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My father John Hales was in the Royal Engineers and got posted to Calais to build Marshalling Yards to enable the supply of goods to our troops. The French had refused us permission to use theirs. He got sent to the Maginot line where he was refused entry, having nowhere to got he almost got captured and got badly wounded in the leg, he retreated back to Calais and got dumped in the woods and awaited rescue from an English ship. He got picked up by the Labour Corpse,but they too then got captured by the Germans. Being badly injured he was put on board a ship and sent back to England. The Labour Corpse who was highly respected by the Germans were saluted and welcomed aboard by a full military band. The Labour Corpse were also known as the 49ers (as in the song) “Ho My Darling Clementine”.

The day my father came home from the war there was a knock on the door, and looking out of the window we saw an old ambulance. My mother answered the door “Mrs Hales we have your husband” said an ambulance man, “well bring him in” my mother said. “Where do you want him” said the ambulance man, “Upstairs” my mother replied, “He can’t go upstairs” replied the ambulance man. “Well put him on the setee my mother said. And there he stayed for approximately 6 weeks. “You’ll have to sign” said the ambulance man handing over a piece of paper. “What? I have to sign for my husband “said my mother, “no his gun “ said the ambulance man, handing over my fathers revolver and 5 bullets “his entire ammo”. What about me? asked my father.

My father had seven children and did not wish to go to war as he was the sole earner of the house at that time. After he had gone to war the Bailiffs came and took away the radio as my mother could no longer pay the rent. He had so many radios in his car he had to come back and pick up the others he seized that day . Everyone complained and after a while we all got a radio back but not necessarily the right ones.

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