On the Road to Glencorse...and the Army!

SO on October 17th 1940 after a tearful farewell with the wife (my little girl was too young to realise what was happening) I set out for the bus that would take me to Glencorse. I remember it was raining quite heavily that morning as I boarded the bus, and took a seat upstairs. When the conductor came for the fare I asked for a single and he replied “HA another one way man, here's wishing you luck.” He said it so sadly that he sent my already sinking spirits even lower.

The only occupant on the top were a couple of chaps in separate seats, and on looking at their faces I reckoned they also had a one way ticket. I doubt that Bob Hope even at his funniest could have raised even a sickly grin from them, but I was certainly no laughing boy myself. Half an hour later the conducter shouted all out for Glencorse. So here I was having passed this way many times before but never dreaming I would be inside those big iron gates as a soldier.

The Gates at Glencorse Baracks

I was in front of the other two chaps when we went through and down the drive to a circular building which I was to learn later was the guard room. On the porch sat two soldiers seated behind a long table who asked me to hand over my papers to one of them. After looking, through them he then asked me my name, maybe he could not read for my name was certainly on those papers. Anyway I told him my name just to keep things right. As soon as I had answered him he barked out from now on you will be known as 3064566 Traynor J. always remember that number. I hardly knew what he was talking about I was in such a daze. He then informed me I would be in Number One Squad, and the sergeant in charge would be Sgt. Brown. Having not the faintest idea who this was, I wondered if I should say thank you but I thought it better not to.