George Male’s Story Part 1 of 3

George Male’s Story Part 1 of 3
This story has been added the website by CSV Volunteer Olivia Davey on behalf of the author George Male who understands the site’s terms and conditions.

I left school in 1936 and worked as a junior clerk at the City Hospital, Plymouth. In November 1939 I joined the Royal Navy, sick berth branch for Operating Theatre Work. I was sent on Christmas leave after a few days. When I came back I was told I was on draft to HMS Raleigh. That was the beginning of January 1940. It was a shore base at Torpoint, still being built. It was 3 months before any trainees came. Adjoining the base was HMS FISGUARD training base for Artificers. One Sunday afternoon an apprentice came to me, he was holding his hands together, opened them to show me his left thumb in his right hand “Could you put this back Doc?” (We were called ‘Doc’, the medical officer was the Quack!’)

Peter Bull was an actor he was at HMS RALEIGH and got tonsillitis, we took his tonsils out and he couldn’t each much because of his sore throat, so a rich aunt sent him parcels from FORTNUM and MASONS beautiful Dundee Cakes & we helped him out by eating them. He was kept in sick bay longer then anyone else!

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