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This story has been submitted to the People’s War site by Keith Gallop of Age Concern Shropshire Telford & Wrekin on behalf of George Pritchard (author), and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site terms and conditions.

I served in the Second World War in Africa, Italy and Germany with the Grenadier Guards. In 1944, at the age of 22. I was fortunate to survive a mine explosion near Florence, which destroyed the vehicle I was riding in, killed the driver sitting next to me, and badly injured a passing general. We were on our way to get the battalion mail — we had not had any letters for four months. As we were coming down a lane just outside Florence that we thought was clear of mines, we were approached by a guard as we came to a little bridge. We were asked to move over to let Major General Keighley of the 6th Armoured division come past. We moved over off the road, and the next thing we knew we were blown out of our vehicle. There was a piano in the back of our truck, which hit the general and left him with a broken back. The driver was killed and I escaped with a broken ankle.

When I was Mayor of Oswestry I met the general and he was better, though he has since died. I was very lucky — I shouldn’t be here. Before I die I should like to go back to Monte Casino and the other places where I served.

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