大象传媒

This article about Don Breeze was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Oswestry Library on behalf of Barbara Hoyte and has been added with her permission. Barbara describes her brother-in-law, who passed away in March 2003, as 鈥渁 wonderful, caring man鈥�. Don was a keen gardener, winning many prizes, and still has numerous relatives in the Oswestry area.

Sapper D. W. Breeze 2011755, one of the first people ashore on D-Day as a crew member of a mine-clearing tank, began life in the Welsh Border town of Oswestry. Educated at Oswestry Boys鈥� High School up to the age of 16, he began work with the Great Western Railway, training to be a clerk. Don鈥檚 first job was in the telegraph office where he learnt Morse code, something that was to prove important in later years.

On April 18th 1940 Don Breeze was called up and thus had to leave Oswestry for Bordon in Hampshire, where he did his initial training with the forces. 20011755 Breeze began his army service in the Royal Engineers鈥� railway section, but was quickly transferred to the Royal Signals when his knowledge of the Morse code was noticed. Don then became a wireless operator and was attached to the 1st Lothian and Border Yeomanry. This required Sapper D. W. Breeze to move again, first to Helmsley in Yorkshire where he undertook more training, and then to various locations throughout southern and eastern England. He was promoted to Lance Corporal prior to the invasion of France.

Don remembered how, prior to the D-Day landing, he had to waterproof his tank before embarking on the invasion venture, as they had disembarked well out to sea before being able to proceed to the coastline at Arromanches beachhead and thence on to French soil. He recalled how the regiment had no idea what to expect or what was to follow, but described it as a great, though frightening adventure. Although he and his comrades did their best not to show it, they were all afraid of what they were about to face.

After landing, Don was promoted to full Corporal and was installed as the wireless operator to the Commanding Officer in the Command tank during operations in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. He was a member of the 79th Armoured Division, which was specially designed to be used where necessary for clearing the way of mines so that troops and tanks, whether British, Canadian or American, could proceed.

The 79th Armoured Division saw action in Falaise in France where Don took part in the first ever night attack by tanks 鈥� an attack intended to close the gap between the allied forces and the German army. His memories of the aftermath of this night attack were still fresh 60 years on. The horrific scenes witnessed the morning after still brought a tear to Don鈥檚 eye as he described what he saw.

Don鈥檚 first major brush with death came not in combat, but as he was returning to Ostend after the capture of the German occupied island of Walcheren. While they were crossing the North Sea, a terrible storm blew up, tossing the boat about like a 鈥渃ork in a bottle鈥�. This lasted for the entire ten hours of the crossing. Luckily, no lives were lost but Don recalled an announcement by the ship鈥檚 captain once they had made it to Ostend. The captain revealed that he had told their Commanding Officer that he thought the boat would break its back and sink in the mountainous seas.

As the war progressed and the allied forces made more advances, Don was moved forward into Holland, where 79th Armoured Division was stationed in the small town of Geleen. When the Germans tried to break through the allied lines in a counter attack, Don and his colleagues sheltered with a Dutch family in the main street for a few days. It was while he was in Geleen that Don had one of his most memorable experiences of the war. 鈥淚 slipped out of my Dutch family鈥檚 door and happened to be the only person in the street at the time. I was off to do my allotted duties when a stream of cars approached, flanked by outriders on motorcycles; flags were flying. This suggested to me that something important was afoot. Soldiers are duty bound to salute officers, so as the first car approached, I stood on the edge of the pavement and gave my salute. As the car came alongside, the officer turned to me and saluted back. To my astonishment, the officer was none other than Field Marshall Montgomery, Supreme Commander of the British forces. How many men have had the experience of a personal salute from that great man?鈥�

This salute came at a very critical time in history. Field Marshall Montgomery was on his way to make his momentous and vital move to prevent a disaster in the fortunes of war. The next morning, Don had a briefing in a small room in the town by another great British general, Sir Brian Horrocks. 79th Division were told that they were to be loaned to the Americans who were stationed further to the south. This move meant that Don was destined to be on board one of the first British tanks to enter Germany. 鈥淲e were featured centre-page in The Daily Mirror,鈥� he recalled, 鈥渦nder the caption 鈥楾ank Crew Stop for Tea鈥�.鈥�

Don鈥檚 tank crossed the Rhine over a pontoon bridge near Cologne. The fighting increased and the casualties escalated. 鈥淭he destruction of the city was awful to behold. War is a terrible thing. Oh to live in peace! Following the recent terrorist attacks, though, I wonder if world peace will ever be achieved.鈥�

As Germany capitulated to the allied forces, 79th Division moved east, aiming to occupy as much ground as possible, as the Russians were advancing across Germany in the east.

With Germany鈥檚 surrender, Don hoped that his days as a soldier were drawing to an end; unfortunately, this was not to be. War was still being waged in the Far East against Japan and Don was transferred once again, this time to the Airborne Division with which he was destined to become a wireless operator on one of the islands occupied by the Japanese. At that point, the war in the Far East took a dramatic turn, with the Americans dropping the atom bomb and Japan surrendering.

D. W. Breeze 2011755 left the army in August 1946 after six and a half years of service. He was lucky; others whom he had trained with and grown close to were not so lucky. At the age of 81, the memories and images were still fresh. 鈥淚 remember the occasion when a German fighter plane flew over us very low and tipped a small bomb out of his cockpit. His target was a long line of army vehicles laden with fuel. Luckily for us, he missed the target.鈥�

After returning home, Don Breeze had a few weeks holiday and then resumed his old job on the railways. He married his old love, Joan, safe in the knowledge that he had helped win through and ensure the freedom of a democratic society.

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