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I had to go back to my unit for a co driver, and find out how John had fared, he had had five stitches in his eyebrow, but had two great bruises, one across his thigh, and one on his back by the kidney area, that the doctor was concerned about, so he had put him on excused duties for a week, and they would asses him again when the stitches were taken out, the M/T officer looked at the paper work for his new truck, asked me what happened, came out and looked at it, asked, sorry, told me to ride him round the perimeter in it. Then when he alighted seamed to be quite pleased. "Yes, well, as soon as this job is over that you are on, this can be the headquarters wagon' and their wagon will become yours. you had better take Charlie Robey as your co. I'll have him over, and tell him so that you can get off." Whew!! all that upset I was expecting, fizzled out.

One of the advantages of this priority job we were on was that you could call in at any Military Unit and ask for a meal, (if it was meal time or near) or a place to sleep for the night. We just had to show our papers at the Guard room, and Hey Presto! We loved it if we came across an American Unit and made careful note of where it was if we did. For as in England their food was out of this world.

One day all three lorries were once again loaded with high octane petrol for Aeroplanes and we were given a map reference that was an airfield near Celle this was a long trip very near the front line, north of Hannover that had only just fallen and on the same latitude as Berlin, It was late when we got there about two miles out of Celle was the Air field, we drove through the main gates and there was no one there. We drove around looking for someone in authority, all we saw were German Airmen who were walking aimlessly about and as our lorries approached they held up their hands.

It was weird, and we were almost pooing our pants. There were three German Aircraft parked outside a Hanger, we drove over to them and parked along side of them, then all six of us mounted guard, with our Sten Guns at the ready. A jeep followed by three lorries drove through the main gate and one of the lorries stopped there, the others came round to the hangers and the Jeep pealed away towards us, the officer got out when he saw we were on his side and came over, "How the Hell did you get here before us?", He asked, " We haven't had time to mop up here yet, Them tank boys have got the bit in their teeth and are leaving us miles behind.

What you got in the lorries?" he asked When we told him petrol for planes. He stared at us and said you are at least twenty four hours early if not more, we have to round up all these strays and sweep the place clean for booby traps before any of our planes will be allowed to land. We were late getting here because we stopped to have a look at that camp that they have been starving their prisoners to death in, there are still bodies not buried too, War is never nice but what we have seen there is beyond belief. We asked if we could unload our petrol some where safe. and then we showed him our papers, and as he was technically the Commanding Officer. He agreed, He was a Canadian Captain in an Infantry Brigade. Of mostly French Canadians.

The next morning we set off back, but we had all decided to have a look at this camp the Captain had spoken about, The Town of Celle like a lot of old towns had a big Square in the centre, in the centre of which was one of those Sentry box Type things, that a traffic controller stands in, and it has a roof on to keep the sun and the rain off him, and he can lean out of all four sides to direct the traffic, the square was surrounded with those tall lamp posts, with the cast iron arms stuck straight out just below the light on three of these lamp posts were three bodies two of men and one woman. Who were reputed to be guards from the camp down the road, and the French Canadian soldiers had got hold of them the night before, and in spite of their officers being present had Hung them.

That is why I always used to say that I knew of three war criminals that did not get a trial at Nuremberg. We went down this road to where the camp was, it was strange later in life when Stephen came to live with my mam and dad to think that we almost met by 36 hrs. and I was walking on ground his feet had trod.

I will tell the tale here that Stephen told me of his liberation: he said that The whole camp was nervous, the camp Guards were acting strangely, and they all thought it was a build up to something awful, then the Guards just disappeared and left the gates open, they new it was a trick, if anyone walked through that gate they would be shot. Then they heard a rumbling cranking sound, a tank appeared and stopped at the gate, they were gasping with fear, this was it, The hatch of the tank swung open, they were all mesmerised, then when the beret like the S S wore slowly appeared some died of fright. it was minutes before the penny dropped so to speak and they realised that it was liberation and freedom knocking on the door.

Other troops followed the Tanks and everyone was appalled at the starving state of the inmates and was giving them bread and such, and the inmates were stuffing this rich food down them. As a result this act of kindness and mercy killed a lot more of these poor wretches. they just couldn't take it. and had to be built up slowly on fluids and thin soups. Stephen says that a soldier gave him a cigarette (you know he was an addicted smoker) I had not smoked a cigarette for years, he told me and when the soldier lit it he gave a big draw on it, I held it in and then blew it out, bliss, I took another big draw, held it , then blew it out, and that is when my lights went out. Two puffs on a fag put him on his back.

We did not spend much time in the camp, there was army film crews and all sorts in the camp we did however go to the mass graves and the smell was awful even though the bodies were now covered with lime, and you could still see an arm or a leg sticking out towards the sky.

Strangely enough when we got back to our station it was to find that our independent top priority Job had come to an end.

The Germans had now got into full stride with their V1 buzz bombs and these past right over our heads on there way to Antwerp some came over so low you could almost jump up and strike a match on them, however we were not allowed to fire on them for fear of them coming down on the Airfield.
We also had another job to do that was a bind, Jerry was getting desperate, and was trying all kinds of desperate tricks, one was parachuting sabotage experts in at the dead of night to do untold damage and then disappear, so when ever an unidentified plane flew over the Airfield we had a diesel generator to start up and then sweep the airfield with a searchlight, this diesel took some starting and when cold in the night, it was more difficult still, so we had instructions that the diesel had to be started up and run every two hours through the night, we cursed that Diesel daily.
I told you that some of the buildings had been damaged, well they had not been occupied by the new owners and Frank and I were scrounging through one of these buildings Frank was after electrical parts for the Railway carriage, and one room had a built in unit of long draws, the full length of the room, I looked inside one, and it was full of maps, as were all the others. The British isles was covered from end to end in every detail. I even found one, that I took and brought home for Pop, that had the Chesterfield Canal and all the locks and bridges, and even Top locks house and the Stables marked on. and back home in England all the place names, Sign posts, and mile stones had been taken away until the end of the war, (so as to confuse the enemy if they landed) they knew more about the place than most of us.

The day came when we had orders to move, and we packed up and moved out in convoy. We went north into Germany, first through Nijmegan and over the river Maars and the Waal via the Nijmegan bridge, then over the river Rijn, and through Arnhem, that was flattened, and when we got to where we were going it was in the middle of nowhere and it was back to our tents.
The nearest place was called Quakenbruck and are nearest neighbours was a tent site of Canadian soldiers about half a mile down the road, I mention this because we had hardly settled in to this place when all the lads that liked a drink were invited to a party that they were having, it being a Sat. night almost all the camp went down. I was awakened by the Duty Sergeant and Officer at about two a m. who was looking for anyone sober enough to push a wheel barrow, Three quarters of them that had attended this party, had returned almost leg less the other quarter were still there either incapable or just unconscious, hence the use of a wheel barrow.
There was a church parade scheduled for 10 a m. Sunday morning. the C O was livid and passed the word to all the other officers and N C Os that he would not tolerate anything less than a 100 percent turn out. And that he would hold both officers and N C Os responsible for their sections I00 percent turn out.
The rest of the night was spent dowsing people with cold water, and marching them up and down half naked in the cold night air. There was three didn't make it to the Church parade, The rest of the Church parade was the sorriest bunch of Airmen ever seen in the world. some still couldn't stand straight and even such as me that hadn't had a drink had been on the go all night and was dead on my feet. the march to where we held the service was hell, and when we got back, a Jeep with a Canadian Medical Officer came and had a word with our C O then he went and had a look at our three men that hadn't made the parade, and had them sent to Hospital. It appears that one of the Canadian party participants had died and two had gone blind.
It appears that their job is something to do with the industrial factories of Bremen, and one of these factories was, or had been making 100 percent alcohol to fuel the V2 rockets the Canadians had filled a water bowser with this stuff , and had also found a supply of white wine that they had brought back to camp in Jerry cans, Hence the come one, come all party. Some of these lads were three sheets to the wind after a cup of tea for the next three days, Our three that had to go hospital recovered, but the C O gave them 14 days jankers and stopped them 4 days pay, for the 4 days they were recovering, it was a self inflicted disability, he said.

We moved a few miles up the road and into a lonely old large mansion type house and out buildings, and although I am struggling to remember where I was and what happened in the right sequence I am sure that this is where we were when V E day was announced.

And a few days later we moved to a place called Stade on the banks (almost) of the river Elbe the river that the city of Hamburg is sited on, and were only there one night when we were raked out of our beds to do a house to house search of Stade for Adolf Hitla.
The intelligence people had it from a good source that he was hiding in this village I assumed it was under an assumed name and having had a shave and a haircut.

Of course we didn't find him nor did we make any friends that night. But I have often wondered since that night, Did he Die.???

The War being well and truly over now as far as fighting was concerned we were lugging a lot of useless equipment about, so we were not suprised when we were told it all had to go, we took it all to an Military dump it site that had acres and acres of guns and lorries already dumped. We were allowed the three 15 cwts and three trucks for transport purpose. also now the war was over I got leave, it was by lorry to Osnabruck then train to Calais, over the rickest railway line and bridges you have ever rode on, Where rail bridges had been blown away that meant almost all, temporally bridges had been built as near along side as possible these temporally bridges were just that, Built of wood mostly, the track at both sides was slued across fields or what ever to line up with the new bridge, the train slowed to a crawl and you could see the bridge sink and hear it grown as soon as the engine got on, and as the train travelled along slowly and the carriages loaded with eager lads going for their first leave for yonks, the groans got to a scream of torture, and the noise wasn't all from the bridge. It was a relief to see the engine climb up the last bit and put its weight on solid ground, and as it did so you could see the bridge heave upwards and as each carriage was pulled clear it would heave up a little more. Once clear of this long span river bridge all the passengers did as the bridge had done, sighed with relief.

When we got to Calais and were shuffling along to go up the gang plank to board the ferry, when a chap in front who was pushing a motor cycle, was pulled out and was being told that they could not allow that on the deck he would have to leave it, I was thinking of the Harley Davidsons we had left at the dump, and what would happen to them and all the others. The ferry got away at last and I was having a look round the boat when I saw the bloke who had had the motorbike stood by the rail. so I had a word and asked: "Did you have to leave the bike then?" He grinned and nodded over the side, I looked over and there was the bike lashed on safe and secure in Bristol fashion.
At Dover we had to go through customs. Mostly to stop the lads from bringing in souvenir revolvers and such like things, there was a lot of radios too being brought into Blighty and it had been decided that there would be a charge of one pound per valve, This soldier in front of me was lugging a big one that looked a beauty, the customs officer looked at it then at the soldier, then asked how many valves has it? Three?. No, said the soldier with pride in his voice it's got eight. "You did say three," said the custom man still looking at him. "No, No, eight." said the soldier. "That will be eight pounds then, sir." said the custom officer, raising his eyebrows as he smiled at me.( It was this leave mentioned in your mothers storey that I bought the pigs for Pop.)

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