大象传媒

Quite soon after arriving at Bedlington, I was posted again. This time to Strensall Barracks about 4 miles from York City. This was a fairly modern permanent barracks that had been enlarged at the outbreak of the war, by having wooden inter-connected huts called spiders erected at the rear of the barracks. As I said earlier, it was the coldest winter on record, and the snow was so deep that it completely covered the spiders. Within days of arriving there, I suffered from a relapse of Malaria and Prickly Heat, and also I had frostbite in my feet. The Medical Officer said that because the barracks could not be kept heated, I was to be sent home. Two men carried me from my hut to a waiting army vehicle that took me to York Railway Station. The men carried me to the train telling the guard that I was to get off at Leicester. Here the guard called a porter, who put me on one of the Railways solid tyred 4 wheel trolleys. He wheeled me out of the station to a waiting taxi, the porter and driver got me into the taxi, and I told the driver where to take me. When we reached the house the taxi-driver knocked on the door and when Dad answered the driver said 鈥� I鈥檝e your son here, help me to get him inside鈥�. I know that my Dad鈥檚 first thought was that I was drunk. When I told him that I had been sent home because they couldn鈥檛 keep the barracks warm he immediately said that they were also having that problem. I had been lucky to get home, as a lot of trains had been cancelled due to the depth of the snow and shortage of coal. Mam or Dad had to go to the gasworks every working day, to stand in a queue that sometimes was a mile long. When one reached the head of the line, one could purchase 28 lbs.
of coke. When I got better, I took on the task, but I soon had to return to barracks.
Now I was off again, this time it was to India, to join the 2nd Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment. After a 4 week sea voyage and a long train journey from Bombay, I arrived at Agra station where I was met and conducted to the Red Fort. This was one of the many forts built by Genghis Khan in Red Sandstone. The main entrance was very ornate, and inside there was a modern British Army guardroom. Mounting some steps leading up to it, on the top step was carved 2 Regimental badges, one of the Staffordshire Regt. And the other of the Leicestershire Regt. On seeing these, I was reminded that my third eldest brother Lionel had probably stood in the same spot some 7 years before. I will digress at this point to tell something of him
Lionel was working in a boot and shoe factory, when in 1938 he was called up for the first militia, as war seemed possible. He went to the Regimental Depot of the Leicestershire Regiment for his basic training. After he had completed his training, he was asked to volunteer to go to India. Dad advised him to go as at that time there was no threat of war in the Far East. He was 0n a troopship travelling to India when the 1939-1945 War started. He got off the ship in Bombay, and went by train to Agra. (See 2nd paragraph page 26). He spent a year in India doing normal infantry training, then in 1940, because war was now imminent in the Far East, the Battalion was sent to North Malaya, and so became among the first British troops to encounter the Japanese Army. The Japanese being more self-contained and by this time were used to war having been fighting the Chinese for several years. They quickly pushed the British down the length of Malaya and on to the island of Singapore. Here they were joined by Australian soldiers who had been rushed there without adequate training. The General in charge surrendered to the Japanese, and so many thousands of British and Australian men were to suffer terrible indignities for 4 years. Lionel was one of thousands who were forced to construct the Siam to Burma Railway. He was fortunate to survive this, and was then taken back to Singapore for onward transmission to Japan to work in their coalmines. The P.O.W鈥檚. were put on an ordinary transport ship for the journey. This ship was sunk by an American submarine, and there were very few survivors. Lionel was not one of them.
To return to my story. I was billeted in a beautiful white stone building inside the Red fort, and every day I could look out on to the Taj Mahal. I was amazed to discover that such a magnificent building had been built by the Emporer Shah Jahan as a tomb for his wife. After a short while at Agra the Battalion was sent down to Deolali about 100 miles from Bombay, as the decision had been made to return India back to its rightful owners. Very soon after arrival at Deolali, I saw on the company notice board that a clerk was required by the Quartermaster. Because, until then I had always been with a Rifle platoon, I wanted a change. To make sure that I stood a reasonable chance of getting the job, I missed my breakfast. When the Q.M. arrived I was the first to go in for interview. He was looking at some papers when he asked me my name. 鈥淪windell鈥� was my reply. At this his head shot up and he asked me to repeat it. He then told me that I had got the job and I was to go outside and tell the others waiting that the job had been filled. When I went back to the Q.M. he told me that I had got the job solely on account of my name. He said 鈥渨ith a name like mine, I could not be anything but honest鈥�. He told me that I was to be in charge of all the battalions Accommodation, and I would do it in with my own System. I was given 2 days to think about how I would do the task. Apparently the accommodation had been looked after by the Regimental Quartermaster sergeant, and had been neglected because of his other duties.
After I went back to the Q.M. I told him that I would like to do a complete check of all the items in the camp, he agreed to this and I set up a program of work which the Commanding Officer agreed to, and instructed everyone in the Battalion to give me every possible assistance. The C.O. immediately promoted me to Lance/Corporal, and two weeks later he promoted me to Corporal. I went through the complete camp making records of every item of Barrack accommodation that I found. At the end of this, I went to Station Headquarters Deolali and checked our holdings with his records. It was found that we had a lot of surplus equipment, which came in very useful when it came time for the Battalion to return to England. This period was for me the most interesting and challenging time of my Army Service to date. Not only was I in charge of the accommodation, I was also responsible for all the Native Labour. To assist me, I had an Indian Jemedar, to control them. This man who had been a Major in the Indian Army during the War, and this was the best job he could get on Demob. He told me that he would be my bearer, which meant he would be my manservant. He turned out to be a wonderful person, knowing exactly what I required.
Now came the time for the battalion to leave India. Because of my duties I had to remain behind on the rear party to hand over all the accommodation to the New Indian Army. After handing over I had to move into the 鈥淗omeward Bound Trooping Depot鈥�. Deolali. The R.S.M. sent me to the Local Forces broadcasting Station to occupy my time until catching the ship home. When I arrived at the Radio Station, the man in charge asked me what I knew about Classical Music. When I said that I knew nothing at all, he groaned but said that I would have to make up an hours programme for that evening. He showed me several racks full of records of classical music and said I was to sort out a programme. On looking through them, I saw a title that intrigued me. It was Mussorgski鈥檚 鈥淣ight on a bare Mountain鈥�. That night I put on the programme I had chosen, I also had to announce it. The man in charge must have liked what I did, because I was to remain there until I caught the boat home.
There were about 50 men of the South Staffs. On the ship, and when we
reached Port Said, we were taken off and put in the transit camp at Port Fuad. Palestine at this time was a British Protectorate, and both the Arabs and the Jews wanted us out. They were fighting each other in order to gain as much territory as they could before we left. The British was being attacked by both sides and reinforcements were urgently needed, so our draft was sent to join the 1st Bn. Lincolnshire Regiment. Fortunately they allowed us to remain together as a separate Company. We were used as escorts for Road and Rail Convoys. This did not last long, but one incident occurred that I found interesting but had quite forgotten about until quite recently. I was watching a programme about the Israel Symphony Orchestra. Before the music started, Isaac Stern a prominent violinist was introducing the orchestra, when he told a story about the setting up of the Israeli Nation. Some settlers were surrounded by the Arabs in Jerusalem, and were slowly being starved out. The only road through to them led through a narrow defile, and was heavily guarded by the Arabs. Under cover of darkness and with great stealth the Jews succeeded in getting a convoy of supplies through. The next night they tried again, this time including an orchestra to give moral support to the beleaguered. That orchestra led to the setting up of the Israel Symphony Orchestra. All of this took place at a place called Latroon, and I happened to be there when this happened.
The mandate for the British to be in Palestine ended, and so we were sent back to Egypt, where we left the Lincoln鈥檚 and joined the 1st Battalion of the North Staffordshire Regiment. Our draft was now split up and I joined 鈥淏鈥� Company. The camp was called 鈥淐amp 19/21鈥� and was mainly tented. Not long after I joined B Company, I was promoted to Sergeant. On the Saturday morning that I had to see the C.O. to tell me that I was being promoted, the R.S.M. told me about the Sergeants Mess, and what was expected of me. He now took me in to the Mess where he introduced me to the other members, and he told me that members could have a drink at any time, but if ever we were incapable of doing our duties when required, then he would make sure we were dismissed from the Mess. This Mess became the happiest that I was ever to enter. It was so popular, that very often other Sergeants messes wanted to visit. They were never refused, and so we were to entertain senior N/C/O鈥檚. coming from all three services.
It was at this mess that I was to meet a fellow Sergeant who became not only my best friend, but also my Brother in Law. He was Harold Moody, and when he came home from Egypt, he met a Birmingham girl who he wanted to marry. He asked me to be his best man, and when I asked for leave to attend the wedding, my C.O. said no because he said 鈥渢he best is next鈥�. However I attended the wedding, and sure enough I was the next, because I met the brides sister, who is now my wife Eunice.
One day at Fayid, I was told that a new draft was arriving, I went over to see them, and got a great shock, as my young brother was one of them. I knew immediately that his presence would at times be embarrassing for both him and me. The day after his arrival the Adjutant sent for me to ask if I wanted Maurice in my Company. I told him that the further he was from me, the better it would be for both of us. Maurice was sent to 鈥淎鈥� company, because of this only one row of tents separated us. Shortly after Maurice arrived, I sustained 2nd degree burns to my hand when some wartime explosives ignited causing me to be admitted to a base hospital at Fayid. After I had been in hospital for three days, Maurice came to see me and said that he had only just found out about my accident. No one had thought to advise him even though he only lived two tent rows from me. Mam in England had a telegram telling her what had happened.
Another of the embarrassing events occurred when I was Sergeant of the Guard to the Commanders Middle East who had houses on the shores of the Little Bitter Lake. There were 13 Sentry posts round the residences, and I had to take out the new sentries to change over with the old guard. When I changed over sentry number 3, I could see the sentry on number 7. It was Maurice, and he was grinning like a Cheshire cat. I shouted 鈥淕et the grin off your face Swindell鈥�. At that the old and new sentries started to laugh thinking I was shouting at myself. Immediately I could see the funny side of the situation, and began laughing. We carried on with the rest of the change over still laughing. Getting back to the Guard Room, the officers asked me what was happening, after explaining, they said let everyone simmer down and then carry on with the change-over.
Sometime later, I was the Officers Mess Steward, and one evening after a Regimental Dinner, there was a huge amount of crockery, cutlery and kitchen utensils to be cleaned. As I knew that my staff would not be able to cope, I rang the police sergeant to ask for any defaulters to help me. He said that at that moment he had no one, but as soon as any became available, he would send them to the mess. 陆 hour later, Maurice arrived. I took him into the kitchen, then showed him what to do. I left him to get on with the job and went to help serve in the bar. About 11 p.m. I made a tour of the mess buildings, and to my surprise I found that Maurice was still working, so I took him to my room and gave him a couple of beers. When I got home from Egypt, Mam played hell with me for making him do such a job.
While I was still Officers Mess Steward, the Adjutant decided to get married while still in Egypt. He asked me if I could cope with a party of about 400 guests. I said that I could, so I had to the mammoth task of ordering and gathering of all the food, wines, and spirits that were required. It was with great satisfaction that my staff coped successfully. The reception went extremely well, and afterwards a stage coach pulled by four horses supplied be an Army Transport Company, took the Bride and Groom away for their honeymoon. The Commanding Officer thanked me for everything going smoothly. When the Adjutant returned, he also thanked me.
Eventually the time came for the North Staffs to return home. I was left behind with the rear party, to hand over the camp and its accoutrements to the Ordnance Corps. On arrival back in England, I was ordered to report to the Regimental Depot at Whittington Barracks Lichfield to become a recruit instructor. At that time, men were having to do National Service, and every 6 weeks a new batch would arrive to do their basic training. The first few times I trained a new group was enjoyable, however the tedium got through to me, and I started asking for a posting. Every week I would put in a application to my Company Commander and every week he denied it. One Friday morning, he said that he hadn鈥檛 received my usual request. I thought that this was strange, but then found out that he had received a posting order.
I now received my posting orders and I was being sent on a individual posting to Malaya.

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