Pre Army Life
He was now aged 16 and he felt disillusioned and disappointed with his situation What I do know is that he was working as a dry cleaner in civvy street but I think he had had various jobs, I get the impression that he was not too happy with his lot as a young man in London E17 at the start of 1945. London was in a state of demolition and very limited opportunities to better oneself. The liberation of Europe was was now in progress and the war with the Japanese very much still ongoing. This certainly took the young men and women of the country through conscription into uniform. He was a frustrated young man his older brother was already in the army and had been campaingning throughout the African campaign and Italy and he had kept in contact with George keeping him informed with what was happening in his campaigns and travels, his brother was not the kind of person who would glorify his experiences or elaborate on his adventures good or bad. George had the ultimate trust in his brother and he wanted some of the same experiences in his life. The first opportunity he could enlist he would and be away from it all. George was now feeling his feet and couldn’t wait to get out and see what the world was all about, he also was feeling a bit out of place and a bit of a gooseberry to his father’s new marriage and new wife.
So, George took the first steps to make the start to the new adventure by joining the Army cadets Essex regiment, he was suddenly involved with other young people of his own ilk who had the same interest as he had and the will to learn what they could and fully experience the Army life, the discipline, training and adventure and how the organization worked prior to joining as a full-time career soldier.
So, it was on the March 15th, 1945, some 6 months before the war in Europe ended George gave his birthday as the 6th August 1927 instead of the true date of 9th November 1927 and enlisted in the Army for 7 years with the colours and 5 years with the reserves, rather than wait for his call up papers for conscription.