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Close Calls

My grandson Shaun asked if I’d had any ‘near squeaks’ in the war, so I listed some, each one worthy of more than a few brief words. (I also recalled some horrible stories that you don’t tell kids. It’s no wonder I’ve never bought a raffle ticket — I’d used up all my luck!)

® In digs in Birmingham: bomb in the road by Castle Bromwich aircraft factory where, outside, my brother George was tied to the bed. He'd contracted dermatitis from handling duralumin at work, so had to be tied to the bed to prevent him scratching.Plaster fell from the ceiling, bags of smoke.

® Went to the Odeon at Sutton Coldfield during an air raid. Shrapnel came down as I got back to the digs and stuck in the door. Burnt fingers digging it out.

® Brother George and I went to the cinema one evening. He said he wasn't going to work on his night shift. Just as well - his work station was bombed that night and, if he'd gone to the lavatory during the shift, that was bombed too. Bomb at work in aircraft factory where brother George was on night shift. Saw German air-gunner grinning at us.

® Boilers blew up in an old troopship (clapped out cattle boat, more like!) near Brest, the submarine base 50 miles away. We were ordered to keep quiet in case the subs heard us.

® After returning to the Clyde for repairs, out to Mombasa, East Africa. After too much to drink in Nairobi, staggering back to billets, saw a deadly black though it was actually green!) mamba snake asleep on the road. Peed on it and dropped a rock on it as it squirmed about.

® Met a group of lions while on safari and gave them a wide berth.

® Crocodile killed Askari while we practiced river crossing in Africa. I tried to save him but didn’t know about the croc, though!

® Ceylon: encountered a light blue scorpion a foot long, rare specimen as it turned out, attacked jabbing its tail, dropped a rock on it as done with the snake, and squashed it.

® While doing jungle training burned off 50 plus leeches with fag.

® Burma: night attack on Ramree Isle — tracer bullets hitting landing craft and my lorry, mortar bombs, battleships bombarding beaches. Ears damaged, deaf at odd times, and black-outs. Thought I was going blind. However, only heat exhaustion.

® Ramree Isle: Shark fishing — poor Joe, my mate, scrambled on raft made with Lightning Jettison Tanks. I was concentrating on the sharks at the time (‘Sorry, Joe’) and was stung by black squid, burning on ankle, still had marks on ankle ten years later. Sea snakes on raft, beautiful colours but very, very poisonous.

® During airdrops over the Irrawaddy with Canadian Air Force, nearly fell out of the Douglas Dakota but was saved by an Indian soldier.

® Brigade sent up Mawchi Pass to hold back Japanese division: camped by fast flowing river, grenade fishing, tossed one into Japanese arms dump and altered course of river for a while; no-one hurt.

® Scrub typhus prevalent in that area, injection every 48 hours, knocked out every time. Dysentery normal, everyone had it, but very weakening; a snake or scorpion bite could be fatal.

® Had black-outs and periods of deafness, a bit dangerous on mountain roads. Came down ‘staircase’ in a Japanese lorry with faulty steering and brakes; drums were red hot. Sick as a pig with fear after.

® Went down with malaria; pleaded with Joe to let me die rather than take quinine. He reported me to the M.O. who took me into hospital. Lads from unit came to visit, decided to have a party with sardine sandwiches and booze. M.O. came down to check on the noise, brought some hospital brandy and joined in. Poor fellow patient suffered my mates bouncing on his bed — good party, though!

® Left Rangoon on Yankee Liberty Boat - having welded joins, they were inclined to break in half. The one I came back in creaked loudly amid-ships.

® I think fear is a pain in your guts. It was some time before it eased off and the bad dreams ended.

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Graham Brown of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Shropshire CSV Action Desk on behalf of Alexander Donaldson and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

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