大象传媒

Having put my story on the WW2 site in Dec.2003, and we are now into May 2004 with the actual anniversary date of the Normandy Landings fast approaching on Sunday 6th of June I started to get feed backs on my personal page commenting on how good my story was, one in particular was from a young school boy by the name of Maximillan, who was doing a school project on the Normandy Campaign, and asked for my help with information on the history of the R.A.S.C.which was the regiment that I served with, also my opinion about the food in the ration packs that we were issued with, I found his remarks very touching indeed .

I also had several complete strangers comment on the statement in my story with regards to my eight brothers, how they thought it was an incredible record,
It wasn鈥檛 till I came to put that item into my story that I realised how very little I actually knew about my brothers service records or in what areas that they had served, so to try and rectify that I enlisted the help of my only other remaining brother Joe. His son Keith, who I knew was pretty good at researching, but even he had some difficulties, however I think he did a very good job in the end, I am most grateful to him for supplying me with a brief but comprehensive list of their service history.

Express Interview.

On Thursday the 6th May I received a request from Liz Heyder 大象传媒 WW2 Publications Director, asking me if I would be interested in doing an article for a daily newspaper as my story had been selected as one of exceptional interest, I agreed to this request and was contacted by James Rampton, a journalist with the Daily Express Newspaper, it was agreed that he would travel up from London to interview me at home on Friday 14th May. He came and brought with him a photographer, the interview lasted some two hours and it was all about my D-Day experiences, with lots of photos being taken, James was a really nice guy and he wanted my story for a special article to be published in the Express Saturday magazine to be published on Saturday the 5th of June as part of their Anniversary programme.

D.U.K.W. Launch, H.M.S. Belfast.

At the same time Liz sent me that request I also received one on my Personal Page from a Janet Ellitson, Corporate Director of Imperial War Museum, H.M.S.Belfast Tower Bridge London, asking if I would be interested in attending a very special D.U.K.W. Tours Press launch that they were setting up as part of their Anniversary Programme, well I had to think about this one, firstly would my breathing let me down, secondly how to get there and who would go with me.
As Janet had not told me the actual date I had to get back to her and find out the date and time, I did this on Monday the 17th May only to find out it was to be the very next day at 10am, so now it was make my mind up time, after some discussion with Irene I decided to risk it and go if I could find someone to go with me. Lynne my daughter could not get the time off at such short notice and son
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Robin was very busy moving machinery into his new factory at Coleshill so it was left to Martin my oldest son and his wife Janice to take me.

We travelled to London by train, this was to be an experience in it self as I had not been on a train or been to London since the early fifties.
Martin drove us to Evesham Station and we caught the 7oclock train from there, as it was much cheaper than travelling from Birmingham and we did not have to change either, we arrived at Paddington bang on time 8-50. We then took a London taxi across the City to Tower Bridge where H.M.S. Belfast. is moored, what a wonderful sight it was to see that grand old Cruiser looking in such good shape after all these years, the last time I saw her she was standing off our beach (Juno) with all guns blazing 60 years ago.
We went aboard the ship to meet the I.W.M organizers Denise Elliston, and her team of helpers, and I was allocated a chaperone, a lovely young lady by the name of Katherine who was going to look after me for the day, she did a grand job of doing just that, She took us to one of the board rooms for coffee and biscuits, there I was introduced to some ex crew members that served on the ship during the Normandy Campaign, what a grand bunch of lads they were.
While waiting for the DUKW to arrive on the Quayside I was asked to do an interview with a 大象传媒 reporter for a programme that he was doing for the local schools, this I did.

THE DUKWs ARRIVAL.

It was now about ten thirty and time to go onto the quayside for the arrival of the DUKW, we did not have long to wait before it appeared through a narrow alleyway, it then parked up on the quayside. At first sight I must admit that I was a little taken aback because of the way it had been modified but was told it had to be that way to comply with safety regulations, because it was now used for commercial purposes.
By this time Photographers, Journalist and TV, crews were surrounding me which I found rather overwhelming and daunting as I was the only Ex Veteran DUKW driver there, the other driver that had been invited had not yet arrived.

THE INTERVIEW.

Katherine then asked me if I would do a special interview with a London based French TV crew that was there, this I agreed to do. We went aboard the DUKW where most of the interview took place.
When I sat in the driver鈥檚 seat that鈥檚 when the real emotions and feelings began to kick in, and of cause that鈥檚 just what the TV crew wanted to hear about, what it felt like being behind the driving wheel of one of these vehicles again. How I landed and where on D-DAY, the sights I saw and how I felt, I don鈥檛 think anybody can really describe in actual words what they saw, because I think we all see things in a different way, one thing I will say though they were not pleasant sights.

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WE then talked about the DUKW itself, I did my best to explain about the way that this one had been modified, it had steel flooring, 32 seats fitted, lots of welding on the outside, over sized road wheels, uncovered wheel arches, the cylinders with which you controlled the tyre pressures had been removed from the wheel hubs, a high roof over the entire load area and steps for easy boarding had been fitted on the stern, it had also been fitted with a diesel engine and an automatic gear box. The interview lasted about 45 minutes, the producer told me that parts of it would be shown on French TV news that same evening and would continued to be used until Sunday 6th June.
That same evening I appeared on T/V in London Central News also on East Anglia T/V news, I know this because a stranger sent me a message on my WW2, personal page.

THE UNEXPECTED

With the interview ended a Photo Shoot was called, for the benefit of all the press that were present so the Veterans from the Belfast myself and by now the other DUKW driver had also arrived.
Katherine introduced me to him, a really nice guy, his name was Douglas Heathfield Robinson and he was from Norfolk, he was a driver in 297 Coy, RASC, the sister Coy. To mine but he did not land on Juno beach till D+5.
Now comes the Unexpected!, as we were being introduced he said to me ,you are Len Smith you were in 199 Coy. I replied yes that鈥檚 correct but how did he know that?
His reply was, I am Secretary of the Norfolk and Norwich branch of the Normandy Veterans Association and I have on my books a comrade of yours that you served with in 199Coy. He lives in Cambridge; as soon as he mentioned Cambridge I knew whom he was going to refer to. I then said to him his name wouldn鈥檛 be Freddie Smith would it? His reply was, you have hit the nail right on the head. I was dumfounded this was absolutely unbelievable. All the media plus Martin and Janice who were waiting to take Photos were totally bewildered as to what was going on between Dougie and myself.
After they had all finished taking photos, I then did an interview with another T/V crew, which son Martin told me were a freelance co. and learned later that they had sold their interview to London Central News. After that interview it was back on board the Belfast for lunch, over one hour later than schedule it gave Dougie and I time to chat and exchange addresses and telephone numbers including of cause Freddie Smiths.

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