大象传媒

Bills Story Part 2-

The lads enjoyed staying here. Some of us would have a walk up the road to Willington and we found the people there very friendly especialy at the Chapel there. Someone soon invited us in for tea and others were offering you cups of tea which we enjoyed very much and showed great hospitality for which we thanked them very much for making our stay with them much happier. Thank you very much. We still went out on schemes as we called them with our mixture of vehicles, most of which were requisitioned. I remember one car I drove was a Morris Ten and what a lovely car to drive. As had happened before, orders came through we were to be on the move again, this time it was further up the old A.1 to Ferryhill. For our Headquarters and 434 Battery and our Battery 435 were stationed at a place named Coxhoe.The vehicle I was driving now was a Bedford 15cwt in proper Army Khaki coloured paint with black patches to help in the disguise. I must say it was much different to my old Morris 10 that I started off with after passing my driving test whilst stationed at Nottm. There were no doors only a roll of canvas, that you rolled across and hooked to the side, no windscreen as we have now but two pieces of glass that were about 10x8inches and Oh boy what fun it was driving in the pouring rain not even a windscreen wiper in sight It was at Coxhoe that we received our issue of Triumph motor cycles which were allocated to the D.R.s [dispatch riders]. and signals. I think it was from this place that we went to a place called Blythe and there we fired a few rounds of 4`5 Howitzer and 18鈥攑ounder shells on the beach, an exercise that seemed to go very well with the higher-ups in the Brigade. The out-come was for us to stay here for awhile longer here in Coxhoe County Durham and then orders came through that our next move was going to be a long drive and to our surprise we were moving across the Irish Sea to Northern Ireland. Being December it meant that we were spending our Christmas in the Emerald Isle. On leaving County Durham we travelled to Dumfries in Scotland where we stayed overnight before moving to Stranraer ready to load all our equipment on the ship that was going to transport us over the Irish Sea to Larne in Northern Ireland.The proverbial meal was ready for us, and then the usual waiting to see what was going to happen next so we had to hang about whilst the higher ups decided when we were to get loaded aboard ship.

OFF TO IRELAND

After a bit of time it was decided that we could start going aboard our ship and so the orders came that we begin to get our equipment on board which took a good bit of time to do, as we had all the guns and vehicles to drive on and then they all had to be made very secure ready, for crossing to the other side of the water which turned out to be an over night trip which turned out to be a very pleasant crossing. I was very pleased about this as I am certain there would have been quite a few up set stomachs as I found out, after some of the lads had been on leave and got a good rough passage back. After every thing had been made secure we had to think about where we were going to bed down for the night crossing to Ireland. This was sorted out by some of us making our beds up in the trucks where possible, although a few of us drivers made our beds on the canvas covers on the top of our trucks, which turned to be very comfortable and ensured a good rest for the journey in front of us when we landed next day. On arrival at Larne next day it was wakey, wakey time and prepare for the job of unloading, but first thing to do was, to get spruced up i.e.washed and shaved, and see about some breakfast and then wait for orders. Later on we were gathered together and given the procedure of how we were going to unload all our guns and vehicles including the Dnrs, [dispatch riders]. motor cycles When all this had been achieved we all assembled on the area allocated to us for this purpose. On leaving Larne our battery set off on the long drive down to Bessbrooke. which as you can see on the map, we were to be stationed just walking distance from Newry, the town you will have seen often enough in the papers. If you look at a map of Ireland you will see that we had got a good drive in front of us, strange to say it did not seem to be too strenuous a drive. The only problem was on our way we had a cloudburst and if you know anything about that country, you know that when it rains it does not know when to stop. During my time in the army I cannot remember ever stopping a convoy because of the heavy rain, we could only see a few yards in front of us, no wonder the grass looks so green and, what a green it is!
Well here we are in another village and what a nice place it was, as we did not guess that we would only be there for a week or two. I do not think we stopped more than three weeks because we had to start packing again prior to moving on to our next port of call. Whilst we were at Bessbrooke, a group of us had a walk into Newry and had a drink in one of the pubs but we did not stop there long as it was dark so it was back to our billet.
Our new destination was named Coal Island, which was just a bus ride from Dungannon, which was always in the dark so we were not able to look around there as we would have liked to have done. This was another short stay as we were soon to be on the move again. It was at Coal Island that I got issued with a nice new Humber Snipe wireless truck, which was in my eyes the top of the list and made me feel quite posh This time we were destined to stay at Red Hall which was set in a large park and as you can guess another village this time named Ballycarry situated on the main Larne to Belfast road. When we had the chance to look around what a sight to see where some of the roads should have been there was just lashings of mud and the Regt was told that we had got to get stuck in and get the camp all sorted out. With Christmas being only a short time away I think the higher ups decided to take pity on us and decided to get the Christmas festivities over and also to give us the chance to get sorted out and get settled in to our new camp. The New Year 1941 came in and so we had to take stock of what the new camp had in store for us and the work there was to get the place cleaned up and ship shape so that we call it a camp fit for the South Notts. Hussars to work and train ready for anything that turned up. The Regt. really got stuck in removing bushes and all kinds of debris and preparing paths to our Nissan huts instead of ploughing through mud that the previous residents had left us, After this the next job was to get decent roadways, so that we had got good parking lots for our precious guns and then it was preparing a good site called the wagon lines where all the 3 tonners down to wireless and 15 cwt trucks were to be parked while we were to be stationed here. In between sorting the camp out and getting spruced up, we had to do all the maintenance on the vehicles to keep them on the road, as well as going out on exercises for days Other days it would be out on the ranges doing plenty of firing the guns, I well remember the times like this we all had to stay behind after the guns had stopped banging away. It was all hands on deck and stop being Artillery members, and turn our hands to beating out the peat fires we had started with our exploding shells. So you see we had to be fire fighters as well, what a life? But it made a change of routine for us and broke the monotony for everybody. That was the routine more or less apart from some of the chaps going on leave, but we who stayed behind looked forward to the weekend when we would catch the train into Belfast after lunch. The first time we went there, being the first time any of us had been there it was decided to have a look round and we all said what a nice place it was, the Civic building at the end of York St. as you came out of the station looked smashing, being in the centre of the city We continued our walk and then one of our group whispered to us, do not all look round together but the name on that wall is where we should not be so each one of us looked and there it was, Falls Road. It was quite a shame really as that was where the 大象传媒 studio was situated and also the Hall that the boxing was broadcast from. A group of us were on the list for leave and so we said farewell to Ballycarry for a week or more but, when we started travelling down from Scotland we wondered whether we would get through as every where was covered with snow. How the trains got through I do not know but we did thank goodness. On our return we arrived at the dock鈥檚 to board the ship taking us back to Ireland, and then the fun started, after leaving the shelter of the Loch and got on the open sea the boat did everything but turn over and I have never seen so many bodies laying about. Where ever you looked there were squaddies moaning and groaning and vomiting so much you had to push your way in to the toilets or heads as they call them on board ship. After my friend and I got settled down on a nice comfortable settee the call came that there was tea available in the galley so down the stairs I wandered with two mess tins to fetch a drink. There I was with two mess tins of really hot tea climbing back up the stairs and swaying from one side to the other across the lounge stepping over bodies, either trying to sleep or groaning. As I stepped over two of the lads a spot of tea splashed on to one of the chaps and he looked up, but before he could say anything I said to him there is some tea being served down stairs and the answer was OK mate. After that it was next stop Larne and on the train and back to camp, where it took my friend Harry about three weeks or more to recover from that journey back from leave.
That was my last home leave for about another six months, which turned out to be a rather special one for me, which I will explain later on in the year. Anyway that was the end of that and it was back to guard duties, mess orderlies and everything else to do with the camp as well as all the schemes and exercises on the firing ranges, We looked forward to going into Belfast on a Saturday afternoon and after seeing a film we would go to a caf茅 where we would partake of a nice meal which was mostly a steak and all the trimmings and then it would be saunter back to the station for our return to camp
Being a driver and having a nice Humber vehicle I would regually get detailed to dress up and take three or four officers into Belfast so that they could have a change of scenery, these could be very good trips out for such as myself as you did not have to pay out for any food or drink. When they got out of the truck they mostly tipped you two or three shillings as it was in those days. Needless to say I did not go into the cafes to spend what was given me but nipped round the corner into the NAAFI where you could get a good meal and have something left for another day. At the time fixed to pick them up for I would be there waiting to return them to camp but never be late at the pick-up time or that could be your lot for future trips. Have you noticed? that here we are, well into 1941 and no whisper of any moves in the offing so it looks as though we are here for quite spell. The time was spent on the usual routine, rifle drill and marching up and down and saluting drill including going out on exercises and on the firing ranges.
It was at this time July that our Regt. was issued with the full complement of 25 pounder guns which meant we had now got 24 guns which was eight to a Battery, 3 Batteries to a Regt. This meant very much more intensive training for the gun crews because they were so much different to the Howitzers they had been using. All this training helped the time to pass and a lot of us were beginning to think of a spot of leave having got through August and September and spending time up in the Sperrins firing and getting the new guns all set up.
I am afraid to say that there was not a lot to do apart from walking up the road to a place named Whitehead where we would go to the cinema to watch a film, after that it was upstairs in the caf茅 at the side of the station. After settling down at the table we would all order a nice fry-up followed by a nice mug of tea and wait for a train to return to camp, Some weeks there would be a Regt. dance which would often be held at the caf茅 on the Isle McGee which had a large room which was used for dancing or there were some dances held in the village hall, which used to be well patronised and so that is how we passed a lot of our time as well as going to the NAAFI for something to eat or drink.
As the year advanced towards September and October our thoughts were on the pleasures of leave coming up again and several of us were hoping to get home together. I had got my fingers crossed as I had got a very special date to keep in November, and, hoping that my friend Bill Hopcroft would be at home the same time as myself, because he had a special appointment to keep with me. Myself and Hoppy struck lucky and our leave dates were posted so that we would be at home together for 14 days away from the Regt. We managed to get home on the Friday and on the Saturday I had arranged to meet Hoppy in the City centre, where we caught a bus to keep our appointment at the church, at which I was to get married to my young lady. The day went very well and every one enjoyed themselves very much. Anyway the leave soon passed and it was time to pack up and return to Ireland and back to the old routine of drilling and various courses that you would be detailed to attend which all helped to while away the time and keep us occupied. This all helped to pass the time through to another Christmas, and so into the New Year of 1942.

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