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The 2nd BN ESSEX REGT was a different way of company; the platoon was run by a Sergeant with 3 sections of 10 men, which included a Corporal and Lance Corporal to each section. I was the Bren gunner and about 5 men was from the BLACKWATCH, my friend ‘Tiny’ Lance Corporal Moule and 4 from Stoke on Trent. As we travelled towards Le-Havre we came across a Chateau; which had German women in uniform, all the officers had disappeared. These womens’ quarters was underground; the main women spoke good English when we had to search them and their quarters. Two men and a German woman searched each woman, about 6 personal guns, a very small pistol was given up by the women. We left the women still in their quarters because it was late evening I expect the main body camped there overnight.
As we approached, the mine sweepers had cleared an area above the town, the whole company was directed to a school where we was given rations and settled down for the night. In the school was French Police and Free French persons we had to listen to how to capture the town. We left at daylight, this was high town of Le-Havre, there was a road of steps about 6ft wide, we came under fire as we travelled down; rifle fire from houses, bedrooms, and when we came to the bottom of these steps, snipers used the underground sewage channels lifting the metal tops. It took us about 2 hours to come to the main streets of the bottom town, firing was still continuing when we got to a church which offered us cover on the outside; after I fired the Bren gun on the steps of the church the Priest came out and told us not to as the church was full of French people. The firing from the Germans stopped and we made ourselves cover behind the pillars of the church; about 9.00am three German Officers holding a white banner came down the street in surrender; the wireless operator notified H.Q. who despatched a a truck to pick up these officers and take them to Hanfleur. The French people suddenly appeared
and got the platoon into a café for a meal;
it was horse meat.

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