As the weather turns bitterly cold and Ray turns 22, his training and tests ramp up. Not even his Father, Norman (pictured) is likely to have time to visit him. He’s desperate to get himself noticed and be promoted but stripes seem to be going elsewhere….

Wednesday 1st January: After last night’s proceedings had to get billet ready for OC’s inspection in the morning. Letter from Eileen today. Lovely to hear from her again but in it she asks why I haven’t written so it must have just crossed my 14 page letter which is most annoying. On Fire piquet in evening. Had to spend 1 ½ hours ‘spud bashing’. I am determined to get my Bz?? as it may result in a stripe which I want very badly. Snow on ground in morning. Weather now bitterly cold.

Thursday 2nd January: CSO inspecting school today so everything made to look up to scratch. Had a fire in B classroom for first time. Got out of PT now as billet is always locked when we go to change. In evening went to cinema and saw ‘Destry Rides Again’. Cinema seemed crowded with 4 Squadron blokes.

Friday 3rd January: On a scheme all day. With Sjt Airey in morning and Matthews in afternoon. Freezing cold sitting in trucks but working quite good. When got back had a morse test. 13 messages in 15 mins. Paid a £1 afterwards. Went to YM in evening and tried to swot up E&M??. Got Jack Gray to help me. Sweating blood on battery charging theory.

Saturday 4th January: In morning had tests on instruments and E&M which were not so hot. Will be down on E&M. In afternoon had to go to 3 ½ hour film show in hall on driving and maintenance. Everybody bored stiff. Had tea in café. Lost 5d at Pontoon. Went to YM in evening and wrote letter home which was rather brief.

Sunday 5th January: On short fatigues (Editor’s notes: someone has kindly informed me this means menial, non-military tasks) in morning and then played Pontoon in which I lost 1/6d. In afternoon went with Mick in crowded lorry to Bristol. In Calston Hall which is an enormous place, beautifully decorated. Saw BBC Variety Orchestra conducted by Charles Shadwell with Dorothy Carless, Ronnie Hill and George Graves. ¾ of an hour was broadcast. Jolly interesting and have always wanted to see a broadcast. Wrote letter to Eileen.

Monday 6th January: Silver frost in the morning with everybody tottering about as though they were drunk. In scheme all day but owing to bad roads could not go far and we returned for dinner. On 11 set with Simpson and some good work. First Aid lecture by Jack Gray in evening with Major Pearson, Hollbrook and Garnett. Jones in class. Wrote letters to Grandma and Auntie Grace in evening.

Tuesday 7th January: In morning had results for last week’s tests. Morse 99.9%, instruments 76%, E&M 59%. Told we’re taking Trade Board test at end of week. Traffic competition in afternoon. Working to Rockett??. 149 points. Top of test. Test on passing most traffic. First Aid again in evening – then to YM where wrote a letter to Mick. Can’t write to Nell as I have not his address.

Wednesday 8th January: Our armoured Divs are making big headway in the Middle East against the Italians. Have captured Bardia. Rec’d letter from Mummy in the morning. Spadge is starting work at Standard Telephones. Joy has boyfriend named Tone. Will this last long? Dad on leave and may come to see me but I doubt whether he will have time to come down here. Dot & Dash Derby again in afternoon. First session with Turner and second with Linsey. First Aid in evening. Went to YM after and wrote letter to Doug Maylett. I have lost touch with the Rovers for some time now.

Thursday 9th January: My 22nd birthday. On wireless scheme today. Went out with Mick and Cutter. We were one of two trucks with window aerials. Working successful but very cold. First Aid. Major Pearson told me I may have to stay on a few days to take First Aid class. On fire piquet. Swotting with Boedeker until midnight.

Friday 10th January: Morse for six hours solid today. All swotting like blazes for tomorrow’s Trade Board. Worried about E&M mostly. First Aid. Meant to go to dance but left it late and decided to go to YM instead. Did a bit more swotting.

Saturday 11th January: Trade Board. Believe I got 100% on morse. E&M much easier than expected and procedure much harder. Waited 2 hours for haircut in afternoon. Blancoed all equipment in evening and then went to YM. Writing letter to Capt Campbell asking to go on next Bovington course.

Sunday 12th January: Reveille at 7.30am. Cleaning up billet and packing kit in the morning. Then went to the White Lion Lecture by Major Tulloch, chief instructor on keeping wireless discipline. Trucks came for us in afternoon and we arrived back at Froxfield about 5.15pm. Froxfield always depresses me somehow. Started writing a letter to Eileen but didn’t get very far. Went to café with Mick.

Monday 13th January: We thought we’d be able to forget our training for a while but they’re carrying on with lectures here. Going over all the stuff we had at Thornbury and it’s terribly boring. Have number of fatigues to do and in afternoon I had to help chap on charging which was quite interesting. On guard in evening. First time I’ve been on guard and had to halt people.

Tuesday 14th January: Lectures all day except for some morse in the afternoon. Sjt Mac said only trouble with my sending was making the w?? ‘at the end of mirror’ sound like ‘R’. Went to film show given by Ministry of information at school. Very good. Blancoed gaiters in evening and general cleaning.

Wednesday 15th January: In morning had lecture by MO on VD’s and Serjeant-Major read King’s Regulations. Snow on the ground and everything freezing. Hear we are going on six weeks gunnery course.. In afternoon went to Hungerford on lorry and then had shower at laundry. Standing under ??? on duckboards. In evening borrowed 2/- from Cutter and had supper at café. Have had no letters for a fortnight and I’m missing hearing from Eileen terrifically. Her letter is probably hanging about in Thornbury somewhere.

Thursday 16th January: In afternoon had morse test. Sjt Airey sending and morse sounded Chinese but got 96%. In afternoon had interview with Capt Campbell about my Bovington application. He said he had not much say in it but would try to do something and was glad to see me keen. Douglas and Boedeker stripped. On guard again in evening. Hollinson guard commander. Went to bed about 9pm. Too cold to sleep. Wrote letter to Eileen.

Friday 17th January: Went sick in morning with swollen ankle and muscular rheumatism in the shoulder but ‘Doc’ Tindle very busy and waiting for supplies so no treatment. Procedure and E&M test in the afternoon. Sjt Airey set it and it was almost a copy of Trade Board paper. Drew 25/- pay in afternoon. Told to get kit ready in 10 mins to go to Kyneton House near Thornbury for PAD Instructors course. Lakin drove. Boothby, Linseay and myself on course. Stopped at YM in Chipping Sodbury for supper. Billeted in wooden hut with stove and warm for first time for a week.

Saturday 18th January: Lectures and respirator drill all day. Instructor Major Horton who is only 23 yrs old. Snow very thick all day. In evening went to Thornbury with Boothby and saw ‘Night of the Fire’. Went to YM and saw Rockett and Day who were on NCO’s course and returned over fields.

Sunday 19th January: Lectures all morning. Decontum??? and cape drill in afternoon. Had to rub ointment into our hands so many times we had a thick layer of it. Course finished in afternoon and with a wad of printed notes we are now supposed to be able to instruct chaps for PAD. In evening blancoed gaiters and spent rest of time in YMCA writing up this.

Monday 20th January: Today a good thaw set in over large area round here and with rain the roads are in rather a mess. Waited about in morning for lorry which arrived at midday. Had to take 3 35 Squadron blokes back to Bradford. One of them knew a short cut and after going through Bristol we travelled about 1 ½ hrs and landed back in Bristol again. Arrived back at Froxfield about 7pm and went up to café. Weather much warmer now which makes a lot of difference to conditions.

Tuesday 21st January: Started on Gunnery Course at Littlecote today. Arrive there for 9am. Have dinner there and return 4 or 4.30pm. Course is very interesting and we are doing 3 weeks on 2-pounder, 1 week firing and 1 week on Breeza?? gun. Both of which we use, as gunner operators, when in tank. Brought back to Froxfield. ??? day as on W/T Security Piquet. ?????????. Letter from home and from Eileen which made me feel on top of the world.

Wednesday 22nd January: On WIT scheme today. Out on 8 cwt truck with Linsey. Spent morning climbing trees to fix window aerial for q set in ‘gin palace’. Listening on 11 set in afternoon, interrupting messages. q set closed down and Legg and I went ???? it but had to go out at 8.30pm and worked till 2 am when closed down. I slept in ‘gin palace’.(Editor’s note – anyone know what a gin palace is?)

Thursday 23rd January: Woken up about 9am. Went down to Littlecote for breakfast and then had to go down for gunnery course. In afternoon went on pellet range which has replica of 2 lber mechanics and a telescopic sight but is fixed with air gun which fires pellets landscape on sand and found that with telescopic sight knocking down match sticks is quite easy. In evening went to café which is a room in a private house and is a blessing to us. Good K??? game on course in morning. Annoying how our memories seem to have improved. We all got over 20 out of 24. On lecture by OC after tea on affairs in Europe which really boiled down to saying that we’ve got to work longer hours in future. In canteen in evening where started letter to Eileen but not much good.

Friday 24th January: Gunnery again. We wear overalls all day. Good YMCA at Littlecote. A lot of back-chat goes on between 1 & 2 classes and in afternoon we had a good mix up rescuing Cpl Sturdy from 2 class. Went to Hungerford for bath. Water cold and not much of a bath. Back for pay parade. 25/-. On guard. Rockett guard commander. On last turn. Gum boots make duty much lighter. Wrote letter to Eileen.

Saturday 25th January: Working all day Saturdays now. Anti-gas lecture by Cpl Hopton in morning. He was trained at same gas course as I had. On fatigues in afternoon. In evening walked into Hungerford. Feet burning a lot from hard skin on soles. Saw ‘Bandwagon’. Walked back and had supper at café. Got to bed about 12.30am.

Sunday 26th January: Church parade in morning. In church Boedeker disgraced himself by going to sleep and snoring loudly during the sermon. We returned and donned overalls and shifted tiles until dinner time. General clean up in the afternoon and in the evening went to café which looks like a soldiers’ rest home every evening.

Monday 27th January: Gunnery course. A lot of rushing about in our class led by Cpl Hollinson and in the evening got pail of water over him in playing with Cpl Sturdy. One hour’s W/T training after tea every day which is just wasted as we know as much as NCOs and so there is just a general talk. Care in evening and started writing letter home.

Tuesday 28th January: Gunnery all day. In evening we had to shift from stables on one side to stables on the other so that operators all together. Electric light on our new side which was fitted up by E.Gs?? who had to move out. In evening went up to café to continue letter home but didn’t write much more.

Wednesday 29th January: No gunnery course today. In morning went out to a field with a chalk cliff at one and and set up 30 yds range. Fired 10 .305 and made moderate score. Sweeping mud from billet area in afternoon and then went to Hungerford for bath. Water was very hot this time and I really enjoyed it. Major Pearson is taking Capt. Campbell’s place and came for a look round today. Thrilled me by remembering my name. Grabbed to relieve guard who went sick. Nick guard commander. List of promotions up Nick made L/Serjeant. Scullion made L/Cpl. Reckon it’s about time I got one. Scullion is only ???. I wish I could make myself noticed.

Thursday 30th January: Gunnery course. In morning had drill for mounting and dismounting tank. Ended by washing down truck and Cpl Hollinson squirting water over Sturdy. In afternoon had brief but stormy period with instructor of 3 class who tried to show us up and came to words with Hollinson. In café writing up this. No time to finish letter home.

Friday 31st January: Fixing 2-pounder in tank in the morning and spent most of day adjusting fittings inside turret. In afternoon went on power traverse and went full out which gives quite a giddy feeling. Paid 30/-. Xmas card from Nell Baker and letter from Dad. In evening went to dance at Hungerford. Jack Turner back today and sent him off at station for week end. At dance had bitter, brown and six whiskys but no effect. Hollinson flat on his back. Had some good dances. Danced mostly with Barbara from the café. Finished dance at 1.30am.