大象传媒

Before starting my story, I think I should tell you about my childhood.
I was born 17/6/1918 at Market Street, Eastleigh, Hampshire.

For some reason I have not yet been able to ascertain, my brothers, sister and I were taken from our parents at an early age and put into a childrens' home at Winchester Road, Hollybrook Homes, Shirley, Southampton.
No doubt this was done with good intentions - but I wish this had not been necessary - it went on for a number of years between 1925 and 1930.
We did have access to our parents but in the process we had to leave our school. In my case, Wilton Road School, Shirley, and interrupt our education at another school. This happened four or five times.
Eventually we were able to leave the home and live with our parents in a new council house situated at Rounhams Road, Maybush, Southampton, where we spent our teenage years.

I had various jobs, one as a kennel boy and an errand boy for a haberdasher's until my father decided to have me apprenticed as a joiner in the docks at Harland and Wolfe Shipbuilders.

After four years, I and other mates of mine decided to join the Territorial Army, more for something useful to do than any thoughts that we may be called up.

There were rumours however of what was happening in France and Poland.

It was when we began our annual comps training with various types of guns - anti-aircraft in particular - that we began to realise that there was something more to our training at two sites, one at the Isle of Anglsea, Wales and Burrowhead in Scotland.
One day whilst working at my bench at Harland and Wolfe, a friend of mine in the T.A. told me we had been mobilised - the date was 24th August 1939.
Immediately I dropped everything and went home for my uniform, which in those days was Royal Horse Artillary with peak cap, riding breeches, spurs, putters, leather belt and white languard. I wore this until 1941 when we were issued with battle dress.

After mobilisation, we were stationed behind the Southampton power station, opposite and behind the Central Station Railway, where were ready for action until the end of 1939.
We never had to use our guns at that site, but while we were there, other sites were bing developed at Marchwood, Beaulieu, ready for any further action, which did not take long in coming in 1940.

Throughout that year it seemed that every enemy aircraft that arrived, came over Southampton, because we were on continual alert day and night, although the night action was the worst.
The alarm would sound and we would stand to whenever aircraft were in our zone of operations and opened fire from orders at the command post. Sometimes we were firing all night, sometimes we would stand down, but as soon as we got back to sleep, out we would have to go again, at any time of day or night.

The winter of that year was very cold with lots of snow and we had a very bad attack from the enemy at the site of Marchwood and I became the first casualty with a fractured arm and spent some time at Netley Hospital, which was an old military hospital.

There were quiet times in the summer and we carried out normal duties when on guard duty and had a Lee Enfield rifle 303.
Other duties included spud bashing for the cookhouse and cleaning the army huts and our equipment.We also did physical training and spotting for enemy aircraft. Guard duty at Beaulieu House, the home of Lord Montqague, and rifle practice in readiness for the expected invasion, which thankfully never came.

However, there were rumours of the enemy testing the defences along the coast, but we were ready ! I was approached by an individual whom I suspected of trying to find out details of our operations and remembered the slogan ''careless talk costs lives ''.
We had to be 'on our guard' in every situation.

My three brothers Frank, Edward and George, were in the T.A. Engineers, the Hampshire Regiment regular army and the tank corps, respectively. Like many others........a family at war.

In 1941 we moved to Eastleigh with 3.7 Monile Guns. I think it was during the reorganisation of the forces, but could not be sure.
I did my first practical at Southampton and during that time was sent on courses throughout the country to train as a gun fitter.
The first stop was a transit camp in Rampton, Nottinghamshire.
After two weeks I was sent, with others, after parade, to report on our experience with guns. As it turned out, we were all anti-aircraft and so those who had used 4.5 guns were roped in to form a Field Gun Personnel, to take part in Field Gun training.

We were then sent to Newcastle under Lyne and Hanley, where we finished our courses on all types of guns. The names of those who had passed the courses were posted on the notice board and we were told we could join units nearest our homes.
Broadstairs, Kent was the nearet place to my home and I joined the unit in November 1941, when we went on to West Wickham and in 1942 on to Liverpool, where we boarded a ship called 'The Mexico City' (one of the lease lend from America).
Scapa Floe was our next destination where we joined a convoy escorted by 6 destroyers including an aircraft carrier and a destroyer 'The Rodney' on our way to Free Town in Sierra Leone and then Cape Town in South Africa, where we stayed for about 2 weeks having shore leave.

From here we sailed the Indian Ocean where I remember seeing flying fish.
Then the Red Sea, into Egypt, taking part in the crossing to the line ceremony on the way. After 2 weeks' leave in Cairo we were ordered to the Front Line, ready for the battle that was to take place for Alexandria.
We were the 65th Field Artillary Regiment 445 Battery, part of the 44th Division with 25 pounder guns, who took part in the Battle of El Elamein, which drove Field Marshall Romel back to Tunisia.

By chance I met my brother Edward, who's unit of Bofars guns were positioned near us, to cover against air attack. He had been out there since Dunkirk and we hadn't met for 3 years. He was in the Hampshore Regiment - a regular soldier.
Four brothers took part in the war, George on Tanks, Frank - Engineers, who had some part in the retrieval of the 'Bouncing Bomb' experiment in England, Edward and myself.

The Italy landings came next together with the American 5th Army at Solerno, where we spent Christmas, on the banks of the Volturno river, which was snowed up in winter.
Then on to all the places in between and the Halt at Casino and the landing at Ansio, with a halt in the advance to Rome.

We advanced to Trieste and on into Croatia to keep Field Marshall Tito quiet....he was the leader of the resistance and evenually became leader of Yugoslavia.
Whilst in Italy we were sent back to Egypt to fly the flag as the President of Egypt had designs on the Suez Canal.

After the war was over, we were stationed in Pula in Croatia, where eventually, we were sent home through Switzerland and the Brenner Pass and back again before being mobilized.

I was in Trafalgar Square the day the end of the war was declared with the girl I eventually married.

Recently I have received a request from a chap who has been trying to find out about his grandfather who died in a Whitley Bomber accident whilst returning from France in 1940. The plane crashed into a barrage balloon, due to misinformation from the base. He has archive information but not the burial place. The balloons were based at Marchwood, opposite Southampton Dock Head near Hythe.

With the grace of God, all four brother survived, married and had children, for which we will be eternally glad, because when we left these shores we could not foretell if we would ever see England again.

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