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This story was added to the ´óÏó´«Ã½ People's War website by Helen Jubb, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Leeds, on behalf of the contributor, Mrs Falkingham, with her permission. The contributor fully understands the terms and conditions of the site.

Wasn’t long before we had to get moving again, moving south into the Karen hills, quite nice rolling countryside with the odd village and Buddhist temples. There were some Japs about and we had a few scares, mainly creeping up on our outposts at night. During most of July our company were independently and slowly moving south east towards the Siamese border. During one quiet period a notice was pinned up in the Co. HQ tent asking for volunteers to transfer the Royal Signals to train as other operators. So, as I was getting a bit bored I put my name forward.

One incident I won’t forget, around this time. The company commander, (a nice major who had replaced Hind), said the adjutant requested my presence as a bodyguard. The C.O. and the captain- who was I believe called Baxter from Barnsley, ordered a jeep up. With the captain driving. The C.O. in the passenger seat and me and my Tommy Gun in the back, we set off and drove about 20 miles on what I suppose was a long range recce. After driving over a narrow 2 plank bridge spanning a deep chaung, going round a hill, to see quite a large village down this straight road about 300 yards in front. The village was surrounded by a bamboo palisade and the fields on either side of the approach were quite open and treeless, over to our right 400 yards away, the hills rose from the flat fields. The jeep stopped and the officers were studying the village when a native appeared running and making across the fields to our right. He started waving his hands at us, the C.O. said, ‘Go stop him, corporal, see what’s wrong.’ Off I ran and as I approached him he shouted- in perfect English- ‘Don’t go into the village, sir, there are lots of Japanese soldiers there.’ He told me had been a policeman in Rangoon before the war and had been living in the village where his parents used to live. I tried to persuade him to come with us, but no, he would hide in the hills until the Japs left. As I was running the couple of hundred yards or so back to the jeep, the Japs must have seen us and opened fire. The jeep very quickly did a U-turn and I dived into the rear amid a hail of bullets, none of which fortunately hit.

It was now the beginning of August and rumours were flying round HQ that a big bomb had been dropped on Japan and that the war would soon be over. 2 or 3 days later I was given a ridiculous assignment. I was called into HQ and told that, along with 2 privates, I would be taken by jeep at night, driven about 20 miles south into enemy held territory. We would then be dropped off at a certain village, carry on for a further 20 miles, go on foot to the vicinity of a town called Loickaw. I was given a white flag, and if I was any Japs, to get them to surrender!! We had had then to return to the same drop off point exactly 3 days later. Well, anyone in the right senses could see what a crazy idea this was. However, we carried out the first part OK, but didn’t try to get too near any civilisation. We did spy a couple of Jap soldiers about ½ mile away heading out of town in the opposite direction to us- so we gave them a wave and said cheerio- carry on! I remember spending one of the night in a Burmese templeor pagado with a solitary monk in attendance who kept playing weird music on a ancient record player. We had to wait quite a while at our rendezvous, the village was absolutely deserted. When the driver arrived he informed us that the war had finished 2 days ago, that a celebration party had been held last night, and there was no more beer left! At which point I let blast with a whole magazine from my Tommy gun into the empty huts.

Left the East Yorks. on August 24th bound for the Cipper operations course at the signals training centre, Mhow, India along with three other volunteers from the Bn. Motor transport from Kalaw to Meiklila airfield where we boarded a ‘Dakota,’ for Rangoon. I was I/C party and ordered to report to the officer commanding 208 Reception camp, once at Rangoon, not knowing whether we would be travelling by sea or air to India. We didn’t have to report in at Mhow for another 2 weeks anyway. However, within a couple of hours or so upon arrival in Rangoon we were once again airborne in a Dakota, bound for Calcutta. These planes had not been used for dropping supplies, therefore no seats! Halfway up the coast of Burma we ran into a storm, lightning flashing all around, buffeting around, dropping like a stone and then flying at tree top height. Indian soldiers on the plane were on there knees, praying as hard as they could. After landing at Calcutta, we were informed that a Dakota which had taken off just before us, had crashed in the jungle!

So, that very same day, from being south of Kalaw at 8.00, found us at Calcutta airport not really knowing what to do next, certainly not getting to Mhow before we were supposed! We stayed a few nights at the Salvation Army hostel and spent the days looking around Calcutta. Soon tiring of the masses, the beggars, the sick and the dying and the young, I decided we would take a circular tour of northern India by train. Went to the transport office and wheedled tickets to Mhow out of the clerk- not mentioning our intention of not getting out of there by the direct route. The 4 of us shared a 4 berth spacious family compartment, what luxury, and waited on hand and foot! I don’t remember too much about the journey except that we passed through Benares, stopped off at Lucknow and Jhansi and arrive at Mhow, which is about 250 miles N.E. of Bombay, still 2 days early! For the next 12 weeks I was learning how to operate Cipper machines of various types as well as ordinary field coding and encoding. Whilst at Mhow I happened to meet an old school friend from Wakefield. He was John Macdonald whose father was our captain when I was in the Home Guard. Towards the end of the course there was a stiff examination. We were informed that anyone who passed with a score of 85% or more would be made up to warrant officer and given a choice of posting 75% to 85% would be made Sgt. And 65-75%- corporal.

Well, yours truly managed 87% and when I was called before the C.O. these were the postings I was offered- HQ. Delhi, S.E.A.C Camdy, Beylon, Bangkok, Rangoon, Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai, Tokyo or active service with allied forces still fighting in Sumatro. I still don’t know why I chose the latter, perhaps because I was only 20, still wanting excitement and didn’t fancy sitting in a stuffy office all day. So along with a private called Robin, we were given our travel warrants to proceed, by train to a camp at Bangalore where the division where the division we were to join were awaiting shipment to Sumatra. I would be promoted to warrant officer when I joined them. We made it to Bangalore in a couple of days and reported, by strange coincidence at the very camp I reported to when I joined the East Yorks. however, this time there was nobody there except a small guard unit. The division had left the previous day bound for Madras. We caught a train the following day, (Xmas Eve, 1945) and arrived in Madras down to the docks and saw the troopship on the horizon! So, another miserable Xmas was spent at a transit camp in India where we languished for a week before joining another troopship bound for Singapore.

Upon arrival we were deposited in a transit camp on the waterfront and told to wait until contact was made with the division, who, it transpired, had gone directly to Sumatra. Well, we waited and waited, saw most of Singapore and did a lot of swimming, as it was unbearably hot and humid. After 2 or 3 weeks I was called to the office and informed that the division now did not require my services and the best that they could offer me was a posting in an Indian signals unit in Hong Kong, and a troopship would be leaving in a couple of days time. So, as anything was better than nothing. It was quite an eventful journey, due to a typhoon, the ship, in one 24-hour period, travelled 24 miles and that was mostly up and down! When it calmed down there was a good variety show, the main artists being Elsie and Don Waters, (Gert and Daisy) and I had the pleasure of dancing with one of them.

We docked at Kowloon and we were given instructions to report to a Major Malhotra at Whitfield Barracks, which was situated just behind the docks. I reported to the major in the signals office, gave him my credentials, and said to him that I was raring to start my Cipper operator duties. ‘Sorry corporal, we have no Cipper machines here, I want you to take charge of the signals office.’ In spite of my protests, telling him that I hadn’t a clue how to run a signals office, he insisted that I stay and learn the ropes. After he had left a Sikh havildar, (sergeant) who had also been present, said, ‘Don’t worry sahib, I will show you what to do and I will look after it whenever you want me to.’ So it turned out to be quite a cushy number- except that I didn’t get the promotion!

A week or two later it was announced that a forces leave hotel was going to be opened on the Portuguese island of Macau. It could only accommodate a couple of dozen, and to mark the occasion, 24 names would be drawn out of a hat from all the 3 services stationed in Hong Kong, and would be invited to attend the opening ceremony. At least it was a consolidation for me for not getting the posting I wanted when the news came through that I was one of them.

I believe there were 16 other ranks and 8 officers lined up at the quayside waiting to be inspected by the C in C and the governor of HK, before embarking on a destroyer for the 40 mile journey. We arrived about 2pm, to a tremendous reception, we were the first allied troops the people of Macau had seen since Jan 1942. The RN led with a band down the main street for the march to the Bela Vista Hotel about 1 ½ miles distant. We were constantly followed, even dragged off the street and given drinks, of what I don’t know- or care, it was a tremendous time.

I remember arriving at the hotel about 5pm and I and another chap flaked out in chairs in the lounge. Next thing I remember was being woken up by a charming English female who had been sent down from the Governor’s residence. She said that all the British servicemen were invited to a reception and dance and we would round them up and follow her. The time was about 7.30pm and it transpired that we were the only 2 left in the hotel- all the others had gone out on the town! Which, I guess, was their misfortune, we 2 felt quite honoured to be the only O.R.’s amongst the various governors, officers, consulates ad senior business people and we did justice to the spread of food and the drinks. There were, fortunately, some females of our age there to dance with, and chat up, and the one who took a fancy to me was called Aldinha de Sousa whose parents were in import and export. The party went on all night and I do remember staggering back to the hotel in daylight- the following morning. I was invited to the De Sausa’s house for quite a few meals. Whilst I was chaperoned, but it was nice to be made welcome and be, as it were one of the family. I made 2 or 3 more return trips to Macau and stayed with the de Sausas. The Sikh havildar was as good as his word and did indeed look after the office for me. I did learn how to use the switchboard, the only other job I remember doing was the weekly duty roster.

Apart from the few days in the ship’s hospital on the way out east, I didn’t have a days sickness until 10th July 1946 when I had to go to hospital in H.K. for treatment for an ear infection, but it was only minor. Shortly after this episode I was informed that I was going home on early release. The farm where I used to work, at Notton, Nr. Wakefield had requested my presence- I think my parents had engineered this, as one way of getting me home. Farm work was of national importance now as food was still rationed and scarce.

I remember not being too overjoyed with this news for 2 reasons: 1. I was having quite a nice time in Macau and HK and 2. I had the opportunity of taking a weeks leave, in Darwin, travelling in a flying boat. However, orders are orders and within a day I embarked on HMS Queen, an escort carrier, whose hanger space had been fitted out with ‘three high’ bunk beds. We sailed on July 13th calling in at Colombo, where a quantity of dismantled aircraft, brand new aero engines still crated, and old engines etc. were loaded into the flight deck. It transpired that as this lot was American, ‘lend- lease’ and the Yanks didn’t want it returned all the lot had to be ditched overboard!

On Aug 15th 1946 we huddled into Plymouth sound and what a lovely sight it was, but we didn’t ‘get off.’ We had to wait another day before finally docking at Portsmouth, given instructions to proceed by rail to a signals unit at Thirsk. When I got to London I telephoned home and, as the train would be stopping at Doncaster on its way to York, they would be there, on the platform. Sure enough, there was quite a reception, my parents, Uncle Jim and Harold Heaton, my best friend. After a few minutes stop the train carried on to York and then taken to a small signals unit just north of Thirsk where on, Aug 17th I signed my release to the reserves. The following day back to York to Strensall Barracks where I was issued with my demob suit.

Looking back on my 2 ½ years in the army, it is something that I am glad I did. I am proud to say that I was in the infantry in the ‘Black Cats,’ — 17 Div. in Burma. Far better than the option I had of being a ‘Bevin Boy,’ and spending the war down a coal mine! I suppose I was lucky- breaking my toe, fortunate, joining the East Yorks, and sensible- religiously taking tablets every night, (anti malaria), and taking the advice of my father who had warned me of the perils of associating with dusky maidens!

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