大象传媒

大象传媒 News Room
21a Senate House

BRITISH TOMMY

North American Service: Sat/Sun.30th Sept./1st Oct. 1944: 2130 & 0315 GMT
Purple: Mon.2nd Oct. 1944: 1630 GMT.

Clavering: Hallo listeners, this is Eric Clavering speaking to you from the studios of the British Broadcasting Corporation in London, and I鈥檓 all set to introduce to you again this week a British Tommy 鈥� a British soldier who鈥檚 seen action in this war. Men of the British Army have had fighting experience under a good many sorts of conditions during the last five years. They鈥檝e campaigned in the desert and in the tropics, they鈥檝e trained till they鈥檙e as hard as nails and right now they鈥檙e doing their full share in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. Here鈥檚 a British Soldier who landed in France on D-day.
Brooks: Regimental Sergeant Major Brooks of the Royal Norfolk Regiment, at your service.
Clavering: You鈥檙e a regular soldier aren鈥檛 you?
Brooks: Yes, I enlisted when I was 15. It was the way. I was an orphan, came from an orphanage and when it was my time to leave they said: 鈥淲here to?鈥� and I said: 鈥淭he Army鈥�. I鈥檇 always wanted to join the Army.
Clavering: But surely 鈥� fifteen 鈥� I thought eighteen was the minimum age for enlisting?
Brooks: Ah, but you see I enlisted as a musician. I was a cornet player 鈥� I鈥檇 always been in the school band. I was 4 foot 8 inches tall when I became a soldier.
Clavering: Did you like it as much as you hoped?
Brooks: It was grand. I remember after my first six months I went to the West Indies and was stationed in Bermuda for two years 鈥� it seemed to me as a boy just like one long holiday.
Clavering: (laughs) And you were still in the Army when the war broke out of course?
Brooks: Yes, at that time I was serving in India. In 1939 we were actually on duty at the Vice Regal Palace in Delhi. During October of that year we moved to Bangalore 鈥� that鈥檚 in the south of India, and then in the May of 1940 we were fully mobilised for active service and prepared to move to a destination unknown.
Clavering: And that turned out to be?
Brooks: England. We were informed of our destination after being at sea about 10 days. You can imagine the spirits of everybody, it was terrific. As a matter of fact it was rather a tricky period because after we called at Durban 鈥� we had to go right round Africa of course 鈥� after that, Italy declared war, and whilst we were actually at sea the B.E.F. evacuated from Dunkirk. We arrived in England on the 17th of July when it was all over. A terrific escort of destroyers and aircraft met us off Liverpool, and we disembarked and went straight down to the South of England that very day.
Clavering: Did you notice big changes since you went away?
Brooks: The blackout was the chief point that struck me, although of course we鈥檇 been blacked out on the boats coming over. Every port hole had to be closed at night. But somehow we hadn鈥檛 imagined that it would be so dark at night in England.
Clavering: I guess it must seem strange when you come straight into it. I suppose you were given leave?
Brooks: Yes, we had seven days and then we began a very intense period of fully equipping and training. We had to get our battle-dress 鈥� we couldn鈥檛 get that in India. Then we had to learn all the new weapons such as Bren guns and 2 and 3 inch mortars, and we had to teach personnel to drive Bren gun carriers. Anti-tank rifles was another one we had to get on with. Of course all those weapons sound commonplace these days, but if you think back a bit you鈥檒l remember that they鈥檇 never been heard of before this war.
Clavering: That seems so long ago I can hardly remember that far back.
Brooks: Our job at that time was the defence of London. We were there during the whole of the blitz and spent a few uncomfortable evenings at first, but after a week or two we got sort of used to the bombs. We were on that job right up to 1942 and then after that we moved up North and started really hard training, which of course led up to the second front.
Clavering: How did you find the training?
Brooks: Well, after spending a nice winter in Scotland we were ready for anything. Training was done in the North of Scotland in about the hardest conditions you could have had. It was a weeding-out process 鈥� if a man couldn鈥檛 do his 10 miles in 2 hours with full field order on, then he was out. Actually I鈥檝e never seen a Battalion so fit, and in the middle of last April we moved South to take up our battle positions.
Clavering: And D-day was getting pretty near?
Brooks: Yes, the final rehearsal took place off the South Coast and after that we just waited for the day. One thing I shall always remember about that time. We were briefed on Whit Monday. It was a glorious hot day, if you remember, and we went through a town full of holiday makers enjoying themselves. You can imagine how we felt knowing we were on our way to be briefed for the big job. I found myself wondering where I would be the next Whit Monday 鈥� but still, there it was, it was all part of the game.
Clavering: I鈥檝e heard that those briefings were pretty thorough affairs.
Brooks: Then you鈥檝e heard right. Every man in our Battalion who went on the job was briefed. He wasn鈥檛 only told about the place he was going to, he was shown aerial photographs and ordnance maps and a large scale model of the beach. We knew everything except the name of the country and the names of the places. Those were written in code. And then on the night of June 3rd we embarked. On the whole of the 4th we stayed in harbour on our L.C.I. In the evening we pulled out into the Channel. We didn鈥檛 know until later that the show had been postponed 24 hours.
Clavering: How did you feel while you were waiting?
Brooks: The fellows didn鈥檛 worry much. We had a sing song on board and everybody was cheerful. The L.C.I.s were tied up alongside one another and you could easily talk to the man on the next boat. We stayed there in the Channel all night, an then on the 5th of June we sailed. By this time maps had been issued to us and we all knew exactly where we were going. They were proper maps this time, maps with names on them.
Clavering: You were on your way at last.
Brooks: Yes, we knew that this was the real thing and we were all very glad to know that soon British troops would be on French soil again, and hitting the Boche so hard that he would wonder how it all happened. The Channel was rough, and most of us were pretty sea sick, but even that never dampened our spirits.
Clavering: When were you due to land?
Brooks: Zero plus 150. To interpret that into ordinary language, we were due to land at 10 o鈥檆lock in the morning, and at 8 o鈥檆lock we were all ordered below to get our kit together and in order. We鈥檇 rehearsed our order of landing on the previous day and it only remained to have a final check on our kit and weapons.
Clavering: Had you any special kit for the occasion?
Brooks: Yes, we wore assault jerkins. This form of equipment was specially designed for the job, and it allows you to carry the maximum amount of kit with full freedom of arms for fighting.
Clavering: What does it look like?
Brooks: It鈥檚 made of waterproof canvas, rather in the shape of a man鈥檚 waistcoat, with pockets all over it that contain everything. Under this we wore out Mae Wests. We had two 24 hour ration packs and these were our rations for the next 48 hours 鈥� or possibly longer.
Clavering: Sounds as if you were pretty well equipped.
Brooks: By the time you鈥檇 got it all on your back you certainly felt you were. Anyway, 鈥� at about 9:45 the word came down from the bridge to make ready. This was followed by a few minutes stand-by. I made my way to the deck ready to lead my part of Battalion Headquarters ashore and I had a good view of what was going on. Never before had I seen so many ships of all sizes and shapes as I saw that morning. Some were already returning from the shore empty, and others, like ourselves, were waiting their turn to go in. All types of naval craft were being used, and it was thanks to their skill that we never even thought about any opposition from the German navy. As we closed into the shore, I could see houses and a narrow strip of beach, just like the models and photos we鈥檇 been shown at the briefing.
Clavering: I imagine it鈥檚 kind of strange seeing it all there life-size.
Brooks: Well, it is really. By the way, the whole object of such careful briefing is speed, it means that you can get straight on to the beach and get off it again without wasting any time. The Signals and Beach Commandoes could get on with their work without having little groups of people in their way.
Clavering: Was there no enemy opposition as you landed?
Brooks: Yes, a certain amount. I saw fountains of water suddenly shooting up on either side of us and I realised that for the first time in my army career I was under fire. Our Battalion was sailing in three L.C.I.s, and were now moving slowly forward, all in line. Then we hit the beach, and I saw the ramps go down, and the leading Platoon were already running up the gangways and going ashore. Within 5 minutes our party were on the beach and we moved forward to our exit where a Bulldozer was already at work making a roadway.
Clavering: It seems incredible to think of Bulldozers at work on a beachhead 3 hours after the first landing.
Brooks: Well, as I said before, we鈥檇 been taught that speed was everything.
Clavering: Where did you go when you got off the beach?
Brooks: We turned right, and made our way along the road where our Battalion formed up ready for the march inland. There were several Sherman tanks, moving slowly forward as the roads were cleared by Sappers of the Anti-tank mines along them. One of my Sergeant-Majors trod on one of these anti-tank mines, and it lifted him clean up and flung him into a hedge.
Clavering: Was he hurt?
Brooks: No, he was completely unharmed 鈥� he was lucky.
Clavering: How far did you march?
Brooks: About a mile, on to our concentration area, where the C.O. left us to see the Brigade Commander. On his return we again marched on towards the village of Uolville-sur-Mer 鈥� that鈥檚 one of the few names I can remember, because as we entered the village the Boche began throwing a few shells over and it was there we had our first casualties.
Clavering: Where there many of them?
Brooks: No, and as we hadn鈥檛 yet established a Regimental Aid Post, our wounded were evacuated straight back to the beach. The village had already been cleared of the enemy by the Commandoes and our own Assault Brigade, and we passed through it and took up a battle formation. To reach our next objective we had to cross open ground. This was mostly cornfields and we were under fire all the time from enemy machine-guns.
Clavering: That must have been tough going, especially as it was your first go of machine-gun fire.
Brooks: We didn鈥檛 even notice it much 鈥� we were all keyed up. The enemy was soon cleared, and after searching a wood we went into it and waited for further orders to march on.
Clavering: What sort of time of day was it by now?
Brooks: About 3 in the afternoon, and I was beginning to wonder where I should be by nightfall. So far everything seemed to have gone like any field exercise, except that I knew our casualties were real ones this time, and there were no umpires about.
Clavering: Had you taken any prisoners?
Brooks: Yes, we鈥檇 sent several back to the beach. They looked a sorry lot and were dirty and untidy. I learned later that they were mostly Poles and Czeck slave troops, and only their Officers and N.C.O.s were Germans. Then at 5 o鈥檆lock we received orders to move forward again and relieve the Royal Warwicks who had met with some strong opposition on their particular objective.
Clavering: What had you to go through before you reached them?
Brooks: We went through two small villages. The snipers were still active, but we had no time to deal with them, and after crossing some marshy ground we began to climb up a corn covered slope towards our objective.
Clavering: Were you successful in taking it?
Brooks: No, it was much too strongly held by the enemy. Through the coolness and efficiency of our C.O. who was the last to leave, we withdrew and took up an all-round defensive position for the night. And so ended D-day and my first day of battle.
Clavering: I think you鈥檙e to be congratulated, R.S.M., on remembering the whole thing so clearly.
Brooks: We spent a month in that particular position, so it isn鈥檛 likely I shall forget it. We were in front of Caen with all the German Panzers out ahead of us, and by and by we moved forward to the actual battle of Caen itself. That was a combined operation in every sense of the word. The night before, Lancasters of the R.A.F. bombed the city so heavily we were afraid there wouldn鈥檛 be any Gerries left for us. Then in the early hours of the morning the Navy put down a terrific barrage, and we followed up close behind and just rushed the objective and there we were.
Clavering: Nothing to it. Simple as eating a piece of cake 鈥� I don鈥檛 think.
Brooks: Well, it wasn鈥檛 anything like the time we had later. We were on mopping up operations behind our armour鈥檚 breakthrough. Then we moved right across the front to Vire, and we went in again taking part in mopping up operations behind the tanks. And it was during this show that I came out of, as you might say.
Clavering: How did that happen?
Brooks: As a matter of fact, I didn鈥檛 duck quickly enough. I was outside of my slit trench when Gerry started to shell our positions very heavily, and as I jumped for my trench, so a shell hit the edge of it. The trench caved in with me underneath. When they dug me out they found I鈥檇 been cut about the face and head and the blast had made me practically stone deaf, so the M.O. evacuated me to the rear.
Clavering: And now you鈥檙e back in Britain.
Brooks: Yes, but I鈥檓 hoping to get marked fit and sent back pretty soon, I鈥檝e been here long enough now.
Clavering: And there listeners you have the story of a British Tommy on D-day and after. Thank you Regimental Sergeant Major Brooks of the Norfolk Regiment, it鈥檚 been a pleasure meeting you and I hope you soon get back to the front if that鈥檚 what you want.

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