大象传媒

My beloved Dad died in January 2003. He was a very proud member of the South Staffordshire Regiment 6th battalion for the duration of the war. He was at the tale end of those who escaped at Dunkirk but before he managed to get away he drank some stagnant water and was poisoned by it. He was in hospital in Hexham, Northumberland, where he met his wife my dear Mum. The following is an account, in his own words, that he wrote for his granddaughter when she was studying WW11 for her GCSE exams. I decided to put this account on this website as a lasting tribute to my Dad. He died in January 2003 just 2 months short of celebrating his diamond wedding. The picture is of my Mum and Dad following their wedding in March 1943. Thanks for reading my dads account of some of his war memories.
IN 1938 WHEN IT WAS OBVIOUS THERE WOULD BE A WAR A FEW OF US DECIDED TO JOIN THE TERRITORIAL ARMY AND JOINED THE SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRES. WHEN WAR BROKE OUT ON 3 SEPT 1939 I WAS AT CAMP AT GOWER IN SOUTH WALES WITH THE REGIMENT AND HAD TO SIGN ON FOR THE DURATION OF THE WAR. THE NEXT MORNING WE WENT BY TRAIN TO PENKRIDGE AND WAS STATIONED IN SOME NEW COUNCIL HOUSES THAT HADN`T YET BEEN FINISHED. WE DID OUR INITIAL TRAINING ON CANNOCK CHASE BEFORE MOVING TO A PLACE CALLED BORDEN NR ALDERSHOT WERE WE COMPLETED OUR TRAINING BEFORE GOING OVERSEAS TO FRANCE. WE SAILED FROM SOUTHAMPTON AND LANDED AT LE HAVRE, FROM THERE WE MOVED TO A STAGING AREA OUTSIDE ROUEN. THE BATTALIAN NOW MOVED TO THE BORDER WITH BELGIUM WHILE SOME OF US HAD TO STAY BEHIND ON DIFFERENT COURSES "MINE WAS ON THE BREN GUN" FROM 3 SEPT 1939 UNTIL MAY 1940 WAS CALLED THE PHONEY WAR BECAUSE THERE WAS VERY LITTLE FIGHTING AT ALL. WHEN GERMANY ATTACKED WE WERE QUITE UNPREPARED BECAUSE WE HAD BEEN FOLLOWING A POLICY OF CUTTING DOWN ON ARMAMENTS AND IT WAS OVER IN FRANCE VERY QUICKLY. WE WERE MOVED FROM ROUEN AFTER THE ATTACK AND SENT TO LE MANS TO BOARD A TRAIN TO JOIN THE REST OF THE BATTALION BUT THE RAILWAY WAS BOMBED AND WE COULDN`T GET THROUGH. WE MOVED THEN TOWARDS CHERBOURGH BUT THE ROADS WERE CHAOTIC WITH COLUMNS OF SOLDIERS FRENCH AND BRITISH WITH CIVILIANS PUSHING PRAMS, TRUCKS ETC. OCCASIONALLY YOU WOULD SEE A DOG FIGHT IN THE AIR THE ONLY PLANE I EVER SAW SHOT DOWN WAS ONE OF OURS. COMING BACK ON FOOT FROM LEMANS TO CHERBOURGH WAS QUITE A LONG WAY AND IN THE RUSH TO MOVE I LOST MY WATER BOTTLE WHICH MENT I DRANK FROM THE PUMPS AND POOLS WE FOUND. WHEN WE GOT BACK TO ENGLAND I WENT FIRST TO HALIFAX AND THEN NORTH TO HAYDON BRIDGE NEAR HADRIANS WALL FROM THERE I WENT TO HOSPITAL WITH A POISENED TUMMY. AT HEXHAM IN NORTHUMBERLAND I WENT FOR A WALK WITH TWO PATIANTS TO LOOK ROUND THE ABBEY AND SAW THREE GIRLS THERE SO WE DECIDED TO CHAT THEM UP, THATS HOW I MET YOUR GRANDMA. AT SOME TIME ABOUT NOW WE WERE TOLD WE WOULDN`T BE GOING ABROAD AGAIN UNTIL THE SECOND FRONT STARTED WHICH DIDN`T HAPPEN UNTIL 6 JUNE 1944. BEFORE THEN I WAS DOWNGRADED FROM A1 TO C3 AND DISCHARGED AS UNFIT FOR FURTHER SERVICE. OTHER THINGS I REMEMBER ARE WHILE IN FRANCE THERE WERE A LOT OF RUMOURS AND ONE DAY A FEW OF US WERE SENT OUT ON PATROL NEAR A FARMHOUSE BECAUSE SOMEBODY SAID THAT GERMANS DRESSED AS NUNS PARACHUTED DOWN, AT THE TIME WE BELIEVED THEM BUT IT DOES SOUND RUBBISH NOW. WE CAME HOME UNPROTECTED BY WARSHIPS, THE ONLY THING WE DID WAS BELSHE SMOKE FROM THE SHIPS FUNNELS SO THAT WE WERE HIDDEN. ONCE I WAS ON GUARD AT DORMAN AND LONGS STEELWORKS IN MIDDLESBROUGH WHEN IT WAS BOMBED. THE ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS WERE FIRING AWAY AT THESE PLANES AND WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN AND PIECES OF SHRAPNEL WERE FALLING ALL OVER THE ROAD. WHILE A POLICEMAN AND I SHELTERED IN A DOORWAY EVERYONE ELSE WAS IN THE AIR RAID SHELTER.

ANOTHER THING I`VE JUST REMEMBER WHILE WE WERE IN MIDDLESBOROUGH TWO UNEXPLODED BOMBS LANDED IN THE FRONT GARDENS OF SOME FAIRLY POSH HOUSES AND THE POLICE FENCED THEM OFF. WE WERE SENT TO THESE HOUSES TO GUARD THEM IN CASE OF LOOTERS AND I REMEMBER THE OWNER OF ONE ASKING ME IF I WOULD POP DOWN AND GET HIS GOLD WATCH OF THE SIDEBOARD WHICH I DID. I THINK HE GAVE ME 2/-.

WHEN I WAS IN THE ARMY I WROTE TO YOUR GRANDMA EVERY DAY AND SHE KEPT ALL THE LETTERS UNTIL WE MOVED TO WOLVERHAMPTON WHEN THEY WERE DESTROYED. I WISH WE HAD KEPT THEM NOW.

THE BUSES USED TO DRIVE ABOUT WITHOUT LIGHTS DURING THE WAR. AND THE TRAINS YOU WERE IN DARKNESS ALL THE WAY.

A LOT OF MY FRIENDS WERE KILLED AT THE BATTLE OF CAEN IN NORMANDY SO MAYBE IT WAS A GOOD THING I WAS DISCHARGED EARLY OR YOU AND YOUR MOM MIGHT NEVER HAVE BEEN BORN.

JUST REMEMBERED WHEN I WAS STATIONED AT REDCAR WE WERE MANNING A BREN GUN ON A TRIPOD IN THE STREET SURROUNDED BY SANDBAGS WHEN A GERMAN PLANE CAME OVER IN BROAD DAYLIGHT AND WE FIRED AT IT WHETHER WE HIT IT OR NOT I DON`T KNOW.

I ALSO REMEMBER USING THE SAME GUN AND FIRING AT A PLANE AFTER THE SIRENS HAD GONE AND THE PLANE FLICKED SOME LIGHTS ON AND OFF OUR OFFICER TOLD US IT WAS ONE OF OURS.

THERE WAS A RUMOUR ABOUT JULY 1940 THAT THE GERMANS HAD LANDED CERTAINLY WE WENT ON BUSES TO OUR STATIONS AT REDCAR BUT IT WAS A FALSE ALARM. RUMOUR STILL PERSISTED THAT WE HAD SET THE SEA ON FIRE AND BURNED THEM ALL AND IT`S DENIED TO THIS DAY BUT THERE ARE OVER 1500 GRAVES ON CANNOCK CHASE OF SOLDIERS WHO ARE UNKNOWN. WHILE I WAS IN FRANCE WE COULD GET ENGLISH PAPERS EVERY MORNING AND WE HAD TO DO THINGS WHICH SHOW HOW OUT OF TOUCH OUR LEADERS WERE AT THE TIME LIKE CUTTING DOWN TREES TO PUSH ACROSS THE ROAD TO STOP TANKS WHEN IT WAS OBVIOUS THE TANKS WOULD GO OVER THE TOP OF THEM. YOU COULDN`T GO ON THE BEACHES WE PLANTED MINES AND FIXED BARBED WIRE ALONG.

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