大象传媒

Chapter Two: Only for Six Months

Registration for call-up applied in alphabetical order and as the day in June arrived and I duly attended I was passed medically fit. It was recorded that I was a driver (on a trike) and that my occupation was 鈥渄river鈥�; when asked which service I preferred to join I remember saying that it didn鈥檛 matter as it was only for six months, to which the recruiting sergeant replied, 鈥淚 only hope you are right鈥�. I actually did believe it too.
Then it was back to work as usual until such time as that buff envelope stamped OHMS arrived, informing me of the date and place of call-up. Each time I went home I inquired whether it had come Dad told me not to be so eager, to be patient as it would come soon enough.
When talking to Jane鈥檚 mother she suggested that Jane and I ought to get married before I went away as the married allowance was more acceptable than the two shillings a day which I would expect to receive, I paid no heed to that, simply ignored it.
To me life seemed uncertain enough without causing it to be any more complex, in any case I had an opinion about wartime marriages I thought them to be very unfair to those who may be bereaved, so I had made up my mind that if war did come I would not marry while it lasted.
After enrolling and being passed fit I felt that I would be certain to be among the first to be called. While back at the digs I found that Mrs Cattrell鈥檚 eldest son who had also enrolled in the militia had already left and commenced his training, somewhere locally she thought; his brother had moved off with his regiment but she didn鈥檛 know where to.
One Wednesday when at Irthlingborough I asked the transport manager when I was likely to receive my van, he explained that while the present emergency was in force there would be no more deliveries of vehicles, the rearmament programme was then being established, and civil needs would have to wait that was no more than I guessed of course.
It had been anticipated that Poland would be the next country that Hitler would pay his attention to, and it was made more obvious by the numerous amount of speeches being directed against that country. Britain had an agreement that should Poland鈥檚 territory be violated then we and France would go to their assistance, in other words in order to honour that agreement we would have no alternative but to go to war against the aggressor.
The French government believed that their defensive Maginot line would provide security for them against any attack from Germany. There was not a great distance between that and the German Siegfried Line, however, with both Holland and Belgium preferring to stay neutral an attack could be made on France through those countries if their neutrality was ignored. In fact such a plan was drawn up by the Germans to do just that whereby France could be overcome in that way.
On September 1st, 1939, the Germans as predicted crossed the Polish frontier with their tanks and Warsaw was heavily bombed by the Luftwaffe. Although the Poles put up a terrific defence of their country they were soon overwhelmed by the might of the Nazi war machine. Prime Minister Chamberlain sent a note to Hitler confirming that unless his troops were withdrawn immediately 鈥榓 state of war would exist between us鈥�. Chamberlain even at this late stage of proceedings still hoped that negotiations could achieve peace. There were others too who were seeking a truce, the Pope, Mussolini, President Roosevelt and leaders in Sweden.
The 3rd September 1939 was a fine, sunny autumn morning and I like millions of other people across the world will easily remember where they were at that time, as they awaited the final fearful deadline when the Prime Minister鈥檚 broadcast at eleven o鈥檆lock would inform the nation of the result of his ultimatum which he had sent to Hitler.
So that just before eleven o鈥檆lock everyone, whatever they were doing, made sure that they were in the vicinity of a wireless set. All people wherever they were waited anxiously for that historic announcement. I remember where I was at the time, a few of us had been across the road to the swimming baths, those amongst us who had no bath at home made a habit of using the bathing facilities there. After which we would go off for our Sunday lunchtime drink.
On that particular morning we were all gathered around the lampost in Park Street all the doors in the street were open, everywhere was quiet, all holding their breath, listening for the chimes of Big Ben to strike that dreaded eleventh hour. It was on the hour that we heard our Prime Minister in solemn voice tell us that as he had received no reply to his most recent plea for peace a state of war existed between ourselves and Germany. People began to come out onto the streets, stunned by the news which they had just been given even though most people for over a year believed that war was inevitable.
The old folks had been through it all only a short twenty years before, now it would be their sons and grandsons who would be called on to fight a modern war. Some mothers openly wept, sweethearts and young wives with children clung to their men. I think a lot of young males thought that it was to be a great adventure for them to take part in.
It was a sombre group in the pub that dinner time although we were somewhat comforted by the thought that it couldn鈥檛 be a long war and that it would be all over by Christmas anyway. That was certainly my opinion. We dispersed early from the pub that day, I think that after the initial shock of the news each one wanted to be alone with his thoughts. I for once arrived home for dinner on time. Dad had three sons all of military age; he had little to say other than he believed that it would be a long war, which would this time affect civilians who would also be in the front line. He added how he thought that wars were so easy to start but very difficult to end.
Cinemas and all places of entertainment were closed immediately although the ruling was soon relaxed, a complete blackout came into force, carlights were dimmed, lamposts and kerbstones painted white, barrage balloons were raised above us, troops were digging trenches in the parks, and air-raid sirens were tested. Bomb shelters were made available which people dug into the gardens, known as the 鈥楢nderson shelters鈥� and all over the town shelters were being built in the streets.
After many weeks of anticipation my call-up papers finally arrived and I was instructed to report to Tidworth to join the Armoured Corps. I am not sure now which barracks I did my training in but I believe it to be either 鈥楳ultan鈥� or 鈥楤hurtpore鈥� (they all seemed to have Indian names).
I took leave of my employers at Irthlingborough and said goodbye to Hilda, left my workmate Charlie and my adopted mother at Bedford and for the last time cycled home along that well-worn Northampton-Bedford Road.
I had had better rides before, that one was far from being comfortable, in fact I think that I walked as much as I rode, about a mile out of Bedford I received my first puncture and another one before I was half-way home, the journey was alternated by riding on the rims, standing on the pedals and walking up the hills, the bike had served me well but let me down on its last ride, it obviously was in need of new tyres but too late then.
It was quite a modern bike, a Hercules, dropped handlebars and a fixed wheel, we had got to know each other well. It was a long journey home that day and I was not sorry to put the old thing in the back of the shed until I would need it again at the end of my six months training (hopefully). In the event my brother Ern repaired it and used it until he joined up.
During my one or two days before leaving for Tidworth I visited friends and relations, aunt and cousins in Byron Street, and to my great aunt and uncle at Quinton who had such a large part in my early life and upbringing, they were known as 鈥楧arby and Joan鈥�, everyone loved them just simple farmworker sort of folk, I had much affection for them and will always remember as I left that they were so concerned over my going away to war, unfortunately that was the last time that I saw them.
Although war had been declared there seemed to be little evidence of any action except at sea where our sailors were protecting our shores and our shipping which in its wake brought the inevitable casualties and deaths, one of the first of our ships to be sunk was the Glasgow liner Athenia, which was torpedoed by the German submarine U-30 in the Atlantic, with the loss of 112 on the day war was declared.
At the end of September the Royal Air Force carried out leaflet raids over Germany, it was thought not expedient to bomb them as it could cause reprisals especially while Britain played for time to fully rearm. During the inter-war years there had been a great desire for us to disarm.
The British Expeditionary Force had landed in France and it was generally believed that Hitler would go on the offensive during the autumn, but for some reason no such move was made and then it became too late to do so due to the uncertainty of the weather.
That indicated that the full might of the Nazi war machine would be hurled against the Anglo-French forces in the Spring. In the meantime there were still those among our statesmen and others who were doing their utmost to negotiate and to avert a full-scale war still hoping to do a deal with Hitler.
At the end of the first month of the war we lost the aircraft carrier Courageous which was sunk by a submarine. At the same time we saw the end of the Spanish Civil War. We learned too that Poland had been overrun and occupied and definite proof was found that Jews were being banished to detention centres.
On a lighter note, the arts during this year gave us two novels, one was John Steinbeck鈥檚 The Grapes of Wrath and the other, James Joyce鈥檚 Finnegan鈥檚 Wake. The most popular film then being shown was Stagecoach.
I knew that several of my old schoolmates had received their call-up papers at the same time as myself and some were also bound for various camps on Salisbury Plain.
I had said farewell to Jane鈥檚 parents and told Jane not to see me off and that I hoped to see her when I got leave, which I thought would be in about a month. There was quite a group of us assembled at Castle station waiting for the London train. And among those who I was school with was my old friend from way back when we were in the infants school together, Walt; then there was Charlie Fryat, and Jack Herbert who happened also to be my next door neighbour.
With us too was my cousin from Blisworth (another Fred Digby) and a couple more whose names I cannot recall at the moment. Jack, I am sorry to say, died within a few months, I believe of consumption. This disease of the lungs was prevalent during the 20s and 30s but it had then eased a little. I can well remember seeing patients on the balcony at the rear of the old part of the Northampton General Hospital in their beds in all sorts of weather, noticeable by the red blankets which covered them. It was thought that plenty of fresh air was desirous in order to procure a remedy. When walking out they always wore open-necked shirts.
There were other men also at the station bound for Tidworth, of those whose names I can remember was Gordon Heard from St. James鈥檚 End, Clark from Towcester, Chris Stonebanks from town and Danny Saunders from Woodford. So that there was quite a party of us. It was a sensible decision which we had made to catch an early train to Euston because our journey was somewhat delayed in London due to not having one amongst us who understood the workings of the Underground train system, not many lads at that time had ever visited our capital. I had on three occasions but always accompanied and guided by our choirmaster when on our annual outings. Others with us had taken advantage of the cheap Bank Holiday excursions which the London Midland and Scottish railway company provided, either to London or various other cities or the coast.
It was then that we circled the Tube many times, we were lost and were fast losing travelling time, however we did somehow finally and more by luck than anything board our train for Wiltshire, as years went by of course railway transport staff were in attendance to point the way to servicemen.
I can鈥檛 remember where it was that we were picked up, it could have been Andover. I can recall climbing into the truck. If not Andover, it must have been Luggershall, in any case the corporal in charge of us dropped us outside the guardroom and departed. Once inside the guardroom we offered our papers, answered as required and filed out, but now with a new title, I became Trooper (followed by that never-to-be-forgotten number) Digby 7901259.
On leaving the guardroom we were escorted to the Mess Room where we were served a most welcome meal of bread and cheese and a mug of cocoa. It was then about 8pm and since leaving home I had only eaten two sandwiches all day, so the food was much appreciated. While we ate a mess orderly was sweeping down the other tables by standing on them; Gordon reminded me of this when I met him some years ago. After eating we were taken to our barrack room where some other new recruits who were to be our comrades during our period of training were already settled in. We went thankfully to bed and I, and no doubt the others too, wondered what tomorrow might bring.
We learned in the morning that we were members of Number Six squad of the 53rd Armoured Training Regiment, with fifty of us in the squad occupying two barrack rooms, and most important we were informed that reveille was at six-thirty.
It was still dark when at a shout from the sergeant we ran down the iron staircase dressed in whatever was near to hand, anything to make our first roll-call on time. Once the sergeant was assured that all of us new recruits were present and correct we were free to wash and shave, prior to joining the queue at the Mess Room for breakfast.
The first morning parade which we attended was held on the square while we were still attired in our civilian clothes which as can be imagined displayed a wide assortment of fashions as we lined up there. Some wore their Sunday best suits minus collar and tie, the majority wore sports coats and flannels, here and there a raincoat could be seen. For neckwear one or two sported mufflers, the main headgear, where worn, was of peaked caps, although there were quite a few trilbys. There was just the odd one who stood out among us by the wearing of a bowler. Footwear varied too, some boots, but mainly leather shoes with the exception of one pair of patent leather.
What a comical line-up it must have appeared to those Regular soldiers going about their normal duties but mostly so to our squad sergeant (Rodden) and to Corporal Bell who had been given the unenviable task of turning the shambles which stood before them into something like passable soldiers.
We were only the second squad of militia to arrive there for training so that our NCOs were quite unaccustomed to training a squad of the size of ours. It must have been a real challenge for them. It was for them though only the first of many such batches of men which they were to experience in the years to follow.
We ourselves in later months when seeing the incoming squads joked and laughed about their appearance and of the unlikelihood of their ever becoming soldiers and were bold enough to urge them to 鈥済et some service in鈥� having by then become old soldiers ourselves, or so we thought.
The following few days we spent drawing equipment and clothing all of which it appeared was in short supply, it was said that our call-up had been delayed for that reason and also due to lack of accommodation.
The fitting together of our webbing equipment caused a fair amount of confusion even with the help of a wall chart, and following Corporal Bell鈥檚 instructions most of us still found it difficult to sort out. I was never very clever with puzzles, jigsaws and the like. I found the same problem in more recent years when trying to assemble a certain manufacturer鈥檚 furniture kits. However by assisting one another it eventually all came together.
Another chore on which we spent many hours was the 鈥榖eezing鈥� of boots with the use of a great deal of spit and a hot spoon in order to obtain that high polished finish, I am not too sure that all the spit was necessary, probably today in the modern Army there is a plastic tube of a gel that would be just as acceptable, that is if the 鈥榖eezing鈥� of boots is a necessity anyway. The other boring duty was the blanco-ing of equipment, another task which was to become all too familiar.
When our training began in earnest we were able to settle into some sort of routine, began to understand each bugle call and became adept at quick changes of dress, everything was carried out at double speed. Time between each parade was limited. It could happen that we may come in from physical training wearing vest and shorts, then to need to change for square drill which meant full dress uniform, or overalls for tank park work, whatever it was the Corporal was always there shouting for us to be 鈥榦n parade鈥�.
The number and type of tanks which were at our disposal was far from satisfactory and disappointing, there were a few A5鈥檚 (light tanks) but quite a lot of Bren Gun Carriers which were actually for infantry work, although useful for us to train on. It was quite exciting too when on the Plain driving them at full speed over varying terrain, on hard surfaces after frosts, or slithering about in all directions after rain or snow; it was quite exhausting too, it was not unusual for men to come in, remove their mud-covered boots only and roll in between the blankets. They certainly pushed us hard and for some lads it was too much for them and they were discharged as 鈥榰nfit for service鈥�, they had not been able to stand the pace which had been set for us.
When in barracks one of the most looked forward to events was the morning break time when we fell out for a 鈥榯ea and a wad鈥� at the NAAFI. If out on the road either driving or on map-reading it was the custom to have our break at a cafe somewhere en route.
It was always a relief when either on a route march or in a class of instruction to hear the NCO command 鈥榝all out for smoke鈥�. It was an order readily obeyed, if however he didn鈥檛 give the order someone was sure to remind him because with only the odd exception we all smoked, some more than others. I doubt if that ritual is performed today as the habit of smoking is confined to a minority of people. We generally have heeded the warnings regarding the damage to our health caused by smoking and of passive smoking.
I鈥檝e thought when hearing those warnings, of the hours I had spent in a closed-down tank with crew of four or five in a watch and wait situation, where each of us smoked one after another until the air was thick and heavy as a result. There were many such confined places which most people were forced to have to endure then, but of course were ignorant of the consequences.
My parents smoked Woodbines, Dad bought them in open-ended paper packets of five, Dad would have a fag on when digging the garden. I鈥檝e seen my stepmother with one in her lips when pegging out the clothes, washing-up, or any other household chore; Grandma smoked as did Grandad, but his was a pipe, and I can still smell that aroma today. Our barber smoked while cutting hair with a long ash hanging before it dropped down his front, and the fag would stay in his lips until it had almost burnt away, the underside of his otherwise grey moustache was rusty colour. Our butcher smoked while cutting and serving meat.
There were other smokers than those of the cigarette and the pipe: some preferred a cigar or cheroot, and there were those who chewed tobacco which they cut off in large chunks with a penknife, that habit was mainly among older men. Apart from the ready-made cigarette, many men rolled their own, some by rolling between thumb and finger at which they were very adept at producing a reasonable fag. But there was a machine known as Rizla, into which a red or blue paper could be inserted which gave a more presentable shaped cigarette.
Some companies included either coupons or cigarette cards in their packets and those cards formed quite a hobby for us schoolboys, either by collecting as many sets as possible or to play games with them, 鈥楽pan鈥� was one game, and another 鈥楽kimming On鈥�. There was a world of information too which could be found on their backs; we learned the history of military and naval uniforms, breeds of dogs, race horses and their stables and jockeys鈥� colours, there were artists, musicians, birds, flowers, footballers and details of their grounds and their club colours. In all quite an education for us young boys. I can remember some of the many brands which were on the market at that time: John Players packet was outstanding because it had the head and shoulders of a bearded sailor on, a real 鈥榦ld salt鈥�. Black Cat had a red background, Gold Flake was yellow, I鈥檝e already mentioned Woodbines, others were Park Drive, Senior Service, Ardarth, Deresk, Craven 鈥楢鈥�. Some of them were stated to have cork tips. The high-class tobacconist would display special makes such as Russian, Egyptian, Oval Turkish, Passing Cloud with Gold Spats, Tennessee Whiffs which had a cigar base, there were many more I know but it goes some way to show just how much choice there was to satisfy the habits of the inhaling majority.
My uncle smoked one of the brands which included coupons and it was by saving these over quite a long period that I eventually was able to send away and receive a pair of boxing gloves, they were the ones which I took to Billing. It was in a similar manner in which some years before I became the owner of a football but that time it was by saving 鈥極xo鈥� coupons, thousands of them although that was not difficult in our house for at that time we seemed to have Oxo in some form or other at every meal.
The ball was bashed about for a good many years, much sewn, heavily patched, it was made of leather of course, but not like the light plastic balls of today it was sewn round as is a Rugby ball and was pumped up with a bicycle pump. If the teat was not tucked in not far enough it became a little pear-shaped and the lace cut into your forehead if you couldn鈥檛 always avoid heading it. Being leather, when wet it absorbed water and became like a ton weight to kick and heavy boots with stout toecaps were essential.
After all that reminiscing, it鈥檚 back to Tidworth and training days; our driving instruction involved the driving for long distances large commandeered saloon cars which were both a pleasure to drive and an experience; for map-reading we used 15-cwt trucks. It was a looked forward to change to be out of barracks for a few hours because the garrison was purely military and one rarely saw a civilian with the exception of a few workers.
鈥楶ost-call鈥� was daily anticipated and an eagerly awaited event for us. I received regular letters from Dad and often a parcel containing cakes and sausage rolls from my stepmother; most foodstuffs were still available as rationing had not yet been introduced and those parcels were most acceptable and eagerly received when they were shared around, as was the custom to do.
Mother was an excellent cook, having been taught when she was in service at the 鈥榖ig鈥� houses when very young; I know that during the dark days of the Depression years that she could conjure up some fantastic meals from almost anything. When parcels of food arrived it was like party time in our barrack room. My brothers wrote, as did my friends and other relatives, often sending fags.
Although coming toward the end of the year 1939 there still had been no general call-up, many men were volunteering. Jane鈥檚 letters were rare, I looked for at least one each week but was regularly disappointed, it was fortunate that life was so hectic that I was not given a lot of time to regard it or to fret over it.
Plenty of sport was played as part of our physical training programme and in our spare time. When not on guard, cookhouse, picket or any other duty we could draw from the stores any equipment required for a game, whether it was football, hockey, rugby, tennis or any other sport. I drew boxing gloves for use in the barrack room but after a session or so I found my mates were not very interested.
The squad had a football team and we played inter-house matches. There were one or two who were keen cross-country runners and although that was part of our training we usually ran as far as the next village on Sunday afternoons as we been informed that the regiment intended to enter a team in the annual garrison cross-country cup race.
Some confusion was caused for a while due to the fact that there was another Digby in our squad, the other being 鈥榃ingfield鈥� and often when reading the Order Board I would find that I was down for a certain duty only to find that it referred to the other man. It eventually got sorted out when he left us to join the officer cadets.
That most of our squad were ordinary working-class boys was defined mainly by the manner in which they earned their living with such varying occupations. Although we were all drivers not everyone drove for a living, there were one or two long distance drivers as Walt was, van drivers for various tradesmen, one a taxi driver, one a chauffeur, a brewery worker, a fisherman, one a professional footballer and Danny, who was a butcher. There were also three lads from Doctor Barnardo鈥檚 home who kept themselves a little apart from us. Then there were about a dozen office workers, either Bank or in some other capacity. They could be termed 鈥榳hite collar workers鈥� Several of these were aloof and didn鈥檛 mix too well with the remainder of us. It was noticeable that although called up together at the same time, those men who were of management status or in some professional occupation, seemed to have been segregated as officer potential probably at the time of enrolment.
The winter of 1939 was particularly severe. We all disliked those cold, dark mornings when we stood shivering on parade for roll call. Very pleasant though when we broke off, collected our mess tins and dashed across to the cookhouse, banging away with our spoon on them until the Orderly opened up letting us in with a chorus of choice words.
Saturday nights when not on duty were spent sometimes in the NAAFI where we could have a pint of beer and a game of 鈥楬ousey Housey鈥� (Bingo), or the Garrison Theatre where there would be a show produced by ENSA - interpreted by some as 鈥楨very Night Something Awful鈥�, which I thought was quite unfair.
An alternative was the cinema in the village, there was also a pub and a cafe but our limited funds wouldn鈥檛 reach that far; our 14 shillings a week were quickly eroded by Stoppages, Barrack Room damage was one - even if there were no damage - after which there were items like metal polish, blanco, boot polish and toiletries - leaving very little with which to really live it up.
The first Christmas of the war came upon us and my prediction that it would by now be all over had to be revised and my new date which I set was to be February, when we had finished our training.
It was a most miserable Christmas, as with a lot of others in the room, I suffered from a bout of 鈥榝lu鈥�; if there was a Christmas dinner I knew not of it. We preferred to stay in bed and to try to keep warm. Christmas cards and parcels were received from home, other than that there was little in the way of good cheer.
I had told Jane when I left her that I thought I would get leave after a month but it was early in the New Year of 1940 that we were granted seven days. I don鈥檛 remember a great deal about it except the feeling of relief I felt to be free for a few days of the daily rush and dash to see my fiancee, Jane, my parents relatives and friends.

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