大象传媒

This contribution to People鈥檚 War was received by the Action Desk at 大象传媒 Radio Cleveland and submitted to the website, with the permission and on behalf of Mrs Brenda Horness nee Private Varty B W/249378

I volunteered to join the ATS in January 1943, aged 19. After basic training I did four weeks motorcycle training. I was posted to 913 Convoy near Liverpool but was attached to CRASE 4th AA Group at Preston to become a Despatch Rider for the Colonel in charge of transport. I was to replace a man going on an overseas posting. I signed for a 350cc Ariel. He handed me his helmet, haversack and waterproofs and he left to catch a train. No time to ask what the job entailed. I soon learned. We had convoys at Manchester, Liverpool, Tamworth and Penarth (South Wales). I had to find my way by map reading 鈥� no signposts. Also my headlamp was just a glimmer and that was masked.

1944 鈥� We moved to Chester. All leave was cancelled something big was about to happen, we felt. I was busy taking moving orders to the convoys. So the drivers of lorries were transporting ammo and general stores to South Coast Ports. Each convoy had 120 lorries all kept busy. I remember one late evening returning from Birmingham, very wet and cold. On entering the hut the girls, all in pyjamas shouted 鈥淲e鈥檝e landed in Normandy鈥�. As our troops advanced our work (the preparation) was done. 4th Group merged with 5th Group (Nottingham). We were to disband. I met Captain Reay, he said 鈥測ou are going back to your convoy tomorrow, so good luck, but how are you going to keep warm?鈥� I said 鈥淪ir?鈥� He said 鈥淟ogs鈥� 鈥淒idn鈥檛 you know we watched you each night when you parked your bike, take two logs from our pile鈥�. But he said 鈥測ou weren鈥檛 greedy you only took the little ones!鈥� I said 鈥淭hat was because the big ones wouldn鈥檛 go in the stove.鈥� He went away laughing, saying 鈥淚鈥檒l have to tell Captain Ayers that.鈥�

1945 鈥� 913 convoy was to move to Tamworth except for 1 Platoon (30 lorries) to deal with Dock work. I was to stay at Liverpool and Jeff the Lance Corporal Despatch Rider was on the list to over to Tamworth. We asked the Sgt if we could change places. His reply was 鈥淣o.鈥� The night before the move, I returned from a detail. Jeff was waiting. He had managed to get permission to change places We changed bikes 鈥� he had filled it with petrol so all I had to do was pack my kit, a few hours sleep, early breakfast and set off in convoy. A man Sgt and myself were to control traffic at roundabouts etc so as to keep all our lorries together.

We settled in nicely. Life was less urgent. Three Despatch Riders on a rota system. We had batches of men (drivers) returning from overseas awaiting demob. Also groups of young ones, just having passed their driving test. My demob came July 1946 having been in some strange places; a POW camp; Walton Gaol; down a coal mine and a salt mine.

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