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Harold Taylor received his call-up papers for the Merchant Navy in October 1943, aged 17. At this time he was living at his family home in Chichester.
My first leave from the Merchant Navy was quite a brief affair, but the next time home was for a fortnight. I am not sure whether my brother, Bruno was still at school or waiting to go to university, anyhow he was about. Many of his acquaintances, some of whom were service people, had joined the clique.
I recall a party of about twenty of us went out for a walk, taking the route across the water meadows, up Madgwick Lane, crossing the field that took us through Westerton until, after walking through woodlands, we emerged at the Bengers. From here we turned toward Goodwood, then down through Pilley Lodges, walked past Goodwood House and thence home. It was a very hot day in July. This leave was the time I had my first experience of a 'Doodle Bug'.
About the time of hostilities, many of our beaches had been wired and mined, so we were prevented from going swimming. By virtue of my brother's school friends, I had joined Dell Quay Sailing Club. This enabled us to go swimming from their headquarters on the quay, for which we would change in the sail lofts.
Off Dell Quay, when invasion threatened, they later sunk a barge, which did present some difficulties. As the result of this, I remember on this particular leave we were using Bosham, which meant changing on the green.
Some of the people who took part in these excursions were Peter and Roy Fielder from the paper shop in East Street, Bobby Pine and Valarie Clemens (daughter of Eddie, my past employer). Also, her friend Jill Dawes, (daughter of the Mill manager at Westhampnett) whom my brother was sweet on at the time.
Also on this leave, I met the girl who would eventually be my wife, although through my mistakes, this possibly may not have happened. I came in contact with her initially through my friend, Alfie.
Monica was an assistant in Marsh's Tobacconists, in East Street. I was attracted to her, and enjoyed trying to entice her with some of the unobtainable wares that I had brought home from my trip. It took some time before things got off the ground, and there was only a tacit promise to write by the time I went away on my next trip.
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