[2002] SID’S WAR

0035 - Sidney Lane War Diary 3

[this is an extract of the war diary, 'An Ordinary War', by my uncle (Sid Lane, my mother's brother) which covers War Declared (1939 Sep)]

10.9.39.

We have now been stationed at Arrowe Park [a large park on the outskirts of Birkenhead] for over a week..

It has been a very eventful week too, for the unthinkable has happened and we are again at war with Germany. There is no doubt in my mind that we are right in fighting, nor is there any doubt about our winning, but how long will it last and how many lives will be wasted in fruitless effort. Time alone will tell. The word reached us at noon on Sunday 3rd. September, but it caused no stir for we had been expecting it. There were no wild threats or prophecies as to what we would do. Most of the men seemed to be resigned to a 3 year war, but are very determined to make a good job of it.

This week we have spent digging trenches and helping the A.R.P. organisations [Air Raid Protection, whose job it was to warn of air-raids and deal with the effects of any bombing] of Birkenhead with the filling of sandbags. As yet we have no guns and the Bty. is sort of held in reserve. The grub is quite good. The only trouble I find is rising at 6.00 a.m. and cleaning my kit etc. until about 6.45 a.m. at which time we have breakfast. We start work at about 8.00 a.m. and are free about 6.00 p.m. or rather 18.00 hrs. We are taking advantage of being so near home and try to get there each evening. This makes the day very long as it is usually 11.00 p.m. when we get to bed.

A number of amusing incidents have occurred but Tom provided the biggest laugh. Hearing the cry "Fall in party for fatigue" he grabbed his plate and mug and joined ranks thinking it was "For tea". His language when he returned was very colourful if not to say picturesque.

29.9.39

It seems a very long time since we were mobilized and yet it is only 5 weeks ago. It isn't as if events have not moved rapidly enough. It is more because we have lost our future. It is hard to put in words, but as we live from day to day, not knowing or making plans for the future, time loses its meaning and looking back it seems ages.

We are now at Upton near Chester. We have been here a week, at the Divisional H.Q. mounting a guard of 14 men each day. The other 54 men of the section spend their days doing fatigues about camp. It's rotten and we'll be glad to return to Rock Ferry on Monday  but - who knows? We came here after 3 weeks at Arrowe Park (weeks which passed uneventfully with gun drill and trench digging) and we are now finding, by comparison, we were well off there.

The grub here is rotten and the camp foul, and another incident, which must be recorded, will always serve to make me remember this hole. Arthur and I were working in a sand pit, filling sand bags,when the wall of the pit collapsed completely burying Arthur. My God, but it was a nasty few minutes. I gave a yell and frantically started digging and was fortunate in uncovering his head within a few seconds.But it took six of us ten feverish minutes to dig him out completely. He was unable to stand and was carried back to camp on a stretcher. he is extremely lucky and apart from shock and bruises he is uninjured and at present hobbles round the camp like an old man.

Arthur has just read the above and strenuously objects to the term "old man". He probably prefers to be referred to as a casualty.

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