[badjez]

Back in 1938 Hertfordshire County Council sponsored the formation of a TA RE unit. My uncle Michael's mother wouldn't allow her husband to join. In 1939 he joined the RE. His civil expertise was concrete construction and his skills were needed by the BEF in France building blockhouses, A/T defences etc. Officer training consisted of reporting to Chatham Barracks one Friday morning, paperwork, being taught how to salute, being issued with a pile of military engineering pamphlets, being sworn in and fed. Saturday morning off to London to see regimental tailor and buy kit. Sunday morning on the boat train to France. May 1940 evacuated from Dunkirk and then resumed his army role building defences in SE England. To get the defences built he had detachments from various regiments placed under his control. Wherever possible he pinched a badge from them and posted it home to my uncle Michael. Obviously many were broken as they were the ones that could be spared. Capt Pain moved on, we think to building Mulberry harbour prototypes in Scotland, and D Day (+ a couple) to build the harbour. He ended the war as a Major with a RE Company in Germany.
Skip a few years....a green back full of badges is given to a young Stephen by his uncle. The rest is history.

Stephen.