大象传媒

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I started my journey to France on the 19th June 鈥�44 leaving Victoria Docks at 1300 hrs, after leaving our last English harbour area at Wanstead 2 days previous. It certainly filled me with delight to see the spirit of the cockneys of East London who, on our journey to and from. But now our allied air forces controlled the skies it seemed, which was all the best eh. At the time of writing I have been here in France 8 days 鈥� today is the 5 July and have seen some of my first soldiers graves, the first 4 I saw were those of our own soldiers namely from Highland Regiment, since then I鈥檝e seen graves belonging to Welsh Regiments and one of a K.O.Y.L.1 who was on his own, buried in a church cemetery in the Boyeaux area, it seemed he had, with his comrades cleared the church of snipers, he seemed to be the unlucky one here. Now I have had the pleasure of seeing 鈥榡erry鈥� graves, maybe I am a little hard, but after seeing those first graves this is making up for it, they belonged to six young Germans of 18 who had been killed apparently trying to defend a chateau against the nightly bombing of the RAF, some where killed in bombing raids, they must have been, as they had been trained by the Nazis in March and on these graves were the German crosses, and their steel helmets which are left to honour the dead even though they were the enemy.

Since we arrived on this French soil we also have been working hard and up at advanced positions making the roads usable again for supplies to be brought up for the tanks 鈥� before they, led by 鈥楳onty鈥� made the big assault on CAEN, quite an important town which we must take at all costs, and so as you can guess we are being under shell fire quite a bit, but are well dug in and the Wireless Operator and myself have dug a hole large enough for the two of us, and driven our light Reece (armoured plated) over us, we, through that feel fairly safe from mortar fire and flying shrapnel which it seems have caused most of the graves on both sides. Today we had our first casualty a 3 ton truck knocked out by mortar fire, luckily the driver, one of my mates was not in it, but he lost most of his belongings and equipment. Today also while I was in a forward area, I found some German equipment that some jerry had left who was in a hurry you bet. I retained the belt off it, which will come in useful to me. Well except for seeing dead animals, cattle and rams I don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 much more to say yet so I鈥檒l just do my guard watch for 1 hr 20 mins and then sleep and start tomorrow the sixth of July to make this a diary, my diary, and it should prove interesting to the reader.

Sixth of July 鈥�44 in Caen Area.

Today we moved a little further to the front line at a place named MOUEN, where we continued road making and where the shit here is more heavy but we are still progressing. The weather now seems better than usual its hot and the roads are dusty, a contrast to the hard rain we have been having since we arrived, that I think, has stopped us from advancing more.

Today saw jerry tanks. More ruins and dead cattle.

Seventh of July

After a heavy barrage all night we arrive to find it quiet and the sun trying to come out from behind the rain clouds.

Today we move from the forward area to an area comparatively quiet where we can do jobs such as washing clothes cleaning trucks and bathing ourselves, feels good. No casualties yet.

Eighth of July

Spent a quiet day in our new harbour resting up ready to go forward again in a day or two. Saw R.A.F. drop 2000 tons of bombs N. of Caen. We are now about 12 mile from there. A quiet game of solo then to bed. 21:00 hrs.

Sunday Ninth of July

Another restful day. We are all glad to hear CAEN has fallen, looks bad for jerry now. I expect they鈥檝e left it with booby traps everywhere, we are prepared for it.

Monday Tenth of July

Some of us go out on job of road making, the rest, including myself stay in harbour, nothing exciting to write today.

Tuesday Eighteenth July

For the last week, longer than we expected, we have still been resting but today is another D Day for us, we are moving at 12 and at 6 a.m. in the morning we, with the desert rats of the 7th and the 11th Armoured Division, ourselves, of course, GAD, three powerful A.D鈥檚 to make an initial assault on areas well past CAEN. I had some very good luck, my Morris Truck has done 1000 miles and the gear box is expected to go any mile now and it has gone, but, thank Christ at 2 a.m. in morning before the assault and consequent just a mile or two outside our harbour area, the lads continue on, we are in a field waiting for the breakdown squad, that鈥檚 me, my operator and gunner, its risky but we are anxious to know how our mates fared. We鈥檒l know soon now.

Sunday Twenty Third July

Today at last R.E.M. workshops 12 CPS have decided to take my truck to their crock park and see what can be done, in the meantime my two pals have been taken to the Tragler鈥檚 Post or reception centre, where there, they hope to join the mob, as for me I don鈥檛 know what they intend to do I hope to find out soon.

Wednesday Twenty Sixth July

Well I鈥檝e been 3 days here in the Crock Park 鈥� alone. R.E.M.E. here don鈥檛 know whether to get me new truck or repair my own. I hope they soon make up their minds as I am getting fed up with so mates, and no mail, although I鈥檝e just found our that my old mob the 70 ? are only two fields away, its good to know that anyway and I can go and visit them all, it will be a change, although would sooner be with my mob.

Thursday Twenty Seventh July

Today I got to thinking of home (I guess this being alone makes you a little homesick) and it only makes me hope more than ever that this war will end soon. Nothing new happening today, still waiting.

Saturday Twenty Ninth July

Well since being towed in from Coloumbs I have stayed in this eve. Crock Park at Bronay and it is remaining pretty quiet, I am now part of 2nd line troops, still no news of the lads or mail from home. I hope my unit don鈥檛 post me as missing as I have now been away 10 days. I don鈥檛 think their out of action yet. I have just been able to buy a bottle of good old Barclays Lager the real McCoy straight from London it鈥檚 the first good beer I鈥檝e seen here up to now 鈥� and as its Saturday night I鈥檒l make the most of it, and think I鈥檓 drinking it where it was made in the 鈥楽moke鈥�.

Sunday Thirtieth July

Today a DR was sent out from here to try and contact my unit. He failed but came back with a neat bullet hole in the mask of his headlamp. The sniper was a good shot as DR says he was doing 40 mph, shook him a little though. No more sent out, have decided to write to my unit and given them all the details. I should soon hear from them.

Saturday Fifth August

No confirmation about my unit as yet still trying though. This last week has shown a big improvement on all fronts, and what with ROMMEL OUT it looks even rosier for us than it has been since we landed. KEEP GOING (BACK) JERRY.

Will now sit back for a good drink of BASS - YES SIR, BASS.

Sunday Thirteenth August

Well I am still waiting to hear from my Unit, can鈥檛 imagine why this mob cannot contact them. I wrote a week ago and have had no reply, therefore no mail either, this is a nuisance even though since I鈥檝e been here I have seen 3 picture shows and 1 ENSA show. I guess I won鈥檛 really be content until I contact my own mob. The weather for the last week or two has been very hot which although its best, makes the roads thick with dust, which makes you, when your on the move, filthy and gives you a bad throat. We have moved today to an area S.W. of CAEN that鈥檚 been in our hands for some little time, its quiet here now although there鈥檚 quite a few mines left around and booby traps in any empty house or barn, so the motto is take care. I guess with these S mines you only have to make a mistake that鈥檚 all. I am wondering if Pat is over here yet, I hope not, but I keep my eyes peeled for his visit all the time. If he's here it will be good to meet him, if not perhaps its all the better eh !

Friday Eighteenth August

Today a truck was sent from my unit to bring me in, my truck was classified US and so I go back minus a wagon, got a shock to find my best pal Bill Carn had been 鈥榢illed in action鈥� its ironic, as he was the only fatal case, but my mob were very lucky to get off so light all told as they have from what I鈥檝e heard been in 2 Drmd Battles, that is up the front with the Guards of our Division and the shell was flying. Bill died on the 11th August from a shrapnel wound through his chest and heart, he suffered small pain and the words he used were an example of high courage which the lads won鈥檛 forget, they were just, 鈥渄on鈥檛 panic lads鈥� which must have helped them to understand their first comrades death, I鈥檒l do my best to avenge him. God give me strength.

Saturday Nineteenth August

Visited Bills grave today 鈥� paid respects, the lads are having a hard earned rest. Moved into a Jerry built hospital which only needed cleaning up.

Twenty Ninth August

For the last week and more we have moved fast travelling day and night with Jerry fleeing. Today we liberated St Leget small French village well in France. Just my armoured truck and five sappers attacked a infantry - 40 jerries with small guns, some are injured and others we search, 鈥榖ags of loot鈥� . French village go mad with excitement and the scenes are marvellous, everybody kissing throwing flowers and cheering us as liberators. We have good feed mainly of eggs and chips and every kind of wine. The Mayor gives a speech in village square in our honour 鈥� its all so grand to see these simple people so happy now and just us six 鈥榯ommies鈥� to share it, this is a good war over here. We then join the squadron again with me taking proof back of a scrap with marks of fire power around my visor, however a miss is as good as a mile eh? These 鈥榡erries鈥� by the way are SS troops 鈥� tut-tut!.

Third September 鈥� 5th Year of War

We are now across the Belgian Frontier and on our way straight to Brussels which we make and take in little time. The G.A.D. took the town and my Recce officer and I were able to look around as most jerry had gone, and stayed out until after my Recce Officer and myself arrived in Brussels main square on our own well in front of our columns. We were mobbed and after the singing and dancing finished which went on most of the night, we slept in hospital. This has been the greatest moment of my life - its too much to put into words all I want to say 鈥淏russels is all ours and we get everything鈥�.

Sixth September 1944

Today we pull out of Brussels and are all sorry to go but we must move on to Germany via Berlin so we don鈥檛 mind too much.

Eighth September 1944

We meet some very stiff resistance at a village just short of the Holland border a place called Beeringen where a bridge across the Royal Albert canal had been blown, my Officer was sent forward to the bridge he took the scout car and myself, it was pretty hot as the Bosch was shelling and mortering the bridge approach but we made it, came back with the details needed and within 2 hrs the bridging material was with us and the sappers worked through the night to build the bridge, we were all lucky as snipers were no good seeing as it began to rain hard and visibility was nil 鈥� thank Christ, but it was apart from mortar fire 鈥榓 dirty night for us all鈥�. At the break of dawn our tanks were brought up and the guards went in for the kill, they are now fighting on the other side of the bridge and it would take long I鈥檓 sure, just a stubborn renegade section, our strong armoury division can cope with it and then we can go forward again after a well earned rest. By the way, when I first brought my officer to Rocco Bridge I had the honour to meet a very pretty Flemish girl who had been hit by an SS but she and her family stayed in their cellar all the time the battle now on outside. They also helped us by telling us the verges had been mined heavily which we soon found out was true.

Ninth September 1944

Prisoners are being brought in now and up to time of writing 600 have been caught and doubled miles by our guardsman - provides a sorry sight, but the inevitable is happening our own casualties are being brought in and its no picnic, we know that.

Tenth September 1944

Things are clearer now and soft stuff is going over the Bridge with supplies for our fighting men, the artillery may have now quietened jerry. I take a drive through the main streets of the village on the other side of bridge and the enemy have been driven out of the immediate vicinity being killed or taken prisoner, the battle has finished and we have lost 8 tanks alone, and jerry have suffered lots worse, we have no proper estimate yet.

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