大象传媒

I was born on the 4th December 1910, in the city and county of Bristol. We were a family of five. Mum, dad, two sisters, one brother and me. Because we were local, each year the council paid for us to have a weeks holiday. We were gathered together and taken to the station by horse and cart.

At the age of eighteen I joined the Royal Artillery Territorial Army. I was taught to ride a horse and became lead driver on a gun carrier. I left the Royal Artillery and next day joined the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. After basic training I was posted to Poona in India.

During my tour of duty I had the honour to be driver for my commanding officer who later in the war became Field Marshal Montgomery. My service finished during 1938, but before I could settle into civvy street, war was declared.

In 1939 I went to France with the British expeditionary forces. The fighting was intense it wasn鈥檛 long before we were fighting our way back to the beaches. During this retreat a number of us were sheltering in a barn. It gradually filled up 鈥� then the enemy found us. We were machine gunned and the massacre was horrendous. There was just myself, and two others who managed to survive because we were under the bodies of our comrades.

We struggled on and made our way to the beaches, at Juan le Pins, near Dunkirk, during 1941. We never went to Dunkirk itself, were were rescued from Juan le Pins. We waded out so far and climbed onto a fishing trawler. Other Forces joined us.

After days and nights of being strafed by enemy aircraft and surviving the boats being torpedoed from under us. I actually fell asleep and the next thing I know I woke up and we landed at Margate, on the south coast. The rescue missions from France lasted a couple of days.

The following months were hectic, we were re grouping and re training and getting fit. In June 1944 鈥渢he Normandy Landings鈥� took place. Once again I found myself back in France. The battles were fierce and awful but we went forwards and to eventual victory in Europe.

When all the fighting was over and I find myself back in England I tried to become a civilian again. The Dunkirk veterans association has become a big part of my life. I am now 94 years old but still enjoying myself with good friends and companionship.

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