In 1942 when I was 18 I was “called up” to serve in the Forces. I went as a “Sapper” in the Royal Engineers. I served 5 years before being de-mobbed in 1947. My early recruitment days were very hard going, I was sent to Newark in Nottingham where I experienced my “Square-Bashing”; this was certainly no joke, but my friends and I survived. We also did Fieldwork & Watermanship this included making Bridges across valleys and rivers, using pontoons and rowing big cutter boats. We used to have inter-section races on the River Trent, great fun but hard work. I was then posted when my training was up to Port Maintenance Company 1052 for 3 months in Birkenhead; this was situated right beside Tranmere Rovers Football Ground.

 During my time there I had to go on an Army course at Chepstow, Monmouthshire. My Father had served his final years there in the Army at Beachly Camp, teaching young soldiers about Engineering Workshops. During my course, my unit had a day course on “Gas Attack” its modem name is Chemical Warfare. During the day I had to assist the Station Instructor in charge of our section. He placed a canister of “Mustard Gas” in the centre of the field, then primed it with a charge and walked away. The purpose of this test was that the canister would explode, spreading the “oily-ink” over a certain area. The section would then walk through this area and then carry out the proper decontamination procedure with swabs i.e. putting ointment on ones hands and face etc. However on returning with this canister to make it safe it suddenly exploded in my hands. Luckily for me I had my protective eye-shields on so I immediately carried out the cleansing of all affected parts as quickly and efficiently as possible. This gas is deadly with its vapour that attacks all the sweaty parts of the body and it can turn ones red corpuscles in the blood to white. It can also cause blindness and horrible burns to skin. I did not realise how close to death I had come.  A couple of hours later I was rushed to Chepstow Hospital Military Ward, where I spent the next eight weeks with bandages on my face, arms, legs and groin areas. During that period I relied on the nurses for everything.  Simple tasks like feeding oneself, bathing, shaving and writing letters were all done by those wonderful nurses. The pain was unbearable this being the purpose of Mustard Gas. They didn’t have the modem capsules for pain killing, just a medicine. My dressings were changed twice daily with 5 great blisters that had to be attended to with great caution. I particularly dreaded trying to sleep at nighttime, sleep being a big problem. The army sent for my Mother who was living in Kent to visit me, which of course she did. A Court of Inquiry was held into how this accident could have possibly happened but to this day no compensation has been made to me. The only good thing to come out of this incident was that on my return to my Company I was excused Arms Drill and Guard duty. I was also sent away on another Electrical course, this time to Glasgow College at St. George’s Square, which was great as I was also living in private houses for the next four months.