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My father didn’t want me to join the army but I had three older brothers and a sister so I decided to sign up.
I was working at the kennels in Kennilworth and from there joined the army.
I took the train at Kennilworth Station.
We practised at Hereford Race Course. When we first practised we used broomsticks.
We would march up and down.
I was in B company then and went to do guard duty on the pier.
An aeroplane hit the end of the pier whilst we were there — help was needed to get the pilot out — I couldn’t swim.
For 18 months I was billeted at Husbands Bosworth.
No sooner had we been there when 3 or 4 weeks afterwards Germans dropped bombs.
I could drive when I went into the army and they wanted drivers.
I got stuck with motor platoon, water truck.
I had to keep the HQ cooks going with water. There was a pump on either side. I had to fill up twice.
We did have fun in the army as well as tears.
I went home on agricultural leave every year but they stopped my pay.
At Lamport Hall I walked through, no-one was around. I heard a shout — your battalion has gone, we have no rations, so go home for 2 weeks and then come back.

During drill there were dances on Sunday nights. The night the Germans bombed the aerodrome we where at a dance.

In Germany once a machine gun opened up and shot over my shoulder through the canvas on the water trailer.
The Germans were within yards of us.
We watched troops going down and pulled in at a farm.
Two people — women — were looking into the well. The Germans had dropped something down. I tested the water. I held it up and shook it and then drank it.
Leave was absolutely flattened.
Went on to the River Elm — Russians were fighting across.
I was picked out to do Guard Duty.
I was then shot and spent 7 weeks in hospital.
The Battalion had moved so I was sent home — there was a truck waiting.
I was told they wouldn’t send for me to come back and was demobbed.
I was two years at Billsdon Camp.
I went to a farm to help out.
An army career made life worth living.

This story was submitted to the ´óÏó´«Ã½ People’s War Website by CSV Action Desk on behalf of Mr Roberts and has been entered with his permission. The author fully understands the terms and conditions of the site.

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