大象传媒

I have been asked by my daughter - in-law for an account of one of my wartime experiences o that my grandchildren could have some idea as to what it was like to have gone through the second World War,
I do not wish to enter into any of the various actions against the Germans or Japanese,but the day which is forever in my mind is the day that I fondly remember as my 'Homecoming'.
Very briefly,when the war broke out in September 1939,my friend Ken and I were rowing a boat on the Serpentine in London's Hyde Park. We thought that the 'siren' was a call for us to take the boat in,and on arriving homw I found that my father was already digging a hole in the back garden in which to place an Anderson shelter.
We then went through the London Blitz which meant continuous bombing every night,sleeping when we could in the Anderson shelter. We were ibe if the lucky familys who escaped any direct hit by bombs and incendiaries. We did however put out many fires in neighbouring houses, and even at the age of 14, were quite expert in putting out fires.
In 1942 I volunteered for and joined the Royal Navy, without my parents knowledge. I remember my father being very angry about this, as I was underage and he could do nothing about it.
For the best part of my Navy Service, I was a seaman gunner serving on a light cruiser ,the HMS Kenya,in the Far East, where we carried out numerous raids on the Japanese in occupied Malaya,Sumatra and the Burma coast. This was during the 2 years from 1943 to 1945, and in early 1945 were given the good news that we were going home.
On the way home we were given the good news that the wr in Europe was over, and we subsequently arrived back in England in May 1945 after an absence of 2 years and a couple of weeks after the VE Day celebrations.
We docked at Sheerness,but were denied leave on the first day, being the duty watch. However, it was great being back in England, were we particularly noticed that the green colour of the countryside was so different to the dark green and yellowish green of the Far East.
I travelled home the next day, after an absence of 2 years and still consider this as one of the best days of my life. I remeber myself and 3 shipmates catching a train at Sheerness bound for London Bridge, and to celebrate our homecoming,bought First Class tickets, only to be told by some unknowing businessmen that we should not be sitting in a First Class compartment. After some small argument with the Staionmaster abd a Naval Patrol, we produced iyr qualifying tickets, and the businessmen had to remain standing all the way to London Bridge. I must confess that we were not in the least sorry, after all we were war veterans.
Suprisingly, London appeared no different from the one I remembered, except of course the demoliton of more buildings. I do remember that the people appeared more at ease and relaxed which was not surprising as of course their wr was over.No more air raids, rockets or flying bombs.
Having reached London Bridge, I walked down to Tower Bridge, which miraculously had escaped the bombing and caught a number 42 bus to Camberwell Green. It seemed that I was there only yesterday.
I was then faced with the problem of finding the road and the house where my parents were now living. Our previous house had been hit by a landmine some 12 months before and luckily my parents had escaped any serious injury.
I was looking for Coleman Road on the border of Camberwell and Peckham and after much local public guidance eventually found myself walking up this road, hat in one hand and kitbag in the other, looking for the new house. I then saw a man leaning out of a top window pulling in some flags that had been put out for the VE Day celebrations.I cannot explain my feelings at that time, but then saw that his was my father who of course still thought that I was in the Far East, as at that time we were not allowed to disclose our movements. He was so occupied that he didn't at first notice me, only after I stood looking up at him for a couple minutes. He then put a finger to his lips, telling me to stay there until he broke the news to my mother.
Later that evening we called on my sister 'who had married and had a baby whilst I was abroad,and now lived in Bermondsey. It was there that I first met my new sister-in-law, who had been writing to m e abroad, and who I married just over a year later when I was demobbed from the Navy.
This was a wonderful day, a day that I will never forget and would like to relive over and over again.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.