Transcript
I joined up on my 18th birthday, which was the 30th of December, '42.
When I was 17, I tried to join up and I put my age back instead of saying I was born in December, I said I was born in January so that made me being old enough to join in. So, I joined up in September.
I was only 17 and I went all through the procedure and I saw the officer stamp my paper A1. I thought "Good, I'm in" and blow me next thing a voice down the end, "Have you got your birth certificate?" I thought "Oh, no". So, I said "No".
She said, "How old are you?" And I said "Seventeen". Said, "When will you be 18?" I said on the 30th of December. Said, "You come back on your birthday and we'll be glad to have you."
So, at 8 o'clock on my birthday and I didn't get called up 'til the 9th of February, so I had to wait a few weeks before I could go in. But it was, it was born in us with Dad, you know, so.