In Newcastle we received no dole money for the period of six weeks before we could put a claim in for our benefit, if still unemployed. Well at the time I had a sum of 45 pounds in my bank, so I did not worry to much about money also I was in lodgings at the time with one of my mates Mother which was very good digs for 25 shilling a week. I had logged there since I was 19 years old and had become part of the family.

One day a friend of mine named Matt was back up home from Bournemouth for a holiday and I bumped into him one day in the pub. When he found out that I was not working he said why not go back down there with him when he went back as he said there would be no bother in me getting a start on a job where he worked as the gaffer and he needed some one with mining experience. So I took a chance and caught the same train south as Matt did when he returned to Bounnmouth. His landlady kindly took me in and on Monday morning my mate took me to see his boss and after a few questions he said to Matt “ OK he can start tomorrow”.

The job was putting a big pipe sewage system in a ten mile bit of road. The pipe was being laid about 8 feet down and it was nearly all pick and shovel work in those days. The side of the trench had to be timbered up to stop them falling down on us as we worked. After about six weeks hard slog with a shovel I got put on to Matts gang who were building the timber wall to the trench and got 2 pence an hour more in my wage packet. The job took 8 months to complete.

When the job was finished Matt and I headed up to Gloucester to get another job. When we got there we went straight to the labor exchange because they always had a list of lodging in town. We got four addresses to try and got lucky on the third try and moved in with a nice landlady. We got up early the next morning and made our way to the new site, found the Foreman and started work in the afternoon. The job was building six large wooden wards in a field next to the hospital which we later found out was going to be used for the expected influx of wounded soldiers, airmen & sailors to converless in. Seeing this and hearing the news on the radio told us the war was just around the corner.

When the job was about to come to an end the Gaffer who was a Taffy and a great guy told us that no one could beat us for working and told Matt, me and two of the locals that we could work on a couple of extra weeks tidying up around the buildings. He also said if we wanted to carry on working for his firm we could go over to Wales where they were going to be building a huge construction. We thanked him for the offer but said it was about time we returned to Newcastle as the news that there might be a war was growing every day.

War Was declared the week I arrived back in Newcastle so I went down to the Recruiting office in town. I told the recruiting Sergeant I wanted to go into the Royal Engineers with my mining and explosives experience but he told me to stay out of the army as long as possible as I would soon get word of my call up duty.

About 6 weeks later my country called on me to do my duty for King and Country and I was informed to report to the Territorial hall for a physical examination. There was quite a crowd there and after going through all the tests I was passed A1 ready for active duty and told my call up papers would be sent to me soon.

About a week later my call up papers arrived with a rail warrant telling me to report to a place in Scotland called Troon. I arrived at Troon training camp and went to the NAFFI the first night after settling in and made friends with some Scotch lads and some English blokes that were there. We all remained great pals though out the war. My new friends informed me that Troon was the main training camp for the 1st Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. So much for the Royal Engineers.