victor matcham- Registered: 5 Oct 2021
- Posts: 1,075
ha the bugs sir .
Reginald Barrington
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 17 Dec 2014
- Posts: 3,257
Good to see you writing again Vic, far more interesting to read than any celebrity biography!
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Arte et Marte
victor matcham- Registered: 5 Oct 2021
- Posts: 1,075
Thank you sir for saying that ,all it is a life story of a working person we all have a true story to tell a long the line of life I have chosen to share my life with some of the folk who know me.
victor matcham- Registered: 5 Oct 2021
- Posts: 1,075
It was back to the office for me do the packing u etc we had a very good full corporal in change of the med/centre and he help me alot,I was working all night ,next morning we put all the med gear etc in a trailer hooked it on to the landrover and going with the DR the n.c.o and lance corporal not for getting the Padre we was off in convoy to R.A.F---- TO FLY OFfTO Canada in R.A.F. Britannia.
victor matcham- Registered: 5 Oct 2021
- Posts: 1,075
It was a very long flight taking many hrs but we had a packed meal and drink, and some time was taken up with briefings about where and what we were going to do.We was going to a very hot part of Canada with woods the size of England ,we were all going to live in tents and eat at the same camp .there will be a mess tent to eat and drink in no food to be eaten in the tents you sleep in.we were also told all our weapons will be gaven out in the camp but we must cover them in sackcloth because of the heat they might set the woods on fire no firing the weapo\ns bcause of the fire risk.The planes we were in was not jets like today but prop engines and there was two each side. we was going to land in Newfoundland to re fuel and would be there 24 hrs then fly on to Canada ,we was to all eat and sleep in a local indoor ice hocky stadium.
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victor matcham- Registered: 5 Oct 2021
- Posts: 1,075
All went well with this short stay ,our plane was the first to go ,on the way we was given a briefing ,told that we were heading for Fredericton in New Brunswick we were to land there ,but the officer went on to say it has a short runway and our R.A.f plane WAS THE LARGEST to land on it."great! someone called out ,"lets hope we make it OK.HA .The plane came in to land and as we was going along the runway to stop I could see what looked like the end of the runway getting closer and closer,but it did stop .as we was getting off I looked over ,and very true we was just about on the runway. We was told then to get into the Canadian army lorrys waiting out side, and yes it was very hot.The convoy set off to a town call Gauge town ,it took over a hour to get there , After a short stay ,because the officers had a briefing about the last part of the journey by lorry.ITwas to a very big Canadian army Base.I will not say the name of it or the location just in case I end up in jail again ha ha,well you never know who is looking in.That is as well I will not name the big exercise we was about to go on.I know it was many years ago but ......
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victor matcham- Registered: 5 Oct 2021
- Posts: 1,075
Were to bed down for the night in their Drill hall as it was getting late they had a meal put out in the very big canteen.I did not put my army watch to their time it was reading But the time in England, well I was very tired. Just before the meal I was called in to see our Dr also with me was our own full corporal .Told us this is the end of the journey for himself and the padre as they were both going to stay in the main base camp .He was to have a office there where at times we was to report to him ,and at times he will come out to our camp.He went on to say ."Matcham tonight in the drill hall you will give out a briefing on what to do in a tent in your camp at nights,"Sir I have nothing ready my notes etc are still packed away and like all of us I am very tired.But I was still ordered to go ahead with it.
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victor matcham- Registered: 5 Oct 2021
- Posts: 1,075
You might find the next part boring but I feel it is a very important part of my life story and you will find out later.in the 1960s not much was know about the spleen and septicaemia only about malaria which was the cause of bites by female mosquitoes only not the male.Ok on we go ,I was told before the briefing I was gave ,there will only be senior N.C.O. and officers there was over 700 men and that was to many to do the briefing to +they were all not there anyway.I was taken to a other part of the drill hall chairs had been put out for the N.C.O S AND OFFICERS.As they filed in I got very nervous having never done it before and still only 19years old.
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victor matcham- Registered: 5 Oct 2021
- Posts: 1,075
The R.S.M. GOT UP AND TOLD THEM ALL what was going to be said by me and would they pass it on to all troops after. I was standing there in front of all the officers including the CO him self.
So I first said ,as I am just a private soldier and the lowest rank present I am going to call you all gentleman ,there was some laughing from them which made me feel better it broke the ice. "tHIS gentleman is going to be the quickest briefing you been to,I have no notes with me .All I am going to say is what must be done at night and mornings to help you not to get a bite from the mosquito, some of you will know what I am saying or even more,but I must do this. As you know we are going to be all in tents for some weeks ,so it is very important that what I say is followed I cannot guaranteed that you will not get bitten at some point but it will be a prevention of one. First I will tell you even if you get a bite from the female mosquito the change of you getting malaria is very small .
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Guest 4957- Registered: 25 Nov 2022
- Posts: 4
Have read all your posts so far Vic, and congratulations on sharing your story with others. I don't believe you have found it to be easy but you have stayed the course so far and for a person who obviously hasn't received an education at ETON then you have done well expressing yourself.
Reading between the lines it sounds like you have been criticised by some members but just ignore their jibes and insults and let it all be revealed.
Just as an afterthought I am now back in Melbourne Australia but still retain my interest in my old home town. - Trevor.
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victor matcham- Registered: 5 Oct 2021
- Posts: 1,075
Thank you for that sir ,ha it was not Eton for me but have got to the OXFORD University but to get there I will be dead ,We have alot of family living in Perth but sorry to say we do not have the funds to go and see them.Yes WHEN MY TIME COME I am going to be cut up for science.
victor matcham- Registered: 5 Oct 2021
- Posts: 1,075
Well must say I am taken back That there are still members that want to hear more of my life story so thank you for the interest showed .And there is a lot more to come ,I am 80years now and I am only at the age of 19 in my story.
Well I went on to tell in my briefing to say .All the tents are up and mosquitoes nets are down over all the bedding in the tents ,I was told that the tents stay up I am going to tell you all all summer because other troops use them at times, but all the bedding is clean etc. So it is ready for us to move into later today.What I AM going to tell you now in your own interest is to follow it .when you get to the camp tonight make shore that your m\net is down,if not it will be to late in the day to put it down,the reason for that is the bug is already on your bedding and by putting your net down you will trap it inside the net and would mean when you get into bed the mosquitoes will get on your skin and go for your blood and that could make you very unwell and need treating there are creams that will help you to get over it but they do not always work and you will also get a lot of bumps over your skin that will make you scratch which in turn will make it bleed ,so the thing is that you keep your net down all the time because you are going out all day training and do not know what time you will get back ,so first things first and the most important is keeping your net down DO NOT PUT IT DOWN AFTER DARK if you do as I just told you the mos\will be trap inside.
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victor matcham- Registered: 5 Oct 2021
- Posts: 1,075
Next is clothes there is a spray going to be given out to spray them ,but also I am saying off my own back is where you can sleep with them under the bedding at night ,but that is just my way I am going to do it myself. It is going to be very hot day and night and storms and heavy rain at times, now you must never take a shirt off or show bear skin in the day or night time keep your skin covered up at all times in the tent and out of it.try to keep away from ponds and puddles they will have mos\bugs a 77round them.And last one is keep your tent laps down 24 hours a day, early each day I will be coming round the whole of the camp site in a jeep and on the back will be what looks like a flame machine,but in fact it will be a D.D.T. machine and I will be sending out the power from it around all tents etc and mess tents where you eat and if you do not keep tent laps down or the tent pegged down good the power will get inside the tent and there will be a mass exit of men coughing .
That is all I am going to say at this time,as I said I am the lowest of army ranks and cannot order any body to do what I have said. but I know that if any of the rules now in place are not carried out the person will be disciplined .
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victor matcham- Registered: 5 Oct 2021
- Posts: 1,075
Sorry to say a member of my family has died.I will get back on my story at some point but not right now.Thank you.
Reginald Barrington- Location: Dover
- Registered: 17 Dec 2014
- Posts: 3,257
Sorry to hear that Vic, family must come first, we'll be here when you are ready to continue.
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Arte et Marte
victor matcham- Registered: 5 Oct 2021
- Posts: 1,075
Thank you sir it will take off again in a few days just need time to get my head round things at this time.
victor matcham- Registered: 5 Oct 2021
- Posts: 1,075
back by the week end.
victor matcham- Registered: 5 Oct 2021
- Posts: 1,075
yes that is a yes at some point over the week end,I might have to go away for a few days later but all in air at this time.
victor matcham- Registered: 5 Oct 2021
- Posts: 1,075
Well all going well then one night the troops were on night exercise ,and I was on duty ,as the rest of or lads were out with them ,I was left behind to look after and keep open the med\centre,so I could sleep but on call 24\7 ,well it was about o430 in the morning when I got called out to go to see a soldier in his tent ,when I got there I put the tilly lamp on what I saw was not a nice sight what had happen he had got back very late, but had left his mos\net up all day and when he got back got into his bed and done the very thing I told them all, he put his mos\net down over the bed and went to sleep , the Mosquitoes could not get out so they all landed on him biting into him and taking his blood and it like he had leprosy on his face and other parts of him it was so bad he could not be recognise , yes I could have patch him up but he needed to get to the hospital very fast,so I got the field ambulance to him ,and I had to aske company medical orderly to take over from me so I could drive him to the hospital ,and good thing I did because I had not done that he might have lost his eyes. When I got back in some hrs later I lost it and had a go at the company Sergent major. it was not his place to look after them once in bed ,I said sorry for having ago at him but was so cross ithad happen after all I told them.Any way I was told the lad was put a charge but I did not hear anymore about what happen
Bob Whysman
- Registered: 23 Aug 2013
- Posts: 1,937
victor matcham wrote:Any way I was told the lad was put a charge but I did not hear anymore about what happen
The old military chestnut eh Vic, “Self inflicted injuries.?”
Keep up the good work!
Do nothing and nothing happens.