大象传媒

Early in the morning on this important day, I waited with many other soldiers on Falmer Station to board the Southern Railway train with doors wide open, knowing at last we were on our way!!! I was about a 20 year old lad鈥oaded with gas mask, big pack, blanket and groundsheet roll鈥lus very important, my water bottle. I also carried a rifle and the office administration box. As I stood there, I thought of all the training I had had. Infantry training in Bodmin for six weeks and supplies training in Buller Barracks, Aldershot, and the many courses I had been on and this was 鈥T鈥 was very fit, but not much of a soldier or keen on playing soldiers. It was a great shock coming from college into the army鈥 thought everybody would be like me鈥ut..this was not so. We, the troops, now emerged from the trees after many weeks of boredom shut out of the world, no communication鈥o one to leave or go out of camp鈥irtually prisoners. We reached Portsmouth Harbour station and boarded a paddle steamer, Merstone, with tall thin funnel鈥 glanced over to Gosport, my home town, and wondered whether I would see it again鈥he sea was calm and the sky overcast as we transferred to a large ship, The Maid of Orleans, in the middle of the Solent. Night was falling as I found a small space to rest my body, a seat in the scuppers. We moved in the middle of the night鈥nd thought we had arrived, especially our cook Holbrook, till someone reminded him, poorchap, that he didn鈥檛 recognise his own island, the Isle of Wight鈥�.
The day was sunny and some of the men did some swimming by the side of the boat. We were surrounded by many ships and set sail that evening for France. Next morning we transferred to a landing craft which then took us near the shore. The highboards of the craft opened, and there in front of us was the beach and typical French house, plus debris of war鈥s we disembarked in very deep water with rifles held high, our captain was showered with white foam from a fire extinguisher accidentally knocked as we went into the deep water. I, being taller and near him, managed to hold on to him until we reached the shore. We had arrived at Courseulles, code word JUNO, Friday 24th, 5pm鈥arched three miles to a field with orchard. Whilst we were settling into our new positions, the noise of battle was terribly loud, with aeroplanes in the night sky, attacking Caen away over to our left. Gradually the noise of gun fir, explosions, bombs, etc died down leaving a beautiful peace and calm鈥he moon glowed softly on the scene鈥he men began to settle for the night, sleeping on the ground鈥 was on guard for the first time on foreign soil. I had a wonderful gothic church for company in a peaceful moonlight setting with railings, statues, Disney like turrets, tall tombstones, a quiet scene, so tranquil鈥� As I stood there under the orchard for company, and a supposed sniper in the tower of the church鈥t was silent. Quite awesome鈥othing stirred, the grass whispered, swaying to and fro.
Then鈥 loud plonk鈥hould I shout out 鈥淨ui va la?鈥濃�o you silly idiot鈥e鈥檚 German鈥etting into panic鈥�.then I was about to roar out, in my nicest English of course鈥o my surprise, something brushed my shoulder on its way down鈥 saw. It was an apple鈥�..Phew!鈥hat a relief!!

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