大象传媒

In September 1942 I was working at the Engineering Company Allen West at Lewes Road, Brighton. I had been working there since I had left Park Street School in August 1939. I was now 17 years old and ever since the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 I had longed for the day that I would be old enough to join one of the armed services when I became 18 and that seemed a long way off.

On a Monday morning in October 1942 I went to the Navy recruiting office at Queens Road, Brighton and told them I wished to join up. I was only 17 at the time and when he asked for my birth certificate I said I had forgotten to bring it with me. He said 'Come back when you are 18'.

I told the lads at work the next day and one or two of the older men told me I was in a reserved occupation and I need not go in the Forces. I told them I had longed to join up ever since the war began and nothing would stop me volunteering.

The next day I went to the Army recruiting officer next door to the Navy office and said I wished to join the Army. I had to pass a medical by seeing 4 or 5 doctors and was eventually sworn in and passed A.1. At no time did they ask for my birth certificate; they must have been running out of infantry men.

In October 1942 I received my call up papers. It informed me that I should report to Canterbury Barracks on the 18th Dec. and there was also a travel warrant and details of what I should bring with me. It also mentioned that my basic training of six weeks would be done there. I was quite excited but being only just turned 17, the time had come to break the news to my parents. My father, Matthew Brooks (Jim) who had been in the regular Army in the Royal Artillery, had rejoined the Army in 1940 and he was due home on leave early in October, so I thought I would leave telling them till then, as my father I thought would be more on my side, whereas my mother Beatrice Brooks (Trixie) like most mothers would be worried sick. Three weeks before I was due to leave, Mum and Dad were in the living room, I went in and broke the bombshell to them. My mother was quite shaken up; she said 'You can't do that, you are not 18'. I said I had put my age up a year. My father who had not said a word up to now, tried to pacify her by saying that I would be called up when I was 18 anyway.

On the 18th December I packed my small suit case with toothpaste, flannel, soap and shaving gear (all new as I had not started to shave regularly as yet), said goodbye to Mum, brother Joe and sister Joan, who at the time were all working in Porslade village making bullets in the old brewery. There were a few tears and cuddles from Mum and off to the station I went.

This was the first time I had been away from home on my own, except for a week away camping with the Sea Scouts and a week away with the Air Training Corps where I first flew in a Boston Bomber at the age of 16 complete with parachute and linked up to the pilot with earphones, it was thrilling.

I arrived at Canterbury Barracks and met up with volunteers from all over the British Isles and it turned out that quite a few had also put their age up to join. A drill sergeant took over our squad and told us we would be trained for 6 weeks with drills and route marches of 5 miles and upwards to 20 miles with all our equipment on. Also the next morning we would have our teeth inspected and injections given for various diseases i.e. Tab-tet-tox and typhus. Also we would be fitted out with our uniforms and army boots which we would be breaking in on our route marches. We were marched down to receive our injections the following morning. There were four medical orderlies doing the injections. I had my four jabs, also one tooth removed and in the evening my arm swelled up to twice its size. I felt quite miserable. Welcome to the Army.

We got into our training and I started to enjoy things. I had always been athletic so I was reasonably fit and that got me through the route marches and once my boots started to soften up I was as keen as ever to join a regiment. It was now a couple of days to Christmas and a concert by the NAAFI had been arranged.

It was my first Christmas away from home. We trooped down to see the show which consisted of a pianist who layed the Warsaw Concerto, one of my favourite pieces of music of all time, also a girl singer sang the popular tunes of the time which included Glen Miller's In the Mood and a tune of the time which included a line in the song - 'My thoughts are ever wending home'. I went back to my bunk bed and felt quite homesick. It was now December 1942.

The six weeks training went quite well and by the last week in January I was ready to join my Regiment. As I had volunteered, the Sergeant had given me a list to choose from. The one I picked was the Rifle Brigade. We were given a week's leave and railway warrants to join our regiment for 12 weeks intensive traning. I arrived at Ranby Camp at Retford in Nottingham ready for 12 weeks which would turn me into an infrantry man, ready for action. I couldn't wait.

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