Enlisting at age 23, he was 5' 10 1/2" tall, weighed 140 lbs , with blue eyes and fair hair.
He married Louisa Elizabeth Green on 16 Oct 1926 in Colchester. Colchester would become their permanent home and after the army he went to live at 2 Distillery Lane, Hythe.
| Unit or location | Role | Posted from | until |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Norfolk Scout Section | Scout Section Member | 12 Nov 1940 | 23 Apr 1943 |
Storeman
His military service started aged 17 years and 3 months on 20 Nov 1917, when he enlisted in the Reserve Territorial Force 4th Battalion of the Norfolk Regiment. They provided home defence troops. He formally joined the ranks once he turned 18 as private 35822. In Nov 1918 he moved to 3rd Battalion. On 22 Jan 1919 reenlisted in the Regular Army with the Norfolk Regiment. On 10 Oct 1919 he departed for service in India, being then posted to Iraq 2 years later. His discharge testimonial on 31 Mar 1923 recorded that he had been trained as a drummer, but has most recently been an officer's servant.
He re-attested for service with 5th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment, a Territorial Army unit, while working as a labourer in North Walsham, Norfolk on 12 Sep 1923.
He re-enlisted in Norwich on 29 Apr 1925 for 7 years Regular Army service with the Norfolk Regiment. On 14 Sep 1925 he was appointed lance corporal, though lost his stripe for misconduct on 3 Aug 1926. He was discharged to the reserve on 28 Apr 1932
He re-engaged for four years on the reserve on 29 Apr 1937. He was mobilised on 2 Sep 1939 as war became inevitable.
He joined Auxiliary Units on 12 Nov 1940.
Between 29 Oct 1941 and 9 Jan 1942 he was attached to 902 Defence Battery Royal Artillery.
He transferred to the depot for The Royal Norfolk Regiment on 23 Apr 1943 as the Scout Sections were being reduced in size. On 2 Jan 1944 he was posted to No.2 Infantry Training Centre. On 25 Nov 1944, he moved to No.2 Holding Unit as a member of the permanent staff. He remained there until 11 Jul 1945 when he started his discharge process. His total army service was 20 years and 130 days.
Service record