Strangers in Uniform

Of my immediate and extended family, there were probably up to ten adult males in military service for the duration. At least three of these were overseas, known only by photographs of uniformed, young, smiling and ‘Brylcreemed’ young men. Albert Downes, uncle-by-marriage to my mother’s sister, was away six years in Burma. He has a wide-brimmed hat which was buttoned-up on one side (to enable the rifle to be sighted or clear the bayonet when the rifle was ‘sloped’. I never found out which). He returned safely, except for being a victim of malaria, brown as a nut and spouting Anglo-Indian phrases from listening to ‘Char-wallahs’ and ‘punkah-wallahs’.

Albert Acton (Mum’s brother) survived capture by the Italians in the early desert campaign. His PoW experience in Italy and Austria (salt mines) was so unpleasant he would only confide it to a few.

The ‘Welcome Home’ parties in the summer of ’45 meant introductions to all these people wearing uniforms. Military uniforms issued during this period featured from the top: a forage cap fore-and-aft and worn inclined to one side of the head (RAF) or a beret (Army). There were no Navy people in our family, but I recognised the sailor hat, usually dark blue, occasionally white. The battle-dress jacket and trousers were made from very rough, hairy cloth (to me at least); it must have been tough to actually wear it. Army footwear included heavy, inflexible boots topped-off by gaiters. American uniforms by comparison were better fitting and made in some smooth (gabardine?) material and generally looked different and somehow more civilised. The form of address to a GI was “Got any gum, chum?” They were always chewing.

This story has been entered by Jenni Waugh, BBC Outreach Officer, on behalf of Eric Branson, who accepts the site’s terms and conditions.

For other stories by Bran, see
Now That I Hear Planes: bbc.co.uk/dna/ww2/A9001748
German PoWs In & Around Birmingham: …/A9002125
The Chicken Expedition: …/A9002251
Out & About Around Yardley: …/A9002341

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