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I joined the LDV, later to become the Home Guard, and was trained to fire a rifle and a hand grenade. Invasion by the Germans was Impending and our training included dealing with enemy parachutists and guarding road junctions. I volunteered for the army in September 1941 and joined the Royal West Kent Regiment and was posted to young soldiers training battalion at Invicta Lines, Maidstone. After 10 weeks training I was posted to Old Park Barracks, Dover, where I continued advanced military training.

In 1942 after completing a general knowledge test for the Royal Corps Signals I was transferred to a Trades Training Battalion and trained as a dispatch rider in Yorkshire. This included learning to ride a motorcycle and maintaining it. I achieved the required standard and was transferred to 7th Air Formation Signals and later to second line of communication signals and finally to 5 H.G signals in preparation for the Normandy campaign. Shortly after D-day my section joined SHAEF and sailed from Southampton to Omaha Beach in Normandy.

I was one of four dispatch riders during the Normandy campaign as a member of British Army Staff attached to Number 5 Headquarter Signals, working with the American No 3118 signal battalion (SHAEF). During the last campaign— The Battle of the Bulge — I spent my time carrying messages by motorcycle from 3rd Army Headquarters (General Pattern) to 21st Army Group in Brussels (General Montgomery). The distance between was 145 miles. The weather at the time was the worst weather on the continent for 25 years. The Ardennes Campaign ended about mid January 1945 and I returned to my head quarters in Paris though I continued to carry messages to army headquarters continent wide.

I was demobilised in January 1946 having received a signed commendation by the Supreme Commander General Eisenhower. In 1999 I was presented with a Diploma for my help during the liberation of France. It was presented by the Mayor of Blonville at a special ceremony in the town on behalf of the French Government in recognition of the Liberation of France.

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