2nd Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment

C.S.M. Ernest William Fereday
Army Service No. 5334942

ERNEST WILLIAM FEREDAY
28TH MARCH 1916 - 24TH OCTOBER 1995

2nd top, Sergeant Lewington, the motorcycle sergeant and young 'Titch', can't remember his surname. Sergeant Lewington is gently pulling hairs from his chest under threat of a bayonet held by 'Lofty' Allen whom I have mentioned before and has now 'passed on'. Incidentally, the bayonet was in the scabbard and was no danger at all.

Next to that is one that I have taken several times but with different angles and different people. This time I got someone else to take the picture and I am sat in all my glory in the middle of the front row. That badge above the 3 stripes by the way, is a fitters badge. I don't know whether I mentioned it before, but I went on several courses, 3rd class mechanic, 2nd class mechanic and 2nd class Fitters course. I passed them all, so I was able to look after and maintain the Brengun Carrier during this period.
I have said several times when remarking about these photographs, regretting I could not remember the names. I have had the good fortune to be in regular contact with ex-comrades who have been helpful in this respect.

In this group, consists of Bren Gun Carrier, Motorcycle and Admin.

1st row: - Corporal H Munday, Tom Wheatley, McCarthy, 'Chef', (not identified), Bill Durley, Bill Moore, Ernie Wooton, McColm, Corporal Shaw.
2nd row: - Percy Dennis, Alf Underwood, Frank Bowsher, Rocky Knight, Cornell, and (not identified).
3rd row: - Titch Wells, Busty Weaver, Titch Allen, Platoon Sergeant Ernie Fereday, Edwards, Driver, (not identified)

[LS50-6] Centre right, group of four, top left is myself, pipe in mouth. To the right is a chap called 'Napper' - pipe in mouth, bottom left is Sergeant 'Lofty' Allen, who I have mentioned before, he had a pipe but didn't have it on, I wonder why? And little 'Titch', who was having his hair pulled out above, he had his pipe and the other fella on the left he too had a pipe. This photograph was also taken in Sarony Studios but in Gt Yarmouth 6.6.1941

The story about those pipes is that we had to do a Dawn and Dusk patrol along the beaches to check on anything being washed up by sunken boats. One day we found a large box which we broke open, we weren't supposed to do this mind you, our orders were to report it to the Coast Guard, although no doubt they had things to themselves. Anyway, we had first pickings. This box was full of Dunhill pipes, tobacco pipes and I think every man in the Battalion ended up with a Dunhill pipe.

2nd row centre, is the group yet again but this time with Lofty Allen in the middle and I took the photograph.

[LS50-7] Bottom left, is 'Lofty' Allen again, his arms outstretched above the two 'Titches'. Titch Thorne was one of them, can't remember the name of the other one. He was the A.C.C. Cook, scruffy little devil! He doesn't look too bad in uniform though, (above left with the pipe). I had heard criticisms that it was posed, but it wasn't, they were all on ground level. The two smallest chaps in the Battalion and one of the tallest! Lofty was a great guy in more ways than one...

Now I am about to embark on a third stage of my Army Career and before I leave the second stage I have to think back an recollect some of the more outstanding stories and experiences that would interest you.

[LS54-1] May 1943. Top left, there is a yellow certificate for inoculations, and we were always getting those. This one is against Yellow Fever. It is written in Afrikaans and also in English, stating the date etc. of the inoculation and what the inoculation was.
There is mention there the number of passport etc. of course, that didn't matter at the time as they were in the war with us, Africa, that is.

[LS54-3] On the far right is the first photo I took in Cape Town, I was dressed in rough drill shirt with a badge on my right arm. My hat, Forage cap as some people called it, stuck under my shoulder strap with the Royal Berkshire Badge. If you look closely, you will see marks on my face. That was the result of taking too much salt. I mentioned this because when we were on board the ship, several weeks and suffered from heat exhaustion, dizziness and what-have-you, the Medical Officer told me to take a small amount of salt with a tumbler of water every day. Of course, as usual, I overdid it and as a result of that, my skin began to breakdown and I came out in sores. Fortunately it cleared up very quickly after we landed at Cape Town, South Africa...

Top left, the Pipe of Peace, where an African sat at the top of the Valley of a Thousand Hills. Top right, St. George's Street, Cape Town, I went through there a number of times. Bottom two photographs are of the Victoria Falls. The one on the left is in dry season and you can see the depth of the drop, the photograph on the right is the Falls in full flow.
We were about to cross the bridge over the railway when they stopped the train and sent the soldiers across to check security and for bombs. There was always that possibility; anyway, we got a lovely view of the Falls. These photos were purchased very cheaply nearby.

Top left, this is Central Johannesburg, and the next is City Hall and Town Gardens, Durban. Below left is Valley of a Thousand Hills, Natal and another photograph of Victoria Falls, The Main Falls in flood.
In the Valley of a Thousand Hills, we had climb through those in a lorry, it was a very exciting journey I can tell you. Or was it?!!!

[LS58-2] Top left, this one of me, taken in Nairobi and I'm in walking out dress. In the middle I am dressed in tropical khaki gear with a bush hat on, sitting on the steps of the bungalow where we were staying. With me are two others from different regiments who had come across Africa with me. This was the School of Language, run by an Officer called Captain Bell. He was an expert in Swahili and various other dialects. We underwent a crash course there, cramming as much as we could into six weeks to learn the basic language.
Top fat right, again I am in Khaki drill and this was taken in the bush. Below is a photo of a young lady sat on a settee. Don't jump to conclusions! She was 14 or 15 at the time. I received that photo about the time I was in Kabete learning Swahili. Quite a story attached to but perhaps I'll do an appendix...

In the middle, a group of African Ladies, there is a story of one African lady who could throw her breasts over her shoulder for the young baby she was carrying on her back to suckle, they were such a length... Directly below on the bottom is the Native War Memorial, Nairobi for the Africans who gave their lives in the First World War.

P 1 :: P 2 :: P 3 :: P 4 :: P 5 :: P 6 :: P 7 :: P 8 :: P 9 :: P 10


 


 

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