大象传媒

This is just the first part of a whole scrap book of memories by my grandmother's brother - Frank Peebles who sadly died on the 21st April 2005.

It is wrtitten in his own words from memory. Also in the scrap book are pictures, money from around the world, sweet wrappers from Tel Aviv, his medals, pictures he has drawn during the war, posters for concerts, stamps found in a ruined building in Sousse, Tunisia, all his war documents and all the personal messages he recieved from the commander During WW2. I only wish i had this in time to transfer it all to the site.

Frank Peebles 鈥� Introduction, 鈥楾he Warnings of War鈥� (part 1)

1934 In a debate in the House of Commons on 28th November 1934 Churchill made a devastating attack on Government policy which was concerned at that time mainly with disarmament. He said 鈥渢o urge preparation for defence (which is what he was trying to do) is not to assert the imminence of war. On the contrary, if war was imminent, preparations would be to late!鈥� But time was running out and, he said, 鈥淚f we do not begin forthwith to put ourselves in a position of security it will soon be beyond our powers to do so.鈥�

鈥淲hat,鈥� Churchill asked, 鈥渋s the great new fact that has broken in upon us during the last 18 months? Germany is re-arming. That is the great new fact which rivets the attention of every country in Europe. Germany,鈥� he warned, 鈥渁lready has a powerful well-equipped army.鈥�
German factory production, Churchill pointed out, was increasingly to war materials. 鈥淢uch of it is undoubtedly in violation of the treaties of 1919. Germany is re-arming on land. She is re-arming at sea. But what concerns us most of all is the re-armament of Germany in the air.鈥� And he added: 鈥淚t is no exaggeration to suppose that a week or ten days intensive bombing upon London would leave 30 to 40 thousand people dead or maimed, a civilian population in grave panic and millions driven out into the open country. The flying peril is not a peril from which one can fly. It is necessary to face it where we stand. We cannot possibly retreat.鈥�
The Government paid no heed and were still committed, like many other countries at the time, to a programme of disarmament.

1938 on the 12th March 1938 the Germans marched into Austria. A few days before that Churchill stated in the House. 鈥淚 predict that the day will come when, at some point or other, on some issue or other, you will have to make a stand, and I pray to God that, when that day comes, we may not find through unwise policy, that we have to make a stand alone.鈥�
In 1937 the Cabinet was told by the Secretary of State for Air that by December 1939 our air strength would be 1,736 as against Germany鈥檚 3,240. The imbalance at the outbreak of war was in fact very much worse than that.

1939 War was declared on 3rd September 1939. On that day Churchill spoke in the House and said, 鈥淚t is no longer a question of fighting for Danzig or Poland. Britain was fighting to save the world for the pestilence of Nazi Tyranny and in defence of all that is most sacred to man. It was a war viewed in its inherent quality, to establish, on impregnable rocks, the rights of the individual, and it is a war to establish and revive the stature of man.鈥�
1939/40 Where Was I?

1939 At the outbreak of Was I was a student at the Missionary Training Colony, Highfield Hill, London and, as a student I was Exempt from Military Service. However, everyone was required by law to register, and I did so in London in December 1939. By this time all the students had dispersed and I was the only one left at the College and I acted as caretaker for the premises whilst continuing my Medical training at the Croydon General Hospital. My passage to the Belgian Congo has been provisionally arranged for the summer of 1940 and I could still have gone in spite of the War but, after much agonising thought and like many others at that time believing the war would be short 鈥� no longer than two years, I decided to return to Hornsea early in 1940 and to await my 鈥榗all up鈥�. My sister Fifi, gave me shelter and a home.
1940 I was then called before a tribunal in Leeds and expressed my objection to war but stated that I was willing to serve, and was drafted into the R.A.M.C. (Royal Army Medical Corps) in the autumn of 1940.
I was sent for initial training at the R.A.M.C. Depot at Leeds in 1940 and in November after completion of training I was posted to 22 Company R.A.M.C. Devonport, Plymouth.

First Impressions

My Reaction to the harshness, injustice, mal-practice, pointless fatigue duties, diabolical regimentation, verbal abuse, and the general coarseness of life and language in the army was one of loathing and disgust. I was extremely unhappy. Gradually I learnt how to cope, as did many others who felt the same. One had to do so in order to survive!

I was later to see many; seemingly, uncouth louts perform acts of great courage and selfless deeds of bravery putting their own lives at risk, to the point of death, for the sake of others.

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