大象传媒

I WAS BORN ON SEPTEMBER 4TH 1938 AND MY FIRST MEMORY IS OF STANDING WITH MY BROTHER PAUL, I WAS LESS THAN TWO YEARS OLD AND MY BROTHER WAS ELEVEN YEARS OLD. I WAS STANDING IN THE GARDEN OF MY HOUSE ON A BEAUTIFUL SUMMERS DAY IN 1940 WATCHING EXERCISES BY THE NEWLY FORMED HOME GUARD. ONE GROUP OF HOME GUARD WERE SURREPTITIOUSLY ADVANCING ALONG A NARROW TREE LINED AREA WHILST ANOTHER WRE IN A GROVE OF TREES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD AHEAD. THE OBJECT OF THE EXERCISE MUST HAVE BEEN FOR THE FIRST GROUP TO ADVANCE UNSEEN AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO THE GROVE OF TREES. THE HOME GUARD MEMBERS IN THE GROVE WHICH WAS OBVIOUSLY THE STRONG POINT WERE PRESUMABLY TO REPEL THE ATTACK. AS THE ATTACKERS GOT NEARER I WELL REMEMBER PAUL SAYING TO ME "WE HAD BETTER NOT WATCH THEM TOO CLOSELY OR THE DEFENDERS WILL KNOW THAT THE ATTACKERS ARE ON THEIR WAY." SUDDENLY THE ATTACKERS BROKE COVER AND CHARGED ACROSS THE FIELD. THEY DID HAVE RIFLES AND WERE CLICKING THE BOLTS AS THEY CHARGED. I WELL REMEMBER PAUL DRAWING MY ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT THE DEFENDERS DID NOT CARRY ARMS AND WERE BANGING TIN CANS TO SIMULATE RIFLE FIRE. I REALISE NOW THAT THIS MUST HAVE BEEN IN THE PERIOD BEFORE THE FIRST SHIPMENTS OF RIFLES FROM THE UNITED STATES FIRST WORLD WAR STOCKS HAD ARRIVED IN THIS COUNTRY. I HAVE READ SINCE THAT MR CHURCHILL HAD ISSUED ORDERS THAT THESE WEAPONS HAD TO BE DISTRIBUTED IN THE HOME GUARD IMMEDIATELY AND THAT AS THE WEAPONS WERE UNLOADING FROM THE SHIP TRAINS WERE STANDING BY AND THE LOCAL HOME GUARD FORCES WERE STANDING BY TO RECEIVE THEIR WEAPONS ON THE SAME DAY. I ALSO HAVE READ THAT EVERY WEAPON CAME WITH FIVE ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION. THIS IS THE FIRST MEMORY I HAVE IN MY LIFE!

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.