Royal Tank Regiment badge, Albert kept some of these for many years. The Royal Tank Corps became the Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) in 1939, and part of the Royal Armoured Corps (RAC).

Crest and tie

In the workshop at Abbassia barracks, Cairo

Taking a break from the workshop

• Royal Tank Regiment history
• Tank Museum, Bovington

Albert James Davis enlisted on May 15, 1936, a couple of weeks before his 21st birthday. This photo was probably taken as a new recruit. His record book says: 'Trade on enlistment ... Sheet metal worker'.

Service record:
Albert James DAVIS, Army no. 7886719
Enlisted at: Bristol; on: 15.5.1936 to Royal Tank Corps
Date of birth: 31.5.1915; trade: sheet metal worker; nationality: British; Religion: Plymouth Brethren (more likely his mother's religion, he didn't keep to it)
Description: age 20yrs, 11 months; height 5ft 6ins; weight 133 lbs; eyes brown; hair lt brown

- Army School: awarded third class cert.; Lulworth Camp 12 Dec 1936

Albert mentioned being at Catterick Camp at some point, but the 1st Bn. below, was not there and there is no mention of it in his service record. Possibly just on initial enlistment.

Royal Tank Corps 1st lt Bn, posted, 18.2.37
Certificate of education: 2nd Class 2-4-37
- Army school: awarded second class, Perham Down, 1/2 April 1937
- Certificate of passing of test of competence to drive. Pte 7886719 Davis, 1st Bn Royal Tank Corps 15.4.37
- Lorry driving, Tank driving, Practical & oral, Written paper - 24.4.37 passed.
18 May 1937 - Test for trade ratings; Pte Davis. A.; A coy, 1st lt. Bn. RTC; Educ III; Trade Dr. ICE, group E, class III; Place of test: Perham Down
Certificate of Trade Proficiency: Salisbury, 24th June 1937 - passed Class III test for trade of Driver I.C. (wheeled or track vehicle) group E

1st Bn. RTC, Embarked at Southampton per HMT Nevasa, 18.3.38;
Disembarked at Alexandria 28.3.38

Albert's handwriting: 'March 18th 1938 to Egypt'.
Along the bottom: ' British India S.S. "Nevasa" 9,213 tons. Normally employed on H.M. Trooping Service.
On the back: 'March 18, 1938. Spanish Coast & Portugal Sun Mon Tues. Gib Tuesday Malta Friday'

Based at Abbassia Barracks in Cairo. The HQ for the British Army in the Middle East.

Passed standard trade test for driver mechanic group C, class I at ?? and trade testing board held at Cairo. Test completed 28.1.39. Marks obtained 82%. AFB197 signed by President Command Trade Testing Board. Remains mustered on normal rates of pay.

Albert's record book gives details of 'Trade courses and Trade tests passed':
DVR MECH. Group C Class 1 28.1.39
DVR MECH. Group D Class II 6.7.39
- the second of these must have been in the desert near Mersa Matruh as he returned to Cairo on August 14, see next page.

1st Bn.RTR, transferred to the Royal Armoured Corps 11.4.39

various: in 1934, the 1st (Light) Battalion, Royal Tank Corps was formed in England (Tidworth) with personnel from three of the existing battalions - one company each of 2nd Bn , 3rd Bn, and 5th Bn .

wikipedia: Before the Second World War, Royal Tank Corps recruits were required to be at least 5 feet 4 inches tall. They initially enlisted for six years with the colours and a further six years with the reserve. They trained at the Royal Tank Corps Depot at Bovington Camp, Dorset for about eight months.

royaltankregiment.com: After the Armistice the Battalion moved to Bovington to become the 1st (Depot) Battalion which was renamed the Royal Tank Corps Depot in 1925. It was not until April 1934 that the 1st (Light) Battalion re-appeared at Perham Down as part of the 1st Tank Brigade. It was equipped with Vickers Light Tanks and had the role of reconnaissance. 18 months later [sept. 35] it was rushed out to Egypt to reinforce the garrison at the time of the Italian invasion of Abyssinia. It returned to Perham Down after a year [sept 36 - Albert joined in Feb 37] but in March 1938 moved again to Egypt to be part of the Mobile Division, the forerunners of the 7th Armoured Brigade.

Wikipedia: The RAC was created on 4 April 1939, just before World War II started, by combining the cavalry wing (cavalry units that had mechanised), and the Royal Tank Corps (which was thereupon renamed the Royal Tank Regiment within the new corps). As the war went on, many other units became mechanised and joined this corps. In 1944, the RAC absorbed the Reconnaissance Corps.

wikipedia: At the outbreak of war, the Regiment consisted of eight regular battalions.
1st & 6th RTR was part of the Heavy Armoured Brigade (Egypt)

Albert with no stripes, still a Private. The shorts suggest Egypt.

This has a Cairo photographers stamp on the back, probably taken to send home not long after arriving in Egypt.

On the back: "Cairo 1938. Mick in centre on ladder" (Albert left)

from Geoff, date unknown but looks very early

Reminiscences by another soldier based at Abbassia:

Abbassia was a huge garrison with shops, churches, cinemas. It even had an internal bus service. I stayed at Cambrai barracks. All the barracks had First World War names. They had been built by the Turks who occupied the Middle East before the 14-18 War. At the end of the hostilities, all the Middle East was carved up by the Allies who were given mandates by the League of Nations. The barracks were renamed by the Allies after the Turks were defeated.

In this garrison were various sub-workshops. Vehicles were towed in from the desert, tested and graded for repairs. Some were stripped completely. The various workshops worked on a specific part. Some did engines, others gearboxes, axles, or steering. We took apart the springs, made new leafs, reassembled them and passed them on to the body building workshop. This is where I was to work for several months.

There were about seventy military, and five to six hundred civilians employed here. A Staff Sergeant was in charge and a "native" foreman eg a Maltese, or an Armenian. The bodies were assembled, put into test bays, and over vehicle pits. All new engine and chassis numbers were noted, and then the vehicle was taken to the paint shop to be sprayed and camouflaged. We had our own pumps and tyres depot. The testers took the vehicle out - about 40 miles - put it back on the pits and looked for oil or water leaks, saw that the brakes were cool, that the tyres were correct.

One day, the Public Works foreman asked if I could drive and I denied it. I did not know where it would lead, and I remembered the old Army motto, "Never Volunteer!". Some fifteen minutes later, Alan Nicolson, from the old column, came from his work at the vehicle park and asked me to volunteer as a driver. I told him he was too late, and he was really cast down. He was stuck in the garrison all day and he wanted out to see and A.T.S. girl, Joan, who lived outside the garrison in a large private house. Now, if you were a vehicle tester, you had a pass, number plates, your own tool kit, and you could drive the vehicles out without a work's permit. Alan reckoned that he could use me to get out whenever he was free. Then he could see his girlfriend, later fiancee, and also buy tickets for the pictures. All seats were bookable, and tickets had to be bought in advance. Taking pity on him, I went to the Public Works foreman and confessed that I could drive. "I knew you could", he said. My knowledge of the internal combustion engine was tested by a panel - a W.O. and a couple of officers. Then I was taken on to the test staff, and had to swot up on all the modifications required for Middle East conditions. Usually a test was a good forty miles - then back to its test bay for Return Off Test (R.O.T.) check - ten more miles and if all was correct, to the pass out bays for delivery.

A WO2 was in charge of the tests. He had an office an Egyptian clerk, and a car for his own use. he travelled round the workshops, and also along the test route. The garrison was on the outskirts of Cairo - a posh suburb, Heliopolis. Here were big houses and tree lined streets, leading to the Suez road. We could not deviate from the route in case of break down. If this happened, the next lorry along would report to the WO2 and he would arrange a recovery vehicle, and would often come along in his car - an Austin 8, open tourer. This was a very popular car, much used by the Army.

I drove all kinds of vehicles on test, for example, Austin 8s, 15cwt Bedfords, 30cwt and 3 ton Bedfords, Leyland Tigers with breakdown hawsers etc, "tough buses" for towing guns; personnel lorries for towing bofors. It was interesting, not the least monotonous, and almost enjoyable, especially the Class 'A', almost new vehicles. My assistant, a Nubian, would be waiting when I came back, to see if any more work, or testing, was required.

Apart from the "tiffers" and the native workers, there were thousands of unskilled labourers on site. They arrived in buses, with their passes. Of course, there were many scams, wheeling and dealing among them. Every day entrepreneurs would come in with pony and cart, and go round the cookhouses to collect the food scraps in large drums. I used to watch them lay out large sheets on the ground and then begin sorting the food. It was laid out in heaps and sold to the labourers! They did not buy it for themselves, but folded it into a square of fabric and took it back home to their families. They were poor people, but nothing like the Persians! They considered themselves to have grand jobs.

Sometime early in '43, the test staff and workshops staff started to be withdrawn, and a new draft came in for duties to replace them. Shortly before this, a proclamation came that all military personnel in the work shops be transferred to the R.E.M.E. The C.O., Major Gayford, put me in charge of the Test Staff, because his WO2 had been posted. I was only a Lance Corporal but there was no opening for promotion unless I changed to Engineer/Fitter. This I was unwilling to do. I knew Major Gayford quite well. He lived in a big house in Heliopolis and I collected him every morning and brought him to the Officers Mess, in the camp, for breakfast.

The Staff being withdrawn were posted to a depot to form another company. We found out eventually that it was in readiness for the invasion of Sicily in July '43.

We were still very busy in the workshops, and test staff. I went on short leave with Alan Nicolson to Alexandria. We stayed at the Tipperary Club there. Sicily fell, and the forces landed on the Italian mainland in September '43, and Italy surrendered four days later.

The Med was now opened to ships and the African campaign virtually over. Italy was occupied by German troops and the fighting was bitter. We were still working hard. We had the odd troop concert in Abbassia. I particularly remember Lena Horne. Churchill decided to give us 3d a day extra, to even up with what munition workers were making at home. What a bloody farce! What a nest egg that would give us!

In July '44, Alan Nicolson and his fiancee Joan Morgan were married in St George's church, Abbassia. I gave the bride away. That morning, Major Gayford asked if I was going to the wedding. "I'm not pleased, you know", he said, "I usually sleep in the afternoon". On being told that I was giving the bride away he tutted, "That's her father's job, surely". I pointed out that her father was in Wales; he had never thought of that!

Prior to this, I heard that my brother Edward, was in Basra, then that he was in the Canal Zone. I had to go to Tel el Kebir for supplies and there I spoke to a green and told him I would like to meet up with Edward. "Take a motor bike", he said, "and go to the General Post Office and look him up". Off I went to the GPO and gave his squadron number on his last letter. They insisted he was in Basra and I insisted he was in Alex. Away they went to enquire, and came back with the information, "He was in Basra, but they've left". I had to leave, having got nowhere.

Next letter from Edward was cryptic. It said, "I am in the same place as Muriel Reucassel". I knew that Muriel, in the WRNS, was in Alex (she was from South Africa, but was born in Currie). We were not allowed to name places, in case the enemy was opening the mail!

Back in my unit in Cairo, I continued with the test staff for a few weeks. Then, with five years continuous service abroad, I was eligible for a home posting under the "Python' scheme.

from: 'A Reminiscence of War 1939-1945 As remembered by James Glass'