore, Beaumont, Reg Cox, Keeble, Wally Walton (later he was killed at El Alamein).

We left at 12 noon and arrived in Nottingham at 16:40 hrs. A truck was waiting for us which took us to Upnah Hall where I reported in with my party, then we were allocated billets in a private house at 1 Tennyson Street, Nottingham which was not far from the City Centre. At night I went to the Elite Cinema and saw "The Great Awakening".

May 22, 1942
Kit inspection and we had to hand in our second suit of battledress and one shirt.
My address is now:
L/Bdr A Ward 954330
4 Troop
"B" Battery
2nd Reserve Field Regt. RA
Nottingham

May 23, 1942
Issued with Tropical Kit. This was supposed to be secret and very hush hush but we marched through Nottingham Town Centre complete with topees (Pith Helmets) and dressed in Khaki drill shirts and shorts. Had an MO's inspection and I passed A1.

May 24, 1942
800 men on parade and we all marched to church. In the afternoon we had free time so we went into the park and listened to the Royal Artillery Band.

May 25, 1942
Another set back as I had to hand in my stripe. This was army practise of anyone who was transferred. They had to automatically lose an unpaid stripe.

PT for one hour then a lecture on Careless talk and Russia.

Route march which finished at 1500 hrs.

May 26, 1942
14 Days Embarkation Leave

We were paid at 1000 hrs and as pay was in alphabetical order I was near the end. As soon as paid we could go on leave so it was 1313 hrs before I caught the train and finally arrived home at 1500 hrs.

May 27, 1942
Went with my mother to Swallownest pictures and saw "Reaching for the Sun".

May 28, 1942
Went to see my granddad and grandma - she was very ill and this was the last time I saw her as she died soon afterwards.

The leave was spent with the usual routine of visiting friends and relations and the pictures or a dance most nights.

This was the longest leave I had had in the army.

June 03, 1942
Bus to Sheffield 23:40 hrs. Train at 01:35 hrs. via Leeds, Carlisle arrived 05:55 hrs. Bus to Ecclefechan Gretna Green to Lockerbie arrived 09:15 hrs. I went to Nessie Bell's home (she was still in Birmingham) she lived at 84 Park Place, Lockerbie.

I had breakfast then walked round the golf course with her dad and sister Betty.

June 05, 1942
Lockerbie station with Mr. Bell and Betty. Train left at 12:05 hrs, arriving Sheffield at 16:52 hrs. Telegram from Nessie "Coming Tomorrow".

The train fare to Lockerbie did not cost me anything as I had my train ticket from Nottingham made out to Lockerbie return enabling me to have a stop (both ways) in Sheffield.

June 06, 1942
Eva's Wedding Day.

AI came on leave.

Bus to Sheffield at 10:45 hrs. met Nessie and brought her home.
I was groomsman at the wedding at Aston Church, the reception was in the Junior School at the Worksop Road end of Lodge Lane (demolished about 19:70 hrs.).

We all enjoyed the wedding but it did not go on very long due to war time restrictions.

At night I went to a dance at Swallownest Church Hall with Nessie and Al White.
I cannot remember accommodation arrangements as we only lived in a small house at 114 Worksop Road, Swallownest with 3 small bedrooms. Our Eva lived at home at the time but she must have gone on honeymoon. Our Eric was away in the Navy so Nessie must have had our Eva's small 3rd bedroom and Al the back room.

June 07, 1942
Walk round Aston fishing ponds with Nessie, Dad and Al. Al went home at 17:15 hrs.

June 08, 1942
Took Nessie to Sheffield and she caught the train at 11:15 hrs. to Birmingham.
At night I went to Sheffield Hippodrome with our Eva and saw Will Hay in "Black Sheep of Whitehall".

June 09, 1942
Dad went with me to Sheffield Station and I caught 19:55 hrs. train to Nottingham.
I forgot to mention that one Sunday when I was at Nottingham I had a visit from mother, dad and Stella. We spent an enjoyable day, most of the time in the park. At Nottingham we had the usual parades and fatigues. One fatigue I had was in the cookhouse which was in a disused warehouse owned by Raleigh Cycles and I was in charge of a potato peeling machine. The machine peeled the spuds then we had to take the eyes out - a job which lasted all day as the cookhouse fed 800 squaddies.
We managed to visit various pubs at night time but we did not enjoy just 'marking time' until our time came to go overseas. I was able to have some training on the new purpose made 25 pounder guns as previously we only had 18/25 pounders which were World War I 18 pounders converted to take 25 pounder shells. When I saw mother, dad and Stella on the Sunday they visited me, little did we realise it would be 3 years and 2 months before I should see any of them again.

From now on a new life style started for me as we received orders on July 12, 1942, that we would be moving the next day to an unknown destination.

Pr-BR

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