´óÏó´«Ã½

This story has been added to the website by ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Cornwall CSV Producer Nina Davey, on behalf of the author David Robins who understands the site's terms and conditions.

Friday 25th what a Christmas rain and cold plenty of action on hill 68 not very far away see al the tracer bullets flying around especially at night Jerry only 2500 yards away last night had pork for dinner not like home cooked..

Saturday 26th very quite in the morning 26 spitfires went over in the afternoon then two me`s came over when they had gone shelling during the night. Weather better….

Sunday 27th plenty of shelling in the hills some on the town, weather quite hot…

Monday 28th a very nice day had a bath in a tin full of water , a few shells falling around the town it was also dive bombed in the afternoon we were in the lorry and thought they were spitfires because of the familiar whine of the spits but it was the bombs dropping more shells during the night….

Tuesday 29th nice morning, more shells in and around the town did some washing hot water this time. Town dive bombed again dinner time, weather turning windy and cold looks like rain, our artillery opened up in the afternoon for half an hour Jerry just replying , wrote home also to Lilly, while in lorry writing one or two shells came to close so dived out into the trench, then the shells started falling at rear of town,
so back in the lorry to cold outside…
.

Wednesday 30th quite last night Jerry dive bombed at the back of the farm another go for the tanks, just a few shells coming ours replying, We are by the way in front of our artillery so when they start we know what to expect…

Thursday 31st last day of the year still waiting for our big push a few aircraft about high spot of the day was Jerry shelling the gun position which was a hot spot while it lasted, had one or two by the lorries but the gun got it worst. One shell landed six feet from the cookhouse and one of the boys got a bit of shrapnel in his foot the M I orderly who came to take him away got a piece in his neck and died as they carried him off he even said he was sorry he could not dress his foot.

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.