大象传媒

When the 2nd World War started in September 1939,i had just commenced my first job having left schoool that summer aged 14 years and earning 60p a week.
Less than a year later in August 1940,i answered Winston Churchills call for young and old to join the Local Defence Volenteers
later to be called to the Home Guard.Putting my age up to 17 years,i enrolled and was stationed at the Drill Hall in Balham ,South london.The area suffered badly during the air raids by yhe German Air force.
In 1941 the family moved to Sicup in Kent and i was transferred to the 57th Battalion of the West Kent Home Guard.Although only 16 years old, i was promoted to Corporal,My fateher who had served in the Royal Marines in WW1 was a lance corporal under me,so i had to give my dad orders ,me a mere lad of 16 yrs.He was very good about it and took it all in good part.
Our main position was to defend the A20 rd
to London at Ruxley Corner.One morning a german bomber returning from London had been damaged and flew low towards our position.We opened fire with our weapons
and later learned the plane had been grought down near Gravesend.We claimed that we had brought the plane down,however our triumph was short lived with an anti aircraft battery just past us having done the damage and been successful in finishing the job.
Life went on with air raids,Home Guard duties and going to work every day.At the end of 1942,i again put up my age and enlisted in the Royal Marines.Volunteering for the Commandos and gaining the covereted Green Beret,i was posted to the Far East to join the war against the Japanese.I served in the 44RM and the 42RM Commandos and in August 1945,we prepared to invade Malaysia.Japan then suffered two atomic bombs and we went on to Hong Kong for the Japenese surrender.After nearly a year of policing the colony and chasing pirates arounf the local islands,i finally arrived home in 1946.
I still wasn't finished serving in thr Royal Marine Reserve until early 1955 when i was finally discharged from the armed forces.

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