Page Title

Eric's Page

Eric Cresswell (1931) Eric was born in the village of Kirk Sandall which is situated 4 miles north east
of Doncaster in the county of Yorkshire. He was educated at the local infants and primary school in
the village, and at the Secondary Modern School, Mere Lane, Armthorpe. He was in the 'A' stream and
in the final year finished second in the year end exams.

Leaving school at the end 1945 he started work in the glass warehouse of Pilkington Brothers, plate
glass manufacturers, as a warehouse boy, addressing the packed cases of glass and being a gopher.

After working for one year he decided that as an apprenticeship as glass cutter was not forthcoming
he would join the army. In those days the Army ran a flourishing Army Apprentices School scheme. So
on the 19 February 1947 he left home on the long journey to Chepstow in Monmouthshire, departing
from Doncaster and changing at Sheffield, Birmingham and, Gloucester, finally arriving at Chepstow in
the late afternoon. After three years of training as vehicle mechanic and achieving the rank of
apprentice Cpl, he graduated with his second and first class certificates of education and a City Guilds
certificate for Motor Vehicle work (1st Class pass).

After leaving Chepstow he joined the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) and was
posted to Donnington Shropshire and worked on diesel generator overhaul. After a short spell he was
posted to 21 Command Workshops Burscough Lancashire were he converted to armoured vehicle
repair. The next stop was Germany a short spell at a 6 Infantry Work Shops REME, then a posting to
the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards readying to go to Korea. He was attached to the fitters’ troop
of 'C' Squadron and allocated to 4th Troop of four Centurion tanks to carry out the routine repairs. He
also went with the troop when they went into the front line in support of the Infantry Regiments. 'The
Leicester Regiment', 'Royal Australian Regiment', and 'The Norfolk Regiment'. At positions: points
227, right of 355 and 159. (see map)

After 14 months it was off to the Canal Zone, no coming home in those days, and a move to 'A'
Squadron, promoted Cpl, after one year home to Catterick Camp, promoted to Sgt. Next a posting to 2
Command Work Shops Gainsborough Lincolnshire and attachment to North Midland District,
Bestwood Lodge, Nottingham, part of the Unit Inspection Team with special responsibility for the
inspection of Armoured Vehicles.

Next was a posting to the 11th Hussars in Germany and attached to C Squadron Fitters Troop, were he
commanded the Centurion Armoured Recovery Vehicle and carried out the routine inspection of the
Squadrons Centurion Tanks.

Later he joined the Queens Own Hussars as a SSgt in command of 'B' Squadron fitters troop. Serving
in Germany, Sharja, Cyprus and Uckfield England.

On leaving the Army he continued his education at Darlington College gaining qualifications to be
elected to the Institute of Road Transport Engineers (IRTE), the Institute of The Motor Industry (IMI). He
is also a member of the Society of Operations Engineers.

He was employed firstly as an Instructional Officer with the Training Services Agency, teaching Heavy
Vehicle repair at Middlesborough then Motor Vehicle repair at Darlington Co Durham

After gaining a BA and BSc(Hons) degree in Engineering Sciences from the Open University as a
Senior Technical Tutor in the Department of Transport Technology, Loughborough University, lecturing
in Transport Technology, Computer Programming, Engineering Measurement and, Reliability and
Maintenance. Retiring in 1993

Korean map