The beach was very near our HQ and occasionally we could go and swim in the sea as it was lovely and clean. As the weeks passed by I was looking forward more and more to the time when it would be my turn to go home and eventually the signal arrived which I had been waiting for to say I was to proceed back to Singapore to embarkation camp at Buena Vista camp. I was taken by our transport to Seramban station where I got the train to Singapore. We duly arrived at the camp and began the wait for a boat. On Easter Day I attended service at Singapore Cathedral. The Bishop of Singapore had been interned and badly beaten by the Japs. His name was the Right Reverend Wilson, who later became Bishop of Birmingham. The time at Buena Vista camp was uneventful as we were all eagerly waiting for our call to embark. One group had gone on a troop ship that was docked and we thought we had missed it again when out of the blue another fifty were called, of which I was one. As the truck had previously gone earlier all the kit had gone with them, so we had to manhandle all ours in another truck and up the gangplank on to the SS Orontes. We didn’t mind this at all as we were only too glad to embark. I had got friendly with a WOI from Yorkshire; he had been out four years and was very despondent when each of the boats had sailed, especially the one due to sail. I told him to have faith and sure enough, he along with me were among the final fifty called. That was toward the latter end of April and we had not long been on board when the ship upped anchor and we were away. What a great feeling.
As familiar landmarks were passed we were getting nearer. Ceylon in the distance, then the Suez Canal and Red Sea, into the Med and then the Rock of Gibraltar and we were finally in Biscay, which was calm considering its reputation. On the 16th May we docked at Southampton, and during the afternoon we finally were allowed down the gangplank. I had so much gear that a lad volunteered to help me carry it down, for which I was very grateful and gave him a nice tip. He then had to go back on board to await his turn. We were inspected by customs just briefly, asking us if we had any firearms and then we entrained to what turned out to be Reading. The voyage had actually taken three weeks to the day.