Summer 1940

After a few months of hard training we heard rumours of going overseas, we had been stationed just outside London and we used to watch the nightly bombing and also could see in the searchlights the occasional dog fight.
The next thing that happened we were all sent on embarkation leave and sent up to Liverpool my home town put into a very large dock shed with an armed guard on and two days later we set sail , after a couple of days we had very rough weather about 90% of the troops were really sick for days, we very glad to see Free town in Africa were we stayed for one day for fresh water and vegetables.
Very shortly we were surounded by bum- boats trying to sell us fruit native trinkets and even monkeys, the young negros were diving for coins but only silver ones.
The next day we set off for a new destination

Tattenhall 1940.

One day when we were still in tattenhall myself and a few of my gun-crew decided to slope off to Chester,we were marching along the road trying to thumb a lift we were not having much luck when a car stopped but who was in the car but the Troop Captain Captain marshall,
Right said the Captain! Bomadier Nicholls you and your merry men are on a charge I will see you when you get back to camp.
Later we were running around the the Gun-park with our large packs full of bricks which was not very nice.
The very next morning we had a really heavy fall of snow.I woke up to find my bed had been carried outside.
Of cause I made them carry me back into the Billet then we had a laugh about it.