 The 1st Bn in Shanghai 1928
Behind the
officer with a pipe
Alec is on the
left
(enlarged on the
right) |
 Alec John
Rushen in Shanghai 1928 |
Alec John Rushen
|
From Pete' site: http://mywebpage.netscape.com/rushenfamily/page11.htm
'5767868 Private Alec John Rushen, Norfolk Regiment
(1923-1932)
Alec John enlisted on the 27 Dec 1923 at Warley in
Essex. After training at Hyderabad Barracks, Colchester,
he was posted to Bermuda. After 194 days he embarked in
the troopship Derbyshire for Egypt. Two years later he
was on the move again, this time to China, arriving at
Shanghai on 6 Nov 1928. A year later the troopship
Neuralia took him on to India which was to be his home
for a further two years before he returned to England in
November 1931.' I
have two albums of photographs put together by my father
during his service with the Regiment but many of the
people are only identified by Christian name. If either
of the two gentlemen are alive I wondered if it would be
possible to be put in contact with them or their
relatives? (Sadly, we were days late with contacting Alfred
Smith who had died on 12 Jun 03. Ed.)
My father was a member of the Regiment Association,
taking out life membership in 1924 for the sum of 10/-.
In 1941 he was deemed 'permanently unfit for any form of
military service', but I know he then served with the
Home Guard.
Do you know of any other collections of photographs of
the Regiment during the period 1923 to 1932? (Nothing
known. Ed.)
Below left are 2 photographs from my late father's
albums. The photographer, K Bolam, has marked the bottom
corner, 'Cairo.'
I would welcome any help in identifying any of the
personnel. |
 Cairo sportsmen |
 Cairo Boxers |
Moascar Guardroom,
Egypt 1926 |
 Shanghai Military Police 1929
LCpl Alec John Rushen is back left
Note on left the 'Sniffer Dog'! |
His best friend in the Regiment was Walter
Borley who was made a POW in Germany
and worked in a salt mine.
Webmaster Comment:
Thanks, Pete. More photographs of that era would be most
welcome.
Your site at http://mywebpage.netscape.com/rushenfamily/page11.htm
is truly a majestic tribute to generations of the Rushen
family who have served the Colours.
B&C 101 and 3 lower photographs
in B&C 102 Jun 04
Text below not in
print copy (original sent by Peter Rushen and
abbreviated here):
Alec John Rushen and the
Norfolk Regiment
Alec enlisted in the Norfolk Regt on 27 Dec 1923 at
Warley, the Regimental Depot, in Essex at the age of 19
as 5767868 Pte Rushen. His address and occupation at
enlistment was given as Chess Lane, Witham and labourer.
He was awarded 3rd Class Army Certificate of Education
on 18 Feb 1924 and posted to the 2nd Bn at Hyderabad
Barracks, Colchester on 20 Jun 1924. His education in
all things continued as he was awarded the 2nd Class
Army Certificate of Education on 19 Nov 1924. The
certificate awarded on 4 Dec 1924 gives subjects passed
as Maths, English and Map Reading. He was then posted to
the 1st Bn on 4 Mar 1925.
The 1st Bn had returned from duty in Ireland on
12 Sep 1922 but its duties in the garrison town were to
be short lived. On 6 Sep 1923 it embarked in the
transport Braemar Castle for a tour of duty in the West
Indies. ‘C’ and ‘D’ Coys and the Band were
housed in Prospect Barracks near Hamilton with the
remainder of the Bn going on to Jamaica.
Training in Bermuda was at Warwick, a charming camp by
the sea. Each coy spent one month a year at Warwick, the
remainder of the time being occupied in garrison duties
at Hamilton.
In Mar 1925 there was a changeover of command, with the
detachment at Hamilton coming under Maj WJ O’B Daunt.
With less impact Pte Rushen arrived from England. Two
months after arrival in Bermuda he passed his swimming
test on 6 May 1925. During his stay he took a photograph
of the Princess Hotel. Forty years later son Peter was
to stay here whilst with the Royal Air Force.
His stay was short lived, after 194 days the Coys
embarked in the troopship Derbyshire on 14 Sep 1925 and
proceeded to Jamaica, via Cuba, where the remainder of
the Bn joined the vessel. In Jamaica he posted a post
card of the Derbyshire home to mum. On 19th the
Derbyshire sailed for Egypt, reaching Malta on Oct 8th
and Port Said four days later. Their station was Moascar
Military Camp out in the desert, some distance down the
Suez Canal and alongside the Sweet Water Canal. Many
years later Alec John was to comment there was nothing
sweet about that canal.
The camp had very few amenities, and the great heat of
the desert, with the mosquitoes and sand flies proving
very troublesome, added to the general discomfort.
Training began early in Jan 1926 with the Bn moving to
Cairo, for three weeks Brigade training and manoeuvres,
at the end of Feb. After spending a very hot summer at
Moascar, orders were received for the Bn to move to
Abbas Hilmi Barracks, Abbassia near Cairo, on 26 Sep.
The second year in Egypt was little more eventful than
the first, training and more training. Christmas of 1927
was spent at Abbassia and by the New Year the whole Bn
was training hard again. Brigade training was carried
out at Helouan and in March it moved back to Mena, to
take part in the Command manoeuvres in the El Gizeh-Abu
Sir-Sakkara district.
On 14 Jun 1928, information was received that the Bn
would proceed to China during the next trooping season.
Before it left on 10 Oct, it was inspected by the
General Officer Commanding British Troops in Egypt, Lt
Gen Sir Peter Strickland.
Alec John set sail with the 769 other ranks, 5 warrant
officers and 22 officers in the troopship Somersetshire
on 11th, arriving eleven days later in Colombo, Ceylon.
No delights ashore just a route march. Singapore was
reached on 28th, and another route march was carried out
in Hong Kong on 2 Nov. (These stops obviously made no
impression on Alec as they never entered into
conversation in later life.) Shanghai, the final
destination was reached on 6 Nov.
The stay in Shanghai was short lived, Alec Johns’
Certificate of Service gives a period of one year and
thirty four days. Some of this time, as a member of the
Regimental Police and elevated to the rank of LCpl, he
spent time patrolling the opium dens and brothels. (He
only mentioned the opium dens but I am sure they were
not the only dens he patrolled.)
On 14 Nov 1929 the Bn embarked in the transport
Neuralia, sailing the following day for Hong Kong,
Singapore, Colombo and Bombay. The ship remained for
twenty-four hours at Singapore and everybody was able to
get ashore to stretch their legs, in the form of a route
march of course. On December 2nd the Neuralia anchored
in Bombay Harbour. The following day the troops were
landed and after three nights in a train arrived at
Dalowali in the Punjab. From there they marched to
Sialkot cantonment, which was to be Alec Johns home for
the next two years.
On 14 Nov 1931 Alec John left India to return to
England.
He was transferred to the Army Reserve on 14 May 1932 on
expiration of his period of colour service.
That was not the end of military service for him as on
the eve of the outbreak of the Second World War he was
mobilized at Norwich and posted to Depot. Eight days
later he was relegated to the Army Reserve. On 30 Oct 1939
he rejoined the Colours and was posted to the Infantry
Training Centre. Finally he was discharged as
permanently unfit for any form of military service on 17
Jun 1941.
Address on discharge, 13 St. John’s Avenue,
Chelmsford, Essex.
This is not really the end of the story as Alec did
serve in the Home Guard, details unknown.
Alec John went on a short bricklaying course before
leaving the Regiment. He then obtained a job as
gardener/handy man working at Little Burstead House,
Essex and lived at The Lodge. He continued working there
and for the son of the owner until 1959.
The family then moved to Billericay, Essex and he gained
employment with the Local Authority as a park keeper. He
retired in 1970 and died in 1983 aged 78.
B&C 101 and 102 |
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