70th Bn. Middlesex Regiment  D.C.O.

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 I have read your information about the Middlesex Regiment with great interest and I congratulate you  on the result  of gathering together and publishing such information. Before I mention one or two items which do not tally with what I know I must give you my credentials in doing so.

Anthony Eden, at that time Minister of War, broadcast on the evening of the 26th May saying that invasion was imminent and asking young men between the ages of 18 and 20 to volunteer for the army to defend the country. He gave the undertaking that they would not be sent overseas until they had reached the age of 20 i.e. the call-up age.

The following morning, the 27th May, soon after I arrived at my office at the Waverley Book Co Ltd, I informed my Father, who was Managing Director, that I intended to join up. Much to my surprise he did not try to deter me. I later realised that this was because I had had T.B. when I was young and he did not think I would be accepted on medical grounds.

I travelled from Fleet Street to Edgware where they had set up a recruiting centre in the Drill Hall where cubicles had been set up all round the hall with a doctor in each. Each Doctor examined you on a different medical subject.  One doctor reeled off a list of illnesses including TB and to each one I had to answer yes or no - I answered "no" to TB.

I was then presented with a list of four regiments by a Sgt. Major  and asked which of the four I wanted to join. The regiments were the Royal West Kents, The Buffs, East Kents and the Middlesex. I chose the Middlesex Regiment as I lived in Middlesex.

I was then taken before a Colonel who swore me into the Territorial Army for the duration and presented me with the Kings shilling. I still have the Territorial Enlistment document which I had to sign and was given to me.   I regret that I spent the shilling  !

I was in fact the first man ( "Young Soldier") to join the Middlesex Regiment and during my service with them I had the lowest number of the batch of numbers allocated to  them i.e. 6213169 upwards - 6213169 being my number.

I was given a rail warrant and told to report to the Drill Hall at Hammersmith.  By the time I got to Hammersmith  it was early evening and I was the first and only one. The Quartermaster Sergeant was out for the evening and no one else could get into the stores to give me bedding etc., so I was told to go home for the night and report back first thing in the morning.
So I spent my first night in the army in my own bed !

When I reported back I was kitted out (still on my own) and taken round the corner to the Hammersmith  Town Hall, which was completely vacant and had been since the new town hall had been built. I was told to make myself comfortable in one of the very large rooms and to get myself into uniform . I felt a bit lonely until later in the day when others started to arrive.

The Middlesex unit at Hammersmith Drill Hall was the 10th Bn. Middlesex Regiment and it was to this Battalion , which consisted of  mature "old soldiers" , that we became part of for the first few weeks until enough recruits had arrived to form a battalion. As each company was formed we were marched off to our separate training centres. The first company of which I was part,"G" Company 10th  Bn. Middlesex Regiment, which later became "A" Company, 70th Bn. Middlesex Regtiment DCO,were marched to the Ibis Sports Club at Chiswick on the banks of the River Thames (the sports club of the Prudential Insurance company dead opposite Watneys Brewery) .
Our first Company Commander was Capt. (later Major) Phillips and three "mature" Sergeants from other companies in the 10th Bn. were transferred to us. Sgts Tate, Buckland and Woodcock.  Sgt. Tate later became our Company Sgt. Major

The Middlesex Regiment. During the first week three Sergeants (of mature age) were transferred to us from other companies in the 10th Bn.  -  Sgts Tate, Buckland and Woodcock.  Sgt. Tate was later to become our Company Sergeant Major. We were told to fall in outside in the roadway in three ranks but first the three Sergeants had to
show us and help us put on our kit for marching order. The only thing they had taught us during the week as the recruits arrived was how to salute - very important  !

We fell in outside and it was at this point that some joker amongst us told someone in the crowd that was fast gathering  that we were off to France. I guess that most of the cigarette and other shops nearby must have had a field day. The word spread like wildfire and we had cigarettes, chocolate and other goodies thrust into our hands. The lucky ones had kisses from the
girls and young ladies (and not so young !)  in the crowd.

We eventually set off, complete with Ambulance at rear - remember this was our first route march - and passed over Hammersmith Bridge.  When we fell in outside the Town Hall we found we had acquired three officers  who were not much more experienced than we were. No one had apparently told them that they should have ordered us to break step and we had gone just far enough to be getting the hang of keeping in step. When we were all on the bridge it
developed quite a swing. I heard later that as a result of us a plaque was put on the bridge to tell troops to break step - but I was never able to confirm it.

The three officers were Captain (later Major) Phillips who was to be our Company Commander,  2nd Lieutenant Turner and another whose name I cannot remember. 2nd/Lt.Turner
turned out to be a member of the brewing family of Fuller, Turner and Smith. The brewery, complete with attached Public House, was, and as far as I know still is, on the Chiswick Road i.e. on our route to the Ibis Sports Club. Whether by his arrangement or not that is where we had our break and we had a very welcome pint to sustain us on our first (of very many) route march.

Ibis Sports Club, our home for the next three months, was very comfortable compared with future accommodation - although we did not appreciate it at the time. We slept in the changing rooms on the floor and bench seats, it was all very bright and clean and we had a swimming pool, which I never used and tennis courts, which I did use. The playing fields, which were extensive
and were to be our training ground and parade ground, were criss-crossed with trenches to prevent enemy aircraft and gliders from landing, or coming a cropper if they did. Subject to invasion we were scheduled to have six months training at Ibis.

This was not to be. After three months, with Dunkirk behind us and France out of the war, we were split up into detachments of one Officer, one Sergeant,  two N.C.Os and 24 Other Ranks and sent to various "V.Ps".  These were vulnerable points such as water works, bridges, ammunition dumps, airfields, etc., at each V.P. we were divided into two guard units
consisting of an NCO and 12 Other Ranks. Each guard unit did 48 hours on guard and 48 hours off   -  although in our case the 48 hours off wasn't "off" - we had to complete the training we had missed. I was sent to VP76 i.e. Sunbury Water Works. That was where I was to spend the autumn of 1940 under canvas in Bell tents and the cold autumn mist would come up in the
early mornings and get right through us. The billet when we "off" was in an old  disused house about a mile or so down the road from the waterworks. It was literally lousy and the first thing our Sergeant did (Sgt. Buckland) was to make us scrub every square inch of it from top to bottom. It paid off because we never had any problems - but several weeks after "B" Company
took over the VP from us some months later,  after a few weeks they all had to be sent to the delousing centre in Harrow Road and the house deloused.

Whilst I was at Ibis Sports Club I had already had my eye on a job in the Company office but unfortunately I could not type and another soldier, whom I later came to dislike intensely, got the job. However I obtained a portable typewriter from my Father (it was his Secretary's) and in the
limited spare time available I taught myself to type. Towards Christmas 1940 I was transferred to Company Headquarters, which had been set up at Hounslow Drill Hall, to assist in the Company Office, although the official strength for the Company Office was one. That was where I was to spend all of Christmas 1940, on duty in the Company Office. If my memory is correct
Christmas Day itself was the only respite we had from the bombing raid

 During the first few months of 1941 I  alternated between Company Office  duties and V.P. guard duties, including Barnes Bridge and Kew Bridge until  eventually the whole of "A" Company were together again since leaving Ibis  Sports Club the previous August. Our location was Ham Common and our job was  to guard what was going on in Richmond Park and Petersham, which was just  outside the Park. What was going on was "Radar" -  radar had been
developed  before and during the "phoney" war and was our salvation in the battle of  Britain. It was still being developed with laboratories in Petersham Church  premises and with radar mobile "huts" dotted all over Richmond Park.  Richmond Park was closed to the public and it was a well kept secret why it  was closed. If we spoke to any of the local inhabitants, in a pub for  instance, about it they assumed that it was closed because there was an  Anti-Aircraft Battery located in it.  There was A.A. Batteries in every  major and even minor parks in every town - but the entire parks were not  closed to the public  !

The Company was split into four guards - 2 for Petersham and two larger ones  for the Park. In the Park there was one sentry on each "hut" and as the huts  were well spread out over the park, it was a very lonely duty. It was the  only guard duty where we had orders not to give the standard  3 challenges  if anyone approached i.e. (1) Halt, who goes there ! (2) Halt ! and (3)
Halt  or I fire !.  We only had to give the challenge "Halt or I fire" and ,if no  satisfactory response, fired.

 The guard duty Officer, who did his rounds on a motor bike because of the  distance he had to cover, always made sure he revved his engine up when  approaching a sentry. One night when it was quite foggy an unfortunate deer  did not answer my challenge when I heard it but could not see it and was  found dead the following morning.

We were still doing our 50 miles route marching per week,  give or take a  few miles.  There was one  often used march we did which consisted marching  right round the outside of Richmond Park -  our route was a distance of 28  miles.  I was suffering because I had very high insteps and because,  unbeknown to me until I was in my 70s, I had one leg an inch shorter than
the other. I know now why I had difficulty in keeping in step. After one  particular  route march there was a snap foot inspection when the officer  took one look at my feet and referred me to the Medical Officer. Within an  hour I was in an ambulance on my way to the Military wing of Botley Park  Hospital where I had an operation on both feet and was in hospital for
three  months.

 After two weeks in  a military convalescent home at Camberley I was returned  to my unit after being downgraded by a Medical Board from A1 to B2. I was  therefore excused certain duties including any further marching. It happened  by pure chance that the job of running the Company office was to become  vacant  - the occupant, who I have referred  to previously, was to be  recommended for a commission but had to do a period of general duties before  they could  recommend him as he had never done such duties since his  enlistment.

 I therefore took over the Company office and,  except for a short break many  months later after another spell in hospital, I was to continue to do so for  the next two years  - perhaps the happiest two years of my working life.

Up to this period we had all been operating as individual companies and  although we were the 70th Battalion we were not aware of any "Battalion  Headquarters" or Battalion C.O. If there was we were, as I have said,  unaware of it even during the times that I had worked  for periods in the  Company office and even the three companies were not located together or had  much contact with each other.

 This was now about to change and in September 1941 all three companies were  sent to Bexhill-on-Sea for "battle Training"

When we arrived in Bexhill we found that  "A" Company was to be billeted in a very modern red brick built convent in the centre of the town - quite a contrast to some of the billets we had had during our long spell of VP guard duties. Where the Nuns were we did not know - I can only state categorically that they were not in the Convent ! "B" and "C" companies were billeted
elsewhere in the town and we now had a Battalion Headquarters and a Battalion Commanding Officer - Lt. Col. Flavell.   BHQ  also had its location in the town.

Battle training was to take place,  believe it or not, at Battle which is about 10 miles from Bexhill. Early every morning all personnel with the sole exception of medical "B" category men and including all cooks, batmen, storemen, etc., marched the 10 miles or so to Battle and arrived back about 6pm in the evening.

I was the only soldier in "A" Company left behind and was in sole command - I had no one to refer to during the daytime as there was no communication link with my Company Commander. I myself  held the exalted rank of L/Corporal - which had been given to me soon after I took over the Company Office.

On arrival at Bexhill "A" Company had been given a new Company Commander, Captain A.A. James - known soon by everyone, except in his hearing, as Ack Ack James. He was an unusual Company Commander. On his first day he told me that his job was to train the company and mine was to run the office and that he would sign everything I put in his in-tray as he did not wish to be bothered with paperwork. I proved  it to another Officer who did not believe me when I told him this by inserting a sentence in a memo "and you will give L/Cpl Stevens 5". He believed me when I showed him the memo signed. I then retyped it correctly and returned it to his try.

Captain James other unusual trait was that he was extremely religious to the extent that he kept a Bible on his desk. On Company Orders - held in the evening instead of the morning because they were at Battle all day - if a soldier was prepared to swear with his hand on the bible that he was innocent, the case was dismissed. I do not know what would have happened if
Capt, James had found out later that he was not innocent because it never happened. Either the soldier was innocent - or he was too clever to be found out !

Our original three Sergeants were still with us except Sgt. Tate had been for some time Sgt.Major Tate. It was Sgt. Woodcock however who, at a later date, fell foul with Capt. James. More about that later on.

Life during the 2 - 3 month at Bexhill were in the main uneventful and I in fact never saw the town or sea front in daylight as I could not leave the Convent during the day. There was one event, however, which,  though serious,  was amusing - but I was not to find out the amusing part until about a year later.

During our spell at Bexhill we were attached to Southern Command who under the command of  a  "to be" well- known General called Montgomery,  Southern Command decided to hold a full scale exercise involving all troops in its command.
 

The theme of the exercise was to be that German parachutists had dropped in Kent and that the whole command would  move into action accordingly. The 70th Bn. The Middlesex Regiment were instructed to supply the company of troops who were to be the enemy who had landed in Kent. Why we the 70th was detailed for this function I do not know - I doubt whether our C.O. knew. I can only guess it was because we were only temporarily attached to Southern
Command. "A" Company was detailed by our Bn. H.Q. to undertake this task. It meant that early on the day before the exercise the Company had to route march to the designated "landing site" in Kent to be in position by the designated hour. The Company were to bivouac for the night  at a site in a nearby village and in position at dawn. As on every other week day I was left in sole occupation and sole command of the Convent.

I always slept in the Company Office and that night I went to bed without worrying about what time I got up in the morning. I was however woke quite early by one of our trucks coming up the long drive and pulling up in front of the Convent - outside my window in fact. I quickly dressed and pushed my bedding out of sight and tried to look as though I had been up awhile. I went
outside to find out what was happening and "A" Company men were jumping out of the back, all looking a bit worse for wear. Other trucks followed in - many in trucks which I did not recognise as ours. Soon the whole company was back. I heard the story from one of the Officers. He explained it thus "I was marching along a country road at the head of my Platoon when it struck me that it was unusually quite. I looked behind me and  there was only about three quarters of my Platoon marching behind me. I halted them and as a result of what the men told me my Sergeant and I walked back along the road. Behind many hedges there were men squatting, many only distinguishable by the glow of a cigarette. They all had violent diarrhoea. Before the night was out the whole Company was suffering from it and it became obvious that they would not be able to take part in the exercise. Because they were vital to the  exercise as "the enemy" the whole exercise had to called off or postponed.

Over the next few days we were flooded with brass hats from Southern Command including many from the Command catering department trying to pinpoint what had been the cause. Perhaps it was so and so that we had eaten - but no, it could not be that because although it had been issued to the the Sgts Mess and the ORs Mess , it had not been issued to the Officers Mess but many of them had suffered. And so it went on without any final result and eventually
it died down and more less forgotten except to reminisce about.

A year or so later I heard the probable answer. After another spell in Hounslow Barracks Hospital I was in more than 21 days and was therefore struck of the strength of my Battalion and put on the "Y" List and I was replaced in the "A" Company Office. When I returned I was told to
temporarily take over the Catering Office. The whole of the Battalion catering staff, with one exception but including the Catering Officer,  had been put under arrest after a "fiddle" had been discovered. The exception was the Catering Corporal - Tom Higgins who had obviously been found not to be involved. Tom Higgins and I became good friends and laying on our beds
talking one night, the subject of the Southern Command exercise fiasco cropped up. He looked at me and said "I know what happened". I asked him to tell me and he said that as so much time had elapsed he thought he could now safely open his mouth about it. He said "You remember that old ex-first World War Cook Sergeant you had in "A" Company - a little wizened old man
hardly ever without a pipe in his mouth ?"  I said "Oh yes, you mean Sgt. Smith" (that really was his name !) , "Well" Tom said "He was a crafty little sod and when he use to come up with your ration truck to collect "A" Company's rations, we were sure that when we were not looking he used to sling extra things into the back of the truck - we could never catch him doing it. Well, we saw him on this occasion sling several bags of what he thought was flour into the truck - but we knew it was baking powder " . We decided to let him get away with it to teach him a lesson - and you know the result. When all those Brass Hats turned up we all agreed and decided to
keep our mouths firmly shut".

Was that the answer to the mystery ?  -  I've often wondered over the succeeding years.

I do not think that there was any sadness when we left Bexhill except that it had been a "comfortable" billet. Although I had not done the battle course I understood that it was no picnic so I cannot imagine that anyone was sorry to see the end of it.
Our next stop was to be Hurst Park Racecourse and here "normal training" was resumed. Again it was a good billet - not so conventional as the Convent, but  spacious and clean. The Company Office was located in one of the betting huts, the rest of the company (and the other companies) scattered around in other betting huts, the stands, offices etc.,

Only two incidences stand out in my mind during our stay at Hurst Park otherwise as I have said it was routine training and more training as far as the unit as a whole was concerned. The first of these incidences concerned one of the three Sergeants who had been with us from the start and were still with us. Sgt. Woodcock was a drill sergeant, first, second and last. Without question that was why had been given his three stripes in the first place. He was tall, straight as a
ramrod, perfectly turned out and knew his drill inside out and upside down and had the voice to go with it. Full stop - that was it. If he had any other abilities he must have kept them in his highly polished boots. On the other hand he was a nice fellow who when off duty was quite approachable and pleasant. He had one habit which could have cost him his stripes if he had
been found out,  he, a Sergeant, borrowed money off me, a L/Cpl  -  I happened not to be short of it (no credit to me). Let me add that he never failed to pay me back.

To appreciate this story I have to remind you that our Company Commander, Captain A.A. James, was very religious. Sgt. Major Tate was on leave and Sgt. Woodcock was Acting
Sgt. Major in his absence. Although, being in the Company Office I was not present  on the Parade Ground when this took place, I heard all about it in detail.

The Company had assembled on the Parade Ground waiting for the order to "Fall in" and the Officers were marching up and down waiting. Sgt Woodcock gave the order "Fall in, Markers", which they did. He then gave the order "Company, fall in". Before they had gone a few yards he barked "As you were" as it was not done with the smartness he expected. Twice more the "As you were" order was given and the third time he let them have with a verbal tirade and finishing up with the words "Now, for Christ's sake lets see you do it right this time".

Captain James stopped dead in his tracks. turned towards Sgt. Woodcock, and said "Acting Sgt. Major".  Sgt. Woodcock marched smartly up to him, saluted. and said "Yes, Sir". "Sergeant Woodcock, do you realise that  man died for you ?"  Sgt. Woodcock looked puzzled at Captain James for a moment and then said "Died for me, Sir - who did ?" . "That man you just blasphemed, Sergeant - Jesus Christ". Sgt. Woodcock said "Died for me, Sir ? "Yes, Sergeant, died for you".

For a few moments there was dead silence - both Officers and men were fascinated by the conversation. Then Sgt. Woodcock looked at Capt. James and said "The bloody fool, Sir".
Captain James was furious. He said "You will consider yourself under arrest, Sergeant".

As Sgt. Major Tate was absent and no other Sergeant had been appointed as Acting and as I had to type it out, Captain James discussed with me under what section of the Army Act he could charge Sgt, Woodcock. He had not actually sworn at an officer so Capt. James had to agree that the only charge was the usual one that covered anything not covered by any other i.e.
Section 40 which stated "Conduct contrary to Good Order and Military Discipline" - Sgt. Woodcock was severely reprimanded.

  The other incident whilst at Hurst Park Racecourse was what was popularly  reffered to as "The Battle of Kingston"  - Kingston being  Kingston-upon-Thames. Kingston was the peacetime garrison town of the East  Surrey Regiment and a good number of East Surrey men were still stationed  somewhere in the town. It was also the nearest  "town" to Hurst Park and  many of the young female population changed their attentions to the  newcomers i.e. the 70th Bn. The Middlesex Regiment.   The East Surrey lads  did not like it !

 The first  result of the increasing number of  "incidents" that were  occuring in Kingston was the notice issued at Hurst Park that troops were  recommended  when going to Kingston of an evening to go in pairs. Whilst  this may have been safer it did not decrease the number of incidents i.e.  fights that were taking place.

 The climax came on the 16th May 1941.  The night before two of our men had  returned, with the aid of others, very badly beaten up and talk of revenge  was everywhere. It was Albuhera Day and various parades etc., were scheduled  including a visit from the Colonel of the Regiment. The Company Sgt. Majors  apparently got together and decided that subject to the minimum allowed  being left in camp, every man possible would be allowed out that evening.
 Whether this was done with the approval of, or the blind eye of, the  officers was never known. Suffice it to say tha Kingston that evening had an  unusually large number of visitors wearing Middlesex cap badges.  There were many scuffles, confrontations and fights during the evening
but  about 10 pm  the big confrontation was about to take place in the street  where the Bus Station was on one side and the Black & White Milkbar was on  the other,  The East Surreys started massing along the pavement  the bus  station side and the Middlesex on the opposite pavement. I was in the Milk  Bar having a snack with several friends and it was beginning to get very  crowded in there. The walls were covered round with mirrors and the first
indication I had that things were going to get out of hand was when one of  the mirrors was shattered with a brick or stone thrown from outside. I heard  latter that there were no mirrors the following morning. The two opposing  units both advanced and met in the roadway.  By this time there were quite a  few "red caps to be seen in the melee and more appearing by the minute. I and  my friends, having no ambitions to join in the fracas decided it was time to make  ourselves scarce so went out through the back of the Milkbar, which was through  the kitchen, and into the backstreet behind and made our way back to camp at Hurst Park.

 I gather there was quite a shambles in that roadway in Kingston the following morning but no one in the 70th was charged  including those arrested by the Redcaps who were returned to the unit the following day. I would guess that the same happened with the East Kents as the impression was that it was decided at some leval that it should be hushed up and certainly there was not a whisper about it in the Press. Even if they had wanted to it would have been censored not only from a public moral point of view but also under disclosure of  location of units.
 Not even Lord Haw Haw reported it on the radio !

Our next move was to last for nearly two years, other than a short move across the road.
 We moved to the Cavalry Barracks at Hounslow - the peacetime home, I understood, of the Royal Fusiliers.  "A" and "B"  companies were located in the Barracks together with a new company that was formed for all the "odds and ends" i.e. the cooks, the batmen, the barbers (Ptes Soliman and Levy!) the catering staff and so on. The company was designated "HQ" Company. "C" Company was located in the nearby hutted camp on Hounslow Heath which, we understood, had not been occupied for some years - in fact rumour had it, not since the first World War ! Probably not true, but it was certainly basic and there was plenty of mud  between the huts when it rained.

 It was our first experience of a real Barracks complete with barrack square and we began to feel more like a "Battalion".  Again it was training and more training including plenty of drill on the Square. "A" Company Office was in a very large room in the main block and so the Company Commander was in there with the usual trio - the Sgt. Major, the Quartermaster Sgt. and myself.

 For several months life proceeded on in a routine. I was during this time friends with another L/Cpl. also name Stevens and also known by everyone as "Steve" like myself. In fact in all the six years odd that I was in the army I  do not ever recollect being called by my first name "Ken". Only a few years ago I heard a friend talking about a man who I had obviously known
as a very good friend when I was in the army but had not seen or heard of him since. He gave   me his address and I rang him up and told him who I was and that as I would be his way shortly I and my wife would call in to see him. He was rather "cool" about it. When we arrived at his house and he came out to meet us he took one look at me, burst into a big smile and said "Oh,
it's Steve !" - he had not realised who "Ken" Stevens was on the phone.

I was now well established as "Orderly  Room  Corporal" of  "A"  Company and it seemed that life would continue that way with a job that I enjoyed doing.  The invasion threat was  virtually over now that the Germans were fully occupied  with the invasion of Russia.

As always, I slept in the Company Office and continued to do so at Hounslow Barracks. As I have said the room was large and at dusk we put up large plywood blackout screens at all the windows so that when I put the lights out the room was in complete darkness. I could not remove the blackout screens in case the phone went during the night and I would have to put the lights on.

On one particular night my "contented" life was to be for a period ended. I went to bed as usual but during the night I was violently ill. I staggered about in the dark being sick all over the place and trying to find the telephone to get help. I eventually found the phone and then passed out. Whether I managed to speak on the phone or not I did not know but the next thing I knew I came to in Hounslow Barracks Hospital.  I understood I had made quite a mess of the company office what with the  staggering about in the dark and the sickness. I was to be in hospital for quite a few weeks and was not to see that office again. As a result when I was able to check my personal effects quite a few things were missing  I remember , including  among other things, my wristwatch and my portable typewriter.

The following day two R.A.M.C. doctors, one of them female, gave me a thorough  medical examination and then started asking me a lot of questions.  These questions led me to believe, rightly or wrongly, that they suspected that I had TB.  I decided that I had better confess that I had had  T.B. in the bowels and left hip  when I was a baby and after many months in hospital and sanatorium  my parents had been told I had three months to live (they were wrong !).

After an intensive examination for T.B. I was not only told that I was completely clear of it, but they also gave me a certificate saying so. I expected to be placed on a charge for making a false declaration when I joined up but apparently no one was aware that I had  or bothered to find  out.

After 21 days in hospital I was placed on the "Y" list i.e. taken off the strength of my unit and so consequently my temporary replacement in the Company Office was made permanent. I was eventually discharged  hospital and returned to my unit. I was posted to "C" Company on Hounslow Heath who at first did not know what to do with me as being B2 I was excused doing several things including marching. They solved the problem by making me permanent  Company Orderly Corporal. I was also NCO in charge of the hut I was in -  and a right tough lot  they were !

I have forgotten how long I was in "C"  Company– not that long. There is however one story that I have always remembered  which I have included in my collection of
stories which I  called "A Kitbag of Stories".  This particular story is called  "Where is  Pte Cornwall ?"

It was a Battalion Order that all  Private soldiers who were transferred to other units were to be conducted to their new units by an N.C.O.  This was because so many had arrived at their new units either in unsoldierly state or late or in one or two cases not arriving at all.

I was detailed to take Pte Cornwall to his new unit in Harrogate.  We arrived at Kings Cross Station to find that we had missed our train. I made enquiries and found that the next one was in three or four hours time. Cornwall had been mouning all the way that his transfer had come through very suddenly with minimum notice and that he had not been able to visit his girlfriend before going. She lived in Kilburn – not far from Kings Cross on the underground so as we had this long wait he asked me to let him pop up to Kilburn to see her and he would promise that  he would be back in time for us to catch the next train.  I was young (19) and  naïve - I let him go.

Of course the next train arrived and departed with no sign of Pte Cornwall.  I reported to the Military Police Office on the station who contacted my unit and I was told to report back. When I arrived back I was placed under open arrest. As it was a Friday I had to wait until Monday to appear before my Company Commander on Company Orders.

On the Sunday I was in the cookhouse talking to the Sgt. Cook  with whom I was friendly and telling him what had happened. When I had finished he said  "You see that soldier peeling spuds over there ? I said "yes".  " Well, he’s Cornwall’s mate. He’s almost certain to know where Cornwall’s girlfriend lives". I went over to him and asked him to tell me where she lived but he quickly realised what it was for and insisted that he did not know.

I went back to my hut of which, as I have said, I was NCO in charge. Those who were there quickly realised that "something was up" with me and I told them. As I have also said they were a tough , many from the eastend of London. I had realised however that they had some sort of  peculiar respect for me. When I  would tell one of them to do something, he probably swore at me or told me what \i could do with myself  - but he would then do what I told him. I realised that I was "accepted" when I found out that their nickname for me was "The Toff".

Their leader was a soldier called Doughty and he said to me "Look Corp., tell  Cornwalls mate to report to this hut and the keep out of the way for half an hour. I went back to the Cookhouse and told  the soldier (I cannot remember his name) to report to Hut 17. When he asked me what for I pulled all the authority of my one strip and told him  to do as he was told and not argue.

Half an hour  later I went back to my hut and Doughty handed me a piece of paper – on it was written an address in Kilburn !

I went straight to the Sgt. Major and told him I knew where Cornwall was. He took me into the Company Commander and told him what I had said. He looked at me and said  "And I suppose you want to go and fetch him ?"  I said  "Yes Sir, and I would like to pick my own escorts"..

With Ptes Doughty and one other we went to Kilburn, only to find that Cornwall was on his way back to the unit at Hounslow. When we got back he was safely tucked up in a cell in the Guardroom. He never knew how luckly he was because I think my two escorts would have given him a rough journey back.

On Monday morning Cornwall was on Company Orders. I gave my evidence and he was remanded for C..O’s Orders.  I was then marched in and the Sgt. Major, who was charging me, gave his evidence which was "That on the 10th of the 11th  1941  L/Cpl. Stevens had escorted Pte Cornwall to Charing Cross Station where Pte Cornwall had absconded. L/Cpl Stevens had returned to camp where I  placed  him under open arrest".

The Company Commander formally looked at me and said "Anything  to say, Corporal  ?". "Yes, Sir" I replied.  First, it was  the  11th of the 10th and not the 10th of the 11th.  Second, it was Kings  Cross Station and not  Charing Cross Station and  thirdly I was conducting Pte Cornwall and not escorting him – he was not under arrest".

The Company Commander looked at the Sgt. Major and said "Is that correct, Sgt.Major ". Who replied "Yes, Sir".

In that case I have no alternative but to dismiss the case as the  charge is not correct. Please see in future, Sgt. Major, that the correct charge is made  - Case dismissed.

I have always believed that the wrong charge was deliberate on the part of the Sgt. Major almost certainly by the instruction of or with the approval  of the Company Commander. I base this on the fact that it would have been incredible for the Sgt.Major to have made such a mistake but even more so on the fact that the Company Commander did not seem at all concerned that such a mistake had been made.

In other words they wanted to get me off the hook.

After a month or two in "C" Company on Hounslow Heath I was sent for by the Battalion Adjutant. I was informed that the Barrack Fire Sergeant, Sgt. Cheeseman, who was attached to the Battalion from the Army Fire Service, needed an assistant and that was to be me. He went on to say that  I would be transferred to H.Q. Company and that as  either Sgt. Cheeseman and/or myself would be on duty 24 hours a day I would be excused all other duties. I was later to discover that the Sgt. Major of H.Q. Company was not informed of any othis arrangement until I was transferred into his company. He was not pleased,  which was going to be to my disadvantage.

Sgt. Cheeseman was based in the Fire Equipment Room in a remote part of the Barracks, the other side of the cricket ground. I moved in with him and over the next few weeks he taught me the job of fire fighting. Whilst some of it was hard work it was on the whole a "cushy job". Comfortable (for the army) sleeping quarters and no one bothered us. As I have said one of us at least had to be on duty all the time. There was however a fly in the ointment – the Sgt. Major. His first tactic was to post me up on orders as NCO Guard Commander. He tried this on several occasions. I went to the adjutant and told him I was to be on Guard Duty, The Sgt. Major promptly received a telephone call  ordering him to take me off. This of course made him even   more

annoyed, so he then tried another tactic. Every time I applied for a weekend or 48 hour pass I got the same reply – "all my quota of NCOs for passes have been allocated.

I had been Assistant Fire NCO for two or three months and thanks to the Sgt. Major I had not had a leave pass for six weeks when I applied once again. When I returned to the Fire Equipment Room,  Sgt. Cheeseman took one look at my face  and  said  "Good  God – not again, Steve ?" When I told him that I had been turned doen again he said "Look, I know you  only live in North London, clear ff on Friday evening and I will cover for you until Sunday night". I was fed up with having no leave, other than local evening leave, for six weeks and, as it turned out, stupidly agreed.

Late Sunday evening I returned to Barracks, to find Sgt Cheeseman under close arrest and I was immediately put under open arrest. During the weekend the Cookhouse Stores had been broken into and a substantial amount of  food taken. Certain "clues" had led them to Sgt Cheeseman.

The following morning – Monday – three plain clothes officers from the Military Police Headquarters at Scotland Yard appeared on the scene, took over the small  Quatermaster’s office, and set to work. The whole of Monday morning, nearly all day Tuesday and Wednesday morning I was "grilled". The three military CID offers sat in a semi-circle one side of the table with me on the opposite side and with the table lamp shining my way. They were just three dark figues  sat opposite. Up to then I had thought this only happen on the films !

They opened up by telling me that they were perfectly aware that I had been absent without leave from Friday evening until Sunday evening but that they were not interested in that – my company  C.O. would be taking whatever action was necessary. They informed me briefly what had occurred and that Sgt. Cheeseman was under close arrest . They also informed me that Sgt. Cheeseman was  involving me in the incident..

They asked me question after question, obviously trying to trip me up. At one point, I think it was on the Tuesday morning, they asked me if I owned an attaché case. I replied that I did. "Where was it" they asked.  I told them that  Sgt Cheeseman had borrowed it the [previous weekend and as far as I remembered he had put it back on top of the locker by the side of my bed in the Fire Equipment Room. One of the  M.Ps put his hand under the table and pulled out a case.  On being asked I confirmed that it was my case. Were there any marks inside ?  one of them asked. Not to my knowledge I replied adding that there might be one or two hair cream stains. They opened it and the inside was covered with a dark  red stain. I said that that was not there the last time I saw it  but that it looked like red ink stains. They said it had just been returned from the forensic laboratory and that it was cow’s blood. It had been used to carry away meat.

On the Monday or Tuesday evening, I cannot remember which, I received a boost to my moral. It was late and I was getting ready to go to bed when the door opened and the Battalion Adjutant walked in. "Everything all right Corporal ?" he asked. I replied "Yes thank you, Sir". He then said "I just wanted you to know that whatever is the outcome of this enquiry, I do not believe you had anything to do with it – Goodnight, Corporal.", and he left.

At some point I was asked if I knew where Sgt. Cheeseman went when he went out of an evening or weekend. I said I did not know but there was a telephone number on the wall over the telephone in the Fire Equipment Room where I could get him in an emergency. The only other thing I could tell them was that on the  few occasions I had  to ring him a female had answered the call.

I learnt later that they traced the address of the telephone number and raided the house and found the stolen food.

On my third day of "grilling" i.e. the Wednesday morning, things were very much at stalemate. I would not admit to something I did not do and the M.Ps  because of whatever Sgt. Cheeseman had said, thought I probably  was involved. Eventually I said to them "What in the hell would I want to do something like that for ?". They pointed out that  everything that had been taken  was either rationed and/or in short supply and would fetch quite a good sum outside.

 I gave a laugh and said that if that was what they thought I was going to ask them to do me a favour and ask them to send a telegram for me which would entirely destroy that theory. Looking a bit puzzled they asked me what I meant. I explained that I wanted them to send a telegram to my Father, whose address I would give them. All the telegram was to say  was  "Please send me £100.  Love, Ken"  and  we would see whether I needed to do what they  were suggesting to obtain money.

£100 in 1941 was a great deal of money – but I was in the fortunate position (no credit to me) that my Father would almost certainly have sent it. He would have asked me the next time he saw me what the hell I wanted it for – but I would have got it.

The M.Ps insisted that this was not necessary – I tried , without success ,  to insist it was to prove my innocence  but I had apparently proved my point because from there onwards their whole attitude changed and after that Wednesday morning session I was not interviewed again.

I have thought many times over the years since, in similar circumstances what would happen to the soldier who was not fortunate enough to have a Father who could not (or would not) send his son such a sum without question  ?

Sgt. Cheeseman was courtmartialed, at which I was a primary witness, and  was sentenced to a spell in the Glasshouse and of course reduced to the rank of Private. I was somewhat surprised a few years latter to learn that he was once again a Sergeant in the Army Fire Service.

I was charged by my Company with being  AWOL  and  received a sentence of being Repremanded – it was my first entry on my  AF122, my army crime sheet.
 

 The Army Fire Service replaced both Sgt. Cheeseman and myself, so I was now without a job again.  It was now, and not as I recorded earlier after a spell in hospital, that I was told to take over the Catering Office. There had been discovered  some big fiddle going on and,  with one exception,  the entire catering administration stall, from the Catering Officer downwards, had been arrested, some to be court-martialed, others to be dealt with by the C.O. The exception was the Catering Corporal,  Tom Higgins, with whom I became good friends .  It was an interesting spell but did not attract me as a permanent job and I was not sorry when I was told that I was to take over the Company Office of the company I was now in i.e. H.Q. Company.  The Sgt.Major who had  made life so unpleasant for me whilst I was Assistant Fire NCO had disappeared I know not where and a Sgt. Major Reis was now CSM of HQ Company. I was to have a very happy relationship with Sgt.Major Reis for nearly two years.

My  new appointment coincided with a new home for the Battalion.  I hesitated to call it a move as our new home was  only several hundred yards down the road on the opposite side  of the road from the Cavalry Barracks where we had been for several months. Beaver Camp, as it was named, was a fairly modern hutted barracks and it was here that I was to spend  almost the rest, but not quite, of my time in the Battalion.

HQ Company Headquarters was to be situated in a hut facing the barrack square and was to expand during the next few months from being  just  the company for all the odds and ends, as I called them, i.e. the cooks, Officer’s  batmen, catering staff, Regimental Police, and so on, to having all those,   plus "support"  platoons  i.e/ Signals Platoon, Carrier  Platoon, Morter Platoon plus one or two others whose names my memory has failed me. It was, however, the largest company in the Battalion with nearly 500 personnel.

The Battalion was now given a specific role. Up to this time the army had been responsible for the defense of airfields against enemy attack and until we were sent to Bexhill for battle training we had small detachments at what we called "The three Hs" i.e. Hendon, Heston and Heathrow – much sought after postings i.e. decent quarters, cateens, proper cookhouses and dining halls AND  sheets on the beds !! The R.A.F. Regiment had now been formed to take over the responsibility for the defense and security of the airfields.

The 70th Bn. was designated as a "Counter Attack  Battalion". The idea was that if the Germans  dropped parachute  troops and captured  an airfield , its Counter Attack  Battalion would move in and take it back. That was the theory  and  our airfield was just down the road at Heathrow. The Battalion was trained from hereon for this role and every now and again,  without any warning, the codeword would come through from London District Headquarters and the whole Battalion, lock, stock and barrel, would move out to their designated positions around Heathrow  Aerodrome. HQ  Company  office on these occasions was in a large army truck and I remember that our designated position was on the wide grass verge dead opposite the side entrance to the Berkley Hotel on the Great West Road  On one occasion we spent three days and a couple of nights there. Sgr.Major Reis was so fed up with it (and had made frequent visits across the road) that when we passed the troops marching back to barracks after the exercise, he stood in the back of the truck throwing thunder flashes in amongst them and laughing his head when they scattered. I have now doubt he got his knuckles rapped when we got back but he somehow talked his way out of any serious trouble over it..

Whenever these exercises took place one of the objectives was to improve on the time it took for every man to be out of the barracks (and this included everyone – cooks, batmen, R.Ps, etc.,) and we did eventually achieve a time of 23 minutes. I remember on one occasion, whether deliberate or not we never knew, the code word came through on Albuhera day and after all the various parades and demonstrations that had been organised for the occasion, the Honorary  Colonel of the Regiment was addressing the Battalion from a dias that had been erected for the occasion. The bugle sounded right in the middle of his oration and he was given a demonstration that had not been on the agenda. Within half an hour he,  his driver and the duty guards were the sole occupants of the barracks

Soon after our move to Beaver Camp we also had a new Company Commander,  Major C.W. Summers. Major Summers was, I understood, a Judge in civilian life and, as with Sgt.Major Reis I was to have a very good relationship with him – only spoilt by one incident much later on. I not only had a very good relationship with my    Company Commander ,  I also very much admired and looked up to him – in fact as far as I was concerned he was my role model. It therefore came as a shock to me when the incident I mentioned occurred. We had in the Battalion an Officer who was a useless buffoon and wimp. Although I well remember his name I will call him Captain, later Major, ‘C’. He was a regular Officer (nobody knew how) who therefore got his promotions automatically. He had never had a field command and  when he was a Captain was given the job of "President of the  Officer’s  Mess" which consisted of running the Officer’s mess and was normally a  spare time office rotated between the senior Officers in addition to their normal full time job as Company Commanders or whatever. With Captain C it was given to him as his only job. When he got his promotion to Field rank i.e Major he continued for a time as President of the Officer’s  Mess until, I believe, an order came down from above that it was just not on to have any Officer, let alone a Major. doing that job as a full time job and that Major C was to be given a field job. This created a problem. There was no way that he could be given command of a company, as befitted his rank. The only alternative was to make him a second in command of a company – a position where,  depending on the Company Commander, could involve anything from a fair amount to do, to nothing at all to do (much like the Vice President of the USA).

That then was the obvious answer – but this raised another problem. With one exception every Company Commander in the Battalion held the rank of Captain, and you could not make a Major second-in-command to a Captain ! The exception of course was our H.Q. Company Commander, Major Summers.

So, Major C was appointed Second-in-Command of H.Q. Company. I had never known, and literally no one that I knew had ever known, a Major to be a second-in-command of a company. Major Summers just ignored him except for the rare times when it was unavoidable.  I  do not know where Major C. spent most of his time during the next few  months  or what he did with his time – it was certainly not doing  anything useful as far as the company was concerned. I do know however that some of the time was spent making a nuisance  of  himself  by spending time in the Company office, usually sitting on the edge of one of our desks and making facetious, sarcastic or caustic remarks.

As  I  have said,  Sgt.Major Reis and I had a good relationship and even friends in as far as we could be with our different ranks  and in an Infantry unit . For instance if we finished work in the Company office late in the evening he would say to me "Come on Steve, that’s enough for tonight – lets go and have something to eat". We would then toddle off up to the café at the top of the road opposite the barracks and  have a meal together. Some years after the war, in the early  1960s,  we came happened to meet up again and he was without a job and  asked me if I could give him  a job as a driver or storeman. I told him I would look into it and had decided to give him a job when I learnt that he had died.

However, back to Major C. He started, when no one else was in the orderly room, making  snide remarks to me about my relationship with Sgt. Major. At first I took no notice so he made them more obvious.  This went on for some considerable time and I got more and more annoyed. The day came when Major Summers was on a course and Sgt. Major Reis was on leave and nominally Major C. was Acting Company Commander  (something Major Summers could not change). The only other occupant of the Orderly Room besides myself and the Sgt Major was the Quarter Master Sergeant,  C/Sgt. King – and he on this occasion was out of the room. Major C. came in and after a few remarks made a direct and unambiguous  outright statement that I and the Sgt. Major were having sexual relations (but using army language). I walked out of the office and  feeling that I had to talk to someone and the two people I would normally have talked to were away, I went to my equivalent in the Battalion Orderly, Sgt Butterworth and unburdened myself on him.  Quite unbeknown to me he afterwards told his boss, the Battalion Adjutant what I had said. This all occurred on a Friday and both Major Summers and Sgt Major Reis were due to return on Monday morning.

On Monday morning I was working at my desk when Sgt. Major Reis came in and before I could say anything to him Major Summers appeared and told Sgt. Major to come into his office. When the Sgt. Major came out he came over to me and, loking qwuiote shaken, said to me "Steve, I’m sorry but I have to place you under open arrest and you are to be charged with making an improper complaint against an Officer". The following morning  on Company Orders the Sgt. Major marched me into  Major Summers with Sgt. Butterworth as witness and read out the charge to me. He then called on Sgt. Butterworth to give his evidence but Sgt. Butterworth started to explain that I had gone to him as my senior N.C.O. and that I was unaware that he was going to repeat it to the Adjutant, Major Summers abruptly told  him that he was there to give evidence, that he was to state what happened and nothing else. I was given no opportunity, as was usual, to say anything but given  an abrupt sentence of a Reprimand.

My consolation was that I did not have any more snide remarks from Major C and in fact he only made rare appearances in the Company Office afterwards. After a few
months he suddenly disappeared – I know not where. I would guess that a "reasonable" time was allowed to elapse so that it could not be said that  his departure  was due to that incident.
.
At some time during that first six months or so at Beaver Camp  HQ Company was redesignated  as "Support  Compny" because it now had fully trained and equipped  support  platoons of  Carriers, Signals, Morters, etc., as well as all the "odds and ends" as I called them – one of which was of course,  me !

Beaver Camp, Hounslow was the longest period  we had had  in one location. It nearly was not because soon after we moved there from the Cavalry Barracks across the road ,  in the spring of 1942 we had a visit from some brasshats  from I know not where.  With these brasshats was a  colonel  in the uniform  of our new allies – the United  States of  America.  The first Americans had recently landed in Northern Ireland  and  this  Colonel was  Officer  Commanding the advance party whose mission was to find suitable  quarters for the first  American troops when they arrived on the  U.K. mainland.  Apparently, although we thought Beaver Camp was the best quarters  we had had since Ibis Sports Club,  the American Colonel  must have thought  otherwise, because we never had to move out to make way for the  Americans.

We, and the rest of  the world, were to come to know that  Colonel’s  name certainly as well as we knew Montgomery’s name.

His name was Colonel  (latter to be General of the Army)  Eisenhower.

There is not a lot else to be said about the next  year and a half  at Beaver Camp. It was routine  training,  exercises, courses, training,  leave , training and more training. We were wishing that we could do something that all this training was for and quite a few, fed up with the inactivity, were getting into various forms of  trouble.  It became so bad at one time that all  the "bad boys" were transferred into "C"  Company, and others transferred out of "C" Company to make way for them.  The toughest  Company Commander,  Officers,  Sgt. Major  and NCOs were also transferred into "C" Company and the Company was put on a "Commando"  Company footing with appropiate "commando"  training schedule. Discipline was put on the highest leval  with what I believe these days would be called  "non tolerance".

Crime in the rest of the battalion took a sudden downturn – the thought of being transferred to "C" Company was quite a deterrant !

Several minor but interesting events  occurred during this period. Of which I will recount but two. One was that an order came out (from what level  I do not know) that Church  Parades on Sundays were  henceforth to be voluntary.  Being in the position I was in the Company Office  where Officers often "chatted" to me, I learnt how gratified  and pleased the Padre was that numbers attending , after the first few weeks drop, were almost back  to when Church  Parade was compulsory.  As far as I know no one ever disillusioned  the Padre by telling him that  the Sgt. Majors had  ensured a good attendance by putting all other ranks who did not attend Church parade on fatigues until after the Church service and had to wear fatigue denim battledress. So t they had to clean up and change into  normal battledress if they were going  out for the rest of the day on pass.  Those who  attended Church Parade were properly dressed  resdy  to  leave the camp as soon as they  left the service.

The other order that came out was that the powers that be decided it was unwise for soldiers in wartime, particularly infantry, to have brightly shining brass on our equipment and that it was to cease forthwith.

The strange result of  this order was that more soldiers were put on charge for shining their brass during the following few months than  for the same period before for  not shining it.

The late summer of 1943 rumours were growing that something was  about to happen. Were we to be  moved to somewhere else in the UK ?  Were we to be sent overseas or were we to be sent for special training  to take part in the forthcoming invasion. Certain Officers were suddenly transferred. Nobody knew what was happening. Major Summers began to tell me where I could find him if he was out of  camp for any reason.

That something was going to happen was confirmed when we were told that all personnel  who were not medical category  A1  were to be transferred .  Sgt. Major Reis was  B1 and immediately put in an application to be transferred to  troop ship duties as Troop Ship  Sgt.Major.

I remember the day he was sent for by the Adjutant to be told his application  had been successful.  As soon as he came back into the Company Office I could tell from his face that it was good news.  After I had wished him luck and we chatted about it for a while, he said  "Why don’t you try to come with me, Steve".  I looked at him in surprise and said  "Me ?  What as".  "Troopship Orderly Room" he said, "It would mean a second or even third strip for you".

I immediately put in an application  but after several days was advised that my application had been rejected  as no personnel below B1 could be considered for Troopship duties.

I immediately went off to see the M.O., explained the situation and asked him to upgrade me to B1. After looking at my papers he told me that he could not do it as I had been downgraded  from A1  by a Medical Board and only a Medical Board could change it, but that what he would do would be to apply for me to go before a Medical Board..

A short  time elapsed before I was ordered to appear before a Medical Board at  Snaresbrrok  Hospital. They regarded me – DOWN  - to  B7  ! That finished any hope I had of  going on troopship duties with  Sgt. Major Reis.

One evening I received orders to locate Major Summers and tell him to report to the Commanding Officer.  I knew he was at the Odeon Cinema opposite Hounslow West Underground station. I went to the cinema and seeing the manager an usherette was instructed to take me to find  him .  As we started in the balcony I found him very quickly – he was in the back row  with his arm round a young lady.  Somewhat taken  aback I saluted and gave him the message that he was to return immediately and report to the C.O..

The following morning the whole battalion moved out of Beaver Camp. Our destination was Chingford in Epping Forest. I forget whether we were told  before we left  Hounslow, or when we arrived at Chingford,  what was bad news to most of us,
The Battalion was to be disbanded and  detachments were to be sent to different battalions of other regiments to bring them up to strength ready for the invasion. All personnel below medical category  A1 were to be sent  to  No.1 War  Office Selection Centre  at  Croydon.

The next two or three weeks were fairly hectic.  Support Company was billeted in the ballroom of the Royal  Forrest  Hotel. Company Headquarters was in a large requisitioned  house nearby  and the Mess  Hall was the Masonic  Hall.  I had to deal with  batch after batch of transfers to various units. It was all very heartbreaking to see men  who in many cases I had spent the last three and a half years with going off in the trucks to their new units – probably I would never to see them again  and many of them would be killed or wounded in the coming invasion.. In my job as Company  Orderly Room Corporal I  knew  and had,  amongst many other things, dealt with many of their problems. I believed, and have always been proud of  it, that I had earnt their respect.

Eventually my  own  posting came and, with several other "B" category  men  I  was taken by truck to No. War Office Selection Centre  at  Croydon.  One of my last jobs before leaving was to type my  Company Commander’s  report on me which had to be sent to the Selection  Centre ahead of me. Modesty forbids me to describe its contents. I will only say that if I had written it myself modesty would also have prevented me from writing such a report.

Finally, before I end this history I will relate one more  story..

During our first  year  or so at Beaver Camp we  had a Regimental Sgt. Major  who was the personification  of the popular image of a R.S.M.  Tall, chest stuck out, waxed  moustache,  perfect turnout, and always a pace stick under his arm. He was, in fact the perfect Regimental Sgt. Major and again, although I  remember  his name well  I will call him  R.S.M. "C".

R.S.M. "C",  whether by design or coincidence, lived in Hounslow. There was no such thing  as living out  allowence, except in units such as the Pay  Corps, so,even when off duty technically he could not live at home.  An arrangement was made however, obviously with , or with approval of,  the Battalion C.O. for R.S.M. "C" to live at home when off duty but to draw  his rations from the cookhouse – a job he delegated to his batman.

This arrangement  worked well (for RSM  "C") for quite some time  until one day his  batman  was stopped  at the Guardroom,  the contents of what he was taking to the RSM’s  was searched and it was found to contain a very great deal more rations  than he was entitled to  have.

RSM  "C" waa  not charged.  Whether this was because the arrangement  he had made with the C.O. would not have looked good or not I did not know.  All I did know, and I only knew because RSM "C" wsa on the strength of  "Support" Company and I therefore handled the paperwork, was that the whole thing was hushed up but a week later  he was transferred out of the Battalion.  Again, which was unusual, his destination was not disclosed.

As  I’ve  written above,  when the Battalion was disbanded I ended up at the War Office Selection Centre  at  Croydon  which occupied  several  large houses and a large garage/petrol  station .  When we arrived there  the truck pulled into the forecourt of the garage/petrol station. I prepared to jump out of the back of the truck when I looked sraight into the face of a familiar figure  -  RSM "C".  I looked at him and he looked at me and I knew  that he knew that I  was one of the few people who. knew.

My  three weeks at the Selection Centre  was  quite pleasant. I still had my stripe and
I was put in charge of one of the houses which we were billeted in.  One of my duties was to go up to the house which was the Centre HQ  last  thing at night and report  that everyone  in my billet was present  (we were allowed out in the evenings). I made an agreement with all my lads that as long as they were back by the morning I would report  all present. On one occasion  one of them did not come back by the morning and so I assumed I would be for it -  but nothing happened..  Towards  the end of the course I was asked by RSM  "C" if I would like him to recommend me for a permanent  job at the Centre  !

I wonder if all this had anything to do with the fact that I knew  RSM "C’s"   little secret  ?

That was the end of the 70th  Bn  The  Middlesex  Regiment (D.C.O.). The result of my three week course at the Selection Centre , together with my Company Commanders report, was that I was told that I was to be commissioned in the Royal Army Pay  Corps after six months in the Pay Corps "learning the job". I promptly  turned down the offer but was told by the Colonel who interviewed me that I had no choice and consequently was on the train to join the Pay Corps at Bournemouth the following day.

The rest of my service until  July  1946  is another story and not part of the History of the  70th  Bn  The Middlesex  Regiment  (D.C.O.)

I would be pleased to hear from anyone who served in the 70th Bn. – particularly if they served in  Support  Company (formerly  HQ  Company) and knew me.

The three people I would be very pleased to hear from would be  Lt. "Billy"  Bennett,  Sgt. Bob  Burton  and  Corporal Tom  Higgins  - all three of whom came to my 21st  Birthday  Party  at the Connaught  Rooms in London  on the 22nd  October  1942.