As 1940 comes to a close Ray is happy to be getting 100% in his morse tests but less happy to see so many friends and colleagues being promoted above him. Comfort comes in the form of parcels from his mother (Jenny, pictured above), Eileen (of course) and the Rosset Working Women’s Institute! Having spent 1 1/2 hours peeling sprouts Ray enjoys a few beers to see in the New Year and hopes that this time next year he’ll be celebrating peace……….

Sunday 1st December: Getting truck ready and kit packed for moving off tonight. Slept in afternoon. Started at 9.30pm. About 20 vehicles in the convoy. No lights at all and dark night so driving rather difficult. Several trucks knocked about by tanks which we encountered en route. Harboured at 3am in the morning at Lower Upham. Thankful for the tea waiting for us. Clean straw put in stables for us to sleep on. Idea of manoeuvres is that we are invading ‘Salisbury Desert’. One Div fighting against another in scheme.

Monday 2nd December: Woken up at 6am to have breakfast and to get into communication. Slept for a few hours during the day. In the evening Freddie and I walked up to the local for a pint before we moved off. Started about 8pm and a very long convoy now. Arrived at destination about 4am and had to sleep sitting up in the truck.

Tuesday 3rd December: Up again for breakfast at 6am. Working on set all day. No water to wash with. Scrounged jug of tea from house nearby. Parked rather in the wilds and officers coming into truck all day to speak over set. Convoy moved again at night and reached little village about midnight. Sleeping in barn at night but no supper provided for us.

Wednesday 4th December: Working on set in morning but scheme ended at midday. Started back about 1pm. Cpt Wilkinson was going to put me on charge for leaving set to get some dinner but believe it will wash over. Came through Froxfield?? on way back but disappointed not to see any of our chaps. Arrived at Hindhead at 9pm and then went to café for supper which was great relief as had no meals since breakfast. Good wash and shave and then to bed.

Thursday 5th December: Wilkie has proceeded no further with charge. Morning cleaning truck and drinking tea in café. In evening Freddie and I walked down to Haslemere. Went to YMCA and enjoyed some good table tennis. Went back at 7pm and stayed talking and watching the dance until 9.30pm and then walked back to Hindhead.

Friday 6th December: In morning had to get ready to leave. Waited until about 10am for pay and then started out. Good journey. Stopped for lunch at Linga Longa café outside Andover. Same café as we went to on our way to Betchworth and smashing cooking. Arrived in Bradford on Avon about 2pm. Saw Spud Murphy for about five mins during which he talked about everything in general. Went to cinema with Freddie, Lewis and Floyd and saw a film about five years old.

Saturday 7th December: Started back to Froxfield at 10am and arrived there about 1pm. Good journey in lorry. Stopped for lunch just outside Marlborough. In afternoon blancoed all my equipment as new rule at Froxfield. In evening went to dance which we ran at schoolroom which is our canteen. Danced several dances and enjoyed myself although annoyed with myself for not taking girl I danced with home. While on journey to Bradford on Friday got two letters from Eileen and one from Mummy.

Sunday 8th December: In the morning had church parade at Froxfield. Rush get ready to leave at 1.30pm on truck for Thornbury where all our operators are going on a course of training for B2. Arrived there at 4pm. Dead and alive place with not even a tobacconist open on Sundays. Billeted above shop in high street. Evening in YMCA which is not particularly alive.

Monday 9th December: Oral interview with Mr Walton in morning and allotted to class one. More reading. On switchboard in afternoon on office scheme. Worst thing here, I find, is no smoking during classes which last 1 ½ hours each. On fire piquet in evening and three of us had to peel about 50 spuds each. Sleep in guardroom. Wrote letter to Eileen and one to Mr Tripp which finished about 1am.

Tuesday 10th December: Went sick in morning as bruised a rib in the blackout in Haslemere and rather painful. Just got liniment. Class marched down to local workhouse where we had a bath. Back scrubbed by one of the inmates. Long E&M lectures and morse reading about 20wpm. Discovered in evening that I have 10/- less than I thought in Post Office which mucks up Xmas presents a bit. Evening in YMCA writing up this.

Wednesday 11th December: Very hot here on bullshit in laying out kits. BRITISH BEATING UP WOPS AT SIDI BARANI. I consider this to be the first real land victory we’ve had. Morse speeding up a bit. Drew 15/- from Post Office. In evening went to YMCA. Meant to write letter home but read ??????

Thursday 12th December: News today. Italians retreating all over Sudan. Sidi Barani captured by us, and most of coast. Morse reading, E&M and R/T practice on 14s. In afternoon had parcel of comforts from Rosset Women’s Working Institute. In evening had to go on guard as relief for man sick. On as third relief and got a bit bored and tired on night turn but morning not bad.

Friday 13th December: Morse test in afternoon. Not bad but made a mess of reading in one message which had ‘pigeon’ in C&I spree. Heard that Lt Fisher leaving here. Only a young chap but best E&M instructor I’ve had so sorry to see him go. Collected 25/- pay in afternoon. 6d deducted towards our Christmas dinner. In YM in evening. Wrote letter to Mummy, Joy and others at home.

Saturday 14th December: In morning had tests on map reading, E&M and procedure. Made slight mess of E&M paper when worked out R in circuit wrong. In afternoon caught bus into Bristol with Mick and Jack Turner. Bristol has been bombed hard and centre of town in very bad state. Did some shopping and bought Eileen a manicure set in leather case for Xmas. Came back at six as all shops close at 5pm. Bought smashing Xmas card for Eileen. Went to YM and wrote to Dad and Den (Editor’s note: Den is one of Ray’s brothers).

Sunday 15th December: Short fatigues in morning then went for stroll with some of the other chaps. Marvellous church here of Gothic architecture, very old with gargoyles round the buttresses. Did nothing much in afternoon and on fire piquet again in evening. Most of the time in YM again. Letters from Mummy and Dad. Mummy had marvellous time with Dad up at Bradford and seem to have got to know each other better again. Dad probably coming to S Wales on a course so may be seeing him.

Monday 16th December: Morse test results in morning. I got 99.1% which made me third and better than I expected. General results, however, have caused us to have to go to evening classes until 7pm. New E&M officer not so good as Fisher at explaining, but took us for morse in evening and is a marvellous sender. Jim and I took 22 words per minute complete.

Tuesday 17th December: PT in break time but missed it today as went to local workhouse again for a bath. Laundry still and Hindhead and no change of clothing for six weeks. Heart in evening heard that Rockett, Turner and Cutter have got a stripe each. Not confirmed yet but am admittedly a bit jealous and reckon I ought to have one at same time.

Wednesday 18th December: On R/T scheme all today with Eddie Pollett on II set in small truck. A good change from lectures but not very thrilling and not much movement. Result of Friday’s E&M test 41% so must get cracking this week. Went to get good results in final. Drew 5/- from PO and bought Mummy a Xmas present.

Thursday 19th December: Flat broke today. Felt rotten today when Jim, Cuttern and Jack Turner made L/Cpls and sewed stripes on in evening. Especially mad at not getting stripe before Jim. Eddie Pollett very ill in evening. Doctor visited him and said it was flu!

Friday 20th December: Morse test in morning. Think I got 100%. In afternoon collected 25/-. Lit fire in billet in evening and got ready to go to dance which we are running at our hall. Had to wait until 9.30pm for an ambulance which had been coming since 8.30am to fetch Eddie. Went to dance with Sjt Airey and Nick. Got a bit drunk. Practically everybody there drunk. Good time but didn’t dance as about 4 blokes to 1 girl.

Saturday 21st December: Working in morning. In afternoon went shopping. Received letter and tobacco pouch from Terry (Editor’s notes: one of Ray’s brothers) and a smashing Xmas parcel from Eileen containing chocolates, cigarettes, a pair of mittens she has knitted and a super Ronson lighter. She’s terrific. On fire piquet in evening. Spud bashing. Jim guard commander. Learned that Jim and I got 100% on morse test.

Sunday 22nd December: Nothing much to do today. Parcel from Mummy today containing an iced cake, biscuits, cards and chewing gum and a novel. Read book in afternoon and watched the chaps losing money at pontoon. In the evening went to YMCA and tried to write letter to Eileen but couldn’t get very far.

Monday 23rd December: On a W/T scheme all day today. Partnered with Jack Turner. Had an audience of school children. Mistletoe growing on trees nearby and meant to get some but owner appeared to be a bit liverish so left it. In evening went to local cinema with Mick and saw ‘Wings of the Morning’. Enjoyed it alright.

Tuesday 24th December: Tried every shop in Thornbury for lighter petrol but no go so had some out of W/T truck and now everyone seems to be out of matches and it’s working overtime. Normal working day today but paid again in afternoon and packed up early. In evening all chaps making a round of pubs. Sjt Airey and the gang of us got a private room in the ‘Barrel’ and played tippitt over bread, cheese, pickles and beer. Had first whisky tea brought to us in bed in morning.

Wednesday 25th December: Got up 7.30am for breakfast and went on church parade at 10.30am. Back from church went straight to dinner. Pretty good spread with as much beer as one wanted. Served by officers and NCOs. Orchestra playing. Songs and toasts galore. Rested and read most of afternoon. In evening went to show given by concert party which was quite good. After went to ‘Barrel’ again. When we got back to billet everybody got tipped out of bed. Terrific laugh over Lewis, Husband and Hampton, drunk as lords and using beds as aeroplanes.

Thursday 26th December: On parade at 9.30am but dismissed right away. Finished book in afternoon and then went for a good walk with Jack Turner. In evening all in billet got together at the ‘George’ with eats from our parcels and had a sing-song and ate and ate. Cake Mummy sent very much reduced. Enjoyed ourselves and considered it very good end to our short holiday.

Friday 27th December: Back on the job today with morse, morse and more morse. Worried a little by E&M and PT. Instrument test in afternoon. On guard in evening. First turn. Tried to write letter to Eileen but had to complete diary so too late to get on with letter. Several girls waiting outside cinemas where we’re on guard came up and asked if I had seen somebody or other who they were waiting for.

Saturday 28th December: In afternoon went to Bristol with Mick. Made a tour looking at shop windows and bomb damage. One church with large square tower leaning at about 30˚. Mick trying to find some post Xmas bargains. He comes from Darlington and I think a bit of Yorkshire is in his blood. Had tea in jolly fine YMCA at Bristol. 6pm bus back. Went to YM at Thornbury and started letter to Eileen.

Sunday 29th December: On fatigues in morning. Nine bags of sprouts between six of us. Took 1 ½ hours to peel them. In afternoon went to sleep. In evening went up to YM and finished letter to Eileen. Totalled 14 pages. I wonder how she’s getting on now. It is rather hard to know what she is feeling from her letters because she doesn’t write about everything but she knows what to put in them to make me feel good.

Monday 30th December: Had bath at workhouse and then went on scheme all day. Working rear link in ‘gin palace’ with Lewis and Mack. Pretty successful. In evening our much boosted show was held. A crowd of chaps from other squadrons imported to see it. Mostly officers taking part. Jolly good altogether. Major Pearman, OC of the school, took main parts and was very good.

Tuesday 31st December: Received marks for last Friday’s instrument test given out. I got 40% which is pretty terrible. Will have to do some swotting. Lecture in afternoon on battery charging. Lit fire in billet and then got ready for the eve dance at Cosham Hall. Went up at 8pm but band hadn’t arrived so went on to YM with Jack Gray for half an hour. Back to hall but still no band so went down to the ‘Barrel’ where downed two pints while watching ‘tippitt’ match. Back to hall. No band arrived but tow of our chaps had got on piano and drums. Terrific crowd there. Band arrived soon after and then crowd really got going. Majority a bit tipsy. I started dancing and went on dancing until 1245. Enjoyed myself terrifically and improved my ‘dancing’ a lot. Although the floor was bit like a rugger scrum. At midnight the uproar was terrific with about six different songs being sung at once. If only I had had Eileen with me but I must take her to a dance when I get home. Well that’s the end of eventful 1940 and I wonder what I’ll be doing and where at the end of 1941. Let’s hope it will be PEACE.