大象传媒

I started off by deciding to join up as soon as I knew there was going to be a war. I was Managing Director of a Motor Car Company. I told my father and he said, "For God's sake join a decent Regiment. Join the Guards!". I got an interview. The questions they asked were ridiculous so I said, "If you don't mind I would like to close this interview. I want to join a Regiment that needs me!". So I joined the RAF (Royal Armoury Service Corps) for the glorious sum of seven shillings a week. I was a Private. They sent me to Portsmouth - a beautiful place for engineering. They had just started the bombing. My first experience of a raid was September 6th 1939. I was playing snooker and I saw the balls going up into the air off the table. This was at night and it looked like daylight outside. The ARP was saying, "Where's the light?"

I went to the New Forest under canvas. We were told we were going to Norway. I phoned my father to tell my fiancee to ring me. She did and I told her we were going to get married because I was going abroad. She was a draughtswoman. I caught the train from Bournemouth to Worley on a 40 hour pass and we got married.

After I got married I returned to Portsmouth and we had a shock - the Royal Oak at Scapa Flow had been scuppered. I did not go to Norway because it was cancelled. They sent me back to Bournemouth to assist in the evacuation of the men from Dunkirk. One of the boats had been mined, I waded out and dragged three men back to shore.

The Dunkirk figures: 299 war ships, 420 vehicles and 335 thousand troops. In 1940, June 14 Paris captured by Germans, Sept 15 Battle of Britain began, Nov 14 Coventry Cathedral destroyed.

I had a weekend at home and saw Coventry bombed - I was devastated.

May 4 1941, my eldest son was born in Birmingham. 2 June clothing rationing started. 22 June Germany attacked Russia. Nov 14 Ark Royal Sunk. Dec 6 Japs attacked Pearl Harbour. We returned to the New Forest after being bombed out from Bournemouth and was sent to Greenock. I travelled by train and then set sail via Freetown, Cape Town, Suez Canal and Cairo and ended up in the Egyptian desert. We had various long distance incidents with tanks. I was wounded, my leg was nearly hanging off and shrapnel all over my body. I was captured by the Germans and they were transporting us back to Italy. I decided to try and escape even with a gammy leg. I tried to swim but was recaptured in the water by the Germans. They shipped me to Italy in Brindisi and then I heard that El Alamein had been recaptured.

I thought the Australian troops in the desert were very arrogant.

I was in Brindisi and the English Doctor thought my leg should be amputated, but the Germans said if I could stand the pain he would operate and he did. I had the operation with no anaesthetic. He tied the leg up and put a piece of steel inside, it is still there. I still have bits of shrapnel across my stomach.

Three months in the Military Hospital and I was trying to get my strength back so I could escape. I wanted to get to Switzerland. I learnt very early on not to trust anyone in the prison - they would pass things on to the Germans or Italians for food so I said nothing to anybody but worked solo. This was 1942.

Three months after leaving the Hospital in November '42 I finally escaped. All I had was a pair of shorts, no shoes. We used to have an Italian sentry who liked to poke the prisoners with his bayonet. He was on duty the night I escaped and I chucked him in the river. He could be still floating there! I had no lifts but walked all the way from Brindisi to Florence approx 700 miles. I travelled at night and slept in tomato groves during the day. I joined up with a party of partisans. I got to Asti to a farmhouse and shouted in German "raus!" and they all ran into the fields. I found some Asti Spumanti and drank it. I have drunk it ever since. In Asti a lady came up to me and said, "You are English aren't you?" and I said, "Yes". She said she would show me the way to Switzerland over the mountains. I went over the Dolomites and when I got to the borders of Switzerland I thought the soldiers were German but they were Swiss and said, "You are alright, you are in Switzerland". I had a meal but the food disagreed with me and I ended up in Hospital for two weeks in Adelboden. In civvy street I had been an 18 stone wrestler called "The Blond Tiger" and earned 30 shillings a fight. At the end of my walk I was 9 stone.

1943 - The German Army are beginning to retreat and I was asked by a Senior Officer to form an International Police Force with reps from 35 countries and I was billeted with a Swiss family at a bakery. They used to give me all the bits and bobs. I had a little office and organised a committee of different nationalities. The only two people I had trouble with was a white South African and a Turkish Cypriot.

Allied invasion of Italy in 1943 - I was getting much stronger in my legs and was taught to ski by two youngsters in the family. I was picking up the Swiss German language by this time. I was very impressed with the present opening on Christmas Eve and going to church all day on Christmas day. My best mate who was a Scot's Gurardsman married the daughter of the family I was living with. I met him when I came over the Swiss border.

The International Police force was spread over Switzerland, there were about thirty of us.

I was in a civilian village and three of the force knocked on my door. They said that Big Mac was coming onto this girl in a local pub. I said, "Come on, let's go!". Four of us went to this chalet and when Big Mac saw me he picked up a bottle and broke it. I picked one up and broke it so we were on equal terms. As he got close to me, I kicked him between the legs they picked him up and took him away. The girl gave me a kiss.

1943 - I phoned my father's number and my wife answered - they had received a telegram telling them I was missiing killed in action. I will never forget that call.

1944 - Went from Switzerland to the French Riviera by train to Marseille, stayed overnight looking for a boat. I saw a rowing boat with nobody looking after it. I jumped into it and started rowing eastwards along the coast, I rowed at night and came into land during the day. I headed for Naples. I got onto a troop ship there and came back to England. Finally arrived at Liverpool and caught the train to London. We passed near to Rolfe Street Smethwick where my family were and I couldn't get off!

I reported to Hampstead Heath Military Base and got 42 days leave. I met Glen Miller and his band and Ann Shelton was singing with him - she was only a young girl then. Went home to Birmingham and then returned to London.

Sept 8 1944 - the first flying bomb to land on London. I didn't know about these before - they were Germany's secret weapon. I heard the thump and then saw the destruction. It was just the one that time.

I was sent to Northumberland and was under canvas I objected and booked myself into a hotel. I was sent for by an Officer. He said, "I believe you have moved into a Hotel". I said, "After what I have been through I am not sleeping under canvas in England!" He said, "Carry on then, but don't make it too obvious".

I was based at the Tank Transport Depot in London taking German tanks captured in Europe to and fro to Paisley in Scotland. Hell of a job. Took the tanks to the south coast in readiness for D-day.

May 8 1945 - Churchill announced VE day. I was in Trafalgar Square, got drunk.

Aug 6 - First bomb on Hiroshima and 9th Nagasaki.

Sept 2 - VJ day fortunate to be with my mother. I was on my way to Scotland with tanks and me and some of the other men celebrated.

Jan 26 1946 - At Hereford I demobbed at the Batallion Demob Centre.

I had four brothers and two sisters. All four brothers were killed during the war, one got decorated he was killed on the torpedo boats.

One of my school teachers was a 6'2" Scottish lady called Miss McVeigh. She said, "Harry you might be a fine athlete and know lots of things about many things but you know nothing about poetry", and she put out my hands and hit them with a curtain rod till they drew blood. I sat on my hands and a friend behind threw a bottle of ink at her but she coaught him and put the rod over his bottom and drew blood. You didn't tell your parents though because you would have got it again.

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