Ron (Eddie) Edmondson
Royal Army Pay Corps
After his basic training at Devizes, Ron Edmondson, known to everyone as Eddie, was posted to Wolverley. On his arrival in July 1949, the army discovered that Ron had some basic typewriter skills. With this knowledge in mind, they assigned him to the typing pool. It was while he worked here that he met his future wife, Pamela Cheetham. Pamela lived at the nearby displaced persons camp at Blakeshall along with her family.
Food was still rationed at that time, although Ron say’s the food wasn’t that bad. “From time to time we used to go to a transport café, ‘The Roadhouse’ in Kidderminster. They used to serve up generous portions of ‘greasy spoon’ food. At the weekend we were allowed supper, but had to sign up for it in advance. The problem was that if you changed your mind and decided to go out and forgo supper you were liable to be charged with ‘missing a parade’. Then of course there was the NAAFI where you could always get a cup of tea and a bun”.
Ron remembers one occasion when everyone was punished for someone else’s mistake. “Orders were issued for a compulsory route march once a week for us squaddies. This started off as intended, but quickly degenerated into a pleasant walk down the road into a nearby field for a smoker’s break before returning to camp about an hour later. Guard duty comprised of standing at the gate with an empty rifle, no access to ammunition and no instructions about confronting undesirables. A squatter’s patrol was held in the early evening and was completely ineffective. There was just one unoccupied block at that time that they could have occupied. That was reputed to have been a padded cell from the days when the camp was a military hospital. I remember the safe in the Adjutants office was broken into and the time when a small army vehicle was stolen from inside the camp. “By midnight the guard had usually stood down and everyone went to bed”.
Just as Ron’s 18 months National Service was coming to an end, the Korean War intervened. The government announced an extension of six months to Military Conscription.“ I well remember the feeling when the extra service was announced and a lot more drinking was done”. Ron remained at Wolverley for another six months until his demob day finally arrived.
This was by no means the end of Ron’s service at Wolverley camp, the next couple of years saw him back doing his fortnights training with the Emergency Reserve.
