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Arthur Allvey’s Letters :Chapter 1

Before the war Arthur lived in Stratford, East London, with his family. He met Gladys when they worked together in a London office. Gladys lived in Bellingham, South London, with her parents and sister. Arthur worked at Enfield Rolling Mills while Gladys was in the London office so they met only at weekends when they often stayed at each other’s homes. This is why there are letters from the period before Arthur joined up.

He and Gladys married in October 1941, and lived in Enfield. Work at Enfield Rolling Mills counted as a reserved occupation, so Arthur was not conscripted, but in 1942 he enlisted in the army. He was stationed at various training camps, at Canterbury, Maske-on-Sea, near Redcar in Yorkshire, and Cromer, Norfolk. In July he was sent to Sicily, via Africa, arriving there shortly before the island surrendered.

Gladys gave up the rented flat in Enfield and moved to live, first in rented rooms, then with her parents, in Beckenham, South London.

In December 1943 Arthur returned to the UK and was stationed at a camp at Felixstowe, in Suffolk. He remained there as preparations were made for D Day and in June 1944 he took part in the invasion of France, moving with the advancing lines through Belgium and Holland and into Germany. He was killed in action in March 1945, just six weeks before the end of the war in Europe.

The letters he and Gladys exchanged ran to many hundreds. They wrote almost every second day and their letters were usually very long. Arthur’s letters give a detailed picture of life in the army both in camps in England and overseas. They describe the conditions of wartime life and army routine, though they avoid much reference to military action, no doubt to avoid giving further anxiety to Gladys during those worrying times of separation.

These files of Arthur’s letters contain only brief extracts from the whole, chosen to give representative coverage of the topics and scenes about which he wrote so eloquently.

Troops were forbidden to give any information about their location during action abroad so there are very few references to places in Arthur’s letters, but he made occasional notes in a small pocket diary which he must have carried about with him, and from these it is possible to follow his movements:

3-4-43 Moved to R.A. at Cromer
10-4-43 Arrived Watford
28-6-43 Left Watford, arrived Woolwich. Home on 14 days embarkation leave.
18-7-43 Greenock Docks; embarked for unknown destination.
19-7-43 Sailed from Greenock.
23-7-43 Tangiers passed at night.
25-7-43 At Algiers Docks.
27-7-43 Sailed from Algiers.
29-7-43 At Philippsville Docks.
30-7-43 Disembark at Philippsville at 3 pm. Road transport takes us many miles inland. Camp for night then at 7 am road transport to Philippsville. Entrain at 9 am;
9 pm Constantine.
2-8-43 Arrive Merht — Chateaudun.
4-8-43 STORM. Left Merht-Chateaudun camp for Philippsville Docks. Transit camp there overnight.
5-8-43 Sailed 5 pm from Philippsville to Sicily.
8-8-43 Arrived Syracuse and marched to transit camp.
16-8-43 German petrol tank discards; night — much shrapnel.
19-8-43 Large fire and great column of smoke seawords.
20-8-43 Order of the Day: C in C Congratulations on capture of Sicily.
23-8-43 Left Syracuse. Slept overnight on ammo truck near Catania. Passed many Italian prisoners.
24-8-43 Changed trains at Bocacco — 5 miles south of Catania. Arrived transit camp a few miles south of Mt Etna.
28-8-43 Arrived at unit — Messina — Pistunia.
3-9-43 Big barrage for invasion of Italy.
5-9-43 Bathed in Messina Straits.
2-10-43 Catania leave 7 days.
8-11-43 Left Messina — embarked Augusta.
10-11-43 Sailed from Augusta.
13-11-43 At Algiers — camped near Zeralda.
27-11-43 Left camp for Algiers.
29-11-43 Sailed from Algiers.
9-12-43 Liverpool Docks — disembarked.
10-12-43 Felixstowe.
10-6-44 Courseulles-sur-Mer; beach slightly under shell fire. Ships: steamers, landing craft, destroyers, battleships — as far as the eye can see in all directions. Weather perfect and sea calm.
11-6-44 Our LTC today opened its drawbridge to allow vehicles run off on to the beach. Some entered 3 ft of water and almost became stuck.
14-8-44 Le Plessis Grimoult.
20-8-44 (Petanges) Sentilly
21-8-44 Argentan.
22-8-44 St Andre d’Echauffour.
23-8-44 7 m SW L’Aigle.
24-8-44 3 m S of L’Aigle.
26-8-44 Mercey.
28-8-44 St Just.
29-8-44 La Chapelle St Ouen: crossed the Seine about 40 m below Paris.
30-8-44 Authevernes; many Maquis mobilising everywhere — seem to be armed to teeth with all weapons — automatics, rifles, shot guns, grenades. Leave them to deal with German snipers and stragglers.
31-8-44 5 m south Amiens. Well into Picardy now.
2-9-44 Ivergny.
3-9-44 By passed Arras and Lille. Getting close to Belgian frontier. Passed an English and a German 1914 — 18 war grave — thousands of plain, black wooden crosses.
4-9-44 Near Bilbar. 5 m from Belgium.
7-9-44 Belgium — Tournai.
20-9-44 Hundreds of transport planes fly over to reinforce paratroops.
21-9-44 Holland via Escaut canal.
13-11-44 Amstenrade, Holland.
21-11-44 Geleen, Holland.
4-12-44 Sustersul, Germany.
17-12-44 Stalag 4.B. Beerengen, Belgium.
19-12-44 Tilburg, Holland.
22-12-44 Terlaemen, Belgium.
29-12-44 Weirde nr Namur.
30-12-44 Enhet.

Arthur Allvey’s Letters :Chapter 1

Before the war Arthur lived in Stratford, East London, with his family. He met Gladys when they worked together in a London office. Gladys lived in Bellingham, South London, with her parents and sister. Arthur worked at Enfield Rolling Mills while Gladys was in the London office so they met only at weekends when they often stayed at each other’s homes. This is why there are letters from the period before Arthur joined up.

He and Gladys married in October 1941, and lived in Enfield. Work at Enfield Rolling Mills counted as a reserved occupation, so Arthur was not conscripted, but in 1942 he enlisted in the army. He was stationed at various training camps, at Canterbury, Maske-on-Sea, near Redcar in Yorkshire, and Cromer, Norfolk. In July he was sent to Sicily, via Africa, arriving there shortly before the island surrendered.

Gladys gave up the rented flat in Enfield and moved to live, first in rented rooms, then with her parents, in Beckenham, South London.

In December 1943 Arthur returned to the UK and was stationed at a camp at Felixstowe, in Suffolk. He remained there as preparations were made for D Day and in June 1944 he took part in the invasion of France, moving with the advancing lines through Belgium and Holland and into Germany. He was killed in action in March 1945, just six weeks before the end of the war in Europe.

The letters he and Gladys exchanged ran to many hundreds. They wrote almost every second day and their letters were usually very long. Arthur’s letters give a detailed picture of life in the army both in camps in England and overseas. They describe the conditions of wartime life and army routine, though they avoid much reference to military action, no doubt to avoid giving further anxiety to Gladys during those worrying times of separation.

These files of Arthur’s letters contain only brief extracts from the whole, chosen to give representative coverage of the topics and scenes about which he wrote so eloquently.

Troops were forbidden to give any information about their location during action abroad so there are very few references to places in Arthur’s letters, but he made occasional notes in a small pocket diary which he must have carried about with him, and from these it is possible to follow his movements:

3-4-43 Moved to R.A. at Cromer
10-4-43 Arrived Watford
28-6-43 Left Watford, arrived Woolwich. Home on 14 days embarkation leave.
18-7-43 Greenock Docks; embarked for unknown destination.
19-7-43 Sailed from Greenock.
23-7-43 Tangiers passed at night.
25-7-43 At Algiers Docks.
27-7-43 Sailed from Algiers.
29-7-43 At Philippsville Docks.
30-7-43 Disembark at Philippsville at 3 pm. Road transport takes us many miles inland. Camp for night then at 7 am road transport to Philippsville. Entrain at 9 am;
9 pm Constantine.
2-8-43 Arrive Merht — Chateaudun.
4-8-43 STORM. Left Merht-Chateaudun camp for Philippsville Docks. Transit camp there overnight.
5-8-43 Sailed 5 pm from Philippsville to Sicily.
8-8-43 Arrived Syracuse and marched to transit camp.
16-8-43 German petrol tank discards; night — much shrapnel.
19-8-43 Large fire and great column of smoke seawords.
20-8-43 Order of the Day: C in C Congratulations on capture of Sicily.
23-8-43 Left Syracuse. Slept overnight on ammo truck near Catania. Passed many Italian prisoners.
24-8-43 Changed trains at Bocacco — 5 miles south of Catania. Arrived transit camp a few miles south of Mt Etna.
28-8-43 Arrived at unit — Messina — Pistunia.
3-9-43 Big barrage for invasion of Italy.
5-9-43 Bathed in Messina Straits.
2-10-43 Catania leave 7 days.
8-11-43 Left Messina — embarked Augusta.
10-11-43 Sailed from Augusta.
13-11-43 At Algiers — camped near Zeralda.
27-11-43 Left camp for Algiers.
29-11-43 Sailed from Algiers.
9-12-43 Liverpool Docks — disembarked.
10-12-43 Felixstowe.
10-6-44 Courseulles-sur-Mer; beach slightly under shell fire. Ships: steamers, landing craft, destroyers, battleships — as far as the eye can see in all directions. Weather perfect and sea calm.
11-6-44 Our LTC today opened its drawbridge to allow vehicles run off on to the beach. Some entered 3 ft of water and almost became stuck.
14-8-44 Le Plessis Grimoult.
20-8-44 (Petanges) Sentilly
21-8-44 Argentan.
22-8-44 St Andre d’Echauffour.
23-8-44 7 m SW L’Aigle.
24-8-44 3 m S of L’Aigle.
26-8-44 Mercey.
28-8-44 St Just.
29-8-44 La Chapelle St Ouen: crossed the Seine about 40 m below Paris.
30-8-44 Authevernes; many Maquis mobilising everywhere — seem to be armed to teeth with all weapons — automatics, rifles, shot guns, grenades. Leave them to deal with German snipers and stragglers.
31-8-44 5 m south Amiens. Well into Picardy now.
2-9-44 Ivergny.
3-9-44 By passed Arras and Lille. Getting close to Belgian frontier. Passed an English and a German 1914 — 18 war grave — thousands of plain, black wooden crosses.
4-9-44 Near Bilbar. 5 m from Belgium.
7-9-44 Belgium — Tournai.
20-9-44 Hundreds of transport planes fly over to reinforce paratroops.
21-9-44 Holland via Escaut canal.
13-11-44 Amstenrade, Holland.
21-11-44 Geleen, Holland.
4-12-44 Sustersul, Germany.
17-12-44 Stalag 4.B. Beerengen, Belgium.
19-12-44 Tilburg, Holland.
22-12-44 Terlaemen, Belgium.
29-12-44 Weirde nr Namur.
30-12-44 Enhet.

Arthur Allvey’s Letters :Chapter 1

Before the war Arthur lived in Stratford, East London, with his family. He met Gladys when they worked together in a London office. Gladys lived in Bellingham, South London, with her parents and sister. Arthur worked at Enfield Rolling Mills while Gladys was in the London office so they met only at weekends when they often stayed at each other’s homes. This is why there are letters from the period before Arthur joined up.

He and Gladys married in October 1941, and lived in Enfield. Work at Enfield Rolling Mills counted as a reserved occupation, so Arthur was not conscripted, but in 1942 he enlisted in the army. He was stationed at various training camps, at Canterbury, Maske-on-Sea, near Redcar in Yorkshire, and Cromer, Norfolk. In July he was sent to Sicily, via Africa, arriving there shortly before the island surrendered.

Gladys gave up the rented flat in Enfield and moved to live, first in rented rooms, then with her parents, in Beckenham, South London.

In December 1943 Arthur returned to the UK and was stationed at a camp at Felixstowe, in Suffolk. He remained there as preparations were made for D Day and in June 1944 he took part in the invasion of France, moving with the advancing lines through Belgium and Holland and into Germany. He was killed in action in March 1945, just six weeks before the end of the war in Europe.

The letters he and Gladys exchanged ran to many hundreds. They wrote almost every second day and their letters were usually very long. Arthur’s letters give a detailed picture of life in the army both in camps in England and overseas. They describe the conditions of wartime life and army routine, though they avoid much reference to military action, no doubt to avoid giving further anxiety to Gladys during those worrying times of separation.

These files of Arthur’s letters contain only brief extracts from the whole, chosen to give representative coverage of the topics and scenes about which he wrote so eloquently.

Troops were forbidden to give any information about their location during action abroad so there are very few references to places in Arthur’s letters, but he made occasional notes in a small pocket diary which he must have carried about with him, and from these it is possible to follow his movements:

3-4-43 Moved to R.A. at Cromer
10-4-43 Arrived Watford
28-6-43 Left Watford, arrived Woolwich. Home on 14 days embarkation leave.
18-7-43 Greenock Docks; embarked for unknown destination.
19-7-43 Sailed from Greenock.
23-7-43 Tangiers passed at night.
25-7-43 At Algiers Docks.
27-7-43 Sailed from Algiers.
29-7-43 At Philippsville Docks.
30-7-43 Disembark at Philippsville at 3 pm. Road transport takes us many miles inland. Camp for night then at 7 am road transport to Philippsville. Entrain at 9 am;
9 pm Constantine.
2-8-43 Arrive Merht — Chateaudun.
4-8-43 STORM. Left Merht-Chateaudun camp for Philippsville Docks. Transit camp there overnight.
5-8-43 Sailed 5 pm from Philippsville to Sicily.
8-8-43 Arrived Syracuse and marched to transit camp.
16-8-43 German petrol tank discards; night — much shrapnel.
19-8-43 Large fire and great column of smoke seawords.
20-8-43 Order of the Day: C in C Congratulations on capture of Sicily.
23-8-43 Left Syracuse. Slept overnight on ammo truck near Catania. Passed many Italian prisoners.
24-8-43 Changed trains at Bocacco — 5 miles south of Catania. Arrived transit camp a few miles south of Mt Etna.
28-8-43 Arrived at unit — Messina — Pistunia.
3-9-43 Big barrage for invasion of Italy.
5-9-43 Bathed in Messina Straits.
2-10-43 Catania leave 7 days.
8-11-43 Left Messina — embarked Augusta.
10-11-43 Sailed from Augusta.
13-11-43 At Algiers — camped near Zeralda.
27-11-43 Left camp for Algiers.
29-11-43 Sailed from Algiers.
9-12-43 Liverpool Docks — disembarked.
10-12-43 Felixstowe.
10-6-44 Courseulles-sur-Mer; beach slightly under shell fire. Ships: steamers, landing craft, destroyers, battleships — as far as the eye can see in all directions. Weather perfect and sea calm.
11-6-44 Our LTC today opened its drawbridge to allow vehicles run off on to the beach. Some entered 3 ft of water and almost became stuck.
14-8-44 Le Plessis Grimoult.
20-8-44 (Petanges) Sentilly
21-8-44 Argentan.
22-8-44 St Andre d’Echauffour.
23-8-44 7 m SW L’Aigle.
24-8-44 3 m S of L’Aigle.
26-8-44 Mercey.
28-8-44 St Just.
29-8-44 La Chapelle St Ouen: crossed the Seine about 40 m below Paris.
30-8-44 Authevernes; many Maquis mobilising everywhere — seem to be armed to teeth with all weapons — automatics, rifles, shot guns, grenades. Leave them to deal with German snipers and stragglers.
31-8-44 5 m south Amiens. Well into Picardy now.
2-9-44 Ivergny.
3-9-44 By passed Arras and Lille. Getting close to Belgian frontier. Passed an English and a German 1914 — 18 war grave — thousands of plain, black wooden crosses.
4-9-44 Near Bilbar. 5 m from Belgium.
7-9-44 Belgium — Tournai.
20-9-44 Hundreds of transport planes fly over to reinforce paratroops.
21-9-44 Holland via Escaut canal.
13-11-44 Amstenrade, Holland.
21-11-44 Geleen, Holland.
4-12-44 Sustersul, Germany.
17-12-44 Stalag 4.B. Beerengen, Belgium.
19-12-44 Tilburg, Holland.
22-12-44 Terlaemen, Belgium.
29-12-44 Weirde nr Namur.
30-12-44 Enhet.

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