大象传媒

Private George Clarence Ernest Greenhill 鈥� C Company, Platoon 7, 5th Battalion Manchester Regiment.

I began the war working for Lockheed Aircraft Company producing munitions in what used to be the paper mill in Narborough, at that time our work was essential to the war effort and so we were not conscripted. However I played an active part in the Home Guard and began to learn the skills I would need for my impending military experience. As D-day approached all able men between 20 and 30 years of age were being drafted and my travels began then.

Strangers on a Train.
We were due to report to Retford in Nottinghamshire for out initial training. I鈥檒l always remember the train journey to Retford, we had been told to report on a Thursday, my beloved Nora saw me to the station and it soon became clear that many others were making the same journey. Some men were in Home Guard uniform as was I and some in civvies, I said farewell to my wife and we all boarded the train full of excitement and anticipation of what lay ahead. I met a few lads on the train one, a miner by trade, had some pork sandwiches and so shared them around amongst us in the compartment. As we were travelling someone, it may have been the miner, suggested a trip to the pub when we arrived as we would have some time before having to report. Everyone agreed and so when we arrived in Retford we headed straight for the pub. However, once there we didn鈥檛 half get a surprise! There was a sergeant outside the pub with a truck waiting to pick us all up, so we only ever made it as far as the pub car park! It seems like quite a few had had the same idea before us, not being a big drinker I wasn鈥檛 really that bothered and secretly very glad I hadn鈥檛 turned up to report smelling of alcohol! It was in Retford that we began our formal training with the 1st London Riffle Brigade, some men had never even held a gun before and I didn鈥檛 envy them. It must have been tough to learn everything in such a short period of time, those of us in the Home Guard had at least had some military training before hand.

Wales and the West Country.
After 6 weeks of initial training I was posted with the Manchester regiment for machine gun and armaments training. I found myself in Chester and this was the beginning of my time in many different places across Wales and the West Country. Some of my first memories of this time were live ammunition exercises on the beaches at Rhyl and Anglesey. Practising with live ammunition for the first time was terrifying it was quite unnerving having red hot tracers whizzing past you, not to mention the first time we saw bombs exploding near us. Defence of the cost line was quite a priority and kept us busy, for example filling sandbags on the beaches in Tenby, as well as regular drills and firearms training. After a while in the north we were sent down to Llanybyther in Carmarthenshire, I enjoyed being in the Welsh countryside. Up north we had been near Snowdonia, and now we were right amongst the valleys of the south, we were also looked after very well and a local grand house had been turned over for our base. One night I remember being on guard, it was two or three o鈥檆lock in the morning and for some reason a cockerel on one of the farms up the road had begun to crow. Gave me quite a fright at that time of the night, but the next thing I knew another one across the valley had answered it and that set them all off! We had a right laugh listening to them all, especially as we were on watch and weren鈥檛 the ones trying to sleep!

Malta 1945.
Towards the end of the war I was sent to Malta, although we didn鈥檛 realise this at the time! Around Easter 1945 we were gathered up and all loaded onto a train to who knew where! As we were travelling some of the lads from the south realised that we were heading for South Hampton, at this point we guessed we would be going abroad. There was much speculation on that journey as to where we were to be sent we arrived about lunch time, but who could think about lunch! I asked one of the Dockers where our ship was bound and he told me it was heading to Malta. My battalion was joined by the 2nd Battalion of the Lancashire regiment and we all boarded HMS Chitral and set sail for Malta, when we arrived we discovered that we would be looking after a German POW camp at Salima.
Each platoon took charge of a group of prisoners and it was our job to look after their welfare as well as to make sure there was no trouble. Usually days were uneventful and filled with normal day to day activities, such as patrols. However, there were occasionally incidents that had to be dealt with, one particular incident I recall happened between the prisoners themselves. Usually hierarchy was still respected and order maintained between the POW鈥檚 despite their capture and imprisonment, but some times tempers became frayed and fights would start. One day the British patrol arrived just in time, as one argument had gone way too far and some POW鈥檚 were attempting to hang another by the neck. We jumped in just in time to save this poor blighter from his own; we never did manage to find out what it was all about though.
All our activities and eating arrangements were kept separate, the Germans would have football tournaments and matches and so would we, but they were never against each other. We also supplied all their food rations but they had their own cooks who would prepare all their meals. Despite this degree of separation we got to know a few characters and had some friendly and occasionally not so friendly banter. The U-Boat men were quite high ranking and respected amongst the prisoners, but we found that this resulted in a certain degree of arrogance. One day I was patrolling with a friend called Joe when a U-Boat man spat at him through the fence and Joe had a few choice words for him about that I can assure you! We also made some friendly acquaintances as well, one man I remember was called Herman and we got quite friendly. He was a potter and he told me about his mother who owned a caf茅 in D眉sseldorf. I also remember one jokey conversation we had when he told me
鈥淚鈥檒l never forget this George鈥�, meaning his imprisonment and I replied with
鈥淲ell who鈥檚 b****y fault is that then!鈥� and he just laughed and said
鈥淚 come back, not a prisoner next time. Shoot, shoot!鈥�
Another time I told him he looked scruffy and tat he should have a shave, but he said he鈥檚 run out of rationed blades so I gave him one that I always kept in my pocket so that he could go and freshen up.
Life on Malta was not all work though. During our leave days we would go and spend time in local bars, the Maltese were very friendly and although they were poor would often provide us with fresh lemons, oranges and pumpkins that grew on their land. The local wildlife also provided us with some entertainment we would often attempt to catch the beautiful purple and brown lizards while they were basking on the rocks. However we soon discovered they were quick and tricky to catch because if caught by the tail they could easily shed it and it would grow back!
I was on Malta until 1946, during which time I was offered promotion, but declined as it would have meant changing platoon, although as it turned out I was given early release due to being a skilled electrical worker. I declined promotion largely because it would mean leaving the many pals I had made in my platoon, these friends and happy memories I will never forget. However these memories will always be tinged with regret at the loss of so many young lives, the friends and workmates, who live on in memory alone.

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War website by Sarah Tack of the CSV Action Desk on behalf of Mr. G Greenhill and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

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