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This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Three Counties Action on behalf of Mr J.C. Horne and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.

When I was a boy I lived in the village of Stanbridge, not a lot going for it, we had four street lights plus a light on an arch across the Five Bells Drive where on dark nights we used to play under it.

Then the war started which meant no lights so it didn’t affect us a lot. Mr Chamberlain declared war Sunday 3rd Sept. First thing my Father did, find some wood and felt to make shutters for down stairs windows, Mum finding thick curtains for upstairs so no chink of light showed. For a time life didn’t change a lot until men started to be called up. If any bombs dropped in the area boys being boys we would cycle to see if we could find any souvenirs to collect.

Living in Stanbridge if you wanted to go to Leighton Buzzard you either had to cycle through Billington or through Egginton as the Leighton road was closed most of war because of R.A.F station. We still used to meet as normal at nights and sit on the seats on the green and listen to the bombers going over especially on the way to Coventry.

I worked at the nursery at Eaton Bray. Where they growed tomatoes and lettuce, not many flowers. The end of August 1940 there was a loud bang over Luton. Vauxhall had been bombed, the bombers were flying along the Dunstable Downs before the siren had sounded. When I was 17 I joined the Home Guard. Got kitted out with uniform, rifle and 50 rounds of ammo. Parades Sunday morning over Stanbridge Green, Monday nights Tilsworth Church House.

Some Saturday nights we had manoeuvres against other village with Guard duties once a month. (Every time I watch Dad’s Army on television it’s just how Stanbridge Home Guard was like). Doing the drill, firing a rifle prepared me when I joined up in 1942 in a little town called Harbury in Yorkshire for six weeks infantry training. I was then sent to Deepcut in the artillery for training on Bofor guns.

When training finished posted to 68th LIGHT AKAK REGIMENT. When we went on manoeuvres we gave cover to the 25 pounder guns, other times we would be on gun sited around the coast. When we were on a site at Deal the German guns used to send there shells over then our Coastal guns would open up to fire back so you could imagine the din they caused.

Landed Normandy end of June in the 49th Div but after about 3 weeks most of the infantry regiments had loads of casualties and the div was disbanded and I finished up in the Ox and Bucks L.I. 53rd Welsh Div. Through France, Belgium and Holland towards Arnhem to try and reach the airborne without success.

Later on the end of December back to Belgium to the Battle of Bulge. Finished up in KIEL when I was demobbed May ’46.

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