Growing up in Lee-on-the-Solent by John W Green

Author:John W Green
Language: eng, eng
Format: epub
Tags: Lee-on-the-Solent, Hampshire, Gosport, HMS Daedalus, merchant navy, RAF, Marconi, World War II, home front, nostalgia
ISBN: 9781909183643
Publisher: Andrews UK
Published: 2014-08-27T16:00:00+00:00

Jean and me Below Bar at Southampton

The time came round all too quickly for me to make my way back to Cranwell, but when it did, Jean came to see me off at Portsmouth Harbour station. Once back at the Apprentice School, Jean’s letters resumed their weekly appearance, and I improved my replying to her letters. At the camp, we soon got back into our routines of drill, lectures, workshops and the like, and life was good. I was enjoying all aspects of the training, perhaps with the exception of some of the ‘bull sessions’, but it did seem long a long time to my next leave. When at last it did come round, on arriving home it was so irritating - as it had been on every previous occasion - that whenever I met someone that I knew, invariably they would say ‘Hello, on leave again, when are you going back?’ This would usually be on the first day of the leave.

Immediately after the Christmas leave, the 64th entry (3M1) arrived at Cranwell. This was the time when some of our entry would be expected to be promoted to be Leading Apprentices to take charge of the Flights of the new arrivals. A list appeared on Standing Orders for some from our Flight to report to the Guard Room on a specified evening. Everyone knew that this would be the occasion when the selected few would be promoted. My name and number were included and I attended together with the others - I was not quietly confident, but quietly hopeful. I had been performing pretty well and was achieving high marks in the subject that we were studying. If I was not the best, I had been very near the top. I had kept my nose clean and my kit always passed inspection without too much trouble. I didn’t know but that evening was to be a pivotal point in my career in the RAF. I don’t know why, and of course I never will, but the Duty corporal said to me: ‘Oh, there’s been a mistake - your name shouldn’t have been on that list. You can go back to your flight.’ ‘Right, Corporal,’ I replied, and made my way back. My embarrassment was short-lived because the others who had been promoted soon came back and were being congratulated by the rest of us.

Although I was very disappointed and a little disheartened, I made up my mind to be among the next group who were to be made up to Leading Apprentice. First of all, I had a go at joining the band as a trumpeter. What we called trumpets were really straight bugles because they didn’t have any valves. I am afraid I can’t claim to be musical at all, but I did manage to master the few of the notes possible on the so-called trumpet. It was only a few days after I joined the band that it was taken to Skegness to form part of a cavalcade.

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