Bill Paton was conscripted into the Royal Navy on the 22nd November 1943 and undertook his basic naval training at HMS Ganges at Shotley, Near Harwich where he remained until the 29th April, 1944. He then moved to HMS Pembroke. In early August 1944 the War Office asked for volunteers to join a ' Special Forces' Unit that was being formed for unspecified duties. Because the training was to be undertaken in Huyton, Liverpool, Bill's home town, he volunteered simply so he could return to Liverpool. It turned out that the ' Special Forces' Unit was something of a inducement for men to transfer to the Army and on the 24th August, 1944 Bill was transferred to the Army and given regimental number 14994566.
Bill began infantry training firstly at Huyton where as it turned out he remained for only two weeks, and then he was sent to McGilligan Point in Northern Ireland to complete his training.
In early December 1944 he was sent on embarkation leave and on the 1st January, 1945 at the stroke of midnight, New Years Eve, he sailed from Liverpool en route India on the French Troop Ship Felix Roussel to join the 1st Battalion The Lancashire Fusiliers who were at that time were stationed at Campbell Lines, Lucknow. Bill recalls that the ship which had been built in Marseille in 1940, had been seized by British Forces at Port Said to be used as a troop ship by the Bibby Line.
See http://www.es-conseil.fr/pramona/felix.htm
By a quirk of coincidence Bill's father had worked on the Felix Rousell for six months, when in charge of the ships painters during a refit at the Harland and Wolf Ship Yard in Liverpool.
Bill's voyage out to India took 33 days, travelling via Gibraltar, the Mediterranean and Malta where they stayed for five days. It was then onto Port Said, through the Suez Canal to Aden and then across the Indian Ocean to Bombay. This was followed by a lengthy train journey to Lucknow.
Bill remained with the Battalion until September, 1946 and throughout his time in India worked in the MT section under
Captain J. Warr. Bill recalls well the legendary RSM 'Kitna' Price.
Whilst in India, Bill travelled to Bombay in July, 1945 and appeared in a " Calling Blighty " Film that was shot at the Royal Studios.
The film was shown to relatives and friends back in Liverpool.
In September, 1946 Bill returned to the UK onboard a P&O Ship and after disembarking at Southampton went on 28 days leave. Thereafter he found himself based in Aldershot at the DSM DSU Demobilisation Centre.
Bill was finally demobbed himself in September , 1947

1

Bill

2

Click on the photos the enlarge them
In Photos 1 and 2 Bill can not remember their names can you help

to go to the rest of Bill Paton's Photo Collection


to go to( A Short Guide to Great Britain......The American View)
Reading it some 60 odd years later and out of context of the time, it 's very funny in parts......if not very patronising!


Health Memoranda For British Troops in the Tropics
sorry pages 11 to 14 are missing

Geoff Pycroft
Archivist