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
LS50-6
LS50-7
LS54-1
LS54-3
LS58-2