大象传媒

Paignton:- I was sent to Paignton to make a team up for crewing twelve armoured cars that they were using to try and help combat what had come to be known as tip and run raiders along the south coast. The Germans were by now well aware of our Radar capability, and to beat it Messersmit 109s and Fockerwolfs 190s would nip over from France with a bomb or two attached, they would fly at sea level (almost) under the Radar, then as they crossed the coast gain height to bomb then scoot back, because of the hazards of flying so low, these raids were always done in daylight. The place that we were using had been a small Holiday camp, with wooden chalets that would take four single beds a large hut that was the recreation room, and another that was the dinning room and cook house. It was called "The Nest Holiday Camp."

We had twelve sites that we went to in our armoured cars fitted with a m/c gun turret mounted with twin gas operated Vickers m/c Guns, half an hour before dawn and we stood down half an hour after dusk, each car was manned by a crew of two. The twelve sites spread from Paignton to Babacombe, all had been carefully selected for a good field of fire. Almost all twelve sites had its perks, One in Paignton was in the front of one of the best hotels, right on the sea front, the guests used to come and chat, and the head waiter brought us tea and cake mid morning and mid afternoon. another was in the centre of a green on an housing estate that was built on the side of a hill, we had a really good field of fire and view seawards, and we used to get swamped with tea and coffee here. and there was a couple of places that were open house almost, on our rest periods, we could sit in their lounges and write letters, or just have a nap.

We were supposed to stay together, and do two on two off, but we took it in turns to go to the pictures etc. and if we did get a visit from anyone, our mate had just left to go to the toilet, or some such thing, Everyone did it and I never heard of anyone being done.

It was here that we saw action, it was my day off, we did day on day off with the cars, but you did training and other duty on your off day. However the Germans raided Tourquay and two of our posts were able to open fire, and hits were witnessed by the owner of Kents Cavern. He was stood outside the entrance and heard our other car firing that was positioned on the sea front where the coast road turned inland towards Kents Cavern and saw the plane swoop up the valley and started to climb to clear the hill, and our car positioned on his front doorstep open fire, and the plane started to sputter and loose height as it disappeared behind the hill, one plane was shot down, however it was credited to the local Ack Ack. The sad part to this is that on this raid, that was on a Sunday afternoon, a Church was hit, and a lot of children and a teacher were killed. This of course was not made public, until after the war. the news bulletin on the radio said:- A south coast town was raided today, the coastal defences beat off the raiders and one was shot down.

However the owner of Kents Cavern, that was, and still is a tourist attraction, would start off his guided tours after that day with a gathering around our car, and tell the folks how it all had happened etc. and as far as he was concerned, we had destroyed half of the German Air force. We were short of drivers to be able to man up and cover for leave, sick etc. so it was in Torquay in an armoured car that I leant to drive and past my test. and here it was were I was adopted by Ruff, the stray fox terrier that just would not leave, it was with me for six weeks or more, so when I had a leave I took it home with me. My mother had always wanted a Fox Terrier. You will remember him being your mums best pet in her story.

Debden:- Was my next station and now that I was a driver as well as a gunner I was almost immediately sent off with other drivers and the M/t Officer to Inverary in Scotland.
It was to be shown how to waterproof car and lorry engines so that they would run under water, and then practice driving them off the LTC ( Landing Tank Craft ) into the Loch, it is October time and not warm at all, not that the water in these Loch's ever is.

The campsite was at the base of a big hill and the first thing we had to do each morning before breakfast was run up it, we were then shown how to waterproof the engine in such a way that it would be able to run submerged in water, this was done in a lecture room with demonstrations, then you watched a man do his lorry engine up, and when he had finished, they took him and the lorry out onto the Loch on a LTC dropped the ramp as if on a beech, and the lorry drove down the ramp, the front wheels disappeared into the water, the radiator was under water and still the lorry seamed to be going down, then suddenly the front of the lorry started to come up as the back end got to the ramp bottom and slowly the lorry moved to the shore, the water at first, halfway up the cab door.

The next day we were each allocated a vehicle to waterproof as we had been shown, and informed that the following day we would each drive the same off the LTC as we had seen demonstrated, I was happy with that, but not happy with the fact that the vehicle that I had been allocated was a jeep. The following morning we all had to run up that mountain before breakfast and then we drove our various vehicles round the lock to the dock to get onto the LTC . When loaded the LTC took us for a tour on the loch and then approached the shore.

Everyone was in battle gear as if it was an enemy beach, all the engines were running we had all been instructed how to drive, ( put your vehicle into four wheel drive mode, drive in first gear, when you get onto the ramp, you put your foot flat on the accelerator, and under no circumstances do you touch the clutch until you are clear of the water.) Three lorries had gone and I was next, I went down the ramp, following instructions the jeep was in the water but sinking slowly not like the lorries had. and the bloody cold water was half way up my chest and still rising the jeep appeared to be drifting sideways not forward to the beech the water was now up to my chin, I was gripping the steering wheel not to steer but to support myself, my right foot toes were still holding the accelerator pedal flat, but the rest of me was trying to keep my mouth above water, at last I felt the wheels start to grip and slowly we approached the shore, where there was a reception committee of Officers and instructors all with broad grins on their faces, Good show lad said one of the Camp Officers there is more than half the jeep drivers panic and have to be rescued, don't hang about get straight back to camp for a hot shower and dry clothes. I needed no second bidding my teeth were already chattering and I had about three miles to drive.

When we got back to Debden we went onto intensive training, and for a month, did route marches, fought battles with the home guard, and the Americans, slept in Fields and barns, were fed on corned beef sandwiches and drank tepid tea out of Hay box's ( A box with a smaller metal container in the gap between the two box's stuffed with hay as insolation, the military version of a Vacuum flask, we were promised Christmas leave at the end of it. We had not slept in a bed for a month, and all smelt like Otters.
We had one battle to fight, it was with both the local Home Guard, assisted by the Americans and it was at Saffron Walden, and when we were done could go and get ready to go on leave once the judges gave a decision, It was dragging on and on, so one of the lads who had a clip of live rounds, Whipped all five rounds over the heads of the yanks, then smoked his barrel up by banging off as many blanks as he could before the judges called a cease fire. The yanks accused us of using live ammo.

We denied this and accused them of tying to cheat. The judge said:- "I'll settle this, I'm in charge", and made us all line up, and Port Arms for Inspection, the barrel is sooty when firing blanks, but a dull black and clean looking if a live round has just past through it, and a clean barrel has a shine, after he had examined all the barrels he declared that no live ammo had been fired, and the battle was ours, as the Yanks had stopped fighting by the use of a White Flag, We Cheered, the yanks Howled that it was a fix, but we did not care, we were off to Shower, Shave, Pack, and go home for Christmas and me to a Wedding on 24/12/43.

We all paraded in front of the Farm house that was our head quarters, It was on the very far area of the Airfield and the Farm and out buildings, that were our quarters, had been swallowed up by the War time extensions to the outer perimeter of the Station.
The C.O. gave us a speech on our last months performance, and hardships, and that he was sure now after our victory today, that we could cope with anything that was thrown at us, "Only if the enemy have blanks, and we have live amo" someone whispered, there was a titter, and the Warrant Officer bellowed " Quiet in the ranks, C O on parade," and paced up and down glaring. At last we were allowed to leave but as a marching unit to Saffron Walden Railway Station, Don't forget we had been sleeping rough for a month in fields barns and even hen huts, and there was quite a few Cockerels and even a Turkey or two being transported to the station for Christmas.

When we got back off leave we were soon given orders to ( the drivers, and their co drivers) to report to the M/T Officer, who had transport ready to take us to an ordinance depot where we had to collect Thirteen Five ton Thornycroft Lorries and Twelve Bofer Guns, ammunition, Tents, Camp Cooking equipment etc. We were to become a proper RAF Regiment Sqdn.

Our next trip was back to Butlin's at Flamborough to practice, and practice and practice, until we could set it up and fire in record time, and pack it up and be on our way just as fast, we could change a red hot barrel in seconds and be back in action again. Then we were allowed to shoot at the drogue towed by another Kamikaze pilot, There has been a lot more that one gun crew laid their sights on the plane not the drogue, and had the pilot screaming blue murder on his short wave radio, what they usually do is jettison the drogue and do a nose dive, then go home sulking, anyway when the course was over and we had paid a bit more to Billy Butlin's camp at Filey another sink in the same ablutions block, and in the same place, we returned to Debden to find that the Station had been taken over by the Yanks, but we were to stay for a while as they did not have their own ground defence crew ready yet.

However we were to use all their facilities, Wow! How two forces differ, there was two dinning halls and the first breakfast we went to there was a guy ladling out fresh orange juice for you to drink as you approached the breakfast bar you went along the bar and if you held your plate out they slapped what was there on and if you didn't snatch it back would keep filling it up. If you didn't watch you got treacle slapped onto your bacon. Sugar was in big dishes on the tables and if it was empty you just yelled and a bloke would come with another bag full and put it all in the dish. They had Tinned Fruit and cream at lunch for sweet, There had been no tinned fruit in England since the war started. I can tell you that for the first week we used both dinning rooms for every meal and had secret hoards of sugar hid in our billets. All good things come to an end though and in two weeks we were a couple of miles up the road on another satellite this one for the Airfield we had been kicked out of. I can not think of the name of the place it was near Thaxted or some such place but we were on parade and being inspected by our Officer who stood in front of me and stared hard, " Are you feeling all right ," he asked "Yes Sir" I replied. "You do not look all right" he said " Fall out and report to the sick bay. Tell them that I have sent you" That is how I found out that I had Yellow Jaundice.

The Medical Officer had me sent to hospital in Cambridge were I was resident for six weeks. I was not allowed out of bed, I was the only member of the forces in the ward, and at visiting time, that was only on Tuesday Evening, and Sat. and Sun. afternoon and evening. Not like today. I was the only one without a visitor, and you could see visitors glancing or nodding in my direction and making inquires. it is war time remember food is in very short supply, the hospitals did their best but like everyone had a struggle and visitors brought eggs for the folk they visited, however acquired for they were rationed too. You could then have a scrambled egg with your slice of toast or have one boiled for breakfast. My bed was second from the door visitors entered the ward from, and when it was visiting time several would come over to my bed and inquire how I was etc. then give me an egg or even two, I soon had that many eggs that if any one was short for his breakfast, I could fix him up. there is no doubt at all that I was well treated by staff and visitors alike, because I was the only member of the forces there, and too far from home for visitors of my own.

When I was discharged finally, I found that my Sqdn. had moved, they were under canvas in a field somewhere about ten miles out of Southampton, I finally rejoined my unit. One day we were all called on parade, we were being inspected by the senior Officer for the area, and even our C O was obviously nervous as he waited anxiously for him to arrive, he finally did, and we were called to "Attention" then "For inspection Open Order March" and this senior Officer walked down the ranks followed by our C O and the Sqdn Warrant Officer. and he stopped every now and then and asked questions of a man here and a man there also asking questions off the C O. He paused in front of me, but was looking at the CO, "Have all your men fired their personal weapons" he asked "Oh Yes " said our C O. The visiting big wig then turned to me, "Have you fired your personal weapon young man," I looked at my C O who was all smiles before I answered him: " No sir, not since my rifle was swapped to a Sten gun Sir." My C O looked as if he was going to have a fit. The Visitor turned to our C O and said "God, I don't know how I do it. have you any more fibs for me? See that this man has the opportunity to fire his weapon, while there is still time." our CO was gutted. the Warrant Officer, stopped with me as they past on down the line, and asked why or how had I slipped through the net, "Probably because I have been in hospital for six weeks but I have been back on duty more than two," I told him. "Then your bloody flight sergeant should have seen to it as soon as you returned," You never saw a bloke get so much attention as I did until the trip to a firing range was arranged and got over with.

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