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I left school in 1942 as a 14 year old, getting one job before going onto work for the Naafi. This was a supply depot issuing groceries to the forces. When I was 15 I was asked if I was willing to do a bit for my country. Due to my age I had to get parents permission which they gave. I was told to have a case ready for leaving at a minutes notice. This came one Friday night when I was told to be at the station at 8.30 next morning.

I was given a pass plus a sealed envelope with the orders ‘open in the toilet, read the instructions, tear it up and flush down the loo’. The orders were get out at Peterborough where I was met by a Naafi gent who took along with me one more man to a crowd of girls.

We were all put on a train to Leicester with all the same instructions in an envelope. RAF trucks to take us to RAF Oadby where we spent the week end.

Monday am saw us on a train to King’s Cross. On arriving there we were, screened from all eyes getting on to army lorries. Orders were not to look out at any cost. Destination was Waterloo station, same thing again going by train to Winchester.

Us two men were taken to a Salvation Army Hostel until Wednesday when we were taken by car to C 10 Transit Camp. This was beside Stoneham Golf Course in Bassett Wood just outside Southampton. The camp had been built by yanks but it was French Canadians who were it’s occupants. They liked our beer by buying by the bucketful. They had tracked vehicles all of which had the petrol cans as well as the water cans full of beer. There was a dress rehearsal for D-day (we did not know this at the time) before hand when the camp was sealed off for 48 hours. Two of the Canadians were drunk outside the camp gates. Gueard went to get them in when they killed one of them.

Just before D Day all the troops were lined up for the King and Queen plus Churchill to inspect. We from the Naafi was also lined up but they did not come as far as us. We never knew that this was DDay or that the Canadians were to play a big part. I have found out that only about 50 out of the 1500 survived. C 10 transit camp then became a transit camp for the US Army.

I was then moved to C11 camp that did the same thing. Al told I was there for 3 months that makes me proud to say I did my bit as a 15 year old. I still have a piece of anti aircraft gun shrapnel that came through our tent missing me by about a yard. We were told to be aware of falling shrapnel of which was just about every night. Also there was the odd bus bomb otherwise known as a doodlebug. I must say the yanks were a lot of cry babies, calling out for their Mams when these attacks came.

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