- Contributed by听
- William Ledbury.
- People in story:听
- William, Ledbury.
- Location of story:听
- Algeria, Tunisia & Central Europe.
- Background to story:听
- Army
- Article ID:听
- A1288398
- Contributed on:听
- 17 September 2003
On the day on which I became 21 & eligible for War Service 23rd July, 1939, my sister Josephine and I, set out on a G.W.R.half-day excursion to St. Peter Port Guernsey.(fare 12/6 each return from my home town Trowbridge via Weymouth) Very soon
afterwards my Call-up notice arrived. Exactly 6 weeks later, whilst awaiting the dreaded 11th hour
announcement of the outbreak of war on Sunday 3rd September, I was looking at the Westbury White Horse, some 5-6 miles distant, thinking how very peaceful it looked in the lovely sunshine of that dramatic day. My notice required me to report to a military depot in Taunton on Wednesday 18th October. There I was confronted by an Army Officer and greeted with the words "welcome to His Majesty's Army" Then on by coach to the garrison town of Okehampton, Devon, to join the Royal Devon Yeomanry Artillery (384th Barnstaple Battery)Here we spent the following 7 months,including that coldest Winter since 1881. Shortly before we were due to move to Robertsbridge, East Sussex in May 1940,Tony, a Brother of mine stationed at Catterick, Yorkshire, (a driver in the R.A.S.C.),had been transferred to Higher Barracks, Exeter, Devon, prior to overseas service. He paid me a surprise visit and whilst having a drink of NAAFI tea in the canteen tried to kid ourselves that the war would not last longer than 6 months!Seeing him off by train back to Exeter, little did I know that I would never see him again, because on 27th May 1942 he was killed in action in Libya, North Africa.Upon being moved to Robertsbridge we were informed that we were now on active service and therefore priviledged to send mail free of postage, simply by marking the envelope O.H.M.S.
Next move was to Horam Road. North of Eastbourne, where some of us at least slept in an Oast House for the very first time.There we were required to examine passengers on passing public transport for security reasons. ( to be continued ) continued )
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