大象传媒

This story has been written onto the 大象传媒 People's War site by CSV Storygatherer Alison Lear on behalf of Jim Cornell. The story has been added to the site with his permission. And Jim Cornell fully understands the terms and conditions of the site.

In 1941, when I was 16, I became a messenger for ARP (Air Raid Precautions) in Exeter during the blitz. I was sent from my post in Frienhay St to another post by the Odeon cinema and from there out to the Judges Lodgings (now the crematorium). This was the assembly point for all rescue workers from outside the surrounding areas.
I was acting as a guide for the rescue workers and I helped them for 3 days with no one, including my family, knowing where I was! I grabbed food from various canteens as and when I could which is all you could do in those times.

I was called up aged 18 on February 18th 1943. I went to Colchester for training with the General Service Corps. I did my battalion training with the Somersets and then I was posted to the Duke of Cornwalls for 6 months. I then joined the Durham Light Infantry and was posted to Normandy.

I recall a harrowing moment when one of our tanks was hit by a shell and ignited. I could hear the radio operator inside the tank but there was nothing I could do to help him. We found his body outside the burnt out tank the next morning.

Throughout this time shells were being fired over us from our own ships towards the Germans. Later on I was wounded by German shrapnel and brought home. I was transferred to Nottingham hospital where I met the comedian Jimmy James! This was another occasion when my family didn't know where I was!

In 1944 after recovering I rejoined the regiment in Normandy. Breaking through the Falaise Gap we drove towards Belgium (the Escalt Canal) when the Arnheim boys went over. We advanced across the Dutch border where I met a Dutch boy no older than me called William Poos who had escaped from a German lorry taking him for forced labour.

We passed Nijmegan towards Arnheim and we held the line against the Germans. My battalion was disbanded when we returned to Belgium and our Company was posted to the Ox and Bucks Regiment. At Arnheim we were loaded on to tank troop carriers and found that we were in the middle of a minefield! We safely but slowly negotiated our way out and returned to the Ardennes where we massed for the final advance through the Reichfeld, coming out overlooking Cleavengoch where we attacked the Fourth Welsh Regiment by mistake!! Luckily we realised straight away before there was a major bloomer!

At the end of the war I was posted to go to the far east, departing in February 1946, but it never happened because it was too close to my demob date in June 1947.

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