MILITARY
The trains left in the afternoon so that we would be travelling through SWITZERLAND by night. We had one meal stop in ITALY, and then all the carriage doors were locked for the journey through SWITZERLAND. We stopped at BRIG to change engines form steam to electric. The Red Cross was there with cups of coffee and tea. It took four hours before the next stop in France to change from electric to steam. The French engines were huge but seemed all smoke and steam- not much speed. We arrived in CALAIS the following afternoon.
Transit Camp at CALAIS another two days. Then morning ferry to DOVER, overnight at DOVER. We were allowed to send telegrams home free of charge. Morning train to LONDON, then the train home, so after ten days travelling I made it at last.
I had been away from home three years and seven months and on going out the following day the first thing I was greeted with 'What not home again? The fourteen days went very quickly. When I received my instructions for the return journey it was NEWHAVEN - DIEPPE, the long not the short crossing. Two days spent at NEWHAVEN, the sea was very choppy, there were long faces from the bad sailors.
On the day we sailed the cooks must have had as sense of humour; breakfast was egg (powdered) sausage and greasy bacon and the sea was worse than the day before, so there was a lot of uneaten breakfasts.
The crossing took four and a half hours with strong waves. Most were happy to be on dry land again. I was fortunate again it was a Swiss train. The journey back in France seemed longer; more stops and branch lines. When we reached the Jura mountains on one section, the train was eight coaches and five engines long.
Travelling through SWITZERLAND at night the lights reflecting on the lakes and villages on the mountain were like fairyland. These trains travelled very fast. There were brake's men in each carriage and they braked the train not the driver. Looking out of the windows on a bend you could see the carriage wheels were glowing red. We arrived in MILAN the following evening. Four days in the transit camp waiting for transport south. I was able to have a look around MILAN this time.
It took two more days to reach NAPLES. On arrival I found that the unit had moved to BARI, which was on the east coast down on the heel of ITALY, so I had to wait in transit camp for seven days for transport. When I arrived at the unit I had been away forty five days.
We were not a maintenance unit any more. We were given a squadron of American Boston Light Bomber aircraft that none of us had any experience on so it was back to school. I had only been back fourteen days when I was posted home - tour expired. So I had to start my journey all over again. I had to get back to NAPLES where the dispatch centre for the trains was. The journey took longer this time. On arrival at DOVER I had to go to the RAF station at HORNCHURCH to be re-kitted out. Overseas we wore khaki battle dress, now I had to be back to air force blue. I arrived home on December 16 th on a month's leave.
I had returned from a full overseas tour.
I had returned unhurt.
Mother was there to welcome me.
I had a sense of peace throughout the tour.
Exactly what I had been promised in Blackpool in 1942.
I was posted to an aerodrome outside PERSHORE; an aircrew-training unit for pilots on twin engined aircraft - training of aircrew still went on. The camp was being used as a stop gap for airmen due for release. Very few of the normal staff had been overseas so the airmen being posted there with tour of campaign medals were a novelty. Things were very quiet; we had weekend leave once a month just waiting for W32 release number to come up.
We were interviewed, the air force was trying to persuade us to stay for another twelve years. I don't think they had much success.
My release came through and I went to CARDINGTON for demob. I was not kept waiting there - arrived one day and demobbed the next with my civilian suit. As from 19/7/46 I was a free man, free as were thousands of others to join the dole queue.