ENSA did a great job during the Second World War. Its performances relieved the strangeness of the life we were living, far from home where we would rather have been. I particularly remember this performance, when the days of danger were over and we were beginning to regain the normality of how life should be spent. My first stage performance was far from voluntary in the first year of the War when my Company Sergeant Major sent for me and said: "Private Brown you are to be the compere at the Battalion Concert that is being arranged". My aghast look brought forth a brief moment of pity but little comfort as he told me: "Go and see Sergeant ---, he is arranging it and will tell you what you have to do and say". Adding, by way of explanation: "You speak clearly and we will be able to understand what you say!" Soon after that my stage career took another step forward. A lad in the Battalion Intelligence Section who had been an actor with the BBC, entered the Battalion in a drama competition being held in Northumberland where we were stationed. It was just a short drama of some twenty minutes, and on the merits of my previous role as a compere asked me to be the prompter . . . in quiet voice to whisper the lines when a player stumbled or just froze! How could I refuse someone from the BBC! On the night we were due to perform a member of our cast was unable to appear, so I was the stand-by and played a one-line speaking appearance as a Norwegian sailor! My wife-to-be and as yet to meet, some 4 years my junior, was also a member of a drama group performing that night in the same competition in Newcastle in 1940. However, to our great acclaim the Battalion Drama Group were awarded third place . . . I reckon a great percentage of our marks earned through sheer loyal support for the boys in khaki. The outcome of that night: My debut as a Norwegian Sailor became an often requested party piece always greeted with great hilarity by my family, especially my wife! Joe Brown
good morning joe brown.yesterday,08:54am.re:ensa,yes they did a great job entertaining the troops.like yourself many of them were service personel,you are a man of many talents joe brown,great post.and how lucky you were to find your future wife in ensa.thank you for a historical post,have a good day.bernard85
