C.S.M. Ernest William Fereday
Army Service No. 5334942
ERNEST WILLIAM FEREDAY
28TH MARCH 1916 - 24TH OCTOBER 1995
[LS34-3] Far right is the garage, where
we kept the Brengun Carriers, I think you can see three.
Middle row on the left is a Brengun Carrier which I posed for myself as
I was taking most of the snaps. The lad in the Brengun Carrier was on
Boy Service and every time he got the chance he would come out with me
on the Brengun Carriers. Some years back I was in charge of the boys and
he knew me very well and whenever he got the chance he would be out with
me. It is a very steep angle; I think there is a driver there with the
brake on and in gear trying to keep it in position.
Far right, four lads, the first two are in the carrier platoon, the third
one was on horse transport. Well actually horse transport had finished
then, but he was groom for one of the Officers mounts kept in the stables.
Privately that was of course. The other chap was carrier platoon as well,
unfortunately those carrier platoon blokes were killed in France with
the B.E.F.
[LS34-2] The one on the left, bottom of the page again three chaps, same
driver he was a really good driver. I expect that is why I kept photographing
him all the time. Going up a steep slope and holding it while I took a
photograph.
On the right, myself, the great 'I m' posing in the Brengun Carrier.
[LS34-7] This is another angle shot showing the Brengun Carrier coming
up over a slope.
[LS36-2] The next one on the right is crew in dismounted gun positions.
The chap alongside him is the Number Two changing the magazine and so
forth. I was the commander at the time so I was taking the photograph.
Next on the right are all of us when we all went out on a Training 'Do'
(Training Drive). I am stood right at the rear, apparently the tallest
one there. I must have been stood on a mole hill. They are collecting
their food.
Next is a similar photograph of us but all posing.
Middle row far left, a little bit of horse play, we are forming a 'pyramid'
together there. The Brengun Carriers are in the background.
[LS36-1] Middle row and middle photograph, is a typical picnic. Those
are thermos flasks you can see there, the circular things. The food was
packed into those and sealed down and kept hot until we required them.
Far right, we are all on a beach in the same area. I think that was a
little place not far from Brighton.
Bottom left, the same gang again down at the coast. In fact our officer
in charge of the Platoon was very good and took us out for training drives.
We would stop and change over drivers so that all three members of the
crew, the Commander, the Gunner and Number Two for the gun all had to
be trained to drive. The best was to be kept as a regular driver.
The bottom right HQ Coy's MT vehicles of which I was once a member.
We are now nearing what was the end; at least it was for me and many more,
a happy period in the army. There is just one more episode.
Group on the top left hand corner, they are members of the Royal Berkshire
Regiment, Territorial Battalion from Abingdon and thereabouts. They were
in camp at Goodwood on the Sussex Downs and we are a completely trained
unit now, Brengun Carrier platoon and ourselves had to go down there and
give demonstrations of the Brengun Carrier of which they had not been
equipped.
The one in the middle shows those chaps grouped around one of our Brengun
Carriers and they were very interested too.
On the right is a group outside that brick building that is at Blackdown.
All those chaps were signals. I was in the signals for a short period
of time so I knew them all very well and decided to take a snap of a few
of them. The chap in civilians at the back is also a member but he is
ready to go out 'paint the town red'. His name is McCleen an Irishman.
Next row, first photograph is Corporal Storey and Corporal O'Mara both
Irish. Although O'Mara is of Irish decent, he came from Coventry; he's
the one with the pip in his mouth. I got to meet him after, at Dunkirk
sometime later.
Next is O'Mara again, this was taken in France.
On the far right is a photograph taken at the rear of... Morrell Avenue,
Oxford. My father and I. Funny really, because it wasn't until I saw this
snap that I realised how short he was, not a very big chap at all. Judging
from the scruffy uniform that I am wearing I am on leave from France.
On the very bottom, is Joe Fletcher, myself and Tim Marshall, the young
boy that was in the Brengun Carrier. Joe Fletcher was the groom with the
Horse Transport at that time. My father took that, he came up to see me
and I got two friends to pose alongside. Joe Fletcher came from Botley.
That was the end of an era, because meantime, war had broken out. (Written
on the back or part of, 'was taken by my father when he visited me after
war was declared, 1940')
P 1 :: P
2 :: P 3 :: P
4 :: P 5 :: P
6 :: P 7 :: P
8 :: P 9 :: P
10
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