Albert Collins
Albert's family recently got in contact with me from Canada and kindly sent me this picture that Albert once carried in his wallet along with more very interesting information including the passage below which was from a tape recording of Albert collins.
What was it like in those days? There are many people living today who served in the Royal Artillery during Victoria's glorious reign. It would not be right to leave out the men who worked the guns we have discussed. For this purpose the following chapter is included. Being a tape recording of my Grandfather [ Albert Collins b 1875] who served in the First Sussex Volunteers in the years 1894 and 5. Here is his story:-
What a glorious time we 'ad. Our dress was exactly like the Royal Artillery. Never had no khaki. Our captain was Mister George Dell of Shoreham everyone got on with him. He always used to take us out, march out, smoking concerts we 'ad. It was jolly good. That - was when the beer was good - when the beer was good and every year we used to have, the artillery had practice and rifle shooting over the fort [at] Kingston. We used to have big gun drills.
The targets used to be on a big tub in the open sea but we didn't dare hit it but get close to it 'cos 'twould do a lot of damage to the tubs. Tubs'a stump up you see and a flag and er...
Our competition with heavy guns, heavy guns, repository drills and er..no horses...repository drills were a bit tough. Repository drills? Well we used to tote bloody great ropes about. And we was in a competition in the repository drills at Brighton and 'twas running well, the competition, for a time and one of our chaps made a mis-
And er...repository drills I used to be number two on the guns, which is more responsible than than any of the others. And I was -load, un-cap fuze, was it? Yes, reload, - I can't remember " that's it!
Sergeant Major Ross was a nice old chap he used to drill us at Shoreham.
We used to have a competition over the fort with rifles - carbines they called them then " carbines. I was a recruit then, there were a lot of us, and Mr Ackers' son of Kingston when he was going across he says to me
"What's the good of you going going over here and shootin' you won't been have no chance!"
"Why not," I says "how about you then?"
"Well," he says "my father's got a rifle and I very often has a shoot out of it. You wont be no good!"
Anyway I beat him and I was third and he was last! So we had a good chuckle!
Why did you join?
Two year. I don't know - because I was young and silly!
Why did you leave?
Grandmother - because he didn't want to go to camp. He was tied to his mother's apron strings!
Aw - shut up!!
General laughter!
One year we went to Lord Sheffield's place Sheffield Park, in the armoured train and er.. in the afternoon, no, in the morning rather, they was having practice at Newhaven and they brought the armoured train to Sheffield Park where we was and they was having a practice with the guns - at Sheffield. And one of the chaps put a live shell in the guns and as he was putting it in, one of the chaps notice him says "Take it out you fool! that's one of them live shells what they been practicing with in Newhaven for the targets!"