BOY SERVICE NOSTALGIA.

Author: Peter HUMPSTON. (Jersey ATS 1938 – Arborfield ATS 1939)

Collated by: Trevor STUBBERFIELD (Arborfield AAS 52A)

Foreword.

Arthur Peter Humpston passed away in November 2009 in Perth, Western Australia. IN MEMORIAM

I had been keeping in touch with him with a view to publishing his article ‘Boy Service Nostalgia’ here on the ‘Arborfield & The September 49ers’ web site. It had first appeared in ‘The Horses Mouth’, the on line magazine of the Western Australia branch of the RAEME. He was in agreement but asked me to wait a while as he was in the process of rewriting some of the detail and intended taking the story on from his experiences as an Army Apprentice in Jersey C.I. to include the time he spent at the Arborfield Army Technical School. This was to be published as a book and he would then be happy to see it displayed here on the 49ers. Alas it was not to be.

I have had contact with John Curtis, the original editor of ‘The Horses Mouth’ and have received his permission to publish the article here. John writes These articles are a tribute to Peter and his remarkable memory. Publishing them will benefit the historical side of the Corps of REME, especially since Peter was there at the very beginning of the Corps. Further good news is that the intention is to prepare Peter’s full story from his notes with a view to publishing it in book form.

I feel that Peter’s story gives a fascinating insight to the life of an Army Apprentice in the very early days and it is well worth preserving it for our readers. Ian Rea (Bramley ATS 1938), a lifelong friend of Peter, has written of his experiences after moving from Bramley to Arborfield in 1939, which is where they first met. Their accounts complement each other and to me, Ian’s account would echo the same experiences that Peter would have had and written about in his book.

Trevor 52A

The Editor.

Published: 15th December 2009

_________________________________________________________________________________.

Continued.