Description
Object description
Privately bound word-processed memoir, illustrated throughout with photographs and sketches (219pp, written 2002), covering his birth in 1918, his 'father', Fred Pope, turning out not to be his natural father, family life, growing up in Sittingbourne, Kent, schooling, attendance at Sittingbourne Methodist Church, working for an upholsterer, aged 14 (1932), and then Millen's the Butchers, working in the slaughterhouse, joining 4th Sittingbourne Scout Troop, working at the paper mill, joining the Royal West Kent Regiment as a Militiaman for training at Maidstone (July 1939), details of training, accommodation, food, anecdotes, the outbreak of war and finishing training early, posting to Fort Halstead, Polhill (September 1939), the Territorials moving to 4th Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment, newly formed in Axminster, Devon, joining the Signal Section, schemes and exercises during the winter, embarking for France in SS VIKING with the 4th Battalion RWK Regiment (132nd Infantry Brigade, 44th (Home Counties) Division) with the BEF (April 1940), marching to Bailleul on the Belgian border, marching to Oudenaarde following the German invasion of Belgium (May 1940), defences, confusion, coming under enemy fire while delivering a withdrawal order, escaping with 'C' Company, 4th Kents, the fighting retreat through Belgium, abandoning his equipment under fire in the Foret de Nime, strafing by German planes, making his own way to Dunkirk, managing to get a boat off the beach to HMS CODRINGTON, arriving in Dover, eventually re-joining his battalion in Oxford, and then moving to Gainsborough (June 1940), being 'adopted' by a local family, the Spencers, moving to New Romney, Kent (November 1940), German air raids and planes being shot down, moving to Sturry, near Canterbury (February 1941), getting married while on leave (March 1941), volunteering to transfer to the Royal Signals, training in Winchester, posting to an out station at Hillsea Barracks, Portsmouth, training in driving and maintaining vehicles in Norwich, various posts to Royal Norfolk Regiment and Brigade, being chosen to be a Wireless Operator for a Special Force as part of the Special Operations Executive (SOE), training at Fawley Court, using B2 Wireless sets, embarking in DUNOTTAR CASTLE with Texas State Troopers aboard, landing near Oran, Algeria, being fired upon by his own side while trying to get to Oran to work for the American Vice Consul, sending coded material from agents about Spanish Morocco, the hostility of the Oranis, moving to Algiers, Christmas 1942, moving to Constantine (January 1943), anecdotes about missions and amusing events, moving to Guelma (February 1943), posting to the W/T station at SOE HQ 'Massingham', Algiers, being made Signal Office Superintendent, seeing parachute training, moving to Sidi Othman, Tunisia, witnessing American soldiers taking pot shots at Arabs, seeing the aftermath of the fighting in Tunis, moving to Brindisi, Italy (October 1943), based at Brindisi Airfield, moving to Benevento and setting up a station with links to SOE formations, the differences between American and British hospitals and canteens, time at Torre A Mare, posting to Altamura to train a Yugoslav Partisan Brigade signal section (late 1944), descriptions of the partisans and their life, attending a WOSB, returning to Torre A Mare, leaving to run a station at Bari (November 1944), enemy bombing of Bari leaving him injured (December 1944), Christmas 1944 at Torre A Marre, a brief spell in Siena (Spring 1945), arranging drops of ammunition to a surrounded partisan landing zone, promotion to Lance Sergeant (April 1945), home leave and hearing of the end of the war with Japan, returning to Italy as a Corporal, posting to Laura, then posting to Athens, Greece as Signals Superintendent in 14th Line of Communication (London), Signals, controlling signals for the whole of Greece, guard duty (Christmas 1945), working in stores (January 1946), demobilisation and the journey home across Europe, returning to his job in the paper mill, and trouble buying a house and reconnecting with his daughter, with later notes about seeing the eruption of Vesuvius in Naples (1944) and two accounts by Lieutenant A R H Waring about an action by 'D' Company RWK Regiment at Morbecque (May 1940), and Colonel Chitty about Oudenaarde (May 1940). Throughout the account there are details of friends, comrades, officers, the types of radios and working conditions, boisterous behaviour, scraps, dabbling in the black market, leisure time, and run-ins with authority.
Content description
Privately bound word-processed memoir, illustrated throughout with photographs and sketches (219pp, written 2002), covering his birth in 1918, his 'father', Fred Pope, turning out not to be his natural father, family life, growing up in Sittingbourne, Kent, schooling, attendance at Sittingbourne Methodist Church, working for an upholsterer, aged 14 (1932), and then Millen's the Butchers, working in the slaughterhouse, joining 4th Sittingbourne Scout Troop, working at the paper mill, joining the Royal West Kent Regiment as a Militiaman for training at Maidstone (July 1939), details of training, accommodation, food, anecdotes, the outbreak of war and finishing training early, posting to Fort Halstead, Polhill (September 1939), the Territorials moving to 4th Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment, newly formed in Axminster, Devon, joining the Signal Section, schemes and exercises during the winter, embarking for France in SS VIKING with the 4th Battalion RWK Regiment (132nd Infantry Brigade, 44th (Home Counties) Division) with the BEF (April 1940), marching to Bailleul on the Belgian border, marching to Oudenaarde following the German invasion of Belgium (May 1940), defences, confusion, coming under enemy fire while delivering a withdrawal order, escaping with 'C' Company, 4th Kents, the fighting retreat through Belgium, abandoning his equipment under fire in the Foret de Nime, strafing by German planes, making his own way to Dunkirk, managing to get a boat off the beach to HMS CODRINGTON, arriving in Dover, eventually re-joining his battalion in Oxford, and then moving to Gainsborough (June 1940), being 'adopted' by a local family, the Spencers, moving to New Romney, Kent (November 1940), German air raids and planes being shot down, moving to Sturry, near Canterbury (February 1941), getting married while on leave (March 1941), volunteering to transfer to the Royal Signals, training in Winchester, posting to an out station at Hillsea Barracks, Portsmouth, training in driving and maintaining vehicles in Norwich, various posts to Royal Norfolk Regiment and Brigade, being chosen to be a Wireless Operator for a Special Force as part of the Special Operations Executive (SOE), training at Fawley Court, using B2 Wireless sets, embarking in DUNOTTAR CASTLE with Texas State Troopers aboard, landing near Oran, Algeria, being fired upon by his own side while trying to get to Oran to work for the American Vice Consul, sending coded material from agents about Spanish Morocco, the hostility of the Oranis, moving to Algiers, Christmas 1942, moving to Constantine (January 1943), anecdotes about missions and amusing events, moving to Guelma (February 1943), posting to the W/T station at SOE HQ 'Massingham', Algiers, being made Signal Office Superintendent, seeing parachute training, moving to Sidi Othman, Tunisia, witnessing American soldiers taking pot shots at Arabs, seeing the aftermath of the fighting in Tunis, moving to Brindisi, Italy (October 1943), based at Brindisi Airfield, moving to Benevento and setting up a station with links to SOE formations, the differences between American and British hospitals and canteens, time at Torre A Mare, posting to Altamura to train a Yugoslav Partisan Brigade signal section (late 1944), descriptions of the partisans and their life, attending a WOSB, returning to Torre A Mare, leaving to run a station at Bari (November 1944), enemy bombing of Bari leaving him injured (December 1944), Christmas 1944 at Torre A Marre, a brief spell in Siena (Spring 1945), arranging drops of ammunition to a surrounded partisan landing zone, promotion to Lance Sergeant (April 1945), home leave and hearing of the end of the war with Japan, returning to Italy as a Corporal, posting to Laura, then posting to Athens, Greece as Signals Superintendent in 14th Line of Communication (London), Signals, controlling signals for the whole of Greece, guard duty (Christmas 1945), working in stores (January 1946), demobilisation and the journey home across Europe, returning to his job in the paper mill, and trouble buying a house and reconnecting with his daughter, with later notes about seeing the eruption of Vesuvius in Naples (1944) and two accounts by Lieutenant A R H Waring about an action by 'D' Company RWK Regiment at Morbecque (May 1940), and Colonel Chitty about Oudenaarde (May 1940). Throughout the account there are details of friends, comrades, officers, the types of radios and working conditions, boisterous behaviour, scraps, dabbling in the black market, leisure time, and run-ins with authority.
History note
Cataloguer SJO