大象传媒

This story is submitted by Helen Hughes of the People's War team in Wales, on behalf of Sid Shorten and is added to the site with his permission.

Taveringham, Norfolk camp 19
Friday December 18,1942 to Monday January 11, 1943

The Company now became a training unit for engineers who had completed initial training and were to be trained in field craft. It was here where we lost our much respected Sergeant Major he finally accepted the Regimental Sergeant Major posting to HQ. Our billets were in the usual Nissen huts in the grounds and cooking was in the Hall kitchens. This had been a girl鈥檚 finishing school pre-war. We were only 5 miles from home now so was able to get home every night. This had been a great year and of course it had to come to an end sometime, we moved out by train from Thorpe Station north to Yorkshire.

MELBOURNE camp 20
Monday January 11 to Saturday May 29, 1943

A tiny village on the moors about 14 miles from York, as usual the camp was of Nissen Huts; it was ideally situated for our present job of field training the newly recruited R.Es. We cooks took turns in going out with the groups, this meant that for 3 days each month we slept rough on the moors and did field cooking; good experience for us later on. Ted Caves joined me as a cook and we were in the same platoon as joint cooks until we were in Holland, when he was posted back because of a problem with his feet. The camp was about 2 miles from Pocklington RAF aerodrome the unit had a good relationship with the personnel. A football match was arranged with them and a return match was laid on for a week or two later. The squadrons flew Lancaster and they had had a good long run with no losses. On the Wednesday night of the week for the return match we heard the planes taking off when there was a huge explosion and a ball of flame over the aerodrome; one of the planes had failed to lift and had crashed at the boundary with a full load. It turned out to be a tragic night for three more planes failed to return and among the crews were 4 of their team. The football match of course was abandoned.
It was about 5 miles to Pocklington a small town with a cinema, a truck used to go each evening and once a week one would go into York on Saturday afternoons. I went there two or three times with Ted Caves who was also a cook in 1 platoon. The time came again for another move.

SHAROW camp 21
Saturday May 29 to Sunday December 12, 1943

Sharow is almost a suburb of Ripon - a mile and a half away with its very large military camps. We were in Boulton and Paul huts which were larger than the Nissen huts; these were in the grounds of a large house which was occupied by HQ. It was still the same training routine, I was able to get a 24 hour pass on 3 occasions and by fiddling the shift work was able to get away by 2 o鈥檆lock giving me an extra 10 hours. It was easy to get a main line train into Newcastle and the bus to Prudhoe. Jean came to Ripon for a week in August I had got her in with a nice elderly couple in Ripon. I had a sleeping out pass for the week. Jean had returned home to Prudhoe after completing just over a year at Colmans and had gone back to work in Rosbourghs shop where she worked when we first met.
The Army Catering Corps. had been set up now and all cooks had to take a proficiency test to be graded as tradesmen cooks. Being so close to Ripon we all went together, the kitchens were huge to cater for the very large number of troops stationed there. The test also included field cooking, none of this was a problem we had all been doing it for months; needless to say we all passed as tradesmen and received a small increase in pay. The next move was our shortest ever to Ripon.

RIPON camp 22
Sunday December 12 to Friday December 17, 1943

Ure Bank camp was used as a transit camp for units waiting their next move; it was on the outskirts of Ripon. I managed to get a pass twice in this time and made it to Prudhoe. Half the Company left by rail the rest travelled with our transport to the next camp in Essex.

LEXDEN camp 23
Friday December 17, 1943 to Tuesday May 2, 1944

A village 2 miles from Colchester, our billets were in Holmwood House and the surrounding buildings; this was previously a girl鈥檚 finishing school. The large sports field gave us opportunity for football and cricket, 3 of us cooks were regulars in the team and also in any other sports that was arranged. Going into Colchester was easy it was within walking distance; I found we were about 7 miles from Tiptree where my brother Tom lived with his family so at the first opportunity I went home to Norwich and got my bike so that I could ride there when I was off duty. There were several air raids in the area with lots of anti aircraft gun fire it made me wonder how many casualties there were from falling shell fragments. The Company along with the other 3 companies in our Brigade now became a part of 鈥淩鈥� Formation, an independent deception group. We were here to take delivery of our new equipment, designed for enemy deception; it consisted of all types of military hardware, dummy tanks, transport of all kinds, heavy and light artillery, ack- ack guns with dummy crew, every thing to represent an attack force. The training was intensive day and night time so that it could be erected and laid with minimum delay. I had 7 days leave at the end of March, Jean was expecting in May and I left leaving to get back until the last minute and it resulted in me missing the connection at Liverpool Street to Colchester and I had to take the slow train stopping at every station. The result was being 5hours 20 minutes late getting to camp a Lance Sergeant and a Corporal were with me, we thought the most we would face was late off leave. The Sergeant Major was acting as orderly officer so we guessed we were in trouble he was not happy being kept up.
We were charged with AWOL instead of being late; this was by order of the Colonel Strangeways and therefore the three of us had to go to HQ at Hatfield Peveral a few days later.
The sergeant and corporal were admonished and lost seniority I was given 7 days detention at Colchester Barracks. This was a new experience, going under escort to the Military Prison, but when the red cap Sergeant saw the charge and sentence he said you want the barracks guardroom not here. That was a relief, we went to the barracks and they were expecting us and I was shown my cell. This was on Monday morning, the next morning a Sergeant came in looking for painters and decorators, the chap next to me said that鈥檚 us so we stepped forward and were taken down to the sergeants mess to work on redecorating it. It was a good move we were fed the same as the sergeants by the ATS cooks and we worked hard at the job. The job was finished by midmorning on the Friday and we returned to the guardroom, I was then told to get my kit together as a truck would be arriving to take me back very soon; I had earned some remission and so was free to return to the Company. When I was taken on the Monday I had just come back from the rifle range and had no chance to boil out the barrel of my rifle and oil it, it took quite a lot of work to get it clean again. The loss of a weeks pay was the most painful. Once more we were on the move.

BRAMHAM PARK camp 24
Tuesday May 2 to Tuesday June 13, 1944

Bramham Park & Hall were a lovely country residence slowly being spoiled by its use as an army camp. The Hall was used by HQ platoon, the rest of the company were in Nissen huts. There was a fine Billiards room in the Hall and a rota was drawn up to give everyone the opportunity to use it; one strict rule was nobody was to enter unless they wore gym shoes, this applied to all ranks. Bramham village was about 2 miles away and Leeds about 8 miles, a truck was laid on at weekends for those who wanted to go into Leeds or Harrogate. Because of the large number of units in the area a permanent Naafi was within the grounds. On May 8th. Our daughter was born at Corbridge Nursing Home and I was given a 48 hour leave pass; we were now on standby for overseas. The last week in May I got a 15 mile limited pass for 24 hours intended for use with relatives in the area and by working a double shift made it almost 36 hours. I hitched lifts into Northallerton with the idea of getting a main line train to Newcastle but I found the station was covered by Redcaps checking all passes. I went into town and caught a bus to Durham but I arrived too late for a Newcastle bus so I made for the main road to thumb a lift; fortune smiled, an army pickup truck stopped and ask where I was heading I told him Prudhoe and he knew it, he was on his way to Jesmond to present a film show. He said he had a little time in hand and would take me as far as possible finally dropping me on the Prudhoe side of Crawcrook leaving about 3 miles to walk. The next morning I set out about midday to bus and hitch my way back, again I was lucky and checked in with time to spare.
It was on May 1 that a notice went up detailing two platoons to prepare for a move south, this included my platoon; they were to be our advance party. Bill Unwin a friend for a long time went to the company office and asked to go instead of me because he knew our baby was due soon, I only found this out some time later, and I felt much relieved later when we met up again in Normandy. They had followed over the Channel a few days after the first assault.Our move came on the 13th.

STEVENAGE
This was just an over night stop on our way south to Ramsgate in Kent.

RAMSGATE camp 25
Wednesday 14 June to Monday 19, June 1944

Our vehicles were lined up along the cliff road just outside town, on the seaward side they had maple leaf signs as part of the deception plan suggesting the Canadians were preparing as part of Patton鈥檚 army group for the invasion across to the Calais area. 鈥淩鈥� force was used as part of 11th. Corpz a nonexistent corps. We were billeted in houses along the road and a large hall was used for cooking and eating. It was obvious now that we would be going over any time & on the 19th. the Company left for Purfleet.

PURFLEET camp 26
Monday June 19 to Friday June 231944

There was a steady build- up of troops and equipment in and around Purfleet; the bad weather was causing long delays in the sailing, all our equipment was loaded on board the 鈥淗amilton Hannibal鈥� an American Liberty ship. On the 21st. all those with relatives in the London area were offered a 24 hour pass; I gave my Aunt Martha鈥檚 address in Streatham and in the course of the evening all her family turned up. I left next morning with my cousin to walk through to Moorgate Street Station and catch the evening train back to Purfleet. A doodle bug came over as we left the station; it crashed a mile or so behind us. The strange thing was Jean and I had arranged some months earlier that when I knew we were sailing I would write of visiting this Aunt little realising it would be true.
We finally sailed on the 23rd. the boat was packed full everywhere, the first laugh was learning how to get in - and stay in - the hammock. We reached the Thames mouth when the boat heaved to and dropped anchor, yet more delay with the weather. Many of us were seasick before reaching the Dover straits, here we took a course as though making for France but as darkness fell we turned westward. The 28th. was a fine day and at 4-35pm. we went down the scramble nets into the LCT. With full gear and extra ammunition there was no room for error getting into the landing craft. We were about 2 miles offshore and landed between Port Bessin and Courseulles, in the Canadian 3rd. Infantry Division sector, beach area Juno Mike. The Company went about a mile inland to a potato field where we used some shallow slit trenches to bed down for the night. Everybody had a 24 hour ration pack of mainly dehydrated food to see us through to our base. One amazing sight was the bay there were two battleships, scores of other naval ships and hundreds of other vessels. The next morning we formed up and started our march to our prepared base.

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