Ernest Victor Erridge
British Army 1st Battalion Queens Royal West Surrey Regiment
from:Eastbourne, East Sussex
My father Ernest Erridge was born 12th February 1913 in Eastbourne, East Sussex. When dad was young he moved to London with his mother. He was a barrow boy and was selling fruit and vegetables around the Tooting area.
He joined the Army as a young boy at the age of sixteen, he had lied about his age by a year, so he could join the services. He always said it was the best years of his life and wouldn't have changed it. In the Army, he was the Lightweight Champion Boxer of his Regiment. He served aboard a lot serving in Egypt, India, China. After the Quetta Earthquake in 1934, his Regiment was sent to give help.
When WWII broke out he was coming down the gang plank of a ship and was told to turn around because War had been declared. During the war he was in the desert driving lorries taking water to other units. I do not know a lot about his army career, whether he changed units etc. I know snippets of what he has told the family. One of his friends in the army, he used to talk about was called Dickie Brunt.
