A Sergeant of one of our Signals' Sections attended a Radio
Course at Prestatyn in August 1944.
After a "Night Out" at Rhyl, he arrived back
at Prestatyn in the early hours of the morning. As he was
out without a Pass, he deviated slightly towards the coastal
side of the camp in order to avoid the sentry. He located
the barbed-wire entanglements and commenced to burrow through
the sand dunes. The wiring was about ten feet across, so
it took him a long time to make the journey, which meant
many comings-up to the surface for a breather.
In due course, and after what seemed hours of burrowing,
he fetched up on the camp side of the wire, only to find
that his efforts had been wasted. During his molelike activities
he had got slightly off his true bearing and he found himself
face to face with the sentry who was fast asleep.
The Sergeant tip-toed past him and gained the sanctuary
of his chalet unchallenged.
He says it was days before he got all the North Wales coast
out of his hair, and he still finds sand in the corners
of his battledress pockets.
A very interesting lecture was given by a young Regular
Officer on the subject of how to deal out death and destruction
to the enemy. He was a bloodthirsty young fellow and seemed
to delight in making the most of somewhat sanguinary details
of what could be done to the Hun by the expert use of a
knife, to say nothing of the effect on a sentry's health
by means of a strangling wire. Taking it by and large, his
lecture was apt to turn the stomach of the bravest of his
listeners.
At the end of his lurid discourse he asked if there were
any questions. One Home Guard Subaltern, who was looking
a trifle green about the chaps, stood up: "How does
one transfer to an Anti-Aircraft Battery?" he asked.
At Rugeley Rifle Range, a detail had just finished five
rounds application when they were ordered to wear their
gas respirators and fire another five rounds.
The Officer-in-c;harge was shot-spotting for a recruit
who previously had put on a very poor score. "I don't
know why," he said, "but you seem to be able to
shoot better with your respirator on. You've got two bulls
and three inners." "Well", replied the recruit,
"I cor tell yer 'ow I did it, 'cause I was a-shootin'
frae memory."
(......continues.....)
75
