大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Nadine from the People's War Team on behalf of Charles H. Peterson and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

In 1939 when it became evident that war was most likely to occur, the British called up the 20 year olds, then know as Militia. There were few exemptions, apart from on medical grounds.

I had at the mess table three Yorkshire miners! We were to be trained as anti-aircraft gunners to take over defences in Britain and also to act as infantry. The idea was as more age groups were called up the one in training would be AA and the previously trained would return as infantry.

I left Leith in mid July to report to a tented camp near Carlisle. There were a thousand men in the camp to be trained by regulars and recalled reservists. The call-ups were mostly Scots, particularly from the West Coast, with a proportion of men from the North of England. The terms of enlistment were "six months with the colours and 3 1/2 years in the Reserve".

We were issued with rifles, but these were taken from us when we were posted from the camp. Training was intense although only marching, PT, foot drill and drill with the rifles, but no firing at the ranges. Weapons of war and ammunition were very short at that time. Nor did we see any guns. The 3rd of September was a Sunday.

We had been on church parade dressed in our World War 1 uniforms of breeches and puttees, tunics with shining buttons. Battledress came out the following year. The camp Colonel mounted the rostrum at eleven o'clock and announced Britain was at war. Two days after we took the King's shilling and learned our pay of 1/6 per day would now be 2 shillings.

The 73rd Heavy AA Regiment RATA, consisting of Batteries 209, 210, 211 were at their annual camp in late September. They were a Midland English unit. Early in October they were ordered to prepare for overseas. There were over 100 unfit men (medical, age, etc.) These would be posted to Batteries in Britain. Reinforcement were required from the Militia in Carlisle. I was among about 40 men sent to 210 Battery at Reading. We left Southampton in mid-October, landing at Cherbourg. The Battery then marched about 10 kilometres inland to our billets - barns without straw.

Next day we entrained for Lille where the Battery, divided into four sections and HQ was deployed in surrounding villages. The eight guns arrived with equipment, and were distributed two guns to a section, each also receiving a predictor and heightfinder with many cables. Theses guns were two-wheeled and had been rolled on to railway flats with instraments and other equipment carried in rail vans. The RASC delivered guns, etc to the four sites. We were very short of transport then, although we received more as time went on.

We first opened fire on an enemy spy plane in November, but it was only a gesture. These World War 1 guns could only reach 9000 feet although possibly his photographs were not as clear as they might have been!

After Lille we moved to five more locations during the "Phoney War". It was a period of non-stop training and hard work. Each site was brought into action then followed the filling and placing of hundreds of sandbags round guns etc., also digging of trenches for personnel not on the gun park, latrines etc. It seemed we had made it all ready when word came to move.

On 10th May the enemy advanced through the low countries and also inland through Sedan. The Battery was then deployed around the village of Devise (in French sector). The two French armies south of Sedan collapsed and the 210 men were out on a limb. Action started when an enemy bomber came across at about 6000 feet. It was shot down and crashed outside our area. The interpreter (a Russian Foreign Legion sergeant)went to the scene and brought back evidence. There were no survivors.

We were then ordered to move to the area of Crecy to defend an airfield. I was friendly with the major's driver (Dawson). I later learned from him that he drove the major to the airfield where the wing commander was waiting in his car. Conversation: "Compliments! We've come to defend your airfield".
"You can do what you f****n like, I'm going back to England".

The airfield was empty. I might add here we had radar. At that time it was called GL (gun laying). It appeared then it would only be useful for targeting guns on to aircraft. It all smartly disappeared when the breakthrough occurred.

It was obvious we would be hit at any moment. The instruments were loaded to motors. The breeches were taken off the guns and also loaded. More articles were put on vehicles and all was ready for a quick getaway. "A" section was heavily bombed and the men scattered taking cover. Unfortunately when the order was given to take to the trucks about 30 failed to make it. They would be captured.

The men, about 200, set off in the vehicles. We were supposed to go to St Pol where a stand was to be made against the enemy now advancing towards the coast. We never got there; in any case St Pol had fallen. The convoy was led by a Bedford three-tonner with 10 men with all the rifles (these had been used for guard duties).

Also in Bedford were the sergeant major and a lieutenant. There was also a Bren gun. Light machine guns had been issued, one to each site as defence against low aircraft. After the Bedford were two light 7cwt vans. The first held the sgt/fitter and his son with all his equipment. I was in the second van with five others - in front the driver and another gunner. We came to a town choked with people, refugees and troops, all going the other way. I saw so many refugees with their children and belongings, even now I feel sad to think about them.

It took us about two hours to get through. On the other side of town it was surprisingly quiet. I had a restricted view inside the van, but did see out the back the shell and bomb holes, mostly near the road. Then I heard a shout from a gunner near the back: "Just look at these b*s". They were the motor bike and sidecar enemy infantry crossing fields. Fortunately they were out of range, but I'm certain they alerted the tanks which had halted at the next bend on the road. A despatch rider and the Bedford turned the corner and the leading tank opened fire.

What happened then was only learned when the sergeant major wrote from PoW camp. The DR (a 17 year-old Londoner) was killed. The lieutenant jumped down with the Bren gun intending to shoot through the observation slit of the tank. His legs were shot through. He was awarded the Military Cross. The rest of the men I just never learned about.

There was a turning to the left which the three first vehicles had passed and now the bulk of the convoy was turning into it. The drivers of the light vans reversed 90 degrees to turn. The first van had no trouble, but the van I and others were in appeared trapped by the back wheels in a furrow. Perhaps our vehicle was heavier. However, the driver gunned the engine and drew out after some heart-stopping moments. We then made for the side road. From leading the convoy we were now tail-end.

The Bedford lorry having been dealt with, the tanks immediately turned their guns on the convoy which was still near the end of the side road. The vehicles stopped and all the men jumped for cover to the side of the road. We were showered with branches and leaves from the intervening trees.

When it was found the bullets were going overhead, we all got back aboard and moved away quickly. I still think it a miracle that the road was lower than the one on which the tanks were. Had it been higher or on level the casualties would have been very heavy.

We then made for the coast. At Boulogne six men and a lieutenant took our remaining light machine guns to defend a bridge whilst the Engineers blew it. One Militia man from Ayrshire was killed and a Territorial slightly wounded. The officer and the five men then got a boat at the harbour and rowed across the channel.
Eventually we arrived at Dunkirk, a depleted Battery with the only arms the officers' revolvers.

From there is another story, but I was very grateful in time to land at Dover and get buns and sandwiches from the WVS. We had subsisted on bully beef and hard biscuits for about 3 weeks.

I was later on gun sites in Britain during the heavy raids of 1940/42 and later 2 and half years in the Far East finishing up in Rangoon.

After the war I met a fellow with whom I'd been at school. I said: "How did you get on in the war, Bob?".
He repied: "I became a major".
"Where were you?" I asked.
"Inchkeith". He replied.
Which fool wrote, "All's fair in love and war?".

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