| Unit or location | Role | Posted from | until |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Hampshire Scout Section | Scout Section Member | 1940 | Apr 1943 |
Bricklayer
Aged 17, he attended the Drill Hall at Winchester to enlist in the 4th Battalion, The Hampshire Regiment, the local Territorial Army unit.
It appears that when he was called up in September 1939 he was sent to the 1st Field Squadron, Royal Engineers, part of 1st Armoured Division and based at Aldershot. On 21st September his parents received a telegram to say he had been admitted to The Royal Victoria Hospital at Netley in Hampshire, seriously ill with pneumonia.
Possibly following this admission and recuperation, he was returned to the Hampshire Regiment Depot to be recruited into Auxiliary Units as a member of the East Hampshire Scout Section. This is likely to have been around November 1940. Posted to Wickham near Fareham in the Meon Valley, he helped to construct Operational Bases in the area. He had training in various weapons, unarmed combat and explosive demolitions including improvised devices. He passed this training on to the local Auxiliers.
The posting had another attraction. Lt Welch, the local Group Commander, had taken him to his home on day in 1942, where he met Welch's daughter Doreen Hilda Welch. The two courted for a year before becoming engaged. This was around the time he was released from Auxiliary Units as a result of the downsizing of the Scout Sections in April 1943.
He volunteered for the Parachute Regiment alongside fellow Scout Section member Bill Cooke. They were sent to Hardwick Hall, the Parachute Regiment Depot near Chesterfield before going on to parachute training at Ringway. Terry was posted to the 3rd Battalion. His wedding had been planned for 15 Apr 1944, but suddenly on 4 Apr all leave was cancelled. He was able to get a special dispensation to leave his unit, then based in Northampton, to travel back to Hampshire for his wedding. He was married on Saturday at Holy Trinity Church, Newtown, with his brother David as Best man. The reception was held at Rookesbury Hall, doubtless with both Auxiliers and Scout Section members among the attendees. The Army had expected him to return by Sunday evening. He didn't make it back until Monday evening which resulted in a week's punishment. The leave restriction had been put in place ahead of D Day, but in the end the 3rd Battalion were not deployed, with 15 cancelled operations.
During a demonstration parachute drop for the public that summer, his parachute collided with another and he landed heavily injuring his leg. He was admitted to hospital at Mansfield to recover. As a result of this he missed the battalion's deployment on 17th September when they were dropped at Arnhem, for Operation Market Garden, with part of the unit reaching the bridge itself. This group and those who had remained with the main body of troops at Oosterbeek suffered heavy casualties. Although the battalion was rebuilt, Terry had returned to the Hampshire Regiment by 16 Mar 1945 as evidenced by his will signed on that date, naming his father-in-law as executor.
Sadly his brother David was killed in action in Burma on 4 Jun 1945 while serving with the Queens Regiment. He is buried at Rangoon War Cemetery in what is now Myanmar. Terry and Doreen would name their son David in his memory.
Bricklayers were in demand to help rebuild Britain after the war and this resulted in an early release on the grounds of National Importance. He was discharged on 30 Sep 1945 after 6 years of service.
After the war he worked in construction in London. In time the couple moved back to Winchester, then to Southampton. He became a Engineering Clerk of Works to the City of Winchester council until he retired in 1986.
