大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Marie on behalf of E.R. Lewis and has been added to the site with his permission. He fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

I thought it would be a good idea to share some of my, and perhaps others, embarrassing and funny moments during WW2.
We, the 2nd Devons had left the island behind (Operation Market Garden Nijmegen-Amhem) from 231 Brigade to 131 Brigade infantry 50th Div to 71 Armoured - Desert Rats. We joined 7th Armoured in the Roer triangle - page 432 Vol III History of The Devonshire Regiment. We had to clear the area this side of the Rhine, the fighting was tough December 1944 to January 1945 and the temperature was 32 degrees below freezing. You couldn't touch your rifle metal - your fingers would stick to it. I was a battalion sniper. We fought in open country, and we slept where we stopped, all our lads reading this will remember. Are there any of
us left - get in touch.

I and my pal Tommy (Ginger) Baker were wounded, me in the back, and Ginger in his leg. I remember Lacre Woodcock saying 'You would have been better off staying as a stretcher bearer 'Streaky',' one of my nicknames! Woodcock and I were both in the band before the war. We were taken to hospital in Brussels, put in a nice warm bed and cared for by Canadian nurses. I couldn't move from the waist down due to several pieces of shrapnel in my back,
one tiny bit in my spine causing all the trouble. The doctor was able to remove them all, and feeling gradually came back. Oh dear, the pins and needles!

Ginger and I were soon enjoying the good things of hospital life, warm, plenty of baths, and food! The day came about a week later when we were allowed to get dressed. The nurses, in front of a ward full of squaddies put our uniforms on our beds, and then produced
a variety of ladies underwear, silk 'bloomers', vests and slips, several of each, and said 'Don't forget these'. It may be alright today but in 1945, very embarrassing. The lads had found silk was a very warm fabric, and most of us had 'acquired' an assortment of ladies underwear!

Our return to the Battalion was not straightforward, you could be sent to a holding unit, and from there to anywhere. We decided we were going back to the Battalion, so on went our uniforms, over our silks, and we walked out of the hospital without permission. We picked up a jeep, left unattended by our American allies, and belted back to the Battalion, and back to
TAC HQ.

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