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In 1936 at the age of 16, I joined the 5th Battalion The Queens Royal Regiment (QRR) TA at Haselmere, Surrey. It was a Vickers Machine gun company, with its HQ in Guilford. In 1938 I was mobilised but after a short time I was demobbed and stood down, however I was recalled to the Army on September 3rd `1939 and in December our company was sent to provide guard duties at an ammunition factory called Bramley’s in Basingstoke. We were then posted to Yeovil for field and anti gas training in preparation for overseas duties. After some time we eventually went to Southampton to sail to France on the ss Durban Castle. On reaching Cherborg we were put onto trains and taken to Meziers de Lavden, near to Amiens, Arras and Bethune and after more field training we were sent to the Escaut canal in Belguim. It was here we encountered our first sight of the German military machine and we took casualties. The Germans attacked us across the canal with machine gun and artillery fire and infantry backed up by tanks. The battle raged for 7 days before we withdrew and after a short period of heavy fighting we eventually took up a holding position at Foret de Neipe. Soon after we joined other British and French troops on the road and lanes back to the coast. We were in company units at this time but lost touch with one another and I found myself with Company Commander Major Godfrey and Pte Turner, his batman and mixed up with other refugees fleeing the fighting. German fighters dive bombed us but we managed to escape into the open countryside and in sight of the sea. We came across a NAAFI truck loaded with boxes of milk and tins of meat and vegetables which had been commandeered by French soldiers. Major Godfrey took command and ordered the French to leave it. When we opened the boxes we discovered the milk was condensed and too thick to drink, but found chocolate bars to eat. Later on a French soldier offered me a drink from his water bottle, it turned out to be red wine which I found too bitter to drink.

At that time no one had any idea where we were heading, but after 3 to 4 days we arrived at the edge of a small French town called Dunkirk. Here we found the beach full of both British and French troops sheltering amongst abandoned trucks and fighting vehicles and other debris of war. On arrival at the promenade we were given tickets by the MP’s which detailed our Divisional Flag numbers which would be in evidence on the beach, mine was number 44. We were to muster around these flags and wait until such time as our numbers were sufficient to be taken off the beach by boat to go to one of the larger ships waiting offshore to receive us. We spent 4 days on that beach waiting to be rescued, huddled in pits that we had dug in the sand, trying to shelter from the unremitting bombing and strafing of the beach by the German Luftwaffe — many, many men lost their lives. Amongst the many abandoned vehicles we found another NAAFI truck. This one was loaded with chocolate bars, biscuits and tins of bully beef amongst other things, so at least we were able to eat, which helped keep our sprits up.

I found myself mixed up with many different regiments and nationalities such as Indians and French etc. During the fourth day I was picked up by a small boat to be taken out to a larger ship but due to the many men clinging to its sides, it capsized and we found ourselves in the water. Fortunately for us the crew of a lifeboat from the former pleasure steamer ‘The Golden Eagle’ had spotted us, picked us up and took us back their ship, rescuing us from the carnage on the beach! Once aboard we were taken down to the engine room to dry off and given mugs of hot chocolate and biscuits. We managed to get some long overdue sleep on the journey home from Dunkirk to Sheerness in Kent. Many years later, my son found a picture of ‘The Golden Eagle’ and had it framed for me — it now has pride of place on the lounge wall above the fireplace.

When we arrived in Sheerness we were taken to the Royal Naval Barracks, HMS Wildfire and from there placed onboard trains at the dock (still in our battledress — or what was left of them!) and sent to Cowley Barracks in Oxford. Our camp consisted of tents and bivouacs and here we waited for other survivors to arrive. As every day dawned parades were held that were attended by new arrivals from the beaches. After spending two weeks at this camp we were transported by trucks to Castleford near Doncaster in Yorkshire for field training. Whilst there, I received my temporary promotion to Lance Corporal and became one of the guard commanders and my duties included the command of ten men. After two or three months, we once again became a full division and in company with other regiments were moved south to the Kent and Sussex areas. I was sent to Seaford near Eastbourne to join the coastal defence as part of the Anti Invasion Defence Force. When German forces had not invaded after two months, I was stood down and moved inland to Biggin Hill to defend the aerodrome and then on to barracks in Gravesend where, along with my comrades, I was given two weeks leave.

I went back to my family home in Beacon Hill, near Hindhead in Surrey. It was as if the war was many miles away; life went on as usual in this small English village. Many of my old friends who had joined up at the same time as me had not returned, in particular two from our time in the TA, Humphrey Stratton and Charlie Marrett had been captured by the Germans in Belgium and were at that time held as Prisoners of War somewhere in Germany. Fortunately after five years of incarceration, they returned to Beacon Hill and I was able to meet up with them again. Other notable residents that I recall are my long time friend Ron Whittacker who had joined the Armoured Corps. Also there were three brothers Doug, Roy and Don Ellis whose father was the local ‘bobby’, their house was called ‘Dougroydon’! Later on during the war I met up with Doug on the ship from Glasgow which took us to North Africa and we spoke of old times and friends. It was good to meet someone from home. ‘Tubby’ Andrews who was the former owner and mechanic at the local garage had joined the RAF as a navigator and upon demob and took up his former life. Another friend of mine was Dick Mercer who joined the RAF as ground staff, we later became work colleagues at Hindhead Post Office.

When I returned to duty at Gravesend, I contracted appendicitis and was sent to the Military Hospital at Beneden, this had formerly been the home of the Guinness family but had been requisitioned by the War Department as a hospital. Once I was fit again I was ‘Y’ listed and sent to join the Royal West Kent Regiment and posted to Barking, replacing troop shortages in the RWK battalions. After quite some time we were given two weeks leave and on returning to our battalions we were sent to North Africa to fight in Algeria and Tunisia as a back up force for the Eight Army under General Montgomery, to assist their drive to push General Rommel and his Afrika Korps from Egypt and Tunisia — this was in 1942. Upon arrival in Algeria I found that I had been transferred to the London Irish Rifles as a rifleman and did not see immediate action, staying in camp for a couple of months until we were sent forward to fight with the 1st Army at Mersa Matruh in Algeria. We were sent out on patrols against the Afrika Corps, patrolling the La Goubelliat Plain and Longstop Hills on their advanced units.

After the North African campaign ended in 1943, I was sent along with the London Irish Rifles to invade Sicily at Palermo and I was part of the Allied force that drove the Germans out of Sicily. I next took part in the invasion of Italy, landing on Italian soil at a point somewhere between Naples and Solerno where we met little or no opposition. Later I became embroiled in the battle at Monte Casino where after a period of heavy fighting the allies were victorious and many prisoners were taken. I had received shrapnel injuries to my legs whilst serving in North Africa so after a short period in hospital I was sent to the small mountain town of Benevento where I spent a year working in a feeding station which provided catering for troop trains moving from Naples to Bari. During this time I was billeted in the booking office of the Benevento Station and became friendly with the stationmaster and his wife. During 1980 I returned to Italy with my wife Mary and we were fortunate to meet up the family once again. I have been in contact with them, exchanging Christmas and birthday cards up until the death of the station masters sister. I served out the rest of the war in Benevento until 1945 when I was sent to a transit camp in Milan to await my return to England. I was sent by train via Geneva and Calais arriving in Folkstone in August 1946 and was given two weeks leave and returned to Beacon Hill to join in the celebrations with my family. End of the War parades were held in the village and I met up with many old friends. After the leave, I was sent to Woking to be demobbed in November 1946 and returned to civilian life once again.

For my military service I received the following medals — the General Service 1939-1945, the Defence Medals, the North African and Italian Stars. These medals and their ribbons were posted to my home from the Was Office in 1946.

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