大象传媒

When I awoke the next morning it was 1951. I thought to myself, what did this have to offer?. I wrote a request for an overseas posting. A few days later, I received my reply. I was informed, that once the gates of Bicester in Oxfordshire closed on you, then you were here for life! So I thought that I would have to grin and bear it. The lads did manage to get the tea, sugar and the tinned milk, so now we were set. We found out that there was a Womens Army Billet nearby. I had never worked with service women before, so when the Captain spoke about training two clerks, to help and train in the Document Office. The Captain asked "Women or men?" I replied "Men, with just two women. On site, anything could happen" He said "Alright I will arrange this".
A few weeks later, two young soldiers arrived. Their names were Privates Cook and Bloomfield. The captain introduced them and left them in my charge. I asked them "How long have you been in the services?" They replied "Six months". I asked them "What did you do in civvy street?". Private Cook had been working in a bank and Private Bloomfield had worked in an office. So I took these two men under my wing and I explained their duties to them. We got on like a house on fire. When checking work tickets or work sheets, they would draw my attention to any mistakes that they found, such as dirty trip tickets and any that was unreadable. These were then dealt with and I told the men that they had to pull their socks up or they would be back to the driving pool. The drivers, that went on leave after we came back from our Christmas leave, were all back now. Everything was running nice and smooth. and we had no problems. There were no complaints from anyone.
On Friday, I met Corporal Kimpton, we spent the evening drinking and chatting. On closing time, I noticed a van. when we went outside. I said" What are they selling?" Ted replied "Fish and Chips" I said "I have never seen that before" Ted said "They are here Wednesday to Saturday and calls at every Battalion". So we had Fish and chips, on the way back to the billet.
We had been informed that one lorry had broken down. Tony said "I have reported this". About an hour later, the vehicle arrived and so we went to bed.
Next morning was a Saturday, and the Captain came to the transport site. I approached him and said" Do you need any help?" He replied "No, I have come to inspect the billets, on the off chance of finding you all asleep!" I just smiled at him. But I thought there was probably more to it than that. I thought why today, mind you he had the right at any time to spot check our billet.
On the Monday, I noticed a Woman Army Officer drive into the site and she went into the Captain's office. He had not arrived yet, but the Detail civilian remarked that she was now in charge as the Captain was on leave. She walked around the yard and then came to my office. She said to us "What are you three doing?" I stood up and said "Document name" She said "Right, I am Captain Herd and I am the Officer replacing your Officer. So I said "Very good Mum". She then went and started to go next around the workshop with a clip board,she was asking questions. A fitter, that was in the workshop, told me later that she wanted the workshop cleared by Thursday. He said that she had some hope of that happening! But every morning, another vehicle left the workshop. On friday I had to report to her office. She informed me that when she was Duty officer she would tell me and I had to see that the Duty vehicle was clean and full of petrol and the oil to be checked before it arrived at her office. I said "ver well Mum, I will make a note of this, so if I am not here then some other N C O will carry out your instructions". "Very well" she said. We were very glad to see the back of her, and now everything was back to normal. We did hear the MERCURY had been stolen from the guns, on the field gun park. I thought they were at it again, something must break soon before long.
Kimpton's brother had been called up to rejoin his Unit. We also heard that the Americans had poked their nose in.
I was to have a 10 day leave and I thought that I would be able to help my father on his allotment. It was late afternoon when I arrived home and I found my father asleep. My mother was busy knitting. I popped my head around the door and said "Hallo, I am just visiting for 10 days leave. How is everything?". My mother replied " Alright, your father has been on the allotment". I said " While I am home, I will be able to help him on the allotment". We had tea, when father woke up and then I went to write some letters and I said to my parents that I would have an early night. My mother told me "Ted Benham was out of the Army and he was now working at Watneys brewery" I said "Good luck to him, he loves his beer". I then said goodnight and went to bed and had a good night for a change.
The next morning, dad and I went up to the allotment. He had done a lot of digging, potatoes were planted also he had sown some seeds. On the way home we called at the local pub and had a pint, then we walked home. When I arrived home, I had a wash and changed my clothes. My dad had gone out to the Club as there was a meeting. My mother and I were alone in the house. She then said to me "Now that we are alone, can you tell me about all of those years in Germany?". I replied to my mother "Mum, I promised dad that I would never tell you and I will not break that promise, in fact, just to think about it gives me sleepless nights". The next subject that she asked me about, really surprised me, she asked "When are you leaving the Services?". But I said "I may stay in the Army and go overseas again". She then said "Please think again, your father and I have not seen much of you". I just laughed and said"You have not seen much of me, when I returned in 1945, you told me to get out of the house, because my sister always came first with you. I was always the Black Sheep of the family and never doing anything right, I was always wrong. Rose, my siter went everywhere with you and dad, while I was just left to run the roads. Even on my first job, you only left me with 2 shillings of my wages and you had 10 shillings. I only had 12 shillings a week and I brought meat home every day, but no, you would have taken the lot off me. You knew how hard it was for us. I have never forgotten this. But when Rose started work, you only took 7 shillings and sixpence a week and that was also spent on her. She was getting 25 shillings a week. It was no matter when I came home, to me you were all strangers. I was like a caged animal, being just released from its cage. But you did not understand. My first time home, I spent many a sleepless night, going out and walking the streets because I could not sleep or I went down to the river to watch Old Father Thames. Those nights that I spent out walking, even the Police stopped asking what I was doing and why I was out and I explained to them my problem, but they did keep their eys on me. I have not made my mind up, did you know that an extra year has been put on because of the Korean War. That is why I have not spent weekends at home because it did not matter what I did, I was always in the wrong. My sister was always right".
The next morning I apologised to my father and I went to his allotment. It was soon time for me to return off leave and back to Bicester.
I have never visted the town of Bicester, because of the trouble with the R A F, they were also stationed there, and sometimes the Para Troop was there as well. In the summer, I did have a walk around the countryside, it was nice and quiet and it gave me time to think about my future.
I had to report to the Captain's office, I knocked on the office door and heard "Come" the Major said. On entering, I saw a Sergeant standing by the Majors desk. he introduced the Sergeant as Watson. The Major said "We were speaking about you" "Oh" I said . The Major continued " You are to take over the duties of the Sergeant, while he is away on leave, starting on Monday morning at 8.00 a.m. You will report to the assembly point for the civil hired vehicle, to check them. Watson will explain this to you". I now had the week-end to sort out my other duties in the office. On the Monday,I was at the assembly point and up turned Watson. He explained that all of the vehicles had their site of work and I would not change any of them when I took over. So that was OK, that was my duty for that week, learning his job. No problem, each day until Friday, Watson done his job, but on Friday I noticed each driver gave him a sealed envelope, which he put into his pocket. He said to me "This was only work sheets OK" I replied "Alright". The following two weeks I did his job and on the second week, one vehicle never turned up, so I marked it absent. On both of the Fridays of this job, I was not handed any sealed envelopes. So when Sergeant Watson came to collect his book, I told him about one of the vehicles was absent and also that I had not received any envelopes. He said to me "Don't worry, I will see about it". I thought to myself, yes, you will see about it, as this was a back hander that he was receiving. I had noticed many times, that some of those vehicles never left the site, until the finishing time, yet they were paid. Why not use our own transport? But then again, I was just a small "cog" in a large wheel. In other words, I was not to reason why but to do or die.
Everything was going nicely, then another order, every vehicle, when finishing work had to fill their vehicled tanks with fuel, in case of an emergency. They were all on standby at night. Tony said "Tomorrow, which was Tuesday, there would be eight vehicles which were going to the Docks, on the other side of London". That would be a two day trip, one in and one out, then I could spend the night at home.
I was informed that Sergeant Nathen was in hospital, he had had a nervous breakdown. The Captain said to me "How much longer do you have to serve?". I replied "Until April 1952, but it could be longer". He said "How about a replacement to take over my duty?". I said "No need Sir, the two clerks, they know the work they are best suited for. If they carry on the lines that I have shown, then you will have no problems". He said "I will think about it ".
One night in November, one of the lads said "Have you been to Germany?". "Yes" I replied. They asked "What was it like?"? "It was very much like England" I replied " The air is dry, not damp like here". They then asked me to tell them about it and what are the German women like. I said "Like as you will find here". "Do they speak English?"they asked. "Yes, they learn that at school, it is now their second language" I said. The questions then stopped, if they had not stopped, I would have said to them "I have told you enough".
I still had a fear of civvy street and returning there. I thought that I will have to make my mind up , the days and the weeks were running fast and it will soon be Christmas, once again. The next question I thought will be for Christmas leave. I got on with my work, helping with the detail side of transport, arranging vehicles for convoys. Also requests for extra vehicles for duty at the Battalion. The Captain entered the office and asked " Have you arranged the Christmas leave?". I replied "Yes". he then said "Will you forgo your Christmas leave and have the New year?". I thought for a moment, before replying and said "Any reason Sir?". He said "No, not really, I thought it would be helpful if you were around, should an emergency arise". I replied " I have not made any arrangements for Christmas Sir, so I think it will be alright, it will make a change to be home for the New year". It was my father's birthday on January 1.
The lads were now away on their Christmas leave and that night was very quiet.
The next morning, the seven of us got out of bed and there was not very much cleaning up to be done in the billet. The lads then drove off to their duties. Christmas Day arrived, and woke up late and I went to the cook house for breakfast. The cook, who was on duty said "Don't be late for lunch or you may not get any". The Officers and N C O's served the men with their Christmas lunch, then went off to sleep it off. We had a few beers in the billet. On the Wednesday, the lads returned. We had had a nice Christmas, quiet but with plenty to drink and food. On the Thursday, the other seven men were off on their leave, which included myself.
On arriving home, I found my father had friends in the house so out I went and returned later. When I got back the house was in darkness and they were all in bed. I thought I was right for a change at what I had done!

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