大象传媒

The New year had arrived, it was now 1952. January 1 and it is my father's birthday today. By the time that it was 12.00 noon, he had quite a few drinks in celebration. My mother was running around like a lost hen. My sister, Rose then arrived, it had been a long time since I had seen her and her two children, Terry and Maureen and their baby brother,Raymond. Their surnames were Barnet. I asked my sister "Are you alone or is your husband with you?". Rose replied " Why do you ask?". I said " Well I have never met him", Rose said" His name is Frank".
She had also told me that he was in the last War and he was a Sergeant or she thought that he was. So I was yet to meet her husband.
After lunch, my father said" I am going to take a nap". So off he went to bed. The three of us sat down and started chatting. My sister brought up the subject of the Army. I told her to leave it alone. I said "Look, I am on my leave so forget about the Army. I then decided to take a walk as I thought the fresh air would do me good. I said to my mother "I am going out for a walk". She then asked me "Is it alright, can the children come with you?" I said "No" as I wanted to be on my own to clear my head. I felt that being indoors, that the room was closing in on me and if I had stopped indoors, I felt that I was going to be sick. So off I went alone.
On my return, my father was sitting up at the table, having his tea. Mum said "What would you like for tea?" I replied "Can I have a boiled egg?" She replied saying "That is not enough". But I said that was all I wanted. My father, after tea, asked me" Are you coming to the pub?" I said "Yes, later on. Is Mum coming?" My father said "Ask her" My mum said that she would be going, but it would only be for one drink, no more. But that was as much as she drank at any time and one would last her all evening. Her drink was a Port and lemon, she liked that. So at 8.00 p.m., the three of us left home and went down to our local pub, which was the Jolly Gardeners, which was at the top of Ship Lane and the Lower Richmond Road. We stopped there until closing time, which was 10.30 p.m. I had met four friends of my parents.
The next day I was asked "Have you made your mind up yet, about leaving the Army?" I replied "Not yet, but you will know as soon as I have made my decision".
On the Thursday, I left home to return to Bicester and the luxury of that camp. On arriving at Bicester station, I saw Tony, he was picking up other servicemen, that had been posted to Bicester. Tony shouted to me "Do you want a lift?" I said "OK". So off we drove. Tony turned and said "Sergeant Watson was looking for you, I had told him that you away on leave". I replied "I think I know what he wants to know". So I told Tony the story and he replied "Tell him,that I was with you that morning".
We arrived back at the camp, and I found four letters waiting for me. I thought, they can wait until later. I was asked "Did you have a good leave?" I said "Yes". Then all the lads shouted HAPPY NEW YEAR.
That evening, we spent chatting to each other about the Christmas and the New Year, so I left the letters to be dealt with for the next day. Then we went to bed.
The next morning, while I was in the office, Sergeant Watson appeared, he said "Can I have a word with you". "Sure" I said."What is the problem". He said "When I was away on leave, you did my job with the hired vehicles" I replied "Yes, so what is wrong". He said "One of the Firms, sent in their accounts and they were a day's pay short for vehicle and driver, and you had marked them absent and not arrived." I replied "Was that the second Wednesday?" He checked his book "Yes, that is right".
I said "One vehicle did not turn up, that is why I marked it down as absent". He then replied "They had broken down and turned up late and as you were not there, they then reported to the site". I said "They never reported to me, I reported them absent to the Captain". He then said "Will you change the word absent?". I said "No, if they were not at the site, then see the Site Officer, what I wrote down stands and by the way, I never received any envelopes from the drivers. You had told me that these were work sheets!" "No I told them not to bother you" was his reply to that. I replied "This would not have been any bother to me, mind you I might have been a few more bob better off " But he did not reply to that comment!
A week later, Tony said "You have to report to the Captain". So off I went to his office, knocked on the door. He called "Come in" I saluted him. He carried on saying " Corporal, I was thinking about a third stripe for you ". I replied "You can forget it Sir, I will remain a Corporal as it is the best rank in the British Army. there are no Mess fees and it is better, when working with the men and to be in the same billet. You hear all of the belly aches and their problems and you can try to help them, whenever possible. Even when they have problems relating to home, in fact you learn more by living with them. My father always told me , when you are in charge of men, it is better to work with them and not against them. You will form a better relationship with them. They will then turn to you when they are in trouble. My father also said, that it was education and the wireless that had ruined the Service. I asked him why this was . He said, a man can do the job but he cannot put pen to paper, as far as the wireless, when he was in the Service, it was left to the Officer on the spot, but now one has to radio in, before taking account. It was all very well in his days, but not now." The Captain then said that I was now dismissed, so I left.
I went to the Quarter Master store to see Quarter Master Barr. On entering, I saw
L/Corporal, I knocked on the counter and ask "Where is the Quarter Master?" He replied "Do you mean Quarter Master Barr?" "Yes" I replied. He then told me that he had been posted to Scotland, four days ago.
We had a night at the wet bar with Ted Kimpton. I asked him"Have you heard from your brother?". He replied "No, not yet, he is in North Korea". Looking around, I then noticed Bert Marable coming into the bar, so I called him over. He came over to where we were sitting. I asked him "What are you doing here?"He said "Because of my bad lung, I was transferred to R A O C. I have been here for ten days now". He then said " What a dump this place is, it should have been blown up years ago".
We chatted about the Middle East and then time was called in the bar. We then said that we would see each other, the next day. then we all went off to our billets.
The next morning, I was informed that there was a battery missing from one of the vehicles. I thought that it could not be far away. The driver had reported in sick, with stomach problems. We searched around but did not find it. We had a call from the work store, so we went to the workshop. We were asked "What do you want. We have taken the battery off one of your vehicles, the driver had reported in sick and he was having trouble with it". I said "Why was I not informed about this?". The workshop worker said " You had better have a word with the driver at 12.00p.m."
When the driver returned from sick parade, I said to him " What is your trouble, are you pregnant?" He smiled back and said "No Corporal, I had belly pains". I asked him "How do you feel now ?" He replied "OK, they gave me some medicine and said that I should rest for the rest of the day. It must have been something that I had eaten". But I said to him "Next time that you have trouble with your vehicle, report it to me". Then I told him to get off to the billet as he had been instructed to do.
About a week later, a runner from Company arrived with a message, that on the next day, I had to report to a Captain Hart at the Ordereley room. I thought now, what does he want? At 2.00 p.m.the next day, I reported to Captain Hart, knocked on his door and was told to come in. I went in and saluted. "You sent for me Sir, I am Corporal Beesley. he said "Ah yes, you are due to be demobbed in about six to eight weeks" I replied "Yes I am Sir". "What are you thinking of taking on?"he asked. I told him "I have not yet Sir, but I have a fear about going in civvy street". "Why" he asked. I replied "To tell you the truth, I do not know why". He then said to me "You will get over that,if you do not, then just write to us here and we will help you in any way possible". I then said "Very good Sir, but I am thinking of my parents, they are getting older, not younger. Also I have not spent as much time with them as I would have liked ". He then said "I could give you a three weeks leave just to try out civvy street, if that would help you". I replied "Thank you Sir, I will wait and see ". He then replied "Before you leave Bicester, Colonel Huberter wants to see you and all of the other men, that are due to be demobbed". I saluted him, right turned and left the Ordereley room.
I spent some of the evening with Ted and Bert. Bert and I spoke about the old times in Germany. We spoke about Green killed at the railway siding and also Driver Smith. I asked him about the other men that we were with over there. He had received a letter from Jim. At the week-end, I went home with Tony in his car. He had a full tank of petrol plus a jerry can full. I asked him "Have you been on the fiddle?". He replied "No, I get petrol from my mate, alright". I said "OK, so you are not fiddling".
Tony said, before he drove off that he would see me Sunday evening. I said it was alright, see you then.
On arriving home, my mother cried when I arrived home , I told her that it was just a week-end leave. My father was out, when I arrived. My mother asked me "Are you coming out of the Services now?" I told her "I have thought about it and would give it a try". I told her that I had a fear of going back into civvy street and if I could not settle down, then I would be going back into the Services.
Tony turned up on the Sunday evening and then we were off back on the road to Bicester again. I had a sleep on the way back, I woke up, just before Bicester. Arrived at the billet, the lads told me that there wasa message for me in my locker. So I went ot my locker and found it. But I decided that it could wait to be sorted out. When I found the note, I found that on Monday at 2.00 p.m., I had to report for a medical Examination. Now what was on, I thought! On the monday morning, I had a shower and at 2.00 p.m I reported for my Medical. The Doctor checked heart, lungs, urine, blood, the lot. I passed A1. I was told that the Doctor had passed me fit for civvy street.
It was now April 23 1952, the day that I was due to be demobbed. I reported to the Ordereley room and was interviewed by Colonel Huberter. He said "Are you thinking of returning after a spell on civvy street?" I replied " I am not sure yet Sir" He shook my hand and wished me the best of luck and handed me some papers, for me to give to Captain Hart. Captain Hart gave me my demob papers and travel warrant. I had said my farewells, the night before. Tony drove me, with my kit and my demob clothes.
On arriving at home, my parents were having tea, when I entered the house. My mother said " Are you home for good?" I said "I am on demob leave, at the moment". But I still had that fear of civvy street. But now I was home and I must see what the future would hold in store for me.

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