Role of the Reservist in the Second World War

I have just uploaded the picture of 3049744 Private William Charles Russell into the Gallery and propose adding to it with souvenirs from his Royal Scots Kitbag. However, I thought it was a relevant subject for a new thread: An Appreciation of the Reservists.

William Russell enlisted in The Royal Scots on 4 December 1923 and was posted to the 2nd Battalion The Royal Scots and served in Aden, Egypt, China and India.

As an Army Reservist was called to The Colours in September 1939 and posted to the 8th Battalion The Royal Scots, a young newly formed infantry battalion which only re-formed in the Spring of 1939. I was with the Battalion in these first few weeks of the War and remember the large draft of Reservists arriving, three of them posted to the Signals Platoon where I was training as an infantry signaller. Their experience was a great uplift to the young battalion and our training efficiency increased through their help.

William Russell landed with the 8RS in Normandy and took part in the fierce fighting we encountered in the bridgehead until he was wounded at Gavrus in July 1944.

These older Royal Scots with their experience were a key strength in our comradeship, their presence like Big Brothers, reassuring when the going was tough and looking back on these years, we who were younger in age were privileged to have them by our side.

Joe Brown.

 

Joe
you are quite right as the effect of the "old soldiers " on the young reinforcements was instrumental in settling down to the wiles and ways of the battalion and my Tank driver - Charlie Bailey of

Keighley was my old soldier in keeping this 19 y.o. on the trouble free paths - and was a character to boot in out running an angry Camel...

Cheers

 

As a regular reservist, my dad was recalled to the colours on the Friday before war was declared on the following Sunday. I can just remember him cycling home from the factory where he worked at 5 pm; my mum had a small case packed for him, a quick wash and shave and he was on a train which left at 6 pm. A turner on the Friday afternoon and the following Monday morning teaching militia men how to strip and clean the Bren LMG. He had previously been a marksman on the Lewis and was not familiar with the Bren but they slung a manual at him on arrival at his regimental depot which he swotted up on. Many years later I asked him why he, at least, had not ceased his civilian work on the Friday lunchtime but he replied "War or no war, boy my bosses were such lousy skinflints, there was no way I could finish early, they would'nt have paid me as they did not bring around the wage packets until last thing on a Friday afternoon!" Two months later he was in France with the BEF.