大象传媒

Left Horsham approximately six o鈥檆lock on the Sunday morning on the Harbour Party which was at a meeting place on a few miles along the road, where we would come in contact with the Harbour Party from the Divisional headquarters. We were due to leave this place at half past six, as usual something went wrong and the Divisional Harbour Party did not arrive till some twenty minutes after the pre arranged time. It was a miserable morning raining cats and dogs and everyone thought of the old saying 鈥淩ain before seven, fine before eleven鈥�, all this was very untrue. By now the harbour Party鈥檚 representatives had had their usual conference and off we went, where we were going no one knew. Well about midday we arrive at a marshalling area in London in the vicinity of Woodford. After reporting to the Report Centre, we were shown where our vehicles were to be parked on arrival, so decided to have our mid day meal which was wrapped up in a lovely sheet of newspaper. It is still raining cats and dogs and the storm doesn鈥檛 look like abating. The clouds were very low making a good cover for the Flying Bombs which were coming over almost as fast as the rain was coming down. After running about in the rain and dodging the Bombs we were all feeling wet and miserable.
After waiting for about two hours the main body arrives , so we go to work, each representative directing how own particular convoy of vehicles into their proper parking places. This being done the Commanders have their parade, all this is to tell you to fill up your vehicles with petrol, oil and water ready for the next move, which is to the docks. This being done we all trudged through the mud and water to find our sleeping quarters, to cut a long story short we got bedded down everyone swearing and grumbling about the conditions. Right, we go to the mess tent to have some good, real food pig swill it was too, which didn鈥檛 help to cheer you up at all. By now it was getting late, so everyone got washed and shaved and made a bee line to the Naafi to spend what few English pennies you had left. By the time the Naafi closed there were a few lads rather merry on the good old Naafi beer. Everyone was well stocked up with razor blades, soap and lots of other essential things which are needed out in the field.

Monday morning came after a rather hectic night with the Flying Bombs. Another parade was called, instructions were given to each driver what was going to happen. We left the marshalling area in one long endless convoy heading our way to the Docks. Albert Docks I believe. We went through London about 40 m.p.h. on an average, we arrived there and were directed to our parking places by the C. M. Ps. A boat was waiting in the dock everyone trying to find out if that was the boat, in the end it was, Everyone of the dock workers were getting mobile and still no one knew anything, the Army all over again. During the course of the day vehicles began to move round the docks to the side of the boat, a few drivers were called upon to drive them round so they came round any old how and mixed up. At the end of the day we were told that we would have to go back to the marshalling area for the night, so once again we had to gather our kit, bundled into lorries and taken back to the sea of mud. Once again we spent another night in the Naafi. A ban was lifted we were allowed to go out, the boys that lived in the City made their way home.
Tuesday morning come orders were that we were going to the Docks, this time to stay and board the ship, so we all said good bye to the M A. By eleven o clock we were all on board, made our sleeping spaces down below in the first hold. As usual there was other delay and did not pull away from the dock until two o clock. Now we were on our way to France, but what part no one knew, On Tuesday night we dropped anchor just off Southend, and lay there the night awaiting the rest of the convoy. Now the convoy was complete, thirteen ships in all, up came the anchors and off we went. We arrived at our destination on the Friday morning. The Arromanche Beaches. On some of these ships were the more urgent vehicles so they were taken ashore first. Early Friday night we were ordered to don our life belts, a U Boat was suspected in the vicinity, so another night was spent in the first hold. On Saturday morning along came the Yanks to take off our load, all men had to stand by with their kits, and when you saw your vehicle being loaded on the landing craft you had to make you way down the rope ladder and stand by your vehicles, When we arrived at the Pontoon stage, we set off in convoy to a rendezvous which was about two miles in land. This was called The Goldsmith Area. There you could visit an old shack called Lyons Cornerhouse, where you could get fixed up with a meal, a mug of tea, a packet of biscuits and a tin of Bully between two men (Iron Rations). We hung around there for a few hours waiting for the rest to come off. Another delay of course, so in the meantime we had a wander round looking at the graves, mostly German, treading very carefully in case you stepped on a mine. We left the Goldsmith area and went to Tilly sur Seulles or what was Tilly. The smell was horrible you smelt death everywhere. We made ourselves comfortable as best we could, some slept in tents. I slept in my car and put up the tent the next morning. The next morning the tent was put up and lots more odd jobs to be done, washing our clothes being the worst. We are still living on Iron Rations so the cooks had a pretty easy time. Whilst at Tilly I visited Caen, or what was left, you certainly had a grand welcome, more than you got in the small villages near the beaches. After spending a few days at Tilly we moved further up to a spot called Lisses-Harti a long and monotonous journey it was too, the roads were anything but good. Bomb craters, shell holes, burnt out vehicles and old German guns with a grave here and there just where the soldiers had fallen. A neat white cross with the steel helmet. On the top of the cross was the brave soldiers number, name and rank.
We arrived at our new location which is in an orchard, with a small farm house in the centre, the trees are full of fruit but all this fruit is for wine making and not at all good for eating. Whilst there I made a trip it was more or less a jungle looking for an old tarpaulin which could come in very useful for a kitchen or a mess room as we were very short of tents. Vennoutire was the largest town I visited, there were a few houses standing. On we went (a L/cpl and I) on our scrounge we came across a few German vehicles one had two very good electric horns on, which I took off for my car. Our next find was an old French cart which the Germans had thieved, it contained all sorts of different things, we being nosey had a look in , a very successful find too. On our way home we were passing a small French farm and the farmer signalled us to have a drink with him. We didn鈥檛 refuse, good wine too,. I could drive much better after paying him a visit. Of course all they wanted was corned beef and biscuits for Mother, Chocolate for the baby and cigarettes for Papa. With being on Iron Rations Packs we had plenty of these. As we were going back we looked in an old tank and saw a pair of Jack boots, sorry to say one of them still had the Germans leg in, so it had to be left. We learned from these people that the Germans had only been gone about four or five days previous. We weren鈥檛 far from home when I got stuck in a ditch, my comrade had to go and find a farmer with some horses to pull us out. It was about one o鈥檆lock when I arrived home the next morning.
Our next move was to Pruisville, the advance party had gone before us in order to get a meal, latrines and location ready for us. We arrived just as it was getting dusk, our first orders were on arrival not to make too much noise and no naked lights to be shown. The reason why is this, there were some Germans about half a mile no less than that, from us and that they had opened up at the advance party, so a double guard had to be put on. Once again we hadn鈥檛 time to put up tents that night, so everyone had to make themselves comfortable where they could. My car being my sleeping quarters. We spent about a fortnight there, during which I saw for the first time a flying bomb site.
Oriral was our next location, only twenty miles from the one previous. Once again we were billeted in an orchard,. In the orchard were some very good eating apples, Russets being the favourite. We got a craze on making pipes out of cherry wood and our canteen couldn鈥檛 get enough tobacco to supply everyone that being the only swag. Wash days weren鈥檛 so bad by now, we had achieved a bit more sense and asked the French women to do it for us. Of course they used to wash in any old pond or stream, the result being not as good as ours. Each day we had to go out and fetch our own wood for the fires and our own water, as we were not allowed to use the water the French used, owing to it being full of germs, of course there wasn鈥檛 such a thing as sanitation in these parts.
Well that鈥檚 so much of that, so we make our own way up towards Blendigues, having to cross the river Seine. This trip was quite good until we came to the crossing of the river. The bridge we had to go over was the only one for miles, there were four roads leading to this bridge on each of these there were convoys stretching for miles and miles, so every convoy had to take its turn. We stood four hours before we got across, during which time we made a brew of tea in a house which was occupied by an old French couple. Cigarettes, chocolate and other things were luscious to these people, so we traded with them for fruit. We eventually crossed the river and arrived at our next port of call which was Blendigues.
On arrival our CO decided to have two fields, in one was a young horse, which had to be caught. That took at least an hour. This village hadn鈥檛 suffered such a great deal and was a more up to date village with plenty of cafes about. A caf茅 is what we would call a Pub. The beer was only a few francs a glass and was a little stronger than soda water. Calvados and Cognac was the main spirits to be had. In some of these cafes you would get entertainment from a couple of froggies playing an old concertina and clarinet in the old French style. Outside there would be a few young people dancing, at least that鈥檚 what they called it. It was more or less a shuffle to me. The Div. Decided to have a dance in this village one night so every man in the Div went in full force, complete with arms and ammunition. The music was supplied by a radio from the signals. It was more or less a football match and had to follow the crowd. I got quite friendly with a farmer, so didn鈥檛 do at all bad for eggs and tomatoes (St Omar) So much for France our next move was into Belgium.
We got a grand welcome as soon as we past the frontier, fruit flowers and beer was given to you, of course the usual cry, chocolate for baby, biscuits for Mama and cigarettes for papa. I must mention that young boys from the age of ten upwards smoked too. As we went through the towns people shouted 鈥渉ello Tommy鈥� and children sang 鈥淚t鈥檚 a long way to Tipperay鈥�. It was nothing to see a goods train come puffing through the streets. We arrived at a place called Nazereth, our first location in Belgium. The biggest problem was learning the lingo, very difficult after just getting used to speaking French. This was a quite little spot, most of the people were Roman Catholics and they had shrines in the country lanes. We stayed there for a few weeks. I once went out for some wood and came across two chaps felling trees, in the end I made them understand what I wanted and believe me I had to go to six different people covering about two miles. The last person was a woman who could speak English and all that was only to tell me I could have the small stuff and not the big trees, because they belonged to the Baron. I didn鈥檛 know where they thought I was going to put these big trees, I only had a small PU.
Once again we were on the move this time to Egravenwezel about five miles from Antwerp. Now at this time there was plenty of flying bombs and rocket bombs coming over. Here a few men got billeted on civilians, as they were afraid of the bombs, most of these homes were fatherless, they had been taken to work for the Germans in Germany. From this place I made a trip into Antwerp to the 1st Canadian Army Head Quarters we were attached to them at the time. I had an Officer with me at that time, Captain Peters it was, we were going along a street when there was a loud explosion in the air. We were showered with broken glass from the windows, it shook the car, then came the second bang. Luckily the rocket fell behind us about two hundred yards away causing a few casualties, believe me it was a near one. On another occasion we were sat writing letters in our billet which was a living house there was a loud bang in came the windows some of the plaster from the ceiling hit me on my head. We made a dive for our tin hats but it was too late, the second bang came and brought more ceiling with it. Some of the doors were blown off their hinges, windows blown out, and to crown all, lights went out. That was the worst night of all. We were moved from these billets into a huge house in the same village rather out of the way, and surrounded by woods, As luck would have it I was on guard that night. I was on second turn nine till eleven. It was raining and there was a few rifle shots every now and again. Believe me the guard room was never out of my sight. The NCO in charge of the guard was Joe Parker and after every shot he would poke his head out of the guard room door and say 鈥渁re you alright鈥� I said 鈥淵es鈥� but really meant No. I was beginning to get windy after hearing a few of these shots, when all at once I heard a crackling in front of me in amongst the trees, it grew louder, the wind in my pants getting stronger, it grew louder and heavier all the time my old ticker beating faster, it grew louder still at the same time, I was thinking to myself there must be at least five hundred Germans coming through the wood, when all at once there was a terrible crash it was on old tree that had up rooted itself and fallen over. I was very pleased when the time came for me to be relieved. My next two hours were from three o鈥檆lock until five the following morning. That wasn鈥檛 quite so bad still a few rifle shots could be heard. So much for that. Our next move was into Holland to a place called Eindhoven.
We arrived at Eindhoven in the afternoon a convent was our new home, so once again we were all together. Most of us had a small room to ourselves and you must say everyone took great pride in his room, and within a couple of days nearly every man had a spring bed, and the room furnished out lovely. We weren鈥檛 long in this place about a fortnight. Some of the Officers were billeted out on civvies and the odd one stayed on at the office. We moved in a villa next door to the convent. The O Rs moved round into some flats a few streets away, there again each man had a room to himself, this time a wash basin in the room. The people here were very good and made you very welcome. One night two little girls stopped me and asked me if they could do my laundry. They left a few minutes later with as much as they could carry. We stayed here for five months. Four of these were very bad, it was the worst winter they ever experienced. An odd German plane would come and pay us a visit, the results being this. On New Years morning about half past nine some German planes came over hedgehopping and believe me they made us hop. I was in the attic of the house and could see all their tactics and the airfield they had come from. I was a very exciting half hour, I saw at least five planes brought down. No doubt the Dutch people had suffered a great deal. The Germans had taken away all or should I say most of their cattle and leaving nothing for the people to live on. The children would gather round the mess room door at all meal times, with a tin in their hand and a spoon in the other, waiting for you to come out with your waste, so that they would go home and enjoy what we call SWILL. It was a terrible sight to see all these half starved people. Large sums of money were offered to you for cigarettes or anything eatable. Many thousands of Clumpens (clogs) were bought for souvenirs. The people were very hospitable and the British Tommy was made welcome wherever he went. The winter of 1944 was very hard and was the worst they had had for years. One night I was on guard. I was on sentry from 9 o鈥檆lock to 11 o鈥檆lock, but previous to this a plane came over, we thought it was English, this was a few minutes before 9 o鈥檆lock. At about half past nine Dutch man came along to me, to tell me there were two Germans along the road,. I called the Guard out and took the Dutch man to speak to an officer who could understand Dutch quite well. Two or three officers went out in a car taking the Dutchman with them , leaving orders that we had to have all guards on duty and to stop all traffic and civilians to check identity cards. It was a bitter night, freezing like blazes, the frost even stood almost half an inch thick on the side of the walls. The officers arrived about half an hour later with an empty nag, therefore we had to have all sentries on duty throughout the night. As the night rolled by the frost got keener and at intervals we had to return to the guard room to be thawed out, and so it carried on until we were dismounted at seven o鈥檆lock the next morning. Our stay at Eindhoven was very long, five months, and quite a few boys had got attached to a miss. Most of the young men were taken away by the Germans to work in Germany. I made very good friends with a family, an old couple with two daughters at home. One daughter was a Nun in a convent, one son a Father and a younger son was in Germany. They were very nice people made me very welcome and made me one of their sons. The morning came when we had to leave Eindhoven and take up residence at a small village on the banks of the River Maas, called Grubbenvorst. . Now Grubbenvorst had been a front line for quite a long time, houses and farms were down to the ground and each day people were coming back in dribs and drabs only to find their homes were missing or broken up and furniture out in the streets. The lanes gardens and roads were mined and one had to be very careful where one trod. There were quite a few casualties luckily no one in our HQ. One man a native of the village had only been freed a fortnight he was busy taking fuses out of these mines, he had already done 22, but the 23rd was fatal for him, he had no people there, as they have been evacuated to Belgium.
Our billet was a caf茅 with a small holding at the back. We exchanged a pig with eight young ones for two large pigs with the proprietor. Our guard room was the local jail. Our next move was further north of Holland to a place called Lonnekan near Euschee. Our billets were private houses only a week before the Germans were living there. We moved into them just as they had been left by the enemy. The people there were also pleased to see us, but hadn鈥檛 suffered as much as the people further South. I made a few trips into Germany , the frontier only 4 陆 miles away bringing back with me several things (pigs etc) Our stay there was very short lasting only a fortnight. Our next move was into Germany approximately 200 miles inland to a small farming village called Tettendorf ner Soltan. We moved in on Sunday May 6, this time under canvas which has been put up by the advance party. The following day we were called on Parade at 14.00 hrs and the Adjutant came out to tell us the good news, that it was over, the rest of the day we had free. The famous Belsen Camp was quite close and one or two of the Stalag Camps too. The following day Tuesday I was out all day but in the evening the Colonel came out with his officers give you a drink as ours had been drunk the previous night. I myself cannot remember much about it. However the night went off well, a bonfire was set alight and every one drank and was merry. Cricket was our favourite past time here, every afternoon played Squadron HQ but was well and truly beaten. By this time the month of June had come in and on the 3rd we moved to a small village called Deuitsch Evern, situated on Luneburg heath where the peace was signed approximately 2 miles from camp. This time our tents were pitched on the banks of a river, very handy for bathing. Only there a few days when we got two horses, so had to build stables for them. The next great day was in sight the 15th June for I was to go on my first leave to Blighty. I arrived home in the early hours of the morning, 18th June which was my wife鈥檚 birthday. I had 9 陆 days in Blighty which was very much appreciated. The journey to and from Blighty was very tiring and monotonous the train journey from Osnbruck in Germany to Calais in France was 18 hours. From here I had my first visit to the Belsen Camp and saw the horrors, graves containing 200 bodies were nothing. I also paid my first visit to Lumeberg Heath to see the Memorial erected where Field Marshall Montgomery signed the Peace Terms with Admiral Dornitz. Not very far away is the grave of Major Sweeney one of Monty鈥檚 staff Officers, and was the first of Monty鈥檚 staff to be killed on active service. Killed in a road accident. From here I also paid a visit to Treramantle on the Baltic. Had a swim in the sea. There came some heavy rain whilst we were under canvas all the tents were flooded out. The jap war ended whilst we were there. By that time we had five horses and a Gymkhana was held just outside Luneberg. I rode a horse called CognacII in one or two events 鈥�3rd Prize鈥�.

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