Drivers ID/Licence
On 12th October 1942, dad was issued with an Identification Card for Mechanical Transport Drivers.
The description of dad reads; Height 5'6" shallow complexion eyes brown! hair dark brown
This description could presumably apply to thousands of troops at the time.
A ww2talk forum member posted some information about a relative, who had served in the RASC company of 11th Armoured Division. He stated that;
All tradesmen, no matter what their trade, needed to be able to drive due to Dunkirk (2 months prior) – some of the soldiers couldn’t drive then, so the vehicles had become stuck on the beach...This set me thinking about my dad. He had once told me that all he had to do was ride a motor cycle around a field without falling off, and he was then given a driving licence!
I don't know if the card above was the first or last drivers card he was issued with. The significance of October 1942 was that the Regiment was, by then, preparing for their overseas posting (...which of course turned out to be North Africa).
By August 1942 dad was a sergeant, so I also wonder whether all servicemen above a certain rank were given the chance to qualify as a driver.
Even though I don't have another card to cover the period from the expiry of the first one (11th October 1943) I suspect he continued to be allowed to drive for all the time that he was in Italy and Africa.
So the next question is; could he have used this qualification to apply for a full driving licence when back in civvy street, without the need to take a formal driving test?
Regular Driving tests were suspended on 2nd September 1939 for the duration of the war, while HGV licences and tests were suspended on 1st January 1940. Testing didn’t resume for over a year after the end of the war, recommencing on 1st November 1946. And during this 7 year period, Test Examiners were redeployed to traffic duties and supervision of fuel rationing.
During this time, I understand that wartime provisional licences were converted to full licences without testing.
So, although I haven't been able to validate this, it seems likely that dad could have converted his wartime drivers card into a full driving licence.
I know he rode motorbikes during the 1950s, and by 1962, we had our first family car...a ("roll-over") Renault Dauphine.
Anyway, I do have dad's last Driving Licence, issued at a time when they just looked like miniature passports...
This has a page which shows it was issued in 1973 for just 3 years at a cost of £1.
In 1976 it was updated with another sheet (cost £5) and ran through to 1991, when dad gave up driving at the age of 70.
A few more photos
This looks like some pointless job suitable for a couple of junior Gunners (my dad is the guy holding the sieve)
164 Battery "B" Troop (Italy 1944)
No.1 Gun crew
James, Kent, Bedder, Waterton
Butcher, Luscombe, Petty, Holder, Blamire
Rea
No.2 Gun crew
Hummerston, Elliott, Bassett, Phillips
Attree, Grayson, Cochrane, Mahoney
Schofield
No.3 Gun crew
O'Brien, Henson, Holmes
Ames, Parker H, Harris, Bentley, Frimley
No.4 Gun crew
Bampton, Tong, Petty, Bellany, Penfold
Harding, Webb, Richardson, Hillier
Dad was keen on football and seems to have played for this REME team (Brindisi, Italy 1944).
If they are in their playing positions, dad must have been the 'inside-left'
That’s dad on the right, wearing a top with “IVY” stitched on the front (Italy 1944)
164 Battery 1944 (Italy). By this time, none of these guys are working in the Gun crews; I wonder what their jobs were?This may be a group of sergeants as they are seated outside the Sergeants Mess.
Dad is seated left in the middle row, George Coe is in the middle of the middle row, and A. Mason ("Mago") is centre back.
On the rough building behind dad are 2 signs:-
- Holiday Inn
Dad did play the drums in the Boys Brigade, but are these jokers playing or are they just posing? (Italy 1944/5)
Sergeant Davis in Italy 1945, at the age of 23
This photo was posted back to mum.
On the back dad wrote:-
{followed by 15 kisses}Rome May 1945
all my love darling.
your Own Dearest Husband
Dad is wearing gloves in this photo taken in January 1946, so initially I thought he was back in England.
I now know he was still in northern Italy with the Venezia Giulia Police Force (78th Regiment 700th BTY RA Auxiliary Police, CMF).
post cards
Dad sent a few post cards from North Africa and Italy.
He wrote on the back:-
Do not take too much notice of this card dearest, as I have not rode a camel yet.
A typical camp of how the natives live, some far worse.
Yes darling this card makes it look as though they are living in palaces. Above all it would be quite that number in one shack as we call them.
How about the idea for our bungalow darling?
I think dad also bought back quite a few cards and photos from/of Italy and North Africa just as souvenirs. Most were black & white, but he also had a collection of 6 coloured cartoon style post cards from Rome in a paper wrap;
The artist didn't have a clear idea of the Union Jack flag, and probably couldn't work out why some "English" soldiers wore skirts!
Written on the back of each card is a location and short description.
card #1
card #2
card #2#1. Canada Club; "Tactful methods of approach"
#2. The Roman Forum; "The Red Cross at work"
card #3
card #4
card #4#3. Piazza Di Spana; "Look out for the shops"
#4. The Vatican City; "The Bronze Door"
that's entertainment
Here is a very curious booklet, originally held together with a single staple.
This strange booklet is simply described as:-
"A Collection of Poems By British Soldiers for British Soldiers. Selected, Illustrated and Printed by "Comrades of the Other Side".
Some of the poems are dark, like this one, which goes with the cover illustration;
Some are amusing;
Some are political;
...and a couple are probably no longer acceptable.
Thanks to someone called "Lee" on the website: ww2talk I now know that this was German propaganda.
To quote Lee:-
It is a German propaganda pamphlet produced in January 1945 by the SS-Standarte Kurt Eggers Division, specifically the Südstern section - Southern Star.
Dad also brought back a program from the Vaudeville Theatre in Rome
Note: the left panel (in the top illustration) should read: ARMY WELFARE SERVICES
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