By February 1944 Jack Henderson was out of hospital and was at No 1 Infantry Replacement and Training Depot, or IRTD. The IRTD was a large holding unit, where men who had been wounded were assessed and medically graded for further service while awaiting posting. Also present there would be men from units which had been broken up due to losses and changes in operational requirements (for instance, many Royal Artillery anti-aircraft units in Italy were disbanded in 1944 as the Axis air threat receded) and also troops sent out from the UK as reinforcements and awaiting posting.
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In February 1944, as outlined in the letter extract below, Jack Henderson was posted as Company Quartermaster Sergeant to the B Cookery Field Training Centre The photographs in this and the following pages, including the one above, all seem to date from his time with the B Cookery Field Training Centre. Though two are annotated on the reverse, as noted in the captions, as ‘Salerno Rest Camp 1945’.
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Extract from a letter to his wife dated 12/2/44
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4464771 Sergt J C Henderson
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DLI
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A Coy, No 3 Btn, No 1 IRTD,
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BNAF
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'.....I got word today from AFHQ, 2nd Echelon, that I am being posted to B Field Cookery Training Centre to fill a vacancy for a CQMS [Company Quartermaster Sergeant] and I shall probably be going sometime this week.
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'Although the promotion is gratifying, I am not a little disappointed at the type of unit. Sounds rather too soft a job. Still there should be plenty of grub around. The place isn't very far away from here and already I have made a few investigations about the job and apparently there are a few snags about it. However, while keeping these in mind I shall tackle it in an open frame of mind......'
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NEXT: Photographs of Personnel at B FIeld Cookery Training Centre, Italy.
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16 DLI Photo Index Page.
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