大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by a volunteer from 大象传媒 Radio Berkshire on behalf of John Albert Webb and has been added to the site with his/her permission. John Webb fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

I joined the Sea Cadets in Reading when I was about 16. At 18 I was called up for War Service and opted for the Royal Navy.

Basic Training was at HMS Collingwood, Hampshire and I requested to be a Wireless Operator. I was then sent to Ayr and completed my wireless training there. I was then posted to Rochester Signal School near Chatham and became Chatham rating no CJX389722.

From Chatham I was posted to HMS Hornet the coastal forces base in Hampshire and assigned to M.L 907 an armed patrol boat and sent to Brownsea Island to await instructions for D day. No one was allowed off the boat for a week prior to D Day. I was one of two wireless ratings on this boat.

We sailed to the invasion of the French coast with fresh water barges and arrived D plus one. After the initial assault we remained at the beachhead for about three weeks, patrolling the area for human submarines, etc. After this we ran despatch runs between the UK and France, carrying VIP鈥檚 and extra supplies that were needed.

We were then refitted at Falmouth and Milford Haven into an M.L.G.B and extra fuel tanks were fitted on top desk to enable us to sail to the Far East. We had many adventures on the way out, finally arriving for the invasion of Singapore. After the surrender of Singapore by the Japanese we remained there and rounded up Japanese Generals from various headlands. We then engaged in the Dutch Indonesia campaign as a neutral, ferrying prisoners to a hospital R Ship from the jungle.

We left the boat 907 on the mud in Singapore dockyard. I went to a shore base in Singapore for about three months and then left on the Princess Beatrix for Ceylon. I boarded a U.S.A Aircraft carrier and then left for the UK. On arrival I was sent to the naval Barracks, Chatham where I was able to join the Joining and Leaving Unit for about three months before being demobbed.

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