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My Grandfather served with the Kings Own Scottish Borderers and saw action right from the start up until 1944 where he was wounded in an incident in Holland. Sadly he died on June 2nd 2004. Before this story he had won the DCM in Overloon where he stormed and destroyed two enemy machine gun posts. Before he died he left me this interesting account of how he was wounded.

We had left Cambes 鈥� our job to hold that area against seven German divisions had been successful 鈥� it allowed the USA and others to move into the Cherbourg Peninsular and port and in an advance from there created the pincer movement of the Falaise Gap. The Germans lost equipment 鈥� tanks and guns and 100,000 men. That was the initial move 鈥� then we chased them via Rouen into Paris and onwards into Belgium over the Escaul canal into Holland. And by Christmas 1944 we were on the borders of Germany. The weather had held up the proceedings, preventing our Planes from getting up.

And the Germans played their last card in an attempt to come through the forests there and make things difficult. I thought the war would be over in the Spring Push 鈥� possibly by May and we had to be careful. I had to be careful! Then we鈥檇 all get back to Civvy Street again. The only big trouble was the weather and a tank. A tank shelling us and it was well hidden.

鈥淗armon 鈥� You鈥檙e wanted!鈥� I went forward to where two officers were talking, one of our officers and an artillery officer.

鈥淟ook Corporal, this tank, we want to see where it is. It鈥檚 a damned nuisance so take a couple of chaps with you and find out where that tank is. We are, remember, on German soil, they know every little bit of ground here so you鈥檒l have to be very careful. It鈥檚 find the tank and right back OK?鈥�

鈥淵es sir, we鈥檒l see if we can find it. I realise we鈥檙e on German soil. We鈥檒l be careful. This war is almost finished. We want to see the end in one piece!鈥�

I had a pal, Jimmy Lewis, from 18 Platoon, my platoon, and a regular soldier from 17 Platoon, a big, dependable lad. We left, the area was forest, pine forest and it had snow everywhere. The trees were drooping with melted snow. The ground seemed to be ridged and had long strips of icy water that in the first minutes had our feet soaked. We watched furtively as we moved forward. A stop 鈥� look around- then quick forward. I had a rifle, so did my two helpers, the gondolier of bullets hung ready, our guns were loaded and we heard voices, German voices. We had covered a fair distance and there in front we watched the enemy.

It was quiet, then the shells flew overhead. It was the tank. There were two cottages in front of us and behind the front wall was the tank. It was 鈥榟ull down鈥� in a prepared 鈥榟ole鈥� and then moved forward. The barrel of the gun firing through the window space, then back again. Oh it was well hidden, that tank.

I said 鈥淩ight, lets get out, we know where it is and I have it marked鈥�. We turned back in to the forest and I did hurry. Eventually I was in a distance in front and I lifted my head from below a low fir branch and looked into the space at a German officer holding a Luger revolver. My rifle was slung over my shoulder. I was only four yards from him. He couldn鈥檛 miss me. I was petrified. I stood. The thought that I鈥檇 be shot and killed and the war almost over I would never see Josy, my wife, again.

Time seemed to stand still, as he did. He was my height, carried a bit weight and had a moustache. He was possibly about fifty. I was four yards away. He had looked at me all this time yet it was only two to three minutes. His other hand went up close to his head. There was an explosion and the German fell to the ground, his Luger beside him. In the next few seconds Jimmy Lewis and the other lad saw me. 鈥淵ou alright Bill?鈥� I stood there shivering but not with the cold. The other lad had gone forward, looked at the German and had picked up the Luger.

Jimmy pushed me 鈥淐ome on Bill, we鈥檝e got the report to put in. You鈥檝e been lucky鈥�, we spoke as we went, 鈥淎ye Jimmy, that officer had me in front of him. Dear knows what were his thoughts. Had he a home to go back to? Our bombers had wiped out entire Cities. Were his family all dead? Did he think I was too young to die and he didn鈥檛 blame me but realised Hitler was all to blame and Germany was finished?鈥� I don鈥檛 know. I realised I was within seconds of being killed!

We arrived back and I saw our officer and the artillery officer. I told him and showed him on the map (the tank position). The artillery officer was quite pleased 鈥淚鈥檒l get my lads to drop a few there, I think we鈥檒l all feel a lot better by tomorrow, good show鈥� and they left.

I made my way to where the lads were and the lad from 17 Platoon was talking about his luger revolver. 鈥淎ye, the German blew his head off鈥�. I didn鈥檛 think it was loaded. He held the Luger, I was next to him and I started to think of those few minutes again. Then he pressed the trigger and that gun WAS loaded and the bullet went through my foot, entering at the top of the ankle and going through my heel. I felt the hot pain of it and said 鈥測ou silly basket, you鈥檝e shot me!鈥� I was still standing, blood coming out of the lace holes of my left foot. Cries of 鈥淪tretcher bearer鈥� bought Joe Lant and Rolly Cunningham forward, Rolly lived in Shields beside me and they carried me quickly to the dressing station, catching up to the two officers.

鈥淗allo, Somebody caught it?鈥� from my officer.

鈥淐orporal Harmon Sir鈥�.

鈥淏ut we鈥檝e just left the man!鈥�

Later I was interviewed by a lady officer who wanted to know how it happened. I had been sent to either Brugge or Ghent hospital. The lady officer went over things twice. I was still in pain at times and eventually I said 鈥淟ook, you don鈥檛 think I did it do you? If I had this idea I wouldn鈥檛 have waited till now, six or seven weeks before the Wars is finished! There were a squad of lads there listening to the story and that stupid lad with his Luger did it, the idiot鈥�

鈥淵es we know everything. It鈥檚 put you out of the war. Hope all is well with you soon. We鈥檒l get you in Leicester, you鈥檒l be OK there.鈥�

I was taken by Dakota along with a lad called Planus. We did get to Leicester OK but I had two haemorrhages there. The war in Europe was over and my wife acted as nurse to take me to Hexham by train. I had crutches and was immediately put to bed there. Josy went home and saw me again that weekend. My leg was up very red and going to be a bother. When VJ (Victory in Japan) day came and all was Peace I was the only one in the ward. The rest were getting free drinks and I had a haemorrhage again. There was a long spell into September before I left Hexham for Scarborough and preparing for Civy Street. It was in 1946 that I was at Dunbar and in May of that year I received my grey Demob suit and started life again with Josy and my young son. My leg was OK but I had a neat red mark at the top of my left foot and a three-inch scar in my instep. They never bothered me until years later when I developed Arthritis. I鈥檓 now almost 88. I have relived those minutes when I was 3-4 yards of death. I still wonder why that German did that

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