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When we reached s'Hertsogenbosch we had a lot of trouble with the Germans. Then we had to attack Loonopzand and take that. The call went out for the Pioneers as there were mines to be seen to. Off we went in our 15 cwt. truck. The C.O. took the Corporal in his jeep and led the way. We hadn't gone very far when, all of a sudden, there was a bang! We had gone over a mine. The C.O. hadn't gone over it but we had and set it off. I was then the only N.C.O. left in the truck so I had to take charge.

The little chappie sitting next to the driver had some slight facial wounds so I had to get one of the other lads to take him back to the dressing stations (we had passed through the Seaforths) and get two of the others to see to the driver who was slightly cut about the face and had both his ankles broken. Luckily the well of the truck was sand-bagged and he didn't suffer anything else. The front of the truck had been completely destroyed - engine, wheels - everything gone. I got a mine detector out and swept and located two more German mines. They were about a metre long with a charge at either end and you just needed to press one end and both charges went off. Thank goodness my lads and I were able to pick these up and move them away to where they were safe.

There was a farm on the other side of the road. We disconnected our trailer and got all our other gear out of the back of the truck and took it to this farm after making sure there were no Germans there. We stayed there the rest of the night with two guards on duty all the time.

Then we were sent into attack a big house that stood in its own grounds and a short distance away was a cross-roads. I was sent to report to the major in charge of "C" Company who were going to take the cross-roads. It was my responsibility to sweep the area to find out whether there were any mines there. However, the Germans had different ideas about this. On our way there was the big house which we had previously ignored because we had passed to the right of it. There was also a farm building with outbuildings and a cowshed. We headed towards those dodging from tree to tree on the way. There were plenty of these as well as bullets flying about.

All of a sudden there was an almight Crack! very close to me and in the dim light I saw a German's head as he fell. The officer in charge of the company had shot him. The Major (Rae) ordered us into the barns. He went away round the far side of the buildings to find out what was going on. His Company had gone there earlier to flush out any Germans that might be there. There was a lot of hand to hand fighting, then two stretcher bearers appeared carrying the Major who had been badly wounded. Before he passed out he told the second in command of the Company who I was with at that time that he had given orders to withdraw and to bring the artillery down to this area. We were ordered to pull back and take the injured with us. The Major had to be evacuated and I was ordered to help with the wounded.

I said to my comrade and two others, "Let's pick the Major up," because it needed four of us to carry him. We carried him on our shoulders on the stretcher back to the Company we had previously passed through and from there he was taken to hospital. The following morning I had to find my mine detector as I had had to drop it when carrying the Major out of the line.

The artillery fired a "Stonk" as it was known, on this place. A tank was also sent to the house to get the Germans to surrender. They did - after the tank had fired a shot through the house. After daylight came when I retrieved my mine detector we had to go back to the cross-roads to sweep it. There were no mines so we could expect the enemy to retreat over that area. Whether they did or not I do not know but they shelled us as they were retreating. Two lorry-loads of prisoners were taken out of that house.

After a short rest we were sent up over Neimegen Bridge to relieve the Americans who were holding the ground between the two rivers. Very soon, when the Germans realised that the British were there,- especially the Highland Division — they flooded us out. We pulled back again and had another rest. We were training for an attack on the Seigfried line when the Germans broke through the Americans in the Ardennes. We were sent there to help them out. This was the week before Christmas. It began to sleet and snow. We did anti-parachute duties at night because the Germans were dropping parachutists wearing British uniforms. We had that to do before actually seeing any action there. I remember Christmas Day - we lined up with our mess tins for our dinner and it was sleeting badly all the time.

In the Ardennes I remember walking up to a village through quite thick snow. The tanks were coming with us but every one was knocked out with a mobile 88mm anti-tank gun which was concealed by a strip of woodland away below us. Our lads were all in white boiler suits as camouflage. But as we moved about we didn't encounter any infantry during the day. That same night we could see a village that lay in front of us on slightly lower ground and so we moved into that after the Germans pulled out.

We had a really comfortable billet there with a lovely fire in it. The following day we moved off and eventually moved into some woodland and were ordered to dig in. There was almost a foot of snow. We had to get some rest but also take turns to be on guard. The next day we carried on until we came to more houses and were billeted in some of those. Then we went on to another village where there was a big shooting lodge. My platoon were billeted there and it was luxurious after what we'd been through.

Eventually the Americans got the upper hand in the Ardennes so we were pulled out and moved back to Holland. We had a short rest and started training for our attack on the Seigfried Line early in January. On the first night when it was pouring with rain I was ordered with a number of my platoon to go and fill in an anti-tank ditch so we could get our transport up with us. While we were working there it was raining so hard the water was running off our steel helmets and down the back of our necks and out of the seats of our trousers. A Company coming up with its C.O. who knew me said, “Hello, Corporal Stephen, how are you doing?" I replied, "What a night to fight a war! Thank you very much."

This part of the Seigfried Line was known as the Reichswald Forest. Our first main objective was a small town known as Jennup and then we went on to another town called Goch. There was fierce fighting in both these places. Goch had a large brush factory in it and when we were told about this some of my comrades dared me to go and look at it because it was the side nearest to the German lines. I plucked up courage and went and got a whole lot of lovely artists' brushes in three different sizes. I filled a box and came away. One or two shells landed close by as I went back to the platoon. A couple of the lads who really wanted some brushes had quite a few of them. We moved on.

Soon after that some of the Lowland Division came and took over and passed through us. Coming out of the line we had a short break before starting exercises for the Rhine crossing. My Battalion was to be one of the leading players in this. We were ordered to attack. Luckily I was again left out of battle and didn't cross over for some six or seven days. As we had been one of the leading units in this we soon had a rest and were sent on leave.

When I returned I had just jumped out of the lorry when my sergeant said, "Get yourself changed into your denims, get a mine detector on your back - we are going into the attack. Luckily I didn't get involved in this particular attack - none of the Pioneer platoon did. Soon after that there were several skirmishes and finally we ended up near Belsen.

We were put to small farms around the area near Belsen. The Control Commission came along after they had visited Belsen and around all these small farms and wanted to know how many cows. the farmers had. When they found out they said, "Right, you will give so much milk every day and we'll come round and collect it." This was for the inmates of Belsen.

We were only there for a short time and we knew negotiations were going on for a cease-fire. It was a Friday afternoon when we heard cheers go up a long way off. Then we were told that the cease-fire had been negotiated and it was to take place on the Saturday morning at eight o'clock.

We had been due to attack Wilhelmshaven either on the Saturday or the Sunday but we didn't. We moved into Wilhelmshaven on the Monday and took over control of that and were responsible for all the Germans there until the Americans arrived. They came about a fortnight later and took over from us as it was to be their port for their area in Germany after the war.

We went back to a place called Neustadt only about 14 Kms. from Hanover and my Company had a lovely billet there in the school. There was a battalion parade on 16th October, 1945 and a number of us were presented with certificates for gallantry and service on behalf of the C.O. and officers of the battalion.

I had done six years and six weeks exactly from the 2nd September 1939. Was I glad to be going home.

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