ALAN SOLOMON 1922-2005
Alan's 1945 photographs taken in Germany of his C Coy 1 Royal Norfolk colleagues appeared in the print copies of B&C 95 Dec 2000 and B&C 98 Jun 2002. An obituary for Alan was in B&C 104 Jun 05. He wisely recorded his military experiences in Nov 1990.

'I am Oulton Broad (22 Jan 1922) born and bred, and was a clerk for a firm of shipping vessel owners (trawlers) before joining up. With a number of friends we all decided on the spur of the moment to join up, and this we did at Norwich on 11 Jun 1940, as Young Soldiers. Just why we went to Norwich in Norfolk instead of Ipswich to join our own County Regt, I don’t know. Even when we went to Norwich I am sure U didn't realise we would be joining the Royal Norfolk Regt., just joining the Army. After our medical and enlistment we were taken to Watton to join A Coy 70th Bn who were billetted in the houses that had been RAF married quarters. There we did our initial training under CSM Hurley, Cpl Caton and Sgt Flurrant. There was '1.0 a Lt Alan Bloomfield who lived in Watton. The OC was, I think, a Capt Bagley. We did all the guard duties round the airfield. The chap who was Coy Clerk wanted to get out and be with his mates so I was asked to take over and I stayed as Coy Clerk for the rest of my service. I remember a Sgt Gardiner taking us for rifle shooting on the RAF range. We’d never held a rifle before and heaven only knows where the bullets went - still we saved the Army a lot of expense buying targets because I never hit one ! We spent most of our evenings in the WVS hall in Watton buying beans on toast and Sat nights in the local dance hall. There was great excitement when a German plane was shot down over the airfield and landed just outside Hingham. (The sharpshooter was James Exall who died on 11 Aug 1999, aged 77. He served with A Coy, 70th Bn and with 2 R Norfolk in Burma. In 1941 James received a citation from the Area Commander for his skill. A Firecrew diary in the ‘Wartime Watton Exhibition’ gives an account of a ‘short soldier’ shooting down a Junkers 88 at Scoulton. Ed.) We had to turn out in the middle of the night to guard this plane. On the way to it we captured a German airman who was walking along the road - injured. By the time we got to the plane the locals had beaten us to it and most of the gauges and other removables had vanished. Still we got enough perspex out of it to spend many hours making rings, crosses and other small items. The one we captured was the only survivor and after some days in the RAF hospital, we were asked to escort him in an ambulance to a compound in Newmarket. Being in the office I managed to wangle myself on this job with Sgt Durrant. The German had apparently injured his hack and was on a stretcher. Going long the Newmarket straight we met a column of tanks - scores of them - and as they went past The German jumped up off his stretcher and looked out of the window in amazement. Perhaps he had been told we didn't have any. That was the end of his faked injured back!
The Coy then went out guarding river bridges round Norfolk and Coy HQ was in Chapel Field Gardens. Two of us were billeted in a house in Grapes Hill. My socialising friend at this time was Wally Sutton who lived in Horsford. His brother George Sutton was also with us.
Then we moved to a tented camp at Wansford outside Peterborough. Then again on to tents at Leighton Buzzard, where we were given the chance of staying with the 70th or joining any other Regt of our choice. Oh, before going to Wansford we went to the airfield at Weston Longville doing guard duties. It was here I met a very fine officer and sportsman Capt TPK Oakey - who played cricket for, I think, Warwickshire. The favourite haunt those days in Norwich was the Colman Club - dancing every night plus the usual tea and wads. RSM Swingler - how can you mention the 70th without mentioning him ! I first saw him shortly after he joined the Bn when he paid a visit to Watton, but only really came into contact with him when I was sent on an NCOs course at Taverham Hall - Bn HQ. By God he frightened the life out of me and everyone else I reckon. We had only been used to such fatherly types as CSM Hurley but he was of a completely different mould - ex Guards. I suppose it was only natural we should look on him as a monster from some other world. However, after a while, we could not but admire his wonderful way as a Drill Instructor. He was a master of his art and undoubtedly he was responsible for instilling discipline and leadership into who crossed his path. I thought at that time that all RSMs were born of immaculate conception! We had a right QMS at Taverham too. He left his light on one night when he went out. The guard told him of it when he returned so he put his light bulb in the guard room for a week as punishment.
I was in the last batch to leave the 70th and join the 7th who were in tents at Tenterden. Who was there to greet us but RSM Swingler. In no time at all he had Clerks, cooks, batmen and all on parades and route marches. We were dispersed then to various parts of Kent and our Coy HQ was in a farm building. Wally Sutton and I were sent to the RASC Depot to collect rations. When we were sorting them out on our return we noticed some writing on one of the packets of margarine. It turned out to be a girl's name and address who worked at the Van den Burg and Jurgens margarine factory at Purfleet, Essex. After some ribbing from Wally I wrote to this girl and we started corresponding. As the saying goes - to cut a long story short - we met and have just celebrated our 45th year of marriage. At Tenterden we were taken out at night miles way and left with a map and compass to find our way home. Oh the joy when those wonderful Kentish ladies fed cups of tea to us poor lost souls!'

This appeared in the print copy of B&C 106 Jun 06 and other parts will follow in the print copy and here.