大象传媒

I was born in Gateshead. At the outbreak of the war, I was employed making mustard gas at ICI, Runcorn, Cheshire. I had worked there since 1935 and thought I was in a reserved occupation. But the call to arms came in 1943 and off I went to Carlisle Castle for infantry training with the Border Regiment.

After basic training (鈥渟quare-bashing鈥�) the regiment was sent firstly to Scarborough then to Great Yarmouth. Great Yarmouth was virtually deserted and the Army used it for street-fighting practice: up and down stairs, in the cellar, up in the loft鈥�

On 19th February 1944, we boarded ship at Liverpool for overseas service. First stop was the Clyde where we joined a convoy. From there we went via the Straits of Gibraltar and the Suez Canal (which was by that time secure) to Bombay. We disembarked and went by train to Calcutta for several weeks鈥� training. This enabled us to get acclimatised. We did more training at a big camp at Dacca and from there we were flown to Imphal in a windowless Dakota. The Battle of Imphal was already in progress by that time.

The Japanese were coming into Imphal even as we landed. Their objective was the airport, so we had to dig in and hold on. It was the Monsoon season by then and we were 鈥渟tood to鈥� from 6.00 p.m. until 6.00 a.m. the next day up to our waists in water.

The fighting was intense. It was a question of advancing a few yards at a time, and the casualties were so high that even sailors were sent as reinforcements. I got the shock of my life when I saw a sailor carrying a 56 lb pack. They weren鈥檛 used to that.

We had to rely on airdrops for food, ammunition, everything. We had a bread drop on one occasion. In those conditions, by the time the bread hit the ground it had turned into mush. We made bread balls out of it and put them in our ammunition pouches to dry out to make them edible. Sometimes the supplies landed in the Japanese positions. Fortunately for us, they were the only supplies the enemy received.

If you got dysentery 鈥� and I did 鈥� you had to be careful about telling your mates when you went to relieve yourself outside the perimeter, otherwise you ran the risk of being shot on the way back.

I was made the camp barber and issued with a pair of one-inch wide clippers. I lost them and told the boss. He told me not to worry and that a new set would be flown out. When they arrived, the Army had sent me a pair of MULE clippers instead, which were like garden shears!

We marched past some Japanese one day, went a couple of miles further on then we had to turn back. We did battle with them near a village and I lost nearly all my platoon. I was hiding in a paddy field. I picked up a bren gun and walked into the village. I recalled my training in Carlisle: Kill or be killed 鈥� and shot anything that moved.

I walked past a foxhole and saw something move out of the corner of my eye. I turned my bren down and gave a couple of bursts before moving on. But the Japanese were very skillful at being able to conceal themselves well in a foxhole. I carried on through the village and the next thing I knew was a handful of grenades coming in my direction. I had obviously missed whoever was in the foxhole, but he didn鈥檛 miss me: Up in the air I went! The bren went in a different direction and I landed under a little bush.

All I had left to fight with was a phosphorous bomb. I took the cap and tape off, took the pin out and threw it past the foxhole 鈥� BANG! As soon as it hit the air it burst into flames. Whoever was in the foxhole was burned alive; I could hear him. It was terrible but it was him or me; kill or be killed.

I got back to base. I was wounded all down one side, blind in one eye and was hospitalised. I was flown out by the Americans to another hospital. From there I was flown out of the battle area altogether in a Dakota. I was so sunburned I was mistaken for an Indian and put on a flight with their wounded. I spent time in hospital in Calcutta, Poona and Bombay. While at Poona I was invited to tea at the Governor鈥檚 residence, white-gloved servants and all.

I finally got back to England and was put in hospital, firstly in Preston then in Hemlington, from where I made regular visits to Newcastle Eye Hospital.

I made a full recovery and went back on light duties as a batman for a colonel. I finished my service at an officer鈥檚 training establishment near Dartmoor, and was demobbed in 1947.

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