AN INTERESTING JOURNEY TO THE EDUCATION CENTRE
As Remembered By George Kirman
It was my fate to be posted to 73 HAA Regt, RA, MELF 15. My 8 weeks training at Oswestry as a technical assistant on 25 pounders went for nothing! Before I reached Geneifa in January ’51, I had an interesting itinerary in order to get there. Firstly, I left Woolwich on 19th December 1950 and arrived at Harwich via Liverpool Street station at midnight – it was cold and snow lay on the ground. We sailed at 12:30 am and it was foggy throughout the journey. The ship was the Empire Wansbeck and I found myself swinging in a hammock in the bowels of the ship! We reach the Hook of Holland at about 6:00 am and bedded down for one night in a typical army hut. The following afternoon, at about 2:00 pm, we boarded a train (Medloc) to arrive in Trieste some two days later. We washed at Krefeld (21/12/1950) just inside Germany and we all got off the train for a shave at Traunstein. Back on board we passed through Austria seeing Salzburg before having a quick rest at Villach (22/12/1950) for what I think were food rations.
On Saturday (23/12/1950) we left the train and boarded the Devonshire (or Oxfordshire) only to be told that Gnr. Keizer had to go to hospital in the Hague being suspected of having polio. The tannoy asked for those in contact with this soldier to ascend to the bridge, whereupon we were told (half a dozen of us) to leave the ship for the military hospital. Very strictly the Queen Alexandria’s Nursing Sister ordered us into the bath (obviously one at a time!) and on Christmas Eve we were confined to bed. Unfortunately I recorded nothing in my diary for Christmas Day, not even the food for Christmas dinner, but on Boxing Day at 2:00 pm we inmates were allowed to go round Trieste in medical gear – white shirt, bright red tie and blue trousers. On the 27th there was a party. The events escapes my memory although an Italian hospital worker sang a couple of well known songs like Santa Lucia and Mattinata. The Red Cross gave us each a cloth bag containing shaving brush, soap and razor. I kept the brush for years until it separated from its base. The hospital then discharged us as having nothing more than a cold – and we were stationed at Camp HQ Betfor in charge of a Sergeant Major.
The Americans were also in Trieste and the English soldier envied their luxurious existence! We liked the American cinema and their films of course. We also managed to visit the NAAFI where the walls were decorated with German loops of flower décor with “Im Rhein” in writing.
We stayed at Camp HQ until the third week in January ’51. We then boarded a ship for Egypt (Port Said) – a 1000 mile journey took 3 days! At Port Said the market traders in small boats shouted their wares, but there were few, if any, takers – not surprisingly. We entrained for Fayid and, in my case, a 3 tonner took us to Geneifa, St George’s Camp, where I was directed to 191 Battery. Eventually I moved to RHQ as a Regimental Instructor under WOI Bound. He taught Maths and I was given the task of teaching Egyptian History. I joined the Army and I could not be accepted into RAEC – it was the wrong time of year!!
Soldiers (NCO’s) were worried because their rank depended on having Army Certificate of Education 1, 2 or 3 – 1 for WO’s and Sergeants, 2 for Bombardiers and 3 for L/Bombardiers. I also helped in the evenings to man the Regimental Library, 6 – 8 pm. Men were charged for not attending Educational classes in the afternoons when it was excessively hot. They quite understandably preferred to lie on their beds.
There were the occasional guard duties and I
shall always remember one morning at 5:55 am the Troop Captain of 196 Battery
drove in camp with Gnr Osgar – his prisoner who, obviously tired after
a 24 hour guard at 10 BOD, had shot and killed a mate who, like him, was on
guard duty. I believe he was sentenced to 3 months detention. We had one searchlight
at the camp which I manned one night and I felt extremely vulnerable to any
sniper.