Letters to a New Recruit

In June 1943 a new recruit had joined up and was training at Fulford Barracks near York.  Private Eric Brewer was to become one of the brave Assault Troopers of 61^st Reconnaissance Regiment, fighting in Normandy, Belgium and the Netherlands before he was injured in December 1944.  He kept these letters from when he first joined up and a diary, which is an important record of 61^st Recce’s war (included in Roy Howard’s account of the regiment ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’, Brewin Books 2004 and on this blog from 17th May 1944).

Extract from the letter sent by Eric Brewer’s mother from the family home at Grays (between Basildon and Dagenham, Essex) to Private E Brewer, No 5 Squad, A Company, No 15 Primary Training Centre, Fulford Barracks, York and postmarked 22^nd June 1943:

“Monday

My Dear Eric

So many thanks for all your three letters that I have received today. I was so pleased to hear from you and to know that you had arrived okay and that you were so cheerful about everything. I do miss you Eric but your letters did cheer me up because they were so cheerful.

I expect the inoculations have made you feel rather bad; still I expect they will be for your good afterwards.

I do hope you still will make the best of everything because it helps to pass the time more quickly for when you come home and you bet, you shall have a lovely piece of steak and chips as soon as you arrive.

So your uniform fits you twice - perhaps that is so that when you have finished this six weeks training you will fill out and fit the uniform….

I’ve enclosed an addressed envelope, write as soon as you get time…I expect I shall get used to you being away but I do miss you Eric.  Take care of yourself because I’m counting the weeks until I see you….”

 

Eric’s brother, Captain B Brewer (‘Bas’), wrote with an offer and experienced advice from his station in No 6019180 REME, attached to 537 Battery RA in Danbury Essex:

“Well Eric you certainly seem to be having a time at York but from what I can gather this lousy army doesn’t seem to appeal to you too much, or should I say very little . …. Anyway Eric I’ll do my best to try and get you into this mob. That do you? There’s no “spit and polish” here.” ……

…..And another thing, don’t get in the front row of a parade, always get in the centre one. You see the front row and the back is much more noticeable. And again if the Sergeant ever asks for volunteers for a job or to go out the front on a lecture or such thing, don’t volunteer.

How did you get on at firing the other day? OK I hope but not too good. You see they sort out the good shots for snipers and that’s a lousy job I can tell you, so if you go firing again don’t be too good at it……”

 

Eric must have got pretty ‘good at it’ to be in a Reconnaissance Assault Troop.

He was transferred to the Recce Corps in July 43 and went on to combined Recce training at Catterick 12^th August 1943.

 

  Photo taken in York, summer 1943.  Eric Brewer is in the centre row 4^th from the left.

Extract and photo copyright of Derek Brewer and reproduced here by kind permission of Derek and his family.