大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Sarah Harding of Kirklees Libraries on behalf of Douglas Smithson and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

TIME IN ENGLAND AFTER DUNKIRK TO JOINING THE GLIDER PILOT REGIMENT ON THE 10th DECECEMBER 1943.

The landing at Ramsgate. Saturday 1st June. My diary says a red-letter day because we landed in England. My diary also states that this is the first entry since going into Belgium and my memory must keep a record of these cataclysmic days. Also that there were 6 fronts and 5 rear guard actions and that I was in them all.

The entry into Ramsgate was wonderful. I was wet to the skin after the hole I had to swim out of and had lost my kit except for my small pack; this was more than most. We climbed up the harbour side watched by Police and medical helpers. Near the harbour entrance a large crowd of people were waving a welcome. One would think that we had won the war rather than lost the battle. We were taken by bus to the railway station nearby. A special train took us to Tidworth. On the train at London, I realised that I was still wet and asked a Policeman, through the window, if he could get me something dry. He fetched me a pullover, which I had for a number of years after the war. At Tidworth we were in the main barracks. In the evening I went to a service there and gave thanks for my safe return.

Monday 3rd June. We had breakfast and then went on parade and were told that we should soon be moving, which we did about 11-30 hours We went to a camp about 2 miles away called Tidworth Park Camp. We were in tents. Very quiet and little to do! It was fine and I was reading a newspaper about how we were not having large 4 engined bombers. At the same time I was looking at a Plane flying overhead that later I knew to be a Stirling. Little did I think then, that later in the war, I should fly a Horsa behind them. At night many of the men in the tent had nightmares and shouted out, although not much sense could be made of the shouting.

On the Friday we moved to a small village near Warminster called Sutton Veny and there met up with the Company, that is, the remains of it. No doubt we shall have arrivals at intervals getting up to strength and getting into the routine of being in England. Gradually the Company got together. Some of the lads had unofficial leave by not going through the proper channels and getting lost - at home for a few days. It is difficult to tell if it was intentional or otherwise. The camp was under canvas and one night we were all awakened by shouting and movement in the camp area. One of the tents was on fire fortunately no one was hurt. A court martial was held but we had moved before I heard the outcome. Probably smoking in bed.

A rumour that we were going to be inspected by the Division Commander [At the time General Montgomery, later Field Marshall.] I was in the front line because I had a cap and a cap badge. None had a complete set of everything and those with least were put in the back ranks. We waited some time and started to get a bit fed up when a "Rolls" entered the recreational ground where we were having the parade. A "buzz." The King was with the Division Commander. After inspecting us and saying a few words, he gave the D.S.O. to our Company Commander Major Drayson. The King soon left and the Major addressed the company saying that we had earned the D.S.O. for him. Some bright specimen, in the back ranks, quite audibly bawls out "Yes, and you are the b---- who will wear It.!" Nothing more was heard of the incident.

Monday the 10th June. Visited by some Staff Officers, I was on picket duty when they arrived. We were all to go on leave that day and stay at home for a full 48 hours. And then return. We were put on our honour to return then! Passes were soon given out and we were all away. I travelled as far as Sheffield, via London, with Roy Harrison. [Lost track of in later movements.]. Arrived home in Huddersfield. Spent the two days visiting the family and had to sleep at my sister Jessie's as my parents had two privates from the Berkshire Regiment billeted on them. As we are a small family, I managed to visit them all. I was not expected to come home on leave as my first letter from England arrived that morning. I even managed a visit to Smith & Calverley's where some of our men were working on maintenance and where I was working before being called up. In fact I was the first man from the firm to be called up. I got a very good reception.

Returned to Sutton Veny on Wednesday 12th. Not all had returned but all did within the next few days. New sappers and some NCO's have arrived to join the unit. A visit from "Monty" when he told us that we were to be one of the first units to be made up to strength and return to France in order to carry on the fight. We were not thrilled but such is war! Stores and new men came in droves and we were soon up to strength. One new sapper was from Huddersfield and was also a mason by trade and knew our firm well. He was called Jack Wood. I bought him a wedding present when he got married. After the war he still lived in the town, although I have not seen much of him since.

Moved from Sutton Veny to another small village, near Worthing in Sussex, called Findon. At that time we were in danger of being invaded from the continent and we were there [being experienced [!] in action.] ready for defence. For 50 years I have always understood that, whilst there," Monty" on one of his parades told some of us, I was certainly included, to get our hair cut. It was not until I read his autobiography a few years ago that I found out that -that was not what he did at all. He wanted to see the light of battle in our eyes! Some people have strange ideas.

Once we went to a 30-yard shooting range at a nearby Public School [Lancing] where the drill instructor could really shoot. He lit a match at thirty yard. The Chapel was a very fine building and in an outstanding position on the South Downs. Spare time was usually occupied walking and visiting small cafes. Jack Wood, Frank Richards and others were usually together. We were asked to visit families now and then. One that I visited was that of a doctor whose father was also a doctor. The war was still going on - A Blenheim flying very low passed over, smoke pouring out of one engine. It crashed a mile or two away and all the crew were killed.

A lot of our time was passed digging trenches. I read a lot. Sundays I went to the Church, which was close to our billets. Generally we had a quiet time although the thought of being invaded was always in our minds and we had talks about our role in case it did happen.

On the 24th May we were visited by the CRE and told that we were to undergo special training for offensive action in order to attack when the Germans had run out of steam. This was whilst France was still fighting. We were given very little advice about the future. 1 didn't think anyone knew what was happening in France although what news we had was very negative.

We stayed at Findon for some time and were now more aware that England was in danger of invasion. We had many exercises with the Home Guard and usually enjoyed ourselves. [I still find Dad's Army on T.V. very enjoyable.] Rumours today, that we were to move tomorrow. For once it was true and on Friday the 12th of July we moved to Bibury in Gloucestershire near Cirencester. The village is very beautiful and very quiet. We are billeted in a building, near the Hall, which is used for badminton. The village is one of the typical Cotswold villages and has a superb row of cottages alongside the stream, which I find difficult to describe. [Arlington Row.] The war is very far away. Here, on one of our parades Capt. Pritchard was reprimanded by a Lance/Corporal for swearing at us, a strange experience! 1 think the Capt. must have been under pressure of some kind. Nothing was heard of the matter afterwards. [The Lance Corporal was in the unit as a Territorial and probably knew the Captain well.]

July 15th 1940. Walked to our new billets in Little Barrington about 12 miles away, near another village called Windrush, which must be on a small river of that name. The countryside remains superb. The trees are at their most colourful. Met a local boy who was the only person in the village who was allowed to fish in the river in the Lord of the Manor's ground. He told me that he just went and asked if he could fish and was given permission. I don't think anyone else dare ask.

General feeling at this time is that soon we shall be invaded, although it does not seem to bother us very much. Bridging with the small box-girder is one of our activities at this time. It is a fairly easy bridge to erect and carries about 24 tons so far as I remember [The weight carried varies with the span to be crossed].

July 27th. Moved to Shepton Mallet in Somerset. 1I was acting as a M.P. at a road junction to guide the Brigade in the right direction. 1 thought that 1 was going to be left behind and had to wait over two hours to be picked up. The pick-up had had a breakdown. Our billet for 246 Field.Company was the local drill hall where we were in a marquee alongside the main building.

Attended a local Congregational Chapel this Sunday morning as I usually did if at all possible. [i.e. any denomination.]

A period of drill now started under NCO's from the Grenadiers and Coldstream Guards. I had managed to get my feet under the table with a family from the chapel and had many pleasant times. Later I visited them from other places when we had moved elsewhere and had a short weekend free. The Army is not all hard work.

More training, this time we did some bridging work on a river site near Frome using folding boats, a fairly fast way of building a bridge across a river or a small ravine. As far as I remember the bridge could carry about 10 tons.

One evening, I think I became the bravest man in the British Army. I was the umpire in a cricket match in which I gave the Company Sergeant Major out L.B.W.- I could not stop myself putting my finger up - fear entered my mind immediately I realised what I had done but there was nothing I could do about it. I thought of jankers for the rest of my army life. Strange but true, Sergeant Major took it well and even smiled at me as he walked to the Pavilion.

Dance in the Drill Hall. Not sure of the date but one of my mates Jack Wood was on telephone duty in the Company Office. I was in the dance hall [main hall] when Jack came running out, saw me and said" some 'so and so' on the phone is talking about "Cromwell' and says I have to tell this to the Officer "LC." I pointed Capt. Pritchard out to him and he went over to him and reported his message. At once the band was stopped and everyone told to report to their own units and all civilians to leave and return home. We of 246 were told to gather into sections and sub- sections in the hall and wait. Some of the men were directed to go into town and round up all who could be found and order them back to the Drill Hall. I was ordered by Capt. Pritchard to get my kit and wait for him by the pick-up, which I did and was soon joined by Corporal Norman with his kit. Soon we were joined by the pickup's driver [Welsh lad - name forgotten.] Next Capt. Pritchard arrived and we loaded up with our kit and some extra rations and set off. Soon we were told by Lt. Pritchard that we were heading for a large house [Mansion] near Castle Cary a small town about 15 or 20 miles away. We now learnt what the fuss was all about. "Cromwell" was the code word that informed us to prepare for the "invasion" and that our part was advance recce! We had to join up with the King's Company of the Grenadier Guards and take our orders from there.

Then, anti-climax, we spent the next week talking, playing cards and reminiscing about the Dunkirk operation and how we had often worked together and of the various places we had been in. We then returned to Shepton Mallet. It transpired that the warning was given because three fishing boats were unidentified in the Channel. Better safe than sorry I suppose. The week was very pleasant but very much a waste of time.

Late in October we moved to another village 20/30 miles away, called Timsbury, where we were billeted in a large house standing next to the Church and almost surrounded by trees. It was a very weird setting. I attended the local chapel and after the first Sunday evening service was invited back for a coffee by Mrs Simms and had a pleasant end to the day. Mr. Simms had been a coal miner [The area around Radstock was a mining area] and he was unable to do any work as he had broken his back in a pit accident. He showed me the leather and steel jacket he had to wear permanently. It was a very strong affair. I was often invited to their house. Mrs Simms told me a ghost story, which she said was true, of a girl being pushed or falling out of one of the upstairs windows of the house we were billeted in. It was something to do with an inheritance. Mrs Simms said that she had seen the girl walking in the rooms upstairs whilst she worked there as a young girl. I told the story later, with modifications, many times to Approved School and Day School young people. At this time I was working in the section office, the office being a small room at the head of some cellar stairs. The door to the cellar was locked. This soon caused Capt. Pritchard and Sgt. Whinny to wonder what was in the cellar. Returning after taking a message somewhere, I found the cellar door open. Noises soon told me that the two men were down there. They came into the office carrying a bottle of vintage port, put down 30 years before. It was soon tested and found to be a superb drink. The bottle did not last long.

There was a development to the "port" affair. Returning to billets, about 10.30 pm one evening I entered our room and found about eight sappers sitting around the fire-place with mugs in their hands. I went and stood by my mate Arnold, looked down and started to speak. I had just begun when he turned and looked up at me, grinned, spluttered "I'm drunk" and promptly slid sideways to the floor. All of them were in a similar state. I soon guessed what had happened. They had found out about the cellar and its contents. This was the result.

Parade was held in the morning with some difficulty. Questions were asked but as the original break in had been carried by the Section Officer and Section Sergeant there was not a lot they could do about it. I remember many letters coming to the Company and Section Offices about it but as we soon moved on and were often in different places nothing was officially found out and there "was a war on!"

November 22nd. Friday. Packed and moved to some new billets in a small village called Broadstone near Poole and not far from Bournmouth in Dorset. Stayed here until the new year and during this time we had a new Section Officer called Hepple. Capt. Pritchard had got bored with the lack of action and had joined the Commandoes. [I learnt later that he was killed on the St. Nazaire raid.]

Had leave over Christmas and spent the time at home visiting relatives and friends. 1 was still spending time in the section office but was also working on training and various activities. Office work was mainly preparing the acquitance rolls for paying out the men and balancing the cash afterwards. I saw many films one of which was "The Boy From Barnardoes" with Freddie Bartholomew. On one of my visits to Bournemouth 1 saw the school and met one of the boys who showed me the inside of his sailor's cap which was inscribed with a goodwill message from Metro Goldwyn Mayor the film producers. All suitable clothes from the film had been donated to the school. Spent some time building block houses for defence as there are still fears of invasion but it appears as if the Germans may be having second thoughts about it. [I have just seen a documentary about this and they say that Hitler had decided against an invasion some months before because he had sensed that it would not succeed owing to the Royal Navy being so strong and their own lack of materials and knowledge of such an operation.]

1941 Remained in Broadstone for some time. Noticed from my diary that Lt. Pritchard is now a Captain, and still with the company. It must have been some time later when he joined the Commandoes. Had a number of exercises, sometimes including bridge building. It was around this time that we first heard about the new Bailey Bridge and were told that we were to be the company to design and learn the drills for its erection. A lot of this work was under the direction of Lt. Hepple our Section Officer. The bridge was much like a large Meccano set, being made up of panels, floor beams and decking along with the necessary fixing pieces. The main strength of the bridge was in the locking pins made of a special steel called [I think, molybdenum chrome steel] In the course of my time in the ROYAL ENGINEERSs I was on many exercises building them. Later they were used in conjunction with the pontoon bridge and were one of the finest used in the war. Some have been left up and are still in use many years after the war. They could carry up to 40 tons over great distances. Moved to Piddlehinton near Dorchester in Dorset, a beautiful county. There, one of the sergeants was given a " mention in despatches" for his work in France and Belgium and an Officer got a medal, which medal and for what, I never knew. I found it strange medals could be awarded so long after a campaign. Seemingly we had not used our quota. Here I played the piano at the services held in the camp N.A.A.F.I. with about 7-800 men. The Padre took over when pointing was needed as I had no idea how to do it.

Returned to Broadstone but only for a few days. We then moved to new billets in a fairly large house not far from Corfe Castle and fairly near the coastal cliffs, which were very high at that point. One incident there could have had serious consequences. The Section was laying anti-invasion mines on an area of beach, when an area next to theirs, which had been laid some time before, were detonated and about 100 mines exploded one after another. 1 heard the noise in my office a mile and a half away. Fortunately only one Sapper was injured and that not very seriously, only a few stitches being needed. The incident appeared to have been started by a stray dog wandering among the mines and one mine with probably a weak shear pin being set off, the others were placed too near together and were set off by sympathetic detonation. The house was named Smedmore House.

After the war I visited this house as it was open to public viewing. I got talking to the owner and told him that 1 had been billeted there. He was sad at some of the damage that had been done by soldiers that had been there. I apologised for all but said that during the short time I had been there not much damage was done. His family had many names used by the author Dornford Yates, Berry, Jonah and etc. [I saw these names on photographs around the walls in one of the rooms.] He seemed rather put out as there was no family connection. When I was younger I enjoyed Dornford Yate's books, but they are not much read now. My Auntie Bertha [born in 1896] put me on to them.

At this time Hess, one of the senior ministers in Germany, flew in a stolen plane to Scotland. People thought he was on some sort of peace mission but this was discounted and he ended up in jail.

Moved to Tyneham near Warbarrow Bay and stayed under canvas for a short time. The Tout was interesting, being a large sized lump of rock at the end of a short promontory. Children often came and played around it. Almost like a holiday, for us, as well as them. The cliffs and scenery were very beautiful.

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