B&C 84 Jun 95
CONSIDER YOURSELF UNDER ARREST!
Told at the 1995 4th Bn Royal Norfolk Officers' Dinner by the late Lt Col Alex Turnbull:
Colonel Jewson, clad in pyjamas and a dressing gown, returned to the 4th Norfolk Officers Mess at camp, unable to sleep because of the noise, and addressed the inebriated officer he assumed to be the prime cause of the commotion, 'Mr Cary- Elwes, consider yourself under arrest.'
A wavering Eustace Cary-Elwes responded, 'Colonel, I'm not in a position to consider anything.'
Quote from The Britannia No 26, Autumn 1939:
The 4th Battalion welcomed Steward, Cary-Elwes, Farrelly, Gaymer, Gaymer, Burne and Strickland-Goodall. The Signallers greeted their new Signalling Officer Mr Barrett and congratulated Cpl Cullum on his promotion and Cpl Palmer on his marriage.
The Sergeants Mess reported: 'The ATS were with us in Camp and visited us for a half-hour one Sunday morning. We all hope that by the time our next notes are due the world will be at peace.'
B Coy of the 4th Battalion did things different:' The Maaster sed to me t'other day, "Would you like a glass a'ale?" so I say, "Thank'ee thet I would," and havim' drunk it up, he say, "Have yow a nother one Bor," so I had a nother, an it went on like thet for some tree or fower times, an we go to talkin' about the polickitcal situaation, an he axed me if I thowt there would be a war breaak out, so I say, "No, Bor, not wile we maake the pen mightier than the sword," so he say to me he say, "Well I think yow had better git they mighty pen of yourn on the goo agin an du something about the Jarnal notes," and at the same time he called for some more ale."

'War is, as these notes go to press, most likely, and so we can but wish all in IX of Foot, God Speed, God's Blessing and Good Luck if there is no means of keeping the peace!'

Under a line of asterisks appears the stark message:
Added - September 1939. 'WAR' broken out.

Click photographs to enlarge

From B&C 106 Jun 06 4TH BN IN GREAT YARMOUTH WW2
The looting of the funfair, the acquisition of the stuffed bear, the comment of the King when he saw it and the disastrous mixing of tea and coffee in the King’s cup were reported in B&C 98 Jun 02 and B&C 100 Jun 03. The Britannia No 28 Aug 1946 published an account compiled by Lt Col EC Knights MC MM TD of the early war years. 'The Bn was concentrated in the Gt Yarmouth and Gorleston area, with a perimeter of 22 miles, tasked with defence of the area from attack by land or sea. Gorleston Holiday Camp and Gt Yarmouth race course were requisitioned for accommodation, messing, training and recreation. After Dunkirk there were amazing scenes of activity to meet the threat of invasion: defensive positions strengthened, beaches wired, dugouts and strong points constructed, minefields laid, a tank ditch was dug from west to east at both the northern, Caister, and southern, Hopton, boundaries of the Bn sector. Road blocks consisting of herring barrels filled with sand and lashed with timber were constructed all around the perimeter of Gt Yarmouth and Gorleston. In view of the urgency of the work, the normal channels of requisitioning rather broke down. Local commanders were obliged to show initiative with the result that up to the time the Bn went abroad, bills for barrels etc, accompanied by terse remarks from higher command ‘who authorised this expenditure’, followed the Bn on its subsequent travels through England and Scotland.’ The tank ditch which traversed the Gt Yarmouth Golf Course was not altogether pleasing to players, nor was the fact that the course provided a rather good section and pl training area. The Corporation Transport Manager was greatly perturbed by the fact that his buses took about ten minutes to negotiate the gaps in the Bn road blocks. One of the greatest attractions was the blowing of a gap in Britannia Pier. The event was well advertised and a record crowd gathered to watch. Unfortunately, house windows on Marine Parade suffered severe casualties. In addition, a few torpedo warheads were installed at the seaward end of the pier. They had an electrical firing connection so that, if enemy troops landed at the pierhead, they could be blown sky-high. The idea was undoubtedly good but the switch for making the electrical connection was beside the switch which operated the beach floodlights. It was always a tense moment when orders were received to test the floodlights in case the wrong switch was used!'
[B&C 106 Jun 06]

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