War and the forces |
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IN MEMORY OF LOUIS STREET WALTER WILLIAM MESSAGE The First World War claimed the lives of millions of men, women and children across the globe. Like nearly every family in Britain, the Message family were to lose a member in this gory conflict. TARESS Stalingrad changed the pattern of events for us in Persia. The unit was split up and our section was for the South East Asia Command. News came that we were having a new RSM who would be a tyrant, named Joe Huggins. A MURDERED ZIMBABWEAN FARMER'S DOG As darkness falls and day becomes night, the scents and sounds undergo changes. A REMARKABLE R.A.F. POLICEMAN "I'm 82 and can still stand on my head." This is how Charley, as he is known to all, greeted me on September 14 on the occasion of a reunion held at Fontainebleau, France, of RAF servicemen who had met him during their service at Camp Guynemer, the then headquarters of Allied Air Forces, Central Europe. SILENT SERVICE In August 1941, the Royal Navy, in the eastern Mediterranean, continued transporting tonnes of assorted stores, ammunition and light guns from Alexandria in Egypt to the besieged garrison at Tobruk in north Africa, approximately 365 miles away. GROWING UP - PART ONE It was after the war now and the playing fields behind BHASVIC were open like a park. GROWING UP - PART ONE I remember the car sales garage in Melville Road was a store for army boots. Army lorries were parked outside. There was no ignition key but we used to drive the lorries around on their batteries. GHOSTS Off on another adventure... THE RESISTANCE STORE When you are children in the war you have the opportunity to go to places that adults cannot. THE MINISTRY OF FOOD In those days adventure was on your doorstep. Where the Co-op supermarket now stands was a large Victorian building. The notice read: THE MINISTRY OF FOOD. WINTER COATS It is the war now and Brighton is full of American and Canadian soldiers. THE GERMANS Another wet day - let's go and see the Germans. IN A RAILWAY CARRIAGE AND DANCE NIGHT IN A RAILWAY CARRIAGE A.W.O.L - FOR LOVE Forty five years ago I was so popular with the RAF Police that the then editor of the 'Parade' thought I merited a mention. "SHALL WE GO HOME?" He didn't think it was quite fair, really. Not after all he'd been through. A WARTIME MEMORY OF BRIGHTON A report in The Argus referred to an ex-sergeant of No 6 Commando who was seeking to contact a couple with whom he had lodged in Suffolk Street, Hove, prior to the Normandy landings of 1944. FOR VALOUR In a small village in Sussex there lives an 82-year-old man who is modest in the extreme, self- effacing and quiet. THE CAFE I had just come down from the anti-aircraft guns and my throat was parched with shouting orders to the gun crews. I entered the Sergeant's mess tent to get a cup of tea. The large urn of (stewed) tea was sugared, so I waited for my specially brewed pot, without sugar! As I sat there sipping my tea, Sgt. Major Forbes put his head in the tent. "Sergeant, a word!" A SAILORS LIFE At the age of 18 I joined the Royal Navy in 1942. After a long training course I passed out as a signals/wireman. BATTLE OF BRITAIN In 1940 as a 14-year-old lad on this day, we (I and a friend) were watching overhead battles that went on in the sky daily when we heard the sound of a plane obviously in trouble.
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