Letters to Alan – National Service – Army Catering Corps

National Service in the A.C.C.

Like many more have said I just happend to see your Web site,and it stirred my old grey matter.
When I went for my medical they asked me what I wanted to join. the Navy I said, but I got my call up for the Army Catering Corps.
I reported to Aldershot for basic taining then got posted too Catterick for my cooks course, that done. I got posted to Kure Japan. I embarked on the Empire Orwell,a troop ship,where I spent eleven weeks cooking in the ships galley.I was dropped off at Kure and spent six months cooking for RMP then Iwas posted to Korea. It was so cold that I had to boil frozen eggs first before I could fry them.I spent six months in Korea, then I was sent back to Japan for me to catch the troop ship Asturias home so I thought. Only to be dropped of at Singapore and spent two weeks in a transit camp before being posted up to Malaya with the RASC in the jungle. The journey took four days sat on a wood slat seat on a train that must have been built in the eighteen hundreds.I did my time there and was told I would be flown home for demob, but no such luck .
The Suez crisis came up and I was stuck and had to wait for it to finish.So I did a little bit more N/S than most. My pay of one pound per week of which,ten bob of that was taken from my pay to be sent home to my mum to save for me for when I got outof the army. The trouble was my Mum had spent it each week as it was sent,So when I got my demob and being skint. I had two days off then it was back to work down the mine.
Yours truly
Laurie Avison 23100328 A.C.C Leeds W/Yokshire