EM Shelley’s Wartime Experiences part 1: To Tipton and beyond

I was born in 1923, and and turned 16 5 days after war was declared. In the early years of the Second World War I was a junior staff member working at the engineering firm of Lee, Howl & Co in Tipton. In my spare time I was a Scout of the 7th Tipton Troop, meeting at Fisher Street School Gt.Bridge, enjoying camping every week- end possible, at Beaudesert Scout Camp, Cannock Chase; arranged by ourselves, as all the Leaders of military age were in the armed forces. At the time our family lived at 25 Nock Street, Toll End, Tipton. The weekly meetings were arranged by ourselves taking place in one of the classrooms which was blacked out. The Troop room was used by the Local Council for some purpose. Often we had to continue our meeting in the school air raid shelter when there was a raid going on.

I was also a member of the local A.R.P. squad based in Toll End, Tipton, where I had the role of Messenger, on my bicycle, as there was no direct phone connection with our H.Q. at Ocker Hill. It meant I had a steel helmet with the letter M on it, which could have also been seen as the initial of my name Maurice. Although I did regular duty in the evenings at the post on the Pound, Toll End, I never got called upon to do a mad dash in an emergency. I was fortunate to not be on duty the night the two large bombs fell in the area.

On the 27th July, 1942, I had to attend a Government Medical Board at a place in Smethwick where males were called to undergo an examination to determine their fitness or otherwise for service in the armed forces. As I happened to be somewhat light in build it was a surprise to the family that I passed at Grade One.

My call-up papers came shortly after my 19th birthday when I was instructed to report to No. 59 Training Wing at the Gordon Barracks, Aberdeen on 17th September, 1942. I had never had to face such a long journey in my life before. It meant I had to leave home the evening before by train from Dudley Port station and travel via Glasgow in order to be there before 2pm on the 17th. It was sad to leave family, and particularly my girl friend, Doreen Brown, (she worked in our Drawing Office), seeing her off home to the local bus before going to the station with my Dad to see me off. Doreen and I went our separate ways ultimately, but it was wonderful that in due course of time we got together again, and married in 1949.

It was quite an experience in becoming a soldier. My number was 14291900, never to be forgotten. We were sorted into groups of about 30 to a hut, becoming a Platoon, N03. First job was to stuff paliasses with straw to become mattresses on the two tier bunks in the hut. I recall on the first night the sound of young men crying, probably homesick. We were soon kitted out the next day complete with Tam-o-shanter berets because it was a Gordon Highlander Regimental base, and then began six weeks of basic training, all things like marching drill, rifle practice- including time on the firing range, bayonet and gas mask usage, etc., etc. There was also regular P.E. sessions which always ended with running through a passage of hot and cold showers.

The armed Forces are long on tradition. One example occurred when the few of us who said we were Methodists had to go by Tram from the local stop into Aberdeen for morning service, carrying rifles - no bullets - and park them in the entrance of the Church. All because in history, Gordon Highlanders went to a service in Northwest India without their rifles and were ambushed.

A series of aptitude tests took place during the later half of our six weeks, which determined individual levels of I.Q., and personal interviews from which the Army decided where we might be most usefully employed in future. As a result I found myself, with one other, transferred to the Royal Artillery and posted to Whitby and the 52nd Anti-Aircraft Driver Training Regiment on the 28th October 1942.

This story was entered onto the People’s War site by Jenni Waugh, BBC Outreach Officer, on behalf of EM Shelley who accepts the site’s terms & conditions. For the other 3 chapters, see www.bbc.co.uk/ww2/A5090979, A5091022 and A5091077

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.