Memoirs of GD Fell

At the end of the three years I received a gratuity of £75. During the time between demob and re-instatement, my time was spent just enjoying myself, drinking with my pals, who had also been demobbed, following Carlisle United at their football matches and probably the only useful thing I did was helping my friends, the Ewing’s, who had a fish and chip shop and an ice cream business. The ice cream was home made and we used to travel to all the fairs around Carlisle with the ice cream van.

On Sundays, we would tour the Lake District, finishing up at one of the little pubs outside Carlisle where we would refresh ourselves with a pint or two. Of course we were often called out of the pub to dispense ice cream to children who would come to the door of the pub asking, “Is the ice cream man in here?”

On 31st December 1946, I was called upon to report to HMS Drake at Plymouth. At the main barracks I went through the joining routine, being kitted out etc. At this stage I was re-categorised to Tel, instead of Tel(S). The reason for this was that there was no longer a need for the Tel(S) category so it had gone out of existence.

From the barracks I was transferred to the Signal School at Glen Holt. Nothing of note happened during the time I spent at Glen Holt until I got my draft chit for HMS Norfolk, a County Class cruiser), which I joined on 13th June 1947. This was to be my home for the next two years.

HMS Norfolk

Whilst I was on the Norfolk I was told that I had to apply for the war medals I was entitled to from my service on Khedive. They were the :-
1939-45, Atlantic, Burma and Italy Stars and the end of the war medal.
Unlike the Khedive which had bunks for sleeping, on the Norfolk you had a mess deck with one long table with benches each side where you ate your meals, played cards, dominoes or ludo (which was always called Uckers in the navy).