´óÏó´«Ã½

C.E.V.

At this stage in the war our Workshops Unit, camped between Prome and Mawchi, was very short of vehicles. Our Adjutant came across a Vehicle Park with dozens of lorries doing nothing in charge of one Indian soldier who demanded a ‘chitty’ for the Japanese lorry he had selected.

Our Adj. knew just the bloke for the job — Me! He fixed me up with a bogus chitty, assuring me of his support if I got caught. Always game for a laugh, I went down to the park, checked the said wagon — it was a beaut — and handed over the chitty. I think it authorised bearer to pinch anything he could lay his hands on.

The Indian soldier was very impressed with the rubber stamps on it, and asked me to wait while he took it to the Sahib in the office some distance away. That was my chance to escape. I went like a bat out of hell up the Mawchi road, passing with a cheery wave a group of MPs who rushed to a field telephone.

At that point, I decided to get off the road and hide in the jungle. Sure enough, they soon came tearing past in a Jeep. It seemed ages before they returned and I could get back to camp. I was none too pleased with our Adj. But he was dead chuffed and lost no time stencilling CEV 14-8-20 on the vehicle. It looked official. He explained that CEV stood for Captured Enemy Vehicle. And the number? I asked. ‘My birthday,’ said he.

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Graham Brown of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Shropshire CSV Action Desk on behalf of Alexander Donaldson and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.