大象传媒

In June 1940 aged 15 years I enlisted at Kettering recruiting office and joined the Sherwood Foresters at Raleigh Street, Nottingham. After several weeks training transferred to the Leicestershire regiment.
Early 1941 several of us younger members decided to have a bit of unauthorised target practice. A dinner plate being the target. After a few rounds fired, the Q.M. sargeant came storming over demanding who!s rifle. Unfortunately it was mine.
Duly charged, I appeared before the C.O. and was awarded 14 days in the Hull Glass house which was the old prison.
I was confined to a cell with two other miscreants. Really hard characters. One Geordy and the other a Scouse. Being a young lad they both treated me with friendship.
The procedure in the prison was. 5.30. a.m. bell would ring and the lights come on. At that time we had to get up , make up beds, mop the floor and generally tidy up and wait for warden ro come round with shaving gear. (hardly neccessary for me)
The day was mainly spent on Military matters and drill. 4.30. p.m. was locking up time. 9.p.m. bell would ring and time to prepare for bed. 15 minutes later lights would be switched off.
Being midwinter it became dark about 4.30p.m. After the evening meal and chatting for a while we used to turn in about 6 or 7 p.m.
This particular evening we had gone to bed at the usual time. I was awkened by the bell ringing and the light was on. Rousing my cell mates we made up beds, cleaned floor etc. and waited for the warden. The lights went out. It was 9p.m. My popularity took a steep dive.
On my release I was posted to Sutton Bridge where the regiment had been relocated. There to guard the airdrome with round the clock patrols which was a tedious job. Their were several air raids and some casualties but mostly quiet at night. One particular boring evening I was on guard duty with a Geordy mate, Scott Hansen. About 2 in the morning we decided to liven things and shouted the challenge of "Who goes there"? As their was no one about and no reply we let off a volley of shots and all hell broke loose. The guard turned out
with half the company and the drome was searched for intruders. We spent the rest of the night searching for non exsistant invaders and rumour had it,next day, that we had shot half the R.A.F. personel. No action was taken and Scott and I were complemented for our response to a possible threat..
My father had decided that I was too young to be in the Army and requested my release, which was granted and I was dischrged in September of 41. After a few weeks I had made my mind up to return to the Army. With a warning from my father that it would be for keeps,I enlisted again at the old St. James Hall, in Northampton and posted to the 61st.R.A.C. at Tidworth. I trained there as a Despatch Rider and after further training at Catterick was posted to the East Riding Yeomanry, Bingley, Yorks. From there to Rendlesham Hall, Suffolk. Where they were secretly experimenting with floating tanks. My mate at that time, Ron Longhurst a Londoner, was killed in a motor bike accident. After this, I felt a bit isolated as all the other D.R. were Yorkies and veterans of the regiment.
Early 1942 their was a recruiting drive for Horse Pack transport volunteers. Having some experience with horses and having lost my friend I decided to apply. Strangely my C.O. did not want me to go but allowed the transfer.
Posted to Buller barracks, Aldershot. We learned the basics of Horse Pack transport and equestrian principles, riding, grooming etc. After about six weeks some of us were sent to a Pack Transport company stationed at Fochabers Castle, Morayshire. Mostly manouveres and pack instruction ensued. In 1943 whilst on manouveres in the Cairn Gorms about ten of us were told to pack up and we were picked up by truck and taken to a Transit camp at Perth. We learned that we were being sent to Africa. Two days later embarked at Liverpool on the liner "Monarch of Bermuda" A week of sailing and the City of Algiers was our landfall.
On disembarcation we were told what was to be done. To form a Pack transport company of 400 mules and 6 Arab horses. We were sent to an old Winery at the village of Larba. The mules and horses duly arrived and we eventualy formed the company.Much training, excercise and scrumping oranges when out excercising with mules, until our company was ready for service.
At the end of the African campaign we were waiting for orders and spent some time in the city of Algiers. Together with two pals. Peter Chatfield, a down to earth fellow, and Peter Seaman the son of a serving Colonel.
One evening on our excursion into Algiers. Nothing else to do but trawl the bars and casbah. A bit later in the evening my two friends were rather merry through drinking too many aperitifs. A non drinker myself I had stuck to squeezed lemon. We did get involved in a bit of a fracas with a couple of French nationals. Pete Chatfield received a nasty cut over the eye whch bled profusely.They were both still rather tipsy and as we were walking through what I remember to be the main square we noticed Chatfield was missing and appeared to have gone through the side door of the Opera house. Deciding to follow we arrived in a passage. At either end were doors front to the stage and rear to the official exit, opposite our entrance another double door. We could hear the music as the performance was on. I decided to open the door ahead slightly and peered in to see a full house and the stage. Within seconds Pete Chatfied appeared on the stage. Face covered in blood.
The music stopped and he burst into song."Loves Last Word Is Spoken Cherie". A terrific commotion ensued and Pete Seaman and I decided to get out pronto. Once outside we hung around and within minutes a 15cwt. pulled up and half a dozen Redcaps piled out. A few minutes later Pete Chatfield came out still singing Redcaps either side. We made ourselves scarce.
This activity had caused us to miss our return transport to Larba and we duly appeared before the C.O. next day and received a telling off. Pete Chatfield was never charged by the Military Police because we were given orders to embark for Italy two days later. Which saw us aboard the French coaster "Jebel Aires" together with horses, mules and general baggage.
After a weeks sailing via Sicily we arrived at the port of Naples.

Stationed in Capua about 5 miles from the front, it was decided that the company would be manned by Italian volunteers. After about a month and many casualties, a time of inactivity. It was suggested at this time that I might like to return to my previous job of Despatch rider. Their had been lots of casualties from sniper operations. I agreed to a transfer and was posted to 393 Co. R.A.S.C.Bagnoli. who were on standby for the Anzio invasion. On a trip to H.Q. at Naples I was riding normaly through Posillipo. I awoke from concussion lying on the ground, having been knocked off my bike by a vehicle of some Russian Diplomats. Fortunately a British Army Colonel was at the scene and assured me that the Russians were at fault and their was something about them he was unhappy with. He then arranged with his driver for me and damaged bike to be taken back to Bagnoli. I did ask him if he would take me and signal to H.Q. but he declined. As luck would have it, a D.R. from our company (Curly Pringle) happened on the scene and I gave him the signal and he signed my book. Up before the C.O. next day I was commended and given the day off. I needed it as I ached all over.
Afew days later we embarked for Anzio on an American L.C.T. Prior to leaving dock I remember that we were told that a number of Americans had deserted and some American WAACS,came on board handing out Raleigh cigarettes which these chaps had allocated. ( They did!nt like Raleighs). The night voyage to Anzio was uneventful apart from a rough sea and the loss of a Bedford Q.L. overboard. We arrived in the early morning in the middle of an air attack and quickly disembarked. We unloaded vehicles at the Railway station during spasmodic shellfire and returned to the dock area. We hung about for about a week until returning to Naples to ferry another consignment. As the beach head at Anzio had become stagnant we were stood down from this assignment.
I believe the company was being disbanded
at this time because I was suddenly transferred to 747.Bridge company R.A.S.C.
located at Naples. During the period here I became familier with the city being a virtual free agent with motor bike.
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