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About the middle of April I received some papers through the post, they were from the Government telling me to go to The Yorkshire Grey pub S.E.9. It had a large hall at the side, which was a dance hall that had been commandeered by the Government.
I arrived at 10:30 am. I showed my papers, was shown into a room and asked some questions, then given a full medical check up, passed fit. An Officer told me that I would be called-up to join the R.A.F in few days. When you arrive back home just carry on working and look after yourself. I was very pleased as three of my pals were already in the R.A.F. By the middle of May I received a letter from the Army stating that they had first call upon all men, and as they were very short of men in all departments. I wrote and told them about the R.A.F but they did not reply. Then I received another letter stating that I will find enclosed a one-way ticket to Devon. Crown Hill Barracks, via Euston Station. When I told my parents my Father said ‘It’s no good writing, you are now in The Army. This war will not last long, we will see you when you get leave.’
When I arrived at Euston to my surprise I met a pal who worked with me at the Works Department Royal Arsenal Co-op Social and there was also one or two other local lads, so the long journey was made much better. We were all given a package of food and they even brought drinks to us. The train stopped halfway so that we could stretch our legs. But we were not allowed off the train.
We arrived at Plymouth, we were met by two sergeants and four Corporals and four 3-ton trucks with slat-seats, we was then told to hand over our papers to the sergeants and then climbed into the trucks, on a short trip to the Crown Hill Barracks. On arrival we were told that we were all now in the York’s and Lanc's Infantry, we were taken to a large Nissan hut (No.15) and told ‘this is your home for a few months. You will be in C Platoon.’ A corporal told us to ‘Go inside. Keep moving. Once inside, pick a bed and stand by it.’ Once we were all inside he said to ‘Stand to attention and listen. On the bed is three squares called biscuits, as you see, they are at the top of the bed, that’s where I want to see them in the morning, with your square-2-vest, pants, shirt, socks with your kit bag, large and small pack, gas mask and other various items.’ He continued. ‘Now fall-in outside, we are going to the quartermasters store to fit you all up with a battle dress and boots, great coat, hat and steel helmet.’ Then we all went back to the hut to put on our uniforms.
The sergeant said that if your trousers are too long, fall-out and we’ll take you to the tailors shop.’ Williams next to me said to the sergeant ‘I cannot get my boots on.’ After that was sorted out we marched down to the dining hall inside there must have been about two hundred men waiting to be seated in groups of twelve, the corporal said a man must line up at the end of the hall, collect tray of food and dishes it up to each man so you pass it along. And when finished takes tray back to collect puddings an orderly walks round with large jug of tea filling your mug up as he goes. All this procedure must be observed and noted an s you are only shown once. Next day it’s on to the parade ground doing physical training and learning how to salute correctly all the right people. This you continue until your training is up. The sergeant and the corporal wear green sashes and other platoons wear other colours; we were told that at the end of training the best group was given a prize.
After two weeks of put. Climbing ropes and learning all the procedures we were then told, now for the route marches. Next day with full pack we were on the road walking about five miles till we reached a common, we were seated down and given a mug of tea and two biscuits you were allowed to smoke if you wished. As we were marching along I spied some blackberry bushes so I grabbed a few and shared these with my mate, corporal shouted; get back in line p; when we arrived back in camp the sergeant said fall out Edwards you are on a charge, falling out of ranks without permission.
Next day I was in front of the c.o. who gave me 7days con fined to barracks, as we were not allowed out of camp, this was no hardship, on a shilling a day we could not go far. The C.T.B. (Confine to Barracks) was spent in the cookhouse washing up pots and pans and general tidying up. When seven days were up it was back to the route marches, after all marches we were taken back to camp and told to remove boots and socks, stand to attention and a medical officer and a sergeant examined your feet and asked how do you feel, one bright spark said with my hands sir he was put on a 412 charge.
The next time we went on a march in five days time we were on the go for 10miles weather was very warm 70 degrees we were very glad to see the truck pull up and a trestle put up with food and drink plus an hour rest. When we arrived back we were very tired, what with carrying a full pack gas mask and tin hat, this was bad enough but lets face it, ma few weeks ago we were in civvie street. All we wanted was a shower and a lie down. Then it was boots off and socks, in come the Medical Officer. And examined your feet. Mine had a couple of large blisters on them, you have better report to sick parade tomorrow they will sort you out. As from now you are excused boots you may wear your gym slippers in the morning the ill and not so ill and those not liking drilling climbed in a truck and were taken to a clinic c, there were a number of troops waiting to be seen, when my number was called the doctor looked at my feet and said one is worse than the other, a bandage was applied and I was given a letter for the commanding officer. Following day at 7 o clock I was called and told you are excused drilling and rifle practice, you are the orderly for the day, keep the billet tidy do small jobs for other ranks if asked, collect the mail at twelve o’clock and give it to the corporal.
Although with bad feet it meant that I was missing out on drilling, running through bushes and small streams and sticking bayonets through dummies. After about two weeks I was sent to the clinic. They told me that my feet have now healed very nicely and that I can now go back to normal duties and put your boots back on. But do let us know if you ever have any more trouble. I reported to the sergeant at midday and I was immediately put back into the squad doing drilling. The area commander was arriving tomorrow to inspect all the troops, as will all of our top brass and they will be breaking up the troops. Half will be sent to the Green Howard’s Light Infantry.
On the notice board, which was part-1-orders of the day, to see what duties I had. Such as guard duty, jankers spud bashing, floor cleaning, latrine orderly, cleaning officer’s quarters, kitchen duties that include washing up and cleaning the large Dixie pots. When you are not allowed out they would line you up and hand out the duties. I volunteered for the Officer’s Mess. But when I was put on jankers it meant helping the Cook, which also meant that I would always get good food to eat for your supper. Where as the regular troops would only have one mug of coffee, a piece of bread and a little bit of cheese. The next day I looked upon the notice board and there was a notice asking whether any of the troops could drive a car or motorcycle. If so, write your number and name on the list. All those who were interviewed were then transferred to Arborfield in Warminster. A large training center for tanks and heavy vehicles like scammels, Leyland’s and transporters and Bren carriers, from 1 ton to 25 ton. What a sight for sore eyes!
Sitting in a classroom with a notebook, we sat and listened to an instructor who then showed us the various parts of the engine plus diagrams, names of the vehicles. In the afternoon we were then shown how the gears work, I thought this a waste of time considering that we could already drive, or at least suppose to! But the interesting part for me was when we got to drive in a Bren carrier, driving outside and over hills, small valleys, through water. Then we got to move up to driving Sherman tanks, Churchill, Crusaders and large Scammel Lorries with eight gears with towing winches, tank transporters with up to sixteen wheels. The transporters were issued with large heavy-duty steel ropes for pulling heavy-duty lorries and other vehicles out of mud, etc. The training in this camp was very hard work but I didn’t mind, the billets were very clean and warm and dry, the food was also good. Breakfast was porridge, boiled eggs or bacon, tomatoes, bread, tea. Midday meal was bread and cheese, Spam, jam and tea. 5:30 pm dinner consisted of chops or roast beef, three vegetables, jam pudding and custard. Great! And there was a war on! 8:00 pm and time for tea, cocoa or soup, bread and butter. After working all day you didn’t want to leave a course. But I was training for more serious things. The training lasted for more than six weeks. And in that time we had to learn about all the heavy-duty vehicles and the largest transport and armored vehicles, repairing them.
Of all the seventy per cent of the men that passed were then transferred to Glasgow and joining a training college, where another six week course on various metal work skills, welding and mechanical knowledge. A lot of the writing work was very boring and repetitive. Then my luck changed. They split the classes up again and we were sent off into different areas of the country again. I was sent to Corydon to Merston Barracks for another six weeks to begin training for active service. We were then shown how motor engines worked, removing and repairing various parts of the engine all of which I really enjoyed, we had to write everything down in our notebooks, after each lesson the instructor would check our notebooks to make sure that we had it all down and then he’d mark it. I got through the course with 78% and passed. The others who were not so used to cars and bikes, the ones that failed were then sent back to the Green Howard’s Infantry.
I was then moved around to another billet with a large Nissan Huts, bunk beds, I was on top bunk. The fellow on the bottom bunk was a Corporal, a Jewish chap. One evening I came back from the canteen and was playing upon a clarinet, very nicely too. I said ‘Honeysuckle Rose!’ and he said ‘Right!’ we began talking about music and he told me that he had played for Ambrose Orchestra, alto-sax and clarinet, Ambrose was one of the top bands in London around at that time. I told him about the bands that I’d had and also played in; he was quite choked, as he was the leader of the 2nd Band of the Blue Rockets, which was being run by the R.A.O. Coy, at this camp. He told me they had a nice seven piece outfit and he said that they rehearsed twice a week in the evening but the drummer was very poor because he’d only been playing a couple of months, and only had a bass drum and side drum. He was over the moon when I told him I was a drummer. I arranged to go home and return with my drums. I had a folding bass drum, high-hat, top cymbals, and etc. the first rehearsal we had went down so well, Ralf the leader was very pleased, we went on to play at the other units around London, and I even got paid! Free beer, free food and our own truck to drive around to gigs! We all wore matching blue shirts as our band dress. As we were playing around London I got to go home at weekends. Monday to Friday we were on an advanced course, so that meant no more guard duty, instead we did mealtime duties, like slicing fifty loaves of bread with a machine and butter the slices, cut up cheese and serve it up to the troops with their meals.
After they had their meals we sat and had ours. As there was often food left over like a half-pound of cheese and butter, I would wrap it up, walk out the camp to the corner, catch the bus at around 5’o clock and I could be home in less than three-quarters of an hour. Often the bus conductor would not charge me the fare being as I was in uniform. It was a very nice present for my Mother. As people were on short-rations. The look on my Mother’s face!
The band was ok. we played at our own camp a lot, playing for the Officers and the troops. We were very popular with the wives of the soldiers and the locals as well. One night Ralf, the leader, told us that we had a very important gig on Saturday night at the Sergeants Mess. Some were leaving and others were coming to the camp. Apparently the camp was a very good posting, good food, near a town and also near London. Saturday night was the big night. We got started at 8’o clock and we played non-stop until 10’o clock, we had some beer and rolls in a short fifteen-minute break the straight back on stage. Ralf told us to play the last waltz, then the King, one chorus please then out!
So, as drummers do, as the crowd was cheering and applauding, I began taking down my drums and taking it off the stage. Leaving the side drum and the bass drum till last. Ralf thanked everyone, then packed away his sax. Up came the sergeant major, half-cut and worse for wear. ‘Who told you to stop playing?’ the sergeant said. Ralf said we played to 11’o clock; it’s now past 12’o clock. The Sergeant said ‘I’m telling you to keep playing until 1’o clock. As we are all having such a good time.’ Ralf being a Corporal turned to us and told us to get our instruments out and to play on. I said to Ralf, ‘Excuse me Sir, but if we play on can you give me permission to be excused morning parade, if we are to play longer?’ He looked like he’d just been posted to the front line. He said ‘I’m giving you an order to play on. If you don’t play on I’ll get someone else to play the drums.’ I said ‘no one plays my drums. They are my private property.’
Poor Ralf did not know what to do. I said ‘If we play on they will just keep us here until they are ready to stop. All I want is such a small thing.’ Ralf went and asked the Sergeant Major but he said no. So I packed up my drum kit and walked off the stage. The rest of the band was shocked. A few days later the course had finished and I was posted, with other troops, to Caterham in Surrey which was a staging camp for overseas. They gave us 48 hours to leave; I went back to Merston Barracks to collect my drums. I had already taken my large case home, after the next gig. I went to see Ralf and to apologize about the other night, but he was good about it all, he said that he was a Grade 2 Instructor and this job suits me and you could have been the same.’ I collected the rest of my drums, we wished each other luck and I went out.
I told my parents the story about me going abroad, they said that the war might be over in a short time. That night I went to a club in Charlton with my brother Charlie and I saw a few of my old mates and we shared a few drinks. As it was Friday the club had a band on stage, I saw the leader o0f the band, Alf, and he asked me if I fancied a bash on the drums. I played a few numbers, which I liked, had a few more drinks and then I went off to my Camp at Caterham. I had a free travel warrant for traveling on trains.

The next day at 12’o clock we had a large parade, everybody had to attend, so our Sergeant came around and told us that a General would inspect us all. We were to be going to unknown destinations. So its ‘Big Brass look Smart’. As I was allowed shoes not boots, I wore them. Some of my pals said ‘Are you going out like that?’ I said ‘ You know I have been for the last three months.’ They said ‘ I bet you don’t get to stand in the front line.’
When the General, colonels and other Big Brass came along to our section, one of the Officer’s pointed to my nice, clean black shoes and said ‘ that man can’t go to Timbuktu-too with shoes on! What’s the army coming to?’ The Sergeant Major came over, he said ‘One step forward!’ and ‘Who gave you permission to wear those?’ I said ‘The M.O (Medical Officer), at my last unit, as I have been graded Class B and I have one instep larger than the other.’ He snapped ‘Fall-out! Back to the barracks, I’ll see you later!’
After the parade was over the Sergeant Major and another Officer took me over to see the M.O and said to put me on the sick parade tomorrow at 7 am. He said ‘We will get this sorted out.’
The next day he said to me ‘Show me you’re A, B, 64.’ This was the book you had to carry with you at all times, containing all the info about you. I opened the book and there it was, my permission to wear shoes at any time signed by the M.O. The Sergeant Major then said ‘There’s only one thing to do, and that’s get you a pair of soft boots.’ (Civilian type boots) Sergeant Major will arrange it. Next day a driver, Sergeant and myself went to Croyden, into the town with some papers and we walked into a classy shoe shop where I was to try on various types of boots. I came out with two pairs, and then we returned to camp. The Sergeant said ‘Now you can go to Timbuktu! We are now at full strength.’ The next orders was that no one was allowed out of the camp, but some got out. The canteen had beer and steaks, etc, if you had the money, but things were rationed to one beer per soldier.
Within three days, in came the trucks and all the different units were lined up, roll called, then led into a lorry with our kit. We sat in the back of a 3-ton lorry to Euston Station, then on our way to Glasgow. This seemed to take forever. We arrived at night, near Greenock, taken to a large warehouse with rows of iron bunk beds and straw mattresses, two blankets each. The Corporal said, ‘Sign here! And don’t flog’em!’
The next morning we were given breakfast, tea or cocoa, porridge, bacon and bread. Then we were marched off to the docks, and up the gangplank and onto a ship. We were given a hammock, each which had a number. This was to be your bunk for the entire trip. There was about a thousand troops on board this ship, it was very crowded. I noticed a huge number of metal racks lining the ceiling, I asked a crew member what they were for he said ‘ This is a South-American banana boat called the Santa Elena.’

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