Just Me

A Memory of Billericay.

HENRY
I would like to introduce my self, now 89 as I was born 2nd November 1922.
From 1922 to 1924 is what I was told. Two years old I can remember & I have typed out many sheets of such. All relate to my days in Billericay, a town 21 miles to London or 21 miles to Southend & 4 miles to Gallwood the race course
From 2 to 20 years old I went to many different schools. I had been an apprentice plasterer & gained recognition as a plasterer.
Now 1942, in the second world war time, I was called up and joined the Ordnance Core, going to Darby for basic training. When the REME was formed, I was transferred into it.
10578865 was my number - I was at Ballykindler, Northern Ireland a while, then largest convoy to South Africa. Three weeks on the water, boat the RHYS - a Dutch motto boat, quite large. Six months in South Africa - Cape Town, a camp just outside of town, the up, the red sea, called into Aden - very hot there. We were intended for Iraq, but ended up at EL-TEL E-KIBEAR Egypt. Demobbed 1945, joined TA gaining a 12 years medal army service right through.
Married - two Sons one Daughter, worked at most things in building work, & formed a Limited Company. My last job was cleaning work - I was 83 years old when I stopped working in 2005. Three years Glad was wheel chair bound, loosing her in 2008, I had a breakdown, but as the early days of my life explain I am meant to survive, giving me the belief we were started & evolved to what we are today, by a Spirit. It is for me thankfully. I do not have a religion, but can understand those who do, but not the way they do it, or for what reason they have found to think so. I do not know how to Love I don't know how to Hate, to me, one is the Spirit the other the devil, all within us, the Soul & the mind. I am happy to be me, that does not mean you need be, because whatever you think or say, can only go so far either way,