大象传媒

I volunteered when I was 17 and a half and my first training was at Lympstone. After 6 weeks we were all split up and I went on Dolditch for further traing in Field Craft. Then I went on to Plymouth for a Signals course, and then back to Dolditch where combined operations was formed in 1943. Hayling Island and then you were designated into train as a Coxswain, or Stoker or Deck hand. I was designated as a Stoker where I learnt about the different types of engines which could found on landing craft. Queensferry was where we went next where we picked up our boats and formed a Flotilla. This is where we put into practise everything you has learnt. After a month we sailed to Glasgow, through the Firth of forth cannal, we gave the HMS Fearless which had just arrived from America and we gave it trial runs. The food on board was excellent, very plush. We went to Fort William, up the Calledonian cannal, the first lock we were going in to, we were told not to start the engine and my Coxswain started the engine and I went head first. We went up to Inverness where we were going to beaches at Fort Rose for training on landing Personnel. When we werent doing that we were taking messages, everything at that time was really secret, there was total security. We went to Shoreham basin, the officer was always telling us to keep fit to fight the Germans. As D dAY came we left Shoreham basin with the LCT'S, our job was to keep searching and stop anything getting through. After about a month we went to New Haven where we dropped the craft, then we went to South End and we were given foreign leave. I went to the Far East at the beginning of December 1944, I started to leave Singapore on Boxing Day 1945. On one occasion we went to pick up a special service person, all he had on was a pair of shorts and shoes, a nice Scots lad. There was a great mix of people on the flotilla, when I left Singapore I had to come back on my own and I got to Madras and I was then in holding company for a while. I wnet over to Cochin and picked up an LCI, the young Scotsman was there but would still not talk. We got to Bombay and boarded the Empress of Australia and set sail back to England. On the way we were quarantined at Port Tofix at the botton of the Suez cannal, we were there for about a week and then we set sail again. Arrived back at Liverpool and went by train to just outside of Southampton. We were waiting for being demobbed. When I joined up there was three of us, 2 went into the sea service and I went on my own. But afew years later I met up with Frank Knight back in Northampton and we still keep in touch.

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