大象传媒

I served with 416/127 LAA Regiment RA. Our role was to defend the Mulberry Harbour from air attack.

We first had sight of the concrete caissons off Folkestone during early 1944. There were only a few in the bay at first, and it seemed they would appear overnight. We didn鈥檛 have a clue what they were for or that we would become involved with them.

We then moved to Selsey, and low and behold there were some caissons in the bay; we all had our thoughts about their use, were they to make a bridge over the Channel or were they to be taken further out to see for the defence of our Country.

Eventually we were taken out to spend about a week at a time living on board to get used to the life, a talk was given by Brigadier Sir Brian Horrockes, he explained what they were for and what our role would be.

About a week before D-Day, we were given a weeks pay in a sealed envelope, it was French invasion money, we were told not to open or speak to any about it, but of course some did.

One morning we were to get up quickly pack our bags and go, Ducks took us to our stations which were already floating, we were away, there were about 16 of us on board on what we called concrete coffins.

It was a slow and quiet journey over, but we worried about encountering U boats and E boats. We did not actually stumble upon any, but we did lose two caissons as far as I can remember.

The next day we were in French waters off Arromanches. We could see the ships that had been blown up to form part of the breakwater, it wasn鈥檛 long before we had a boarding party to line us up and open the sea cocks to sink us in position, the water came to within about a foot of the top, one could lie in bed and put your hand over the side in the water, and so we were in action.

There was plenty of activity day and night with supply ships coming and going, a warship off shore firing its big guns almost continuously. We were on duty all the time with only short breaks in between. I did see action one night when a German plane came near which was picked up by searchlight, I was the No 3 to give the order to fire, the plane was brought down, but I don鈥檛 know who got the credit.

After about a week I was transferred to a Greek ship that had been blown up earlier and there I had to stay during the gales. This was also a very frightening experience, as at high tide, the water came right over the deck of the ship. I had to stay put till it cleared. There was a rowing boat tied alongside one morning it was stranded on the deck of the ship, after the next high tide it disappeared altogether.

After the storms subsided I was taken on to land I forgot to say that when not manning the gun I also carried out duties as a Telephonist and Radio Operator. Our call was Uncle Charlie 2. We had a Command Post on the hill to the right of Arromanches near enough where there is a viewing platform today.

At other odd times I would help with other duties; one of these would be to travel to the Pier heads with rations for the lads still at sea. One day I met my Uncle who was in the Pioneer Corps working unloading the ships, neither of us knew the other was in France! What a lovely co-incidence.

Something happened one night, which was not very pleasant at the time, but we have since laughed about many times. We were not allowed to sleep on the ground but had to dig about 18 inches down with the soil dug out, and put around the outside to make about 3 ft in. So four of us got together to dig a big square, and with odds and ends washed up, made ourselves a little tent. Then during the night in question, one of my mates dreamt he was sleeping under a tank, and that the tank started to move so he got up shouting "get out" and dived through an opening about 12 inches square. Of course all of us woke up wondering what going on thinking we were being attacked.

We stayed defending the Port till about September and as the War progressed we moved on, eventually in to Belgium where I celebrated my 21st Birthday during October; and so into Holland, that鈥檚 where we were when the German troops in Holland capitulated. A memory I shall never forget, everyone was out on the streets, it was like one big fairground. On V E Day we were just outside Ostend, again a wonderful memory with everyone singing and dancing in the streets, as we moved up passing through the towns whether France, Belgium or Holland, the people would come out with jugs of tea or coffee.

After Victory in Europe we moved into Germany to a little place called Lamspringe near Hanover, then to Immindorf a little village near Brunswick and Wolfenbuttel, finally being demobbed in March 1947.

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