Cpl. Peter Sopp, Lambourn Platoon ‘E’ Company, 4th Cadet Bn., The Royal Berks Regt.
I remember….
Apprenticed to George Pavier the cobbler after leaving school in 1941; I went to Jimmy Wicks the Saddler when George became a full time Fireman.
Directed to war work at Membury when I was 18, I was in time only to see the last of the Americans leave as the RAF moved in. Assisting in the re-wiring of the hospital complex and the bomber operations buildings on an airfield with its sites taking on their contractors name; the nearby WAAF site, ‘Wooldridge’s’, that past the council houses, ‘Tersons’. I next worked as a labourer-cum-teaboy for JE Billings, who had contracts at Ramsbury, Membury and Grove. At bleak and wind-swept Ramsbury where glider ‘snatch’ trials were being done, it was a matter of knowing which glider to cycle over to with urnl. Promoted to a mixer-truck driver it was no less chilly – but a lot more fun – unless Alan Goody in his truck with three 50 gallon open topped drums filled with the contents of the many latrine buckets crossed your path.
Most of my former school chums wearing a uniform of one sort or another, I joined my football playing mates in the Anny Cadets. Much of our instruction done in the ‘Big School’ playground during the summer, we used its assembly hall in the winter evenings even for arms drill on the march with Sgt Turner of the Guards – when he was home on leave – doing his best to bring us up to scratch. Learning the basics of shooting with the .22s on the range between Tubbs Farm and Brub Bracey’s yard, we went to the full-bore range behind Windmill Hill for the real thing. But had to make do with the Christmas, cracker type pulls when we exercised defending the bridge at the bottom of Mill Lane.
Though with the 2 inch mortar made by Sgt John Harris in his dad Theo’s plumber’s workshop blasting stone filled tins propelled by ‘Thunderflashes’ from its muzzle, warbling and rattling through the air to thump into the ditch beside us – it did get quite exciting.
Given map, compass and a set of co-ordinates, we went off to parts of the district we had not seen before. There were no prizes for coming ‘home’ last – I believe its called ‘orienteering’ these days.
Rapidly gaining the reputation of being ‘the football team to beat’; transported in a truck supplied by the American Commander of Membmy we played all over the place; against RAF teams at Greenham Common, Membury – their goal-keeper Cpl Price married Betty Lane, the Sea Cadets in Newbury …. Our goal-keeper, Roy Fairchild and me frequently selected to play for the Battalion in matches against the others of the County, we had a wonderful time.
Peter Sopp
Editors Note
This article was sourced from a photograph of a printed page published on Facebook my Mick Dowdeswell. If this article infringes copyright please contact editor@lambourn.org and we will remove the article.
