A departure from RAF
matters for once. Today marks the 350th Anniversary of
the formation of the Royal Marines.
Our late father James
Augustus 'Gus' Proctor was a proud Royal Marine. To continue a
common theme on this site - Dad never really told us much about his war other than stories that involved playing football, dodging predatory
birds in Egypt which would dive-bomb to steal food out of mess tins,
interminable train journeys across India with locals hanging on the
outside of carriages and snatching cigarettes from marines lips, being
bombed by Japanese aircraft in Ceylon, running into a building in
Bruges driving one of the trucks. There were more sobering tales
though – witnessing the aftermath of a V2 blast on a cinema in
Antwerp. The patrons were dead in their seats still staring at the
screen.
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| Any ideas ? |
Corporal J A Proctor,
extreme right, always considered H M Royal
Marines to have been the best dressed, the best at ceremonials,
marching, the best band, toughest Commandos, you name it – they
were the best. Dad was unabashed that his reason for joining the
Corps was in reaction to seeing a pair of Royal Marines in their
best blues marching perfectly in step down Tring High Street – they
looked so smart.......
I believe that Dad served
with MNBDO1, Mobile Naval Base Defence Organisation, 1st
RM (Heavy) AA Regiment, probably 'D' Battery, ending the war as a
Sergeant.
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| No 3 Section OC 'D' Battery |
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| No 4 Section OC 'D' Battery |
Another common theme here
is 'the luck of the draw.' - Dad told us of being assembled in a
hall, the room was divided down the middle, one side went, I think,
to Crete, and suffered heavy casualties – Dad happened to be on the
other side of the hall with the Egypt contingent.
Every
year at about this time in the run-up to his birthday (the day before
Armistice Day) Dad would announce, 'I must apply for my medals'.
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