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My Memories of World War 2

I was a Boy Scout on the day that war was declared; in the morning I had a telephone call asking me to go to the old Corporation Sewage Works in Eastern Avenue, just by the Prittlewell railway bridge, to fill sandbags for the Southend Hospital. I went over and as I was early, I was put on point duty to direct the lorries to the places where filled sandbags were waiting. I stayed there all day, and when cycling home at dusk, I stopped near the bottom of Pier Hill to join a small crowd of people who were listening on a portable radio to Neville Chamberlain. That was the first memory of the war which has remained with me ever since.

The next was when the Local Defence Volunteers (the LDV) was formed. I, like many others went along to the Borough Treasurers Department ( then in Alexandra Street) to give our names and addresses. Not surprisingly, I heard nothing more of this because, shortly afterwards, my parents decided to leave Southend, because of the threat of invasion, and go to live in Exeter for the duration.

When we were there I joined the City of Exeter Home Guard, and became a member of No. 3 Company Mobile, which although it had an HQ in a church hall in Exeter, would have been available for defence, if required, at any other part of the country, and our training reflected this.

Apart from evening and occasional night duties and inspection of guard posts at all times, most weekends were occupied with training schemes, involving field work and shooting on the army ranges, and occasionally with the Royal Marines, who were based at Topsham.

Contrary to popular belief, we were not armed with pikes and carving knives tied to broom handles. We had rifles, admittedly only old 300 WW1 models, but there were some Browning automatic rifles, and a little later on the standard army issue rifles.

In addition to these we had what was called a Northover Projector, a rather Heath Robinson affair, All it was, was a 3ft length of drain pipe mounted on two car wheels, with a simple firing mechanism at one end. The idea was to drop a Mills grenade into the tube after removing the pin, and then pull the trigger, after aiming, you hoped, in the right direction. We also had a Vickers machine gun mounted on the bonnet of an old 3 wheeler Morgan. They did try to fire the gun whilst driving over the fields at the army firing range in Honiton, but it was not very good. In addition to rifle shooting on the range, we had an indoor range in a church hall, using the standard Lee Enfield, but altered down to use 22 calibre rounds.

At the end of 1941, I was called up for the Royal Signals and did 6 months training as a wireless operator before joining a section and going on to Salisbury Plain for field exercises and training at the School of Artillery at Larkhill. Then in the autumn to join the 22nd L.A.A. Regiment in Birmingham for a few weeks before embarkation leave and off to Liverpool to board the Duchess of Bedford, a Canadian Pacific liner being used as a troop transport.

It was mid winter, stormy and very rough, and it was great relief to go through the Straits of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean. One of the sights I shall always remember was to see Algiers, as we came towards the harbour. It looked like a postcard, white buildings, green hills and such a contrast to leaving Liverpool at Christmas.

From Algiers to Tunisia is only about 400 or so miles in a straight line, but the roads were not good, so we travelled in cattle trucks on the train for several days with dry rations and hot water from the engine to make tea when we stopped.

The campaign in Tunisia was fairly uneventful for us, as our artillery regiment was armed with Bofors, used mainly for air defence, but on one occasion only prepared for ground defence. However, there was on episode which has stayed in my mind ever since. When the campaign was over we were able to go to the local port of Djyilli to swim in the Med, and one day while we were there a number of very big Senegalese soldiers appeared, beating any Arabs they saw with their belts and clubs and really running riot. I saw one French army officer appear, he was armed, but made no effort to stop the attacks, and this, to me seemed typical of the way the Arabs were treated by the French authorities.

At this time it was known that the fighting in Europe was going to be very different from North Africa, and our signals section was disbanded, and I was posted to 24th Guards Brigade, which was part of the British 1st Infantry Division, and was at that time at Hammamet, just south of Tunis.

Our next move was to Toranto in Italy, and then after a few days across to Naples to board an LST (landing ship for tanks and transport). On the way, we were briefed about our next job, a landing up the coast, to by-pass Casaino, and possibly to advance to Rome.

The landing at Anzio on January 22nd, was very easy, the most difficult for me was the climb down the nets from the deck of the LST to the landing craft waiting alongside. With the amount of kit I was carrying, one slip into the water would have been my last. The only enemy fire in the first few hours was a few rounds from 2ME109s.

I was our beach landing officer’s wireless operator, and we stayed on the beach all that day and night, to report the landing progress, until the next morning when we rejoined our unit which was grouped a little way inland.

Very early the next morning we started moving, and our battalion, the 5th Grenadiers arrived at what we called ‘The Factory’ and ‘The Flyover. By the time the Germans had amassed enough forces of infantry and tanks to attack us and this was the start of heavy and costly fighting for the next 6 weeks, as far as we were concerned.

By then our Brigade was no longer a viable fighting force and we were withdrawn from the beachhead on March 8th and sent to Sorrento to amalgamate with the 201 Guards Brigade which also suffered heavy casualties at Salerno. During that 6 weeks our Brigade had suffered 1988 casualties, and the 1st Division which remained at Anzio, albeit with different brigades, suffered a total of 8868 before the breakout.

During the 6 weeks, our brigade had been awarded 1 VC and 440 other decorations. The VC being awarded to Capt. Philip Sidney, who was able to stop a German advance which was threatening the area by using hand grenades. As the Germans were so close, he had no time to pull the pins out of the grenades, someone else did that, threw them to him, and then he threw them as quickly as possible, at the Germans.

As you may appreciate, a unit is made up of many soldiers with different jobs; riflemen, machine gunners, mortar men, drivers, cooks, linesmen, pioneers and wireless operators etc., but in the final outcome, all are involved and take part as necessary, and the awards and casualties are spread over them.

I cannot remember all the casualties our Signal section suffered at Anzio, but would just mention the three with the Irish Guards who was captured, but managed to escape when a Scots Sergeant hit one of the German guards when they were being marched away. The Corporal in charge being awarded a Military Medal. The Grenadiers team were also surrounded but managed to get out by crawling along a ditch through a number of bodies. The Scots Corporal was badly wounded and lost an arm, and sadly also lost an eye when he was in the beach-head hospital when it was shelled. I was fortunate, when at a forward command post, and under heavy shell fire, to receive an almost direct hit on our position, which killed 2 and wounded 3, but I was on the set at that time, and only showered me with debris.

I shall always remember the last call I had from the North Staffs operator when he reported ‘We are surrounded, out of ammunition, and the Germans are now coming in’. I hoped that he was captured and not killed.

Ass I have mentioned, we left Anzio on March 8th and went to Sorrento to integrate with 201 Guards brigade for training, route marches and rest. From there we joined the Polish Division in the lower reaches of The Appeniner until May 27th when we left to start the move to Italy. We had to go round Cassino, which had been taken the day before, and the whole area was pot marked with shell and bomb craters and burnt out tanks and trucks.

Then until September was one hard slog, numerous small battles involving companies and battalions across Italy and on the move almost every day, but lovely country, and after dark more stars in the sky than I have ever seen. After Florence came the Gothie line and the mountains. Also heavy rain, more than had been seen for many years and with it mud. It was a relief when it froze and the snow came. The Gothie line was a German defence in depth across The Appenines with many roads and passes blown and one approach through the Futa Pass was only made possible by the Royal Engineers who built very many Bailey bridges, a very difficult and hard job for them.

In October we arrived at our next objective, Monte Sole and stayed in that area until February. We were on one side of the mountain and the Germans about 2000 yds away on a facing mountain, with both sides observing the other. During this time there was heavy company and patrol fighting and casualties mounted, not only from this, but also very heavy shell and mortar fire from both sides. As the roads and paths became icy and snowbound the only means of transport was the jeep, which was used with trailers to carry patrols to their start points, and some were fitted to take stretchers for casualties. Mules were also used to carry supplies.

I kept a small pocket diary during 1944 and 1945, and looking back over their pages for this account I was struck by the matter of fact way I very briefly recorded the days events ie. On one day ‘had a NAAFI issue’ and then details of the casualties that day. On reflection it is understandable for apart from 3 weeks in Sorrento after Anzio, to amalgamate and recover, our brigade had been in action almost continually from January 1944 to February 1945, and during that time we were fully committed and casualties became a fact of life or death and were accepted as inevitable.

This may be difficult for someone who has not been in such a situation to understand, but I would assure you that it was so.

However, as one of the purposes of this course was to share our WW2 experiences may I briefly mention some of the entries which caught my eye when I was looking through my diary. Many of my diary notes were rather routine, but they became more dramatic in October, November and December, when the brigade became involved again and the entries are then copied word for word.

Here goes: At the end of September ‘Issued with warm underclothing and new battledress’ and in October ‘KD (Khaki drill) was withdrawn’. Then on 23rd September we had a visit from a South African mobile canteen with tea and other goodies and also a UDF box with chocolate, a tin of mixed fruit and toothpaste etc. and later on an American canteen with ladies giving us tea and also 3 doughnuts, lovely.

The next day we were ‘heavily shelled and one hit our farmhouse but no one was hurt.

On October 8th I ‘eat the tin of fruit in the evening with milk made from water, powdered milk — very nice’.

After this things hotted up and my entries became very real and factual.

October 20th ‘Go to Scots Guards for attack in the afternoon — very noisy with 500 mortars from our RDLI Company, and all the divisional artillery, and bags of MG fire. Have to go along a very open and observed road, and too windy fro speed and Gerry hits one ambulance. No.1 Company gets objectives but No. 2 have heavy casualties and fail. Will try and infiltrate in darkness. Only I officer left and he is from the carrier platoon.

October 23rd ‘Heavy shelling kills 6 mules

October 25th Move up with Grenadiers to No.3 Company position for attack in the morning, but some will cross the river this evening (Glad I am not one of them).

October 28th Jeep goes over the edge and Powerby killed and 4 others injured.

October 26th Very wet again and attack goes in at 06.05, but most of the Gerries have moved out, we only take a few POW’s. All bridges behind us are washed out.

October 30th Watch Gerries through the range finder in attic about 2000 yards away in several villages. One lot gets stonked. Our patrol has 3 killed and 11 wounded.

November 30th Prepare for attack on M. Sole with Grenadiers.

December 1st No. 2 Company attacked in evening, and gets first two objectives, but fails on its third. Approx 12 wounded. 7 killed including Major Burke, the Company Commander.

December 2nd Weather clears and aircraft activity from both sides. Also pretty accurate Gerry shelling from his OPS.

December 3rd No’s 2 and 4 Companies attack but have to withdraw with about 30 casualties including Capt. Chaplin. Then back for a few days rest until December 8th when back into line to take over from the Coldstreams.

December 14th Heard from Tom Street that Radmilovic killed and Roger Ward wounded.

December 15th Get stonked whilst on the road and 1 SA killed and 3 wounded.

December 16th Another direct hit on our farmhouse.

December 25th Christmas dinner, quite good, but considering we are in the line — excellent! But do not feel very well — Malaria again?

December 26th Go sick A.M. and sent to field ambulance and diagnosed with bilateral tonsillitis. Discharged on December 30th.

January 2nd 1945 Gerry on watch at stonk corner and drops there on us as we turn — nearest 30 yards away though.

January 3rd Gerry aircraft over in evening but Yanks shot one down. From January 3rd it starts to snow heavily, by 14th it is 18 ins deep.

January 30th Brigade gets shelled again and L.C.V. has direct Hit. We seem to be taped!

February 18th We come out of the line at 00.01 hrs. Feeling deadly and can only walk with the aid of a walking stick. Lay in the back of an armoured scout car until the breakfast stop at Prato, but by then am only just able to get to the ADS and later on in the morning am taken by ambulance to the 107 South African General Hospital where I am diagnosed as having rheumatic fever.

I spent the next 9 months in several military hospitals eventually finishing up near Naples, but the months were at times rather eventful. My heart had been affected by the rheumatic fever quite early on, so when on July 12th I had a sore throat and it was confirmed on Friday 13th that I had diphtheria. I was immediately put on enforced rest and was not ever able to feed myself. I was also placed on the seriously ill list and although I did not know it until I was home, a telegram was sent to my parents.

I was cleared of diphtheria on August 23rd and on the 29th, my birthday the Sister gave me a ‘special tea’, and the Cookhouse made me a smashing cake. But just one week later, I felt deadly and had a high temperature and started penicillin injections — I had jaundice! The injections continued for two weeks and I had 102 needles and 3,060,000 units of penicillin. But that was the turning point and from then I continued to improve.

On November 29th I was evacuated from Naples on the hospital ship El Nil and landed at Southampton on December 6th. Then to Wakefield Hospital in an ambulance train until early January when I was transferred to Southend General Hospital. But on February 8th the M.O said I could go home and my dad came to collect me the same afternoon and that ended my 4 ½ years in the army.

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