Enlistment, Home & Post War Duties

[Ice Tiger]

May be of intrest to some

Prior to his death, in 1981, my grandfather, Frank H Whatling (see my signature) wrote his memoirs of family history & his life's experiences. In them he describes the ordinary soldies life in detail including the following:

Enlisting.

Life at Tonbridge Wells barracks.

Trade training, Lewis gun & armourer.

Being billeted in derelict houses as a gale blew down the wooden huts at the Tonbridge camp.

Armistice celebrations.

Move to Sittingbourne & refomation as the 1st Btn.

Night exercises on the Thames estuary.

Posting to Clipstone Nottinghamshire.

A riot in that camp (DOW soldiers wanting demob).

Strike duty due to the mines & railways industrial unrest.

Being posted to Wakefield & being billeted in a cell at the prison & subsequently breaking out of it, & back in again!

Demob at Crystal Palace.

And other experiences.

I'm sure that this would be of intrest/use to others here but it runs to 6 pages of A4 & I think that is a (bit) too long for a post on this forum.

Any suggestions on how to share this? I do not have a web site & my knowledge of technology is not that good.

Also does anyone have any photo's of the Tonbridg Wells or Clipstone Barracks? If so they would be most apreciated!

I T

[Tony Lund]

I put a diary 12,000 words long on the Forum a few days ago. If you have it typed out it would be the easiest way. Or you could offer to send scans of it to anyone who is interested as email attachments.

I am interested in that bit about a riot, some local men may well have been there at the time.

Tony.

[Ice Tiger]

I have the electronic version on my PDA.

I will post it tomorrow

I T

[Ice Tiger]

Sorry it's a day later than I said but.........

I have now posted it.

Please go to Queens Royal West Surrey 4/5 Reserve Btn

Andy