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MY WARTIME MEMORIES AND ARMY SERVICE
By ERIC.C.SIMMONDS
1939-1948
9 The Drove,Horton Heath .S050 7NX

Written March 2005
On 3rd September 1939 my parents, sisters Pat and Joyce and myself were listening to Neville Chamberlain on the radio at 11.00 hrs stating we were at war with Germany. My Father who was in the1914-1918 war said the Germans were going to retaliate for loosing the first war. Everything was quiet for a few months.
We lived about midway between Portsmouth and Southampton and about the middle of 1940 during the bombing of the two towns we used to watch the dog-fights with Spitfires-Hurricanes and the German Messerschmitt 109s and we listened to their machine guns chattering and often we would see a aeroplane break away belching smoke and sometimes see a parachute floating down .
Often we would get M.E.110s on nuisance raids. They flew very low about 200yds apart and machine gunned anything that moved or took their fancy; a terrace of houses near Swanwick railway station still have the bullet marks to this day.
At night during the bombing we could often see the sky red from the fires. On my mother’s side of the family most of her relations lived in Southampton so in the evenings some came to our bungalow to get a nights rest, and back to work in the morning.

My Father grew fruit and vegetables and sold them to his customers in the Chapel area of Southampton. As a schoolboy I went with him each Saturday. One day the Germans bombed Supermarine Spitfire factory at Woolston just across the River Itchen about 500yards from us, it was a bit scary. A few weeks later the Garibaldi Public House was bombed and quite a few killed, also many of our customers in Endle St, Dock St and surrounding area had their houses destroyed. Easter 1941, I left School just 14years of age and two days later started work at an aircraft factory which was repairing Spitfire wings. My wages for a 45hour week was 14/6p. In today’s money 72 and half pence. At school most of us lads joined the Army Cadet Force, we thought to do our bit. We paraded twice a week at Park Gate Drill Hall where we were taught how to march, also arms drill, We were very pleased when we had uniforms issued and felt like soldiers.

When I was 16 years I joined the A.T.C. (Air Training Cadets) at 1917 Squadron, Hamble. Our Sergeant was John Sharpe from my old school. He and two others worked for No. 15 Ferry Pool which had two taxi Anson and one Rapide aircraft. John got me a job part time for weekends and holidays. My job was to wind up and lower the wheels sitting next to the pilot. I often flew with Jackie Sorour from South Africa, also Philippa Bennett. Margot Gore was the Commanding Officer. I then got hooked on flying at age 16 and 9months. I added on 6 months to 17 and a quarter and volunteered for the R.A.F. I was sent to London for medical and educational exams and on 26th April 1944 I received a letter from Secretary of State for Air stating I had been accepted for air crew training and given a rank 2237069 A.C.2.Simmonds E.C. R.A.F.V.R. I was told to carry on in the aircraft factory until required. I was very excited and decided to do as many flying hours as possible.
The Anson taxi aircraft was used to collect pilots that had delivered new aircraft from factory to operational units in central Southern England. When the plane was full I had to work hard to get the undercarriage up then we returned to Hamble. All the pilots at Hamble were women.
In September 1944 I was told to go to Torquay for further tests for three days, as aircrew were surplus, because D day had gone well and the Germans were being driven back to their own country. The majority of the reserves failed .

About one month later I had my call up papers for the army at Fort William Scotland. I did not like that so told them my correct age and was finally called up eight days after my 18th birthday.

Memories of D-day

In the spring of 1944 many temporary camps were put up in our area ready for D-day which was expected at any time. I remember the Canadian tank Regiment on Botley Road Park Gate. One of their tanks was hit we thought by a bomb but later we were told it was one of the first V.1 flying bombs (doodle bugs). Many areas were out of bounds, so we did not know what was going on. Later we heard that Lord Lovett and his Commandos went from Warsash to relieve Major Howard who commanded the British Airborne Division that had captured Pegasus Bridge in France. Recently a stone has been erected to commemorate the occasion. Also we later learnt that Midget Submarines were tested on the River Hamble. Many of the things that went on we learnt about after the war.

On 18th April 1945 I arrived at Warwick Station to be met by a Sergeant Major. He shouted you are in the army now jump when I speak which we then did for the next six weeks while in training.
We then were posted to Marske-by-Sea for a further eight weeks training this time on 4.5 Medium Artillery. The next move was to West Tofts Camp in Norfolk. This time on 5.5 Medium Artillery for approx ten weeks. The next move was to Cromer on the coast. Most of the regiment were then posted to India. As I was not yet 19 years old, myself and about 20 others were kept back for the next draft and then posted to Bodney Airfield to await the next draft. On 26th March 1946 we travelled to Dover for the Boat to Calais then onward to Italy. We arrived at a new camp in a small village called La Farra. We were then on 25 pounder guns; this was on 4th April 1946. After two weeks I was promoted to l/bdr, another sixpence a day. Approximately two weeks later we moved to a tented camp at a place called Mont Castiloine on the border of Yugoslavia called the Morgan Line. On manoeuvres we were told not to point the guns towards Yugoslavia as it would upset Tito’s army. On 1st May a patrol came over the border as they claimed Trieste. This was the only time in my army period that I heard bullets fired in anger. Next it was all blanco and polish as on 2nd May we were on Victory Parade through Trieste with our Quads Guns and Limbers then after a few days it was back to La Farra and more gun drill.

Between La Farra and Monfalcone was Redipulia with a large monument of the Austrian and Italian war. I was told there are 365 steps with 1000 names on each for those that had fallen during the war. When I was there in 1946 a German Long Tom Gun was on the railway lines next to the monument.

About the middle of May I was sent on a gunnery course at Monfalcone. The weather was very hot so we were on parade at 0600hrs until 1400hrs. In the afternoons we were on the beach swimming about 100 yds down the beach was a compound full of German prisoners of war also swimming. The course was one month then back to camp. Around the beginning of July I applied for another course at Monfalcone this time Technical Assistant Royal Artillery, T.A.R.A for short. I passed that and it gave me another sixpence a day, that made my pay a total of 28 shillings a week in new money £1.40. When I arrived back at camp I was promoted to full Bombardier and another sixpence a day. We were still enjoying life in Italy but all good things must come to an end. We were told next stop Germany so on 8th September Jack Windle and I went on a 5 day short leave to Grado Then on 17th September I was one of the advance party to leave, first stop Vallach Austria, then to Calais. Next stop Hanover, then by lorry to Verden North Germany where we prepared camp for the remainder to arrive on 27th September. On 9th October I was on a square bashing course for two weeks then again on the move to Neinburg. We were now the 25th Field Regiment R A. Our camp was near the River Vasser. During the winter of 1946 - 1947 the temperature fell to 29 degrees below freezing, even the river froze over. On Saturday 23rd November 1946 I had 19 days leave, we had a truck to take us to Cuxhaven.

Travelling to the boat home, we passed Hamburg which had many raids and was in a mess. I arrived home at 20.30hrs on Saturday 25th.
Some of my mates Bill and Paddy were on leave so we went to some of the haunts and met other friends and had a drop of beer. A week later my sister Pat introduced me to her friend Mary. We seemed to hit it off so we met every day for the remainder of my leave. She wrote to me when I arrived back at camp. We married April 1949 so far we are still together 56 years.

On 24th February 1947 I went into Hanover Military Hospital with Laryngitis and I was there until 11th March. When I arrived back at camp I was told that I had been promoted to Sergeant from 1st March. I was still 19 years old. What a different life in the Sergeants’ mess! On 11th April I was 20 years and one day. We then moved camp again to Oerrel wooden huts on the edge of a forest. Through a clearing in the forest was a lot of burnt out aircraft, a wartime airfield which had the attention of our planes. As our camp was very isolated, the sergeants and W.Os were given liberty trucks to take us to Uelzen to the C.C G club (Control Commission Germany) which was a club for booze and dancing. Uelzen was a few miles from Luneburg Heath where the surrender was signed. Our Sergeants’ Mess was about half a mile from camp. Twice a week liberty trucks picked up girls from Uelzen to bring to the camp for our dance partners.In September we were on the move again. This time to a brick built camp at Munster Lagar. The Regiment is Regiment Royal now 29th Field Artillery. It is a nice town.

On November 15th Regimental Orders stated I was promoted War Substanciated Sergeant, which meant that I could only loose stripes by a Court Marshal.
On 8th December I had 19days leave, one year since my last leave. I met Mary every day, then on 27th December back to camp. I was then made Mess Sergeant in charge of daily duties of the Mess i.e. Catering, bar, and Social Duties.
Then on Friday 13th February I left camp for demob, travelled to Hook of Holland then to Hull for civilian clothes and Railway Warrant. Then I was on my way home. I had 78 days demob leave with 9 shillings a day pay plus 3 shillings and 4 pence a day food allowance. Finally on 1st May I finished with the army and was put on Z reserve for any further service.

My address in the army was: -
14968721
Sgt. Simmonds E.C. ( T.A.R.A.)
A Troop
8 Battery
29th Field Regt .R A
B.O.A .R

Our Command Officer was Lt Col.Simpson
Our Battery Officer was Capt King
Our Battery Sgt. Major was Mc Quire.
Our Troop Officer 2nd Lt Jessop.

Our Troop Sgt’s were Alec Fowler, Chich Chisolm, Jack Crossland and Myself

My gun crew were Bdr. Baker, Driver Bradley, Gnr’s Moore, Mathison, and Barnes - a good crew.

MY WIFE’S FAMILY WARTIME SERVICE
1939_1946

Father Ernest Claude Pickett joined Royal navy in 1912. He married Susan. Saw action at Battle of Jutland, retired from the Royal Navy in 1934 with rank of Chief Petty Officer. They had 6 children; 1 boy and 5 girls.

At the outbreak of war Ernest was recalled for a further 6 years. Son Fred volunteered for the Royal Marines, completed his service as a Staff Sergeant. The daughters volunteered for A.T.S. Jane in Radar Department, Eva Telephonist, and Jean on Searchlights, the two youngest Kathleen and Mary worked in N.A.F.F.I.

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