The lighters I had confiscated by the customs were impounded in the Kings warehouse and I was given a receipt for six cigarette lighters to be redeemed at seven shillings and six pence each. I had bought them in Tokyo for one yen or four pence each, it seemed to me that Japan were starting to recover from the war in 1946, needless to say I never recovered the lighters.
My first leave in England in two years started from Portsmouth station. I took the train from Portsmouth to Waterloo. The first thing that struck me about England after being away for two years was the chimney pots on houses. I suppose there must have been some abroad but England somehow seemed to be covered with them and in 1946 they were all smoking. I arrived in London and hailed a taxi from Waterloo to Kings Cross. I was with a Geordie sailor who was travelling to Newcastle, a Greek couple shared our taxi and pointed out the damage the doodle bugs had done to the city, they got out before us and said goodbye, but when we offered the fare to the taxi driver at Kings Cross he smiled and said "Oh, the Greek paid". We had a meal in the Army and Navy club opposite Kings Cross station and caught the 5pm train north.
The train was crowded and I spent the next five hours standing or sitting on my suitcase in the corridor. It was a lovely September day and I admired the countryside as it sped by and I remember thinking after being right round the world, England was still the most beautiful country. The scene became more familiar when we passed York and finally arrived in Darlington just after 10pm. I had about half an hour to wait for the last train to Middlesbrough and I remember cursing the fact that the station buffet had just closed, I certainly could have done with a drink. Anyway I boarded the train which was mostly servicemen and again pretty crowded, most had had a drink and there was quite a bit of singing going on and everyone seemed in a good mood. I got off the train at Thornaby as I hoped I might catch a late bus, this proved to be the case and I caught a bus which was only going to the depot at about 11pm.
I had about a mile to walk down a lane through the allotments to get home. I finally arrived just about midnight, I had carried three suitcases and a kit bag down that lane and I was just about all-in when I knocked on my mothers door. I had telegrammed home the day before to expect me that day but they had of course given me up and I had to wake them up. In no time all the lights came on and my mother was first to the door giving me a big hug and then the rest - Mam, Dad, Joe, Daisy, Tom, Ellen, Kathleen, Billy, Kevin and baby Sheilagh. I wondered how they all managed to fit in a three-bedroomed house. The next couple of hours were spent giving out presents and receiving all the news, everyone was talking at once but I finally went to sleep on my own camp bed (which I had brought home with me), that was to be my only bed in that house for the rest of my stay at home.
The next morning when I got up ,all the neighbours came in to see me, my mother had hung a flag out of the window with "Welcome Home Jack!" chalked on the wall, this was done all over the country in those days when men returned from service abroad and the friends and neighbours gave me a real welcome home. I must say it felt very nice to be home. My little sister Sheilagh was the biggest surprise, she had been three weeks old when I joined the navy and here she was two and a half and talking to me.
On the night of course it had to be a big booze up, we were down at the Roseberry Hotel for seven o'clock when they opened and the Connors corner quickly filled up, although there was a shortage of beer at the time, a fair proportion of it found its way to our table. A good night was had by one and all followed by a "do" or a sing song in our house - Happy Days!
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