Chotie Darling
Part 3 Lieutenant Williams
Chapter 8 OCTU
Pre OCTU (Officer Cadet Training Unit) Royal Armoured Corps
4th March to 12th May 1943 - Alma Barracks, Blackdown, near Aldershot in Hampshire in 30.0 Troop ‘A’ Squadron No 1
Chotie was still at 236 Os.F.C.T. Regiment at Oswestry in Shropshire.
Chotie posted to Markham Camp, Easton-in-Gordano, Bristol on 6th April, joining ‘B’ troop 462 Hy (M) Anti-Aircraft Battery of the Royal Artillery.
OCTU (Officer Cadet Training Unit) Royal Armoured Corps
12th May 1943 to 30th October 1943
Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Camberley, Surrey
77 Troop ‘B’ Squadron, 100 Royal Armoured Corps OCTU from 12th May to 12th August 1943.
Chotie’s unit moved to Millbrook, near Tor Point, Plymouth from late May/beginning of June to late July 1943.
The unit moved to Cribbs Causeway, near Henbury, Bristol between 20th and 29th July 1943.
Dick changed to 77 Troop HAC Squadron OCTU RHC RMC from 12th August to 30th October 1943.
By 7th September Chotie’s unit had moved to Portishead, near Avonmouth on the coast east of Bristol and was definitely back at Markham Camp, Easton-in-Gordano by 29th September 1943.
30th October 1943 -Dick received his commission and was appointed to the 61st Reconnaissance Regiment.
8th March 1943 – Best Battle Dress
The old spit & polish here is murder, have to change to best battledress for every meal….
14th March 1943 – Rather indelicate tales
The ham here knows lots of people we knew on the London stage and … enough to blackmail them a hundred times…some rather indelicate tales
28th March 1943 – Getting fat
I’ve passed out the first three weeks – ie the hard graft, and get it much cushier for the next six – nearly all theory.
11th April 1943 – Out Driving
‘Fraid I don’t know Bristol…Glad to hear you’ve made a friend there. Always seems to help matters.
18th April 1943 – Naked
didn’t tell you that I shaved my tache off, did I? Don’t know how it happened – I just sort of dashed it off. Shook me pretty badly.
28th April 1943 – Gunnery
if you drop your rifle on parade or anything stupid like that, you lose all your weekends for a month or so…nightmare.
22nd May 1943 – Officers and Gentlemen
I was very disappointed with your inability to make Pagham … why didn’t you send a wire or something?
1st June 1943 – Brian and Chunky
Well, how do you like Plymouth? You appear to have struck it lucky in getting such frequent changes of location.
11th June 1943 – Registered Letter
I’m Troop Leader this week…been working up till midnight…and have all the worry of getting the admin done for trip to Wales
28th June 1943 – Moonlight
The trouble was I got lost of course and ended up in the helluva mist about to crawl over a 1000ft precipice.
19th July 1943 – Postcard from Sandhurst
How do you like my temporary ‘home’? (insert photo)
20th July 1943 – Guido Benetti
His niece was there – about seventeen – wearing mauve and old lace, and looking for all the world like Lucrezia Borgia
31st July 1943 – Swimming
Swam in inter-squadron competition…managed to win my event - we won the whole show easily…the first swimming event I’ve been in
12th August 1943 – Quelques Fleurs!
morse has to be done in spare (?) time. Have to do 12 words per minute …which takes at least an hour a day for me
21st August 1943 – Wireless Schemes
and 2 ATS. They were very good, doing nearly all the cooking and egg-scrounging from the farms… they slept in the farmhouse
1st September 1943 – A Young Novel
I find myself…operating a wireless for three days and nights…a golden opportunity to send you a young novel.
7th September 1943 – Sea Lane, Pagham
Chotie Darling, sorry this will be a little tardy for your Birthday but anyhow, all the best.
14th September 1943 – The Devil’s Punchbowl
as regards Recce Corps, they’re over staffed…making them very difficult to please. They cheerfully accept about five in every fifty
28th September ‘43 – The Gentle Sex
They’re no sooner married than the poor girl’s tied down for life, and in most cases before she’s even started to live!
9th October 1943 – Chotie in Yorkshire
I’ve managed to avoid all previous weddings like the plague but this one’s definitely got me…he’s a cadet here
23 Oct ‘43 – Mucking about now
I’ve received my final reports and have only a week of mucking about now. I’ve also got my clothing coupons…Thousands of ‘em
26th October 1943 – Band and Banners
I have seen enough to convince me that the people who say ‘See England first’ do know what they’re talking about.
People in Chapter 8 OCTU
Barbara Chalkley (“Chotie”), Dr Barker, Guido Benetti, Bill, Brian (‘The Ham’), Brinner (Dick’s brother Brian Williams), Brixey, ‘Chunky’, Cyril Williams (Dick’s uncle), Diller (Dick’s sister Dilys Williams), Enoch, Eric Kessler, Eve Kessler (Eric’s wife), Gramp Williams (Dick’s paternal grandfather), Johnny, Don Johnston, Lisby, Mary Dakin, Mater/Ma/Mother (Dick’s mother), Mike/Michael, Pa/Dad (Dick’s father), Peter Collins, Rosemary, Tony Smith, Eva Turner.
Books mentioned in Chapter 8:
‘Clochemerle’ by Gabriel Chevallier – “a rather licentious tale of life in a French village. Very amusing.” / “Have you read ‘Clochemerle’ yet? Don’t ask for it in a bookshop as they would only give you a pretty old fashioned look anyway.”
‘And no man’s wit’ by Rose Macaulay
‘There’s a porpoise close behind us’ by Noel Langley
‘The postman always rings twice’ by James Cain
A couple of un-named books by Naomi Jacobs
‘God likes them plain’ by Eric Linklater – “Read Linklater's short stories entitled ‘God likes them plain’ which are very good.”
‘Two Black Sheep’ by Warwick Deeping
‘Fanny by Gaslight’ by Michael Sadleir – “which I’ve always thought an awful lot of. It’s the finest picture of Victorian England, of the last ten years and Heaven knows there have been enough books on that subject! I’m sure Fanny would get the same hold on you as she has on me.”
‘Tale of Three Cities’ by D.L.Murray – “which I’ve always meant to read, and enjoyed immensely.”
Music mentioned in Chapter 8:
‘La Bohème’ with Ruth Naylor - “Heard Ruth Naylor (waltz-song from Bohème) on Naafi Radio this morning. Pretty wonderful.”
“Brinner bought another Gigli when he was home. I won’t comment on it, as he and Solomon are the only two men in this poor world I would never attempt to criticize.”
‘Casse Noisette’ (Nutcracker) and ‘Eugen Onegin’ by Tchaikovsky.
“Hope you enjoyed the concert under Sargent, whom I think is still the best conductor in the country.”
Beethoven played by Pouishnoff.
Greig
“For Chopin you couldn’t do better than Leff Pouishnoff – who plays 'Fricik’s' stuff better than he ever played it himself and considerably better than Soloman or Cortot!”
Films mentioned in Chapter 8:
‘Gentle Sex’ - found Howard’s influence on ‘Gentle Sex’ just a little too much. He always was hammy.
‘Colonel Blimp’ – Enjoyed.
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