大象传媒

Chapter One
Evacuee
As a twelve year old boy in 1938 my cousin and I used to visit the Gravesend outside market on a Saturday afternoon, there was a stall holder who for sixpence sold you birthday predictions, in advertising his wares he had a black board and easel and on it he work out from the date of previous wars that in 1939 we would be at war and bombs would fall on London.
Armed with this exciting news I went home to tell my Father, a strict Victorian Gent, an old time serving first WW1soldier (Drill Sergeant) in the Artillery at Woolwich, and was promptly told in no uncertain manner not to listen to 鈥淩ubbish鈥� like that, there would be no war.
As children, we were not allowed to know what was going on, and not allowed to listen to the radio without our parents present, Father listen to the 大象传媒 News with sometimes mother on his Radio Relay Speaker.
With the time getting closer to September 1939 there were mock Air Raids with all the main services doing there bit as in a Gas Air Raid, some of which were held in the dark at night, aeroplanes would be put up, being caught by search lights, guns would sound, my three sisters and I would watch these out off the bed room windows, trying not to get found out by our parents, this I found exciting.
One Friday evening in August the whole Family had to go to the Local Church Parish hall to be fitted and collect our Gas Masked, while we were there a thunder storm broke out, and we were told 鈥淒on鈥檛 get your Masks wet鈥�, we went home in the pouring rain protecting out precious masks in there cardboard boxes, only to find the basement of our house which we mainly lived in was flooded with two inches of water, Gas Masked forgotten, all hands to getting rid of the water.
Sunday the 3rd of September at 11oclock the whole family was summoned to be together, I got told off, I arrived late after a bike ride, only to be told 鈥淭hat there was a War on鈥�, just as the first air raid siren sounded, causing some of my Sisters to cry. but it was on ten minutes when the 鈥淎ll Clear was sounded.
My parents debated that my younger Sister and I was to be evacuated, not with the Government scheme, but privately, first talk was of Canada to my Fathers younger Sister, but this was going to be too expensive, so it was to my Aunts Sister in Law at Cheltenham, as my Aunt had my Grandfather with her, on my Mothers side. So we were taken to London (Victoria) by coach, put on a coach to Cheltenham to be met there by my Aunt.
After settling in to a new school, we were well look after until the time Coventry was Bombed in 1940
I was in a church choir and a Boy Scout, and our Vicar had a Sister who lived in Coventry of which he could not contact, so the morning after the raid he got permission from our guardians to take me and a friend, in Scout Uniform, to find her in his old Morris car, he took us because the City was closed and the only way in was as helpers, on arrival, we were attached to a Salvation Army unit giving out blankets, cups of tea and bowls of soup, leaving us to help out the Vicar went off in search of his Sister.
He found her in good health, and came back to pick us up to go back home, as we went along the rubble filled streets we past what was left of the Cathedral, and as we passed it a clock struck Three, 鈥渢he lords work鈥� the vicar said 鈥� that was the Cathedral clock, life must go on鈥�.
Soon after this my Father decided that we were in as much danger there as we would be at home, so we were again put on a coach to London where we were meet by my Mother and My Aunt Kathleen (Father鈥檚 Sister), then on a Green line coach back to Northfleet, passing the AA guns, search lights and Barrage Balloons on Blackheath as well as bomb damage along the way, the guns etc: seemed to excite me.
I was now 14yrs old, and Father decided it was a waste of time me going back to school so I was found a job in an Electrical Engineering factory who were also making parts for 3inch mortar bombs. I was not really happy working here, first as tea boy, running the gauntlet making tea for Fitters and Setters because it was not allowed, but I did get a free cuppa myself, then working on the machines, pulling down a guide and watching metal being fed through stamping out parts for the Mortar bomb fins. It bored me, and other lads and myself were in our element when the air raid sirens went, the factory was vacated and being built in chalk pit on the riverfront, all the workers disappeared in the tunnels built in the chalk. We the lads used to disappear and hide in a number of wooden barrels on the way to the tunnels, because from there were could see any action going on over head, with a clear view over the river Thames. This suited me because I could not be closed in when all this activity was going on. This practice was soon stopped because brick built in factory shelters were built in each section so that we did not waste time going to and from the tunnels.
I had to stick this job out because as a child you did as you was told, The few pounds I earned had to taken home on a Friday night, packet un-opened, given to my Mother, she would open it and give me my pocket money, my parents found the food and cloths and a roof over your head. Mother was good to me, she gave me enough money to go to the pictures, twice a week if I wanted, but I had to save Half a Crown (2/6 pence) each week in the Post Office Savings Bank.
During air raids which we still had to suffer my Mother like me could not stay indoors during the raids, she would go out in the street or back garden pointing up to the planes and cursing them. Shrapnel would be falling around from gunfire, sparking on the ground as it stuck, we had to drag her in, and she would then with me stand in a doorway and watch.
One of my older Sisters who like us didn鈥檛 mind being out in the raids, would be out courting on bench seats, and decide the raid was getting to heavy, and come home, only to learn later that the place she had been at was bombed, this happened on three different occasions.
I was interested by this time by motor vehicles, and would have loved to be able to drive, I looked at Tractor Driving on the only Farm nearby that had tractors, but I was put off by being told 鈥� you won鈥檛 be driving tractors all the time, you could be cutting cabbages in the frosty mornings鈥�.
Not being out done my friend and I were told that at 16yrs you could become an ARP Messenger boy on a Motor Bike, we were only fifteen, so we put our ages up and joined, only to be given a pedal cycle.
This meant now I would have to go on duty when the Air Siren Sounded, and that I would have to do all night duties two or three times a week, this we didn鈥檛 mind, because most nights on we were left to sleep, after we had put out red oil lamps around the street shelters and making sure that people living in chalk tunnels running under the town had all they wanted.
When we went on night duty at eight o鈥檆lock in the evening we would on some nights arrive at seven to collect a shilling (1/-) which was battery money for our cycle lamps, after collection we would go down to the British Restaurant, set up in the church hall and buy a dinner which was a shilling, at that time of night all the food had to be eaten up, so Dinner Ladies gave us big helpings, and two or three, in some cases, of a sweet pudding. This we enjoyed.
Although there were air raids the area was not always involved, the enemy planes would pass over to London, by day and night, but we had our moments.
A land mine was dropped in nearby Swanscombe, on a Council estate, us Messenger boys had to go along to help search for twin boys who had gone missing, searching among the wrecked homes and rumble I and a friend with a sergeant from the Rescue Service searched a couple of streets away and found the boys perched astride the coving of a roof of a house, unhurt but crying, these were soon rescued.
One Friday Lunch time I was just starting my midday meal, (I was now 16ys old and was put on two shifts at work 6 to 2 and 2 to 10), ready to go on the afternoon shift when the siren went, I had decided to have my dinner before going on duty, but only after a few mouthfuls, we heard the sound of bombs being dropped near by.
I left my dinner and got on my bike to head to my H.Q. but on the way I could see people were in trouble and I stopped to assist. What had happened, it appears that a German bomber on it way to London got caught in heavy AA fire from the heavy guns around us, his escape was to come down low, and jettison everything on the plane to make it light to get up high out of the range of guns.
This the pilot did, and in doing so released his bombs, emptied his machine guns, as he came down low over the buildings, bombs and bullets fell on a Housing estate, the factory that I worked at, just as the worked were going to the canteen for dinner, (the men were pushing the women over and lying on top of the shielding then with there bodies), other houses, then on across the river to the Docks at Tilbury causing havoc as it continued on.
After I had assisted I was told to go over to the Housing estate to help out there, the Air Raid Warden had gone home a broken man because he had seen a mans head blow off, a friend of mine, whose Father was a Part time fireman鈥� who at the time just before the raid鈥� was digging his allotment, went on duty and got called out to attend, the Fire tender got hit by a bomb, killing all the Firemen. We never had much time the rest of that day for eating, but we were served well with cups of tea.
Between raids when nothing was going on, the ARP Services used us boys as casualties in mock air raids, strapping to us plaster of parish look alike wound, for the Services to come along to rescue us, and take to a temporary hospital, we enjoyed this.
On one occasion we were put in a large underground Air Raid Shelter, there was a big bang and we all laid down in our giving positions, the services arrived and cleared everybody except me, I laid in silence for a while in the dark on my stomach, because I had a should wound strapped to me, I was just about to go and find someone when I heard voices, two men walk towards the alcove I was in, one of the men almost stood on my finger, I Said 鈥淥H鈥�, the reply was 鈥渟hut up you are unconscious鈥� Ere are Harry he鈥檚 over ere鈥�, Harry came over and they decided to deal with me, Harry said 鈥淲hat鈥檚 your Name鈥�? I said I can鈥檛 tell you I unconscious鈥�, the reply came back 鈥淒on鈥檛 mess me about lad we are in a hurry鈥�, I said 鈥淟e Masonry鈥�, he said 鈥渨hat鈥�, and I repeated my name, he could not spell it so on my label he attach to my clothing read 鈥淢achinery鈥�.
I was put on a stretcher carried up steps leading out of the shelter with my feet hanging over the end which stopped me sliding off, Put in the ambulance and off to a near by school which was the temporary Hospital.
On another occasion when we were on a message delivery exercise at night, taken messages from one Air Raid Warden Point to another, I was delivering to one such post, and on opening the door of the shelter all the lights went out, all I could see was a the glow of an electric fire with vapour flowing across it, my immediate action was Gas, (I pictured all the members in there with there Gas masks on with a Vapour tin of Gas that was used for practice purposes). While holding the door open with my elbow I quickly put on my Gas Mask, close the door to applause, they were all sitting there waiting to make a cup of tea from the steaming kettle. This sort of fun kept us going.
On these exercise鈥檚 when wearing gas masks, we found it hard to get your breath back when cycling up hill, the service gas masks that we were issued with had a flat double rubber piece above the filter, that when pressed would allow air in, this we were told that we should not do this, but, we used to practice this, and if only held partly open would make a 鈥淩aspberry鈥� Noise, I had been doing this one night and when I got back to HQ I was summoned up to the chief Warden and told off for blowing raspberries at an old lady, she had complained but couldn鈥檛 say it was me because I was wearing my Gas Masks. It was laughed off.

From Evacuee to Front Line Soldier
Chapter Two

Joining up

There was not much activity until just before my seventeenth birthday, an older friend of mine was called up as a Bevan Boy, to go down the coal mines, this wasn鈥檛 for me, I didn鈥檛 want to go down the mines, or get called for the Navy and finish up in Submarines, I needed to be out in the open.
Thinking of what to do, whilst out on my bike one evening I passed a school where a dozen men were doing arms drill with wooden rifles, these were the local Home Guard, I decided then that I would volunteer for the Army, and if possible learn to drive
On my early shift at work (6 to 2) I would sometimes go off to the pictures, this particular afternoon with out any one knowing I cycled seven miles to Chatham Recruiting office to Sign on for the Army.
When I arrived the Recruiting Sergeant said 鈥淵ou鈥檙e to Young, you got to be seventeen and a half before we can take you, but we can sign you on鈥�.
I agreed, took the initial tests, as excepted and signed on. The Recuiting Officer ask what Regiment I wanted to join, I ask for The Royal Artillery (Fathers Regt) or the Royal Army Service Corps, so I could drive, 鈥� You are to young for any Royal Regiments, to must be 18 yrs old鈥�, I said 鈥渁ny Regiment where I could Drive a Vehicle鈥�. He replied 鈥淚 have just the Regiment for you, where every man learns to drive, The Kings Royal Rifle Corps.鈥� I said 鈥淭hank you sir鈥�. Little did I know that it was his Regt:
Whilst I waited for my papers I sat by a much older man than I, and he said, 鈥淲hat are you going in 鈥�? I said 鈥淭he KRRC鈥檚鈥�, 鈥淥h!鈥� 鈥淗e said, 鈥渢hey have Horses鈥�.
This worried me, and when the recruiting Sgt came out, I said 鈥� I think there has been a mistake, I don鈥檛 want to drive horses, but motor vehicles鈥�, he looked at me, then at his papers and said, 鈥淵our Regt doesn鈥檛 have horses, where did you get that from鈥�? I pointed to the man next to me. The Sgt grunted First lesson for you my boy is not to take notice of old soldiers; You鈥檙e drive vehicles OK, Here鈥檚 your papers report in six months.
I cycled back home, greeted by my mother, she asked what the film was I had seen, I said I had sign on for the Army, she turned away in silence, when Father came home and after he had his dinner, Mother said to him, the boys sign on for the Army, he look at me over his paper, said nothing, then carried on reading, there was a further silence, it did not get mentioned again. When I told my work mates they thought I was mad, a girl friend that I was sweet on wouldn鈥檛 speak to me.
Couple of months before I was due to go, one evening about seven the sirens sounded, I was already dressed in uniform ready to do an all night shift at the post, decided to
go on duty, throwing my great coat over the handle bars of my bike, I set of, got half to the HQ, and the collar of the coat caught in the front wheel throwing on my face on the gravel road, knocking me unconscious, I was taken to hospital, it appears the raid only lasted a hour. I was released from hospital later that night with a scarred face.
A couple of days later, I met the ambulance driver who I knew, that had taken me to hospital, he remarked that I must have been a good messenger, because in my semiconscious state I told him which way to go to the Hospital.
My scared face worried me for a while, my messenger days were finished, my bike had a buckle front wheel, and I didn鈥檛 know if I could join up in the army.
As days went by my face healed, and a week before I was due to go into the Army, a stray bomb fell a few hundred yards away from home, hitting a house up our road, my Father was on duty as a Fire Watcher, he arrived at the scene just before me, helping a lady in her night dress to safety, knocking the Air Raid warden out of the way who wanted to know what had happened. When my father returned he said the lady was worried about her young son who was in bed up stairs, the front of the house was blown out, we search around, and in the school grounds opposite we found the boy in bed pushed up against a wall, still a sleep unhurt. At the scene those in charge couldn鈥檛 make up their minds what to do, we left the scene knowing we had done our bit, and had a cuppa tea.
Time had know arrived for me to join up, and on the night before I was due to go, Father came home from work as usual, had his dinner while we had our tea about 6 O/clock, in the evening, after his meal he would read his news paper, we sat at the table Mother, Father and myself, I don鈥檛 know where my sisters were. Mother said to Father 鈥� Well Bill the boy is off tomorrow, to join the Army, have you got anything to say to him鈥�? He lowered his paper, looked at me, over the top of his glasses, and said, 鈥� Yes, leave the bloody women alone鈥�. Raised his paper and went on reading.
This was I suppose my sex lecture, but little did he know that unbeknowning to my parents, I had attended sex lectures evening classes, and had been frightened about VD.
The next morning I was taken to Kings Cross Station by my older sister who was a wireless operated for Bomber Command in the RAF, she was due back to Lincolnshire after being on leave, after seeing me off at 10o/clock, she went off to get her train.
On arrival at York Station we were met by a number of soldiers, formed in to ranks and marched/walked, clutching our brown paper parcels of toiletries, in our lot we were all volunteers. After about a mile and a half we reach Fulford Barracks, which was to be our home for two weeks.
Given our barrack rooms and bunk beds we were march off to the stables with a bolster and pillow, told to fill them up with straw, this was our bed, then on to be issued with other kit, and an ill fitted uniform. Next day to the Tailor to sort out the uniforms, Medical, injections, Dentists, then on to more practical tests. The following day we started Physical Training and Square-Bashing, by the end of the fortnight we were fit to pass out, which we did on the Friday morning, trucked off five miles the other side of York to our new unit. The Old Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI鈥檚) Barracks at Strensal.
The following Monday we started our 8 weeks training in the 10th Bn KRRC, E Company B Platoon, under Sgt Lindsey, and our Section Corporals known as the Three B鈥檚, Butcher, Ball, and Bysouth, I was assigned to Cpl Bysouth's section, there name sounded frightening but the training they gave us (Weapon, Field and Physical) held us in good standing, I became a 1st class shoot on the rifle and marksmen on the Bren Gun, passing all other tests
Over the last three weeks of training, we started our Vehicle driver training in 15cwt Bedford trucks, Sgt Lindsey my Instructor, used to say I was useless and would not make a driver. I pass out a 鈥淏鈥� driver, we were graded A, B, C. 鈥淎鈥� you could take charge of a vehicle, 鈥淏鈥� you could drive if required, and 鈥淐鈥� drive only in extreme emergency.
When I told Sgt Lindsey I had Passed B, he said I knew you would lad, I was only saying you were useless, to egg you on.
All the A Drivers were sent to A Company the service Company ready to be sent on to an Active Battalion, B & C drivers were sent to 鈥淚鈥� Company, the specialist Company, here you had to choose two groups, I picked Bren Gun Carrier (Track Vehicle) and Six pounder Field Gun. I still wanted to drive but the course could only take eight men on it, there were nine, and I was in the last two, my Map reading was better than the other chap, I was accepted.
In this company we had the dreaded Quartermaster Sgt, if your kit wasn鈥檛 laid out properly for inspection, he would, with his cane, flick your kit all other the barrack room, after one of his inspections we all had to search the room for our kit.
He was a big man, an old time serving soldier, and the only man who could walk across the parade ground to the Sgt Mess because of his weight, everybody else had to walk around the square unless order to do otherwise.
The officer in charge of the course was Lt Snowdon, he was over six foot, loved鈥�. getting involved in the mud, getting carriers out of the bogs, with his walking
stick, which he always carried . During the course, I ran over his stick, and breaking it in two, but he still carried the top half of the stump, he said it was for luck.
The Sgt in charge of the course was nick named Sgt Chuff Chuff, because after speaking to you he seemed to blow down his nose a couple of times.
My instructor was a Sgt Parfit, a Welch man who liked his beer, on driving lessons he would stand up and salute all the Public houses, as we drove passed them, after he had got you to a reasonable standard of driving, he would sit and read his book, if you made a mistake the book was close with a snap, you were hit over the head with it, he then carried on reading, once you were back to camp, he rattled off all your mistakes, it made you concentrate when driving.
The Bren Carrier was a vehicle steered by it tracks, the only Army Vehicle to be controlled by a steering wheel rather than two tillers as other track vehicles.
It could turn around in its on length, this done at speed was an emergency turn, you drove the vehicle as fast as you could and a given point turns it in the opposite direction. On the first attempt you normal would land up in the ditch, you were instructed how to do it, but when the time come for you to practice it, Sgt Parfit go out and watched. He didn鈥檛 trust us. We also took the vehicle over an assault course, up a ramp five feet, leaping fifteen feet forward, taken it over a shear twenty-foot drop and recovering it at the bottom, and stopping on a hump and getting out and rocking the vehicle like a seesaw, I was in my element.
For the top driver at the end of the course was a prize of 100 cigarettes, and to my surprise I can out first, the lads had a smoke on me.
At this time men were being brought back from the Desert and being retrained, one of these a Major was posted to 鈥淎鈥� Company for such training, he wanted a driver, normally these Officers would ride in light armoured car, which could be closed in, this Major like myself wanted his head out in the open. He had made a request for a young soldier and a new driver, I was sent over to him, I would not be doing the six-pounder course, I didn鈥檛 mind this.
I was given a Carrier to maintain and get used to, and after a couple days I showed my skills off with the Major on board, he approved.
Part of the retraining was to defend York while the local Home Guard attack it, this was a weekend exercise, the Saturday went well. Sunday morning was spent in a dip in the moors as Company HQ, we didn鈥檛 move, then lunch time and order came through to retreat, the Home Guard was getting the better of us. We packed up quickly, wireless operator and the Major aboard, the order came, 鈥淢ove off鈥�, First attempt in my hurry I stalled, then again, and again, four times I stalled, the Major tapped me on the shoulder and said, 鈥淭ake a deep Breath鈥�, I looked at him surprised he was not mad, I took a deep breathe and we were away. The rest of the day we held our ground with the Home guard, and at the end of the day to my surprise, I was patted on the back by the Major 鈥淲ell Done Driver鈥� he said.
He was a good man and after a fortnight with him, he recommended me for a Driver Mechanic Course in York.
By this time I had been separated from the lads I joined up with, most of them had had their first leave and were in their service Battalion getting ready for D Day.
I was sent home on my first leave, much to Mothers delight, and on return after seven days I was packed of to York, a barracks next door to Fulford Barracks for a two months on a Driver Mechanic course. This course completed with a good mark, back to Strensal Barracks in to A Company, this time with a men who had returned from the desert for re-training, one character look like General Montgomery and often acted like him.
Out nearly every day on the moors training, I was pulled off at one time with a bad migraine, taken to a big house on the Thirsk Race Course which was a Red Cross Hospital, after a couple of days sent back to Barracks on light duty. On another occasion we had been on an all night exercise. Early morning, and only a few miles away from Barracks, we were stopped in a village by to elderly gentlemen saying 鈥淲e have Landed, were in France鈥� the news was just coming though about the D-Day landing. Our Regiment wasn鈥檛 involved in this until D-Plus 3 days. Another day I was turning with the carrier on a slippery road in a village on the moors, lost control and landed up in a front garden, the Sgt who was vehicle commander of the carrier I driving, said you better go and apologise to the lady, I knock on her door expecting a telling off, but she said, 鈥淒on鈥檛 worry soldier I had a tank up here last week.

From Evacuee to Front Line Soldier
Chapter Three

Off to the Front Line
The exercises went on until I was told to take 14 days leave with all my kit and after which report to Sunningdale. This I did, Mother said, 鈥淵our going overseas,
They only give 14 days leave for that purpose鈥�, I answered saying 鈥淣o I鈥檓 only changing Barracks鈥�. Knowing that I was due to go over the channel.
I report to Sunningdale after my leave, we were checked in, feed and trucked to Southampton, put on board an old Isle of Man Ferry boat, 鈥淭he Irish Lady鈥� and set sail for France, after passing the Isle of White we run into a very heavy storm, we limp on to Dover bobbing about like a cork in the water, most of us were seasick laying on the decks, we had no bunks, Seaman would step over us with there grub in there hands, then something went wrong with the mine detecting gear on the ship, we returned to Southampton in the early hours of the morning. Place in a Tented transit Camp, it was pouring hard with rain, walking on duck boards because of the mud, we were told to get some sleep in, woken up about lunch time, given a meal, and by five o/clock that evening we on board any ship, with better accommodation.
An ENSA show was on board, Nan Kenway & Douglas Young, with Dick Emery Snr in charge, a monocled gentleman, he stopped my mate and I said I have a job for you two, Stand at the top of this gangway, and don鈥檛 let any troops go down there, it was the Chorus girls changing room, he said you can peep if you like, from here. For our effects he gave us food from the Officer Mess, which was better than our grub.
On setting sail they gave us a show, after which we all tucked in to our bunks, only to be awakened 6 o/clock next morning to disembark at Ostende.
Bundle in to trucks to the railway station then on the train to a transit camp in Leuven, we stayed there for three to four weeks, they didn鈥檛 know what to do with us, I was given a Carrier and three men and told to teach them to drive it, to pass the time.
On morning muster parade our names were being called to join our units in the front line, all KRRC men were being posted to the 1st Bn The Rifle Brigade (A sister Regiment), and RB鈥檚 to the KRRC 2nd Battalion, why, we don鈥檛 know Army Thinking. I moaned, I volunteered for the KRRC鈥檚, but was shouted down by some one behind me saying, that he had volunteered before the war and was a regular. I stayed silent.
Piled in to wagons and up to from line boys, who were resting a couple of miles back from the front line.
My first impressions wasn鈥檛 good, they were scruffy, dirty from smoke of petrol fires, and not a bit like soldiers, most of them harden desert rats, having fought in the Palestine Army, Desert, Italy and France, some of them old enough to be my Father, and all Londoners.
I made up my mind I didn鈥檛 know nothing; I would be lead by these men, after all they new the ropes. This was The Seventh Armoured Brigade (The Dessert Rats) Monty鈥檚, lot The 1st Royal Tanks.
I was put in No 1 platoon (Carrier Platoon) 鈥淐鈥� Company, RB鈥檚. There were two of us new boys up for driving, the other fellow was a dessert rat, but the Platoon Sgt in fairness gave us, both a test run, but gave the only vacant spot to the other fellow, saying there will be a place coming up soon for you, because one of the drivers was being sent back for some reason. I was stuck as an extra Bren Gunner.
We were all ways reminded to 鈥淲rite Home鈥�, although our letters were censored, I did this but could never find much to write about.
After a few days we moved to the front, we were holding the line, a couple of hundred yards back from a canal, the Germans were on the other side, we watched from our observation points, all was quite, we didn鈥檛 know who we were facing, and we were to send out a eight man patrol, plus an Officer, and Sgt, to try and get a prisoner, because it was known that the enemy crossed the canal at night. Our names of all those except drivers were put into a hat, and drawn out, seven names were called I was not there, but the eighth one was mine, I gasped, a voice behind me said, your be all right mate you鈥檒l be Lucky Charlie.
Lucky Charlie is the last man who follows the patrol a few yards behind, and if the patrol gets into trouble, his job was to report back for help with the patrols last known position.
I wasn鈥檛 looking forward to this, but I studied the ground with the Officer over which we were to patrol, and in the dark we move of towards the canal, it was a cold December night, every now and again the patrol would stop, and a run bottle, the officer carried was past back for a quick swig to warm you up. The man in front would come back to lonely me with the bottle, I took a swig but didn鈥檛 like rum.
The Canal was reach, and the only German we saw, was one cheeky mute rowing a rubber dinghy done the canal having a smoke, he didn鈥檛 know he was being watched, the only other tense moment was when were returning, we disturb some birds that frighten the life out of us.
We stayed here for a time, I was given a Carrier, my section Sgt who I was to drive was named Scroopie Lucas, The Wireless operator was called 鈥淏oogie Woogie鈥� (He spent most of his time listen to the 大象传媒 music, on the radio), and neatly painted on each side the Carrier was the motto 鈥淒um Spiro Spero鈥� (While we breathe we hope, it was a divers motto) Three days up to the line and three days back, clad in our 鈥淶ootsuits鈥� (This may not be correct spelling), they were American all in one suit that had double frontal zips up to the neck, hoods and large pockets in the legs, arms and chest, they kept you nice and warm, also to keep the cold out we were issued with strong Rum, which needed diluting down, I wasn鈥檛 keen on rum, not being a spirit drinker, so I found a medicine bottle, cleaned it out and saved my rum, when the bottle was full, I got the three other drivers together, in our section, Edwards, Batson, and Jones, all old soldiers, and gave the bottle to them, saying 鈥淗ave a drink on me鈥�, this was to be the best thing I could had done, because these men, who liked a drink, really looked after me after that, so that they got their rum.
During one of days out of the line resting, we were relaxing in a house, the widows covered up by sacking, and the chimney was also blocked up, so that we showed no light, or smoke because we had a fire going. It was just getting dusk, we all sat around the smoky room telling stories, some rude, I was near a window, and a knock came on the window, and because other platoons would play pranks on you, the shout went Push off, the knock came again which got the same reply, then a third knock, I pulled a corner of the sacking back and a face was pressed against the window, I said 鈥� Lads your not going to believe this, but Will Hay is out there, there was a rush for the door, and in came Will Hay and Richard Murdock, they were doing a ENSA show three miles back ,and as we could not get to them, so they decided to visit us. They made us laugh for a while before moving on to see more of the lads.

The weather was beginning to get bad, heavy snow, were we a few days in the front and a few days back. Night after night, while we were in the front, we reported that we could hear heavy tank movements going south, on the German side, we were not aware of what was going to happen
We were order back to Brussels for a refit, I was to have a new engine fitted in my carrier, our section was selected as 鈥楢dvance Party鈥� so in the snow and ice, we drove back to Brussels, slipping and sliding about, (Steel Tracks on ice).
We arrived just outside Brussels at the Ordinance depot, then found billets for the rest of the company, had a meal, and or Officer Lt 鈥淐ock鈥� Robin, told us we could go into Brussels but stay in the Gare du Nor area, so he could find us. This we did, we found a Caf茅鈥檚, there were four men standing at the bar, to ladies sat over on a far table, we sat round a table in the middle of the room, nobody took much notice of us, we all put the same amount of money in our kitty (Drinking Pool), and got our drinks in, after a couple of drinks we became a bit noisy, and was getting dirty looks from the men at the bar, who were muttering amongst themselves, but kept looking in our direction as they did so.
It was my turn to get the drinks in, armed with money from the pool, I went up to the bar, near where the civilians were still muttering away at us in Belgium, I said to the barman who spoke English, 鈥淲hat鈥檚 the matter with them鈥� he replied, 鈥淭hey think you are a load of Yellow Bastards鈥�, 鈥淲hy鈥� I said, 鈥� Because the Germans had made a big push in the Ardennes, and are heading this way, and you鈥檙e here drinking鈥�. Armed with this I took the drinks back to the lads and told them what the Barman had said, Corporal Heeny (A big rough type Londoner, who had a front tooth missing, his nick name was 鈥淕ap in Hedge Row鈥�), wanted to go over and thump them shouting, 鈥� We鈥檝e done our F***ing bit for you Bastards鈥�, we restrained him, just as the door was flung open and in came Lt 鈥淐ock鈥� Robin saying, 鈥淭hank God I鈥檝e found you lot, we have got to get back to the front as soon as we can, because the Guards Armoured Brigade, that took over from us, had been order to move down to cut the Germans off, and we are to hold the line鈥�. We got to out feet Cpl Heeny went over to the civilians grab one by the scruff of the neck, and said 鈥� Now look what you鈥檝e bloody well done鈥� push the man to the ground, as we all left. We piled into the truck, 鈥淐ock鈥� Robin had brought, and back to the depot, my Carrier was just being finished of with its new engine, other Carriers had been repaired, and we set off in the dark still slipping and sliding, arriving back to the front in the early hours of the morning.
We were know back doing froint line duty, not much action.
It was getting near Christmas, and the Germans decided to fix up a gramophone some were on the front, and play Christmas Carols, the only point was, they only had one tune 鈥淗oly Night鈥�, this was played for two or three nights, and we got worried what they might be up to when they were playing this, so a patrol went out found a pram with the gramophone on it, and threw it into the canal, we now had silent nights.
.Things quieten down a bit on the front, and we were moved to Sittard, where we were able to get a shower in the big Coal Mines (Very refreshing). Billeted with civilian families, I was introduced to a member our platoon who was in another section from Northfleet, his name was Bill Parker, we became good mates, he was older than me and came over on D Day plus three, after waiting on board ship anchored in the River Thames off Tilbury, he could even see his house from there.
Orders from Monty鈥檚 HQ had come in that before the spring offensive started we were to straighten out the line, because the Americans had held the line before us, and left a bugle in it.

From Evacuee to Front Line Soldier
Chapter 4
Front line on the Move

In the New Year we set of to straighten the line up on 鈥淥peration Blackcock鈥�,
All vehicles have been painted white we are dress in white, because this push is in the snow. We push the line forward in three columns, on roads where possible, Centre was the HQ line, flank by the others each line would be led by three tanks of the 1st Royal Tanks, or the Innskilling Dragoon Guards, the centre link would have a forth tank which was the Artillery Observation Tank, three Carriers would support the tanks if they bumped into trouble, behind them was the Motorised platoons of our Regiment, with the Heavy Infantry and echelons following on.
The first few days we moved forward with out much opposition, then one day we had problems clearing up pockets of enemy, and had got held up, and lost contact with our tanks, but when we reached the final Map reference for the day, out tanks were not there, and we were loosing the day light, (we would normally hold up over night). On arrival our orders were to move forward a mile or so, because the tankies, had secured a Hamlet (It was a Cross Roads surrounded by a dozen houses). We pressed on, but as we got closer we could see all three tanks on fire, and there was a lot of machine gun fire, we went on the offensive and moved in, Tankies were trying to get out of their burning tanks, and were being shot as they did so, we manage to rescue a couple, we radioed for support it was now getting dark, you could not tell at times who the enemy was because we were all dress in white with hoods over our heads, we held on with burst of Machine gun fire from both sides. Casualties were being taken and attended to, I was told to transport the wounded back on my Carrier to the Medical centre set up a mile or so back, this meant travelling on an uneven farm track, icy in places, over a ditch on a scissors bridge, (this was two very wide heavy curved shaped girders) before I reach the medics. With two stretcher cases and a couple of stranded wounded in the front compartment, I started back, once back I had to return alone, with other lads in the carrier wounded or not I felt OK, but I was not happy going back on my own, my thoughts were that by going back I could save more lives, I travel four too five times back that night, on one occasion after going back to the line, I stood backed up to a building, taking instruction from someone around the corner of the house up against the wall, when a Panzer Faust hit the corner of the house chest high, the blast went in the direction of the chap I was talking with, around the other side of the building ,he took full blast of it in the chest, it missed me except a few brick pieces. I crawled round to help him, his chest was in a bad way, another mate help me dress his wounds and we stretched him back to my Carrier, which was being loaded with more wounded, it was then I realised it was Bill Parker, my mate.
Back I went. During the night, the reinforcement came, The Devon鈥檚. We also had asked for artillery support, we got it, some falling on us, also we had Air Support, which came in by rockets from Typhoon planes, some of those hit us, it was because we were so close to the enemy, The Devon鈥檚 told us they would put in a charge, we heard sometime later a lot of shouting as if it was a charge, but apparently it was the Germans coming at us.
This bad situation came about because as our Tanks were entering the hamlet, at the same time as 200 SS German troops arrived, they gave us hell.
Our orders were to withdraw just before daybreak, the Devon鈥檚 had taken a lot of casualties and they were told to stand fast. My orders were to pick up the platoon Officer and Sgt, with their wireless operator, and take them out, this I did, and as we were about to move off, a German soldier appear, dressed all in white with a big Red Cross on the front of it, he tried to make us understand that he wanted to attend German casualties behind us, it was explained to him if he came passed us we would take him prisoner, he turned showing a Big Red Cross on his back, he walk a few paces, turned, lifted up his Red Cross smock, revealing a belt of Stick Hand Grenades, which he attempt to throw, our gunner was to fast for him and shot at him, a bullet must have stuck the grenades, he blew up in pieces. I drove of quickly; we were the last of our platoon to come out. Back with our Company our first job was a cuppa tea and a bit to eat, we hadn鈥檛 eaten, then we were told to attend a muster parade, it was then that the nights work hit me, out of 36 of us who went in, there were 6 of us standing, the rest were dead our wounded, our tankies were all dead except two wounded. We were told to rest, the news spread around the company quickly.
鈥業鈥� Company our Specialist Company, was order to move in and take the position, they moved in with vengeance, by eleven o鈥檆lock that morning the area was secured, with no SS troops surviving.
That afternoon I was told my mate Bill had died of his wounds, (he was 23yrs old,) and would I take care of his personal effects, (Wallets, photos, rings, watches etc: were held by a mate to return to the soldiers family, because they could go astray when sent back officially). This I did. The platoon was awarded two Military Medals for their actions that night, The Platoon Officer and Sergeant were to receive them, I could have named other men that deserved them for far better courage.
Soon after this the line was straightened, we were relieved and sent back to Maastricht for a well-earned rest, and reinforcements, billeted with a nice you Belgian family. The town was full of Americans, we didn鈥檛 get on well with them, and trouble between us used to break out, especially at dances that they held, we were told not to accept the American hospitality.
Exercises were held crossing the river Maas, ready for the Rhine, but the rivers current proved to fast for the four cornered motor flat rafts they were using that drifted to far, down river. While on these exercises I meet one of the lads I had first joined up with Ronnie Thompson, he was in another platoon, but we renewed our friendship. I was told here that the Belgium family that Bill Parker was billet with in Sittard, had got permission to bury Bills body in their family grave, I thought this was a nice gesture.
A couple of weeks later, weather had change no snow we were back looking like our old selves, and we are back in the front, swanning forward to Roemond, we didn鈥檛 go into towns, the heavy Infantry did that while we waited outside the town.
On one occasion our section was posted in an underground bunker on a entrance road to a very large house, which was taken over by one of our motorised platoons, from the bunker down the main gate of the house, ran a five foot picket hedge, we posted a sentry almost at the top end of this hedge. One evening about eight o/clock, it was a very dark night, heavy guns could be heard in the distance, our front was quite, I was on guard, I could here movement behind the hedge coming towards me, I listened and it went away, then it came back, again it went away, I alerted the section, who all came out, and the Sgt decided we would look and wait the behind the hedge, this we did, the noise of who ever it was, could be heard getting closer, as it neared we pounced on it, expecting it to be a German two man patrol, it was a brown goat, the platoon down the road had stuck a top hat on its horns, for a joke, and the poor thing was going up and down the hedge trying to get it off . we never had time to pay that platoon back, because we moved off around Roemond heading northeast.
It was about this time I heard of another Northfleet man in the Medical corps, attach to the Royal Marines, just North of us, that who under heavy enemy anti tank fire went forward three times to rescue wounded while the rest of his four man team was wounded, on return the third time he was killed, for his bravery Lance Corporal Eric Harden was awarded the VC aged 32yrs.
(He and my friend Bill Parker were eventually buried in Nederweert War Commission Cemetery, in the same row one at one end the other at the other).
Pushing on towards Wessel, (Where we where to cross the Rhine) we meet little resistance. Except one afternoon just before dusk we were ordered to take over a small village held by the Yanks who were to the South of us. The orders were too creep in quietly as the Germans had six barrel mortars line up on the place, and would let then go for twenty minutes if they heard a noise, (these mortars had a frightening whining noise to them, we called them Hurdy Curdies). With steel tracks on cobble stones we crept in quietly, 36 men in all, only to be greeted by the Yanks on arrival, with shouting of 鈥淵ipee鈥檚鈥�, Banging of lorry doors, revving of engines, and speeding off down the road, about 160 of them, we got mortared for a good twenty minutes. While we tried to take up positions, all went quite, we were OK, while the lads finished setting up, my wireless operator and myself were place facing down the road we had just came in on, I was no 2 on the Bren gun. In the poor light we picked out, about 150 yards away a six man German patrol crossing the road, my wireless operator 鈥淏oogie Woogie who was a very nervous man, and didn鈥檛 like being out of the carrier away from his crouched down position behind the wireless, HE PANICKED screaming his head off, I grab him to keep him quite, Sgt Lucas came running over, picked Boogie up, Hitting him to quieten him and drag him off, and left me with the Bren gun, a few minutes later Sgt came back to see if I was OK. Boogie was shut up in a cellar of a house all night, and sent back next day a nervous wreck, I have never seen that man again, too this day.
A couple of days without a wireless operator before a replacement came, his replacement was an old time serving man Quinn-Smith, joined before the war as a regular, had served 21yrs, in Palestine, Desert, Italy, wounded in France, a harden soldier and a crack shot, came back to join us.

From Evacuee to Front Line Soldier
Chapter 5
Crossing the Rhine and Wars End

Stopping about three miles back from the Rhine, we were resting in a Farm; while the heavy boys (131 Brigade) push up to the banks. The Bridge had been blown so we had to wait for one to be built, for the heavy Armour to cross.
After a week, on a Saturday morning, it was a nice day, Guns had been heavy up on the Rhine through the night, something was on, we sat having our breakfast around our biscuit tin, half sand filled, petrol soaked, set alight, (our fire), (We cooked on this), when one of the lads pointed, over the flat open ground, saying 鈥淟ook鈥�, we turned to look and across the horizon it appeared to be like a swam of flies, it was the Paratroops flying in towards us, and just beyond out point they were jumping out, a marvellous sight. The noise over the Rhine got louder. The planes stopped coming and returned home. The sky cleared, then after twenty minuets it all started again, this time it was gilders being towed in, the were releasing their tows above us, one glider which had release a bit early, landed in a field close to us, on its nose, 鈥淕o and help then lads鈥� the Sgt shouted, I jumped in to my Carrier with a couple of other lads and we set off across the fields, by the time we arrived the Glider had been righted, a Jeep, a limber and a two pounder gun was being hitched up by a Sgt and three men,鈥� Which way to the Front they asked鈥�, You don鈥檛 want the front it鈥檚 the other side of the Rhine,鈥� we said, 鈥� join us for a cuppa鈥�. 鈥淣ot now鈥� they shouted and got in to the jeep and drove off in the direction of all the gunfire and smoke now coming up from it. They were too keen we would have decided our next move over a cuppa.
Two or three days went by, then it was on the move to cross the Rhine, on the approach road it was a nose to tail traffic jam, the road back only had ambulances and odd vehicles on it going back, had the Germans had an air force we could have been wiped out. We would move forward a few hundred yards then stop, the lads got fed up with this, 鈥淕et a cuppa on while we wait鈥� was the cry, out came the petrol fires in the field at the side of the road for the brew up, then the order 鈥淢ove on鈥�, out went the fires, and with kettles back on the vehicles, move another hundred yards, this happened several times, we didn鈥檛 get out cuppa, we were all morning doing this still no sight of the crossing, we move again, and again, then there in mid afternoon a pontoon bridge.
As we approach the trusted Catering Service had a buckets of tea on the go, 鈥淕ive us your mugs鈥� they shouted, at last a cuppa, with our mugs filled we were told to move on, I perched my mug full of tea, on the battery box beside me pushed into a corner of the low armoured plating, down I drove on to the bridge and as doing so hit something with a bump causing my mug to topple over the side in to the Rhine, the lads thought this funny, and said you鈥檝e had it mate drinking their tea as we cross over the Rhine. The Sarg; save me a drop of his when we came to our first stop over the Rhine, warm but very welcome.
On to swanning the front again, not meeting with much opposition from the enemy, prisoners were old men or boys. In the food rations, which weren鈥檛 always fresh, we got a seven-pound tin of Plum Jam, the boys were excited, some hadn鈥檛 had plum jam for years. The tin was too big to go in to the food box so was perched it behind a box on the front of the Carrier, it was there for a couple of days until, I hit a large shell hole with the carrier which lurched sharply, off went the jam, under the track, the jam was ruined.
The lads were not pleased, but I managed to pass it off with a joke. 鈥淭hat makes up for my mug of tea that went into the Rhine,鈥� I said.
We were now pushing up towards Hamburg, and after a days push was told that we were to move forward with our tanks, in no mans land, to hold a vital country cross roads. We move forward into position about eight o/clock in the evening.
Two vehicles, a Tank and a Carrier were to be placed on each of the four roads, either side of the road in line, so no vehicles could get through us, our position was on the road we came in on, Tank on our left and we were on the right hand side of the road with a ditch running along side of us. One man on each vehicle would be on guard for two hours all through the night, a total of eight men. It was deadly quiet, some small arms fire could be heard in the distance, we could hear the creaking of the wire fences where the Germans, were trying to get back to there own lines with out us knowing, we let them, so as not to give our position away, (I expect they knew we were there anyway). Just after midnight a vehicle could be heard coming from the right of us, moving very fast heading towards us, it came in not realising we were there and managed to push through our vehicles scrapping there sides, we could not fire because we would fire on ourselves. We could just make out in the dark, it was a German amphibious Volks Wagon, (a small vehicle jeep size), two men in front, and an officer in the back, as they pushed through the Officer stood up and gave the Nazi salute, got through the second set of our vehicles and off, down the road, as the last two vehicles opened fire. The vehicle was hit by this gunfire, left the road and hit a tree and was on fire, but the horn got stuck on and was breaking our silence. This was annoying, so to stop it, the tank on left hand road which was facing the scene went forward, to look for prisoners and flatten the vehicle by running over it to stop the horn blowing, on arrival the Germans had disappeared, the vehicle was flattened by the tank, but the horn could not be stopped, it sound best part through the night, then battery ran out, silence.
About six o/clock in the morning I had just finish my two-hour guard, (We stayed in the vehicles for these guards, I in the drivers seat, Sgt: in the commander鈥檚 seat, and Quinn (Wireless operator) behind me in the wireless bay. I woke Quinn up, he鈥檚 next on, put my great coat over my head and sleep, I had just dosed off, there was a tap on my shoulder, drowsily I said 鈥� Push of Quinn, let me sleep鈥�, the tap came again, I pushed of my great coat not very happy and peering into my face from the side of the Carrier was an Elderly German Soldier, he was handed me his rifle, ammunition and hand grenades, Quinn was snoring in the back seat, I shook the Quinn up, took the weapons from the German, the Sgt; awoke amongst the fuss, Saying 鈥淕od Quinn you could have got us all killed鈥�. The German Soldier was told to lie down along side of the Carrier and not to move, or we would shot him, the poor old fellow, rapped himself up in the very large great coats the German Army had, and laid down in the ditch, his war over. Before we left that position the next morning in daylight, we gave our prisoner, some of our breakfast and a cuppa, and left him with the troops that relieved us.
Back on the move our Tanks travel to fast for us to keep up, until they stop early evening, due to use clearing up odd pockets of enemy. We never came across and horror camps but did stumble across a camp in an open plane, which had no machine gun towers, on closer inspection we observed that the inmates were all women, as we closed in, we realised that they were pregnant women, Clinging on to the wire fence and greeting us, the German guards opened the gates the women rush through the gates trampling the guards underfoot,
Travelling on we reach the Town of Buxtehuda, we surprised the German Navy Squad who were actual drilling on a green, we stayed here for some weeks. The German Garrison had some Artillery in a large hospital grounds in Hamburg, and at times would shell us, they had been asked to move them, or we would have to shell the Hospital grounds, but we could hit the hospital with stray shells, we waited, and while we did so, I and seven others of the platoon were ordered to go to Brigade HQ, as Guard of Honour at a presentation of the Military Medals to our Platoon Officer And Sergeant, By Field Marshall Montgomery.
We were told, he will speak to you if you are wearing a Dessert ribbon with 8 on it (8th Army) or no ribbons at all, We lined up at HQ and the great man, although small in size, inspected us, I was next but last in the line, he spoke to a chap three in, wearing the 8th army ribbon, moved on till he was looking at me, 鈥淗ow long have you been in the Army鈥� he asked, 鈥淛ust over 18 months sir鈥�, I replied, 鈥淎nd how long with the front line troops鈥�, 鈥淪ix months sir鈥�, 鈥淲ell done my man鈥� he said, as he moved on to the last man in the line. He made his presentation and gave a short talk, and then he was off.
We waited with not much to do, I found a German Officers private BMW car up on blocks in a house garage, we got it off its blocks and got it working, driving it up the town our company Major saw us and confiscated it for himself.
On early evening guard duty on a road bridge, I gave a cigarette to a French Prisoner, who was in a group of POW鈥檚 set free by the Germans, seeing this they all wanted one, I gave out about 150 cigarettes that evening, I didn鈥檛 mind, we received a free issue and I didn鈥檛 smoke much any way.
Finally Hamburg surrendered, we move in through the dock area, the German police were controlling the city, no civilians on the street, I had never seen anything like it, the roads were there, but instead of houses piles of brick rumble, we believed that dead bodies were amongst it, there was a curfew on for the civilians, 8 to 9 in the morning, 5 to 6 in the evening, just two hours a day to do what ever. Watching this it reminded me off ants coming out of the ground, the civvies would come up from under these piles of rubble do there business, and at the end of the hour all disappear back into the ground.
We had the task of disarming a whole German Army Regiment in its barracks in Hamburg, the German regiment were paraded on the square, and we surrounded them with our vehicles, guns trained on them.
Each man had to be searched, our squad was assigned to searching the buildings for food for them and any Germans hiding, we found plenty of bread, that鈥檚 all, and some prostitutes that the German army always carried. While we were doing this the Germans were being searched in groups, on the square, and in charge of one group was a Sergeant of one of our motor platoons who had been wounded in the dessert, Italy, and France, and had joined us six weeks ago being fit for duty. We all carried Hand grenades in our breast pooches, the pins of which were slightly opened apart so the pin didn鈥檛 slip out, these we checked daily, it appears this Sergeant had failed to check his, one of his grenades went off, setting one of the others off, he plus one of our lads and three Germans were killed, and several injured, for a time there was panic, and in the end both us and the Germans were helping the wounded. After staying the night at the barracks were handed the Regiment over to our authorities and moved on.
We were to liberate Denmark, getting closer to the Kiel Canal we were having difficulty moving forward because of German troops coming towards us, spread across the road, some of them had been marching for days from Norway and Denmark, they had given up. We managed to get across the canal to a town called Itzehoe, here we had to stop under this pressure, and just disarm these troops, at one time we had a pile of small arm weapons about twelve feet hide, some were brand new, never been fired.
I captured a 15cwt Bedford truck which had a beautiful tigers head painted on one mud guard, this had been left behind by our troops at Dunkirk, captured, and in use by the Germans since then, the Red Caps took this off us.
Here we stayed, and on May the 7th we were told that hostilities would cease at 8 am on the 8th, we all line up in a field just before 8am that morning fire arms on our shoulders pointing to the sky, we all wanted to fire the last shot, at eight we all fired in to the air, IT WAS ALL OVER.
After a few weeks stay we move to a small town on the river Elbe, called Cluckstad, first we were billeted in private houses, and then in to a German Navy Barracks on the river front. All the old soldiers were being demob, we were being reinforced by National Service men, some of whom had signed up with the RAF, and transferred to us, they didn鈥檛 want to be soldiers.
I manage to get my first leave of nineteen days; we travelled to Calais, a long tiring journey. Sitting having breakfast in the transit camp, awaiting for our ferry over to England, it was announced over the Tanoy system that the Americans had landed there first 鈥淎鈥� Bomb on Japan.
We spent a very cold winter at Cluckstad, and then in March 1946 I was selected for a Vehicle Mechanics Course (Motor Fitter) and sent to Borden in Hampshire.
I completed the course coming third out of twenty students, I followed this with a Driving Instructors Course, before return back to my unit, which had now move to Osnabruck. I was posted to 鈥淐鈥漜ompany HQ in the Motor Transport Section, and this were I stayed doing more Driving Instruction than Fitting, until I was Demob in the 57 demob group, late 1948. Sent Home via Hook of Holland to Harwich , then to York, back to Fulford Barracks in the same building block, and manage to get the bunk bed in the same place as when I first joined up. I had come the full circle.
Issued with our civilian kit and on the train back home on 90 days leave.
I got fed up after six weeks, tried to get a job, but was told I was still officially in the Army until my leave ended. Work was hard to find, there were no driving jobs, my mechanics skills were not good enough, I was told, your only semi skilled, or you haven鈥檛 served an apprenticeship I was told, only labouring jobs were going, I was not happy, people attitudes had changed, in uniform you were respected, walk in to a Pub and you were bought a drink, you didn鈥檛 pay your fare on busses, now when you were asked were did you get your skills from, and you said Army, they didn鈥檛 want to know.
I could not settle down to civvies street, my mother said go back in the Army, I would have done but she was in hospital not expected to live, I didn鈥檛 want to get back to my old Unit in Germany and things went wrong with her. On one visit to the hospital she told me that the TA were advertising for men in the local paper, I went along to the Drill Hall and signed on, sitting and passing a TA 鈥淏鈥� Commission as MT training Officer. My training came back to me and stood me in good stead from the 鈥淭hree鈥滲鈥�. I still remembered it all.
After a while I was offered a job as a Driving Instructor, Driving Schools were just beginning to form, this was to be my dedicated form of employment, eventually running my own Driving school to my retirement.
This is the story of my teen-age years, I am sure that I have missed stories but these are the ones that come to mind.

Laurie Le Masonry

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