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Finally, I must
mention our R.S.M. Miller came to us from a good home - The
Streetly Manufacturing Co. - and was outstandingly helpful
to me in the early days. I could talk to him confidentially
on practically everything, and always received such excellent
advice, because, though an old R.S.M. of many years' service,
he never forgot that he was dealing with volunteers who, for
the most part, were working exceptionally hard and could only
give their spare time to the job when they should have been
resting. Miller's name will always bring back happy memories
to me.
This review of personalities would be incomplete without
mention of three of our friends who have passed away during
their service. I refer to Giles of "G", Lindsay
of "E", and Cotton of "G". In many respects
the two former were much alike in that they were both Quartermasters
and looked after their men in a hundred different ways.
Cotton, on the other hand, left us for the R.A.F., and never
returned from an operational flight over the Bay of Biscay.
OUR NEIGHBOURS
In a book of this kind it is necessary to remember that
others outside ourselves have helped us on our way.
For the greater part of its existence, this battalion formed
part of "H" Sector commanded by Colonel Lindop.
It would
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be a presumption on my part to analyse the
characteristics of my superior officer,
but I would like to say that I enjoyed working under him,
that I learned a great deal from him, and that, in
retrospect, I am beginning to appreciate how well he tackled
what undoubtedly was a much more difficult job than commanding
a battalion.
It is interesting to note that no less than five of his
staff officers were from our battalion. They were Partridge
(who became his second-in-command), Hodgkin, Mills, Myatt
and Mold.
In its turn, "H" Sector formed part of the South
Staffordshire Zone, later re-named Garrison, commanded by
Colonel Joseph. And the finest tribute I can pay him is
that when, throughout the country, zones were either abolished
or turned into administration units only, his was one of
the very few left with an operational role.
One who has done a tremendous lot for us is the Secretary
of the Staffordshire Territorial Army Association, Lieut.-Colonel
Cowan. He has been responsible for fitting us out with practically
everything we needed, with the exception of arms and ammunition.
He has supplied our clothing and equipment, our "homes"
and our financial needs. It is he that we have looked to
for the payment of our bills, our subsistence allowance,
our travelling claims, our disablement claims and, in some
cases, new sets of dentures.
Those of you who wish to know what he looks like, I can
only refer to an H.Q. blotter, a sheet of which is reproduced
in this
(......continues.....)
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