Description
Object description
Ts transcription of an unfinished anecdotal memoir illustrated with scans of photographs (37pp, written just after the war) containing few dates or place names but covering working as a foreman bricklayer in Birmingham, briefly toying with the notion of being a conscientious objector, his call-up (24 December 1941), his conscription into the Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC), details of his training, pay and haircuts, being sent to a camp in Wiltshire, his socialist political views, his intense dislike of the drudgery, orders and working in slave labour like conditions, joining a concert party, playing the ukulele and also working back stage, promotion to Corporal, being trained as an intelligence tester to new recruits and his anger at being rejected despite passing the course, moving back to an RAOC base, air raids in Birmingham, compassionate leave due to the death of his father, moving to the Midlands for an upgrading course, producing a concert for the NAAFI at Christmas, passing the course, being posted to Kent, being on draft for service abroad, getting engaged and married in a week while on embarkation leave, becoming 'pool labour' cleaning tanks as they left a Central Ordinance Depot, being detailed to work in the ration stores of an ATS camp, details of the camp, the ATS girls and his duties, moving to work in the stores of a workshop company which repaired tanks, producing more concert parties, and becoming an unofficial Physical Training Instructor, with details of some of the people he served with, and including photocopies of some of his original memoir (3pp).
Content description
Ts transcription of an unfinished anecdotal memoir illustrated with scans of photographs (37pp, written just after the war) containing few dates or place names but covering working as a foreman bricklayer in Birmingham, briefly toying with the notion of being a conscientious objector, his call-up (24 December 1941), his conscription into the Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC), details of his training, pay and haircuts, being sent to a camp in Wiltshire, his socialist political views, his intense dislike of the drudgery, orders and working in slave labour like conditions, joining a concert party, playing the ukulele and also working back stage, promotion to Corporal, being trained as an intelligence tester to new recruits and his anger at being rejected despite passing the course, moving back to an RAOC base, air raids in Birmingham, compassionate leave due to the death of his father, moving to the Midlands for an upgrading course, producing a concert for the NAAFI at Christmas, passing the course, being posted to Kent, being on draft for service abroad, getting engaged and married in a week while on embarkation leave, becoming 'pool labour' cleaning tanks as they left a Central Ordinance Depot, being detailed to work in the ration stores of an ATS camp, details of the camp, the ATS girls and his duties, moving to work in the stores of a workshop company which repaired tanks, producing more concert parties, and becoming an unofficial Physical Training Instructor, with details of some of the people he served with, and including photocopies of some of his original memoir (3pp).
History note
Cataloguer SJO