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I could drive and I was first joined up in Darlington TA, I was about 17-18yrs old. Ijoined up RASC as a driver. 43 Anti aircraft brigade. I joined up before consciption if I had waited I would have been in the Green Howards.

After Dunquerke the remains of the Green Howards that returned to Scarborough where about 3 out of a Battalian I realised what close shave it had been for me.

At Catterick we were comandeering empty trucks on the great north road bringing them back to Catterick racecourse dumping them for use later then back to great north road to comandeer more vehicles.
They had to be empty mostly trucks vans any thing that would serve the purpose.
I was then sent to Scarborough after joining up working on workshops repairing any vehicle engines bikes cars etc. The beach was all wired up and royal artillary were manning machine guns all weathers night and day, waiting for landings.

I was transferred with two others to New Forest arear near Fordingbridge fitting vehicles. There had bad loss of vehicles after Dunquerke oil had been emptied or deliberate damage done to the vehicles to prevent them being used by the enemy.

After Fordingbridge I was given embark leave for 14 days, came home the blitz started in London, coventry, and southampton also got it.

After leave reported to guildford mobilisation centre about midnight, the next day I was sent to a water tank company to drive vehicles carrying water tanks, we were sent back as we were not needed because they sais they only used black drivers.

I was sent to join another company of RASC to Greenock then from there I was sent to Algiers it took 14 days by Sea I was on the Windsor Castle it had been a liner now a troop ship. I enjoyed the food the on the ship the bread was white and beautiful the first white bread Id seen for ages we had been eating horrid brown bread on ration in civvy street the Navy seemd to be living like lords!! I was supposed to be going to Oran on north african coast but it was being bombed heavily so we had to go to Algiers. It was hellish cold at night taken to a stadium it was light as day in moonlight freezing no food just sat on steps waiting for morning. we were all gathered up in trucks next day taken outside the city and mustered up put on train for 3 days and 3 nights on bully beef and biscuits, (hard tack) tea made from engine boiler water it tasted lousy all rusty - wood seats, six in a carriage like sardines with all our kit and guns.

Off the train we marched a long way to an area like a desert there was a marquee we all got off the train like a bunch of convicts!! it was very hot and we were wearing thick battle dress. I marched past REs who threw tangerines among us they were like nectar we had no rations including water.

The first night at the marquee in the desert a hurricane wind blew up blowing away much of our equipment we had to hold onto the marquee to stop it from blowing away it was our only protection.

From North Africa I had to sign for a truck I had a corporal with me, the driver (me)was in charge of the vehicle we went to Phillopville.
we were part of a convoy.

I remember Arab markets here and we were working in warehouses collecting sugar.
I remember arab trucks being fueled on wood and an acidic smell like distilling whisky.

We went to join the eighth army in Tunis.

The bone road was built then the british and americans were jointly working on it.
it was about 300 miles long across africa.
The brits did 31/2 miles a day with pick and shovel on virign soil trees scrub etc the yanks had all the tackle and did 7-8 miles a day they had mechanical diggers it was pitiful to see our lads the engineers and pioneers did most of the work. the pioneers were conscientous objectors but were employed to do any labouring work they were worked very hard, in a bad way.
In north Africa I got sand fly fever I was ill for 3 days I was sick couldn't eat, fever, like malaria. Arab labourers were given a long stick of brown bread and a carafe of rough red wine each day for working, all the laboureres got this.

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