大象传媒

Introduction

This article has been submitted on behalf of Pat O鈥橞rien from Whitehaven, Cumbria (previously Cumberland). Pat served in the Army throughout World War Two. Pat dictated his story to one of his daughters, Mrs P. Hazel Block. Hazel has written the story on behalf of her father with the assistance of a family friend, Joseph Ritson, who has posted it to the 大象传媒 鈥淧eople鈥檚 War鈥� website.

During the war Pat served with several different battalions, commencing with the 5th Battalion, the Border Regiment. Pat, Hazel and Joseph have read and understood the terms of the 大象传媒 鈥淧eople鈥榮 War鈥� website.

Off to France with the Border Regiment

Like many lads who lived in Whitehaven before the war Pat was a miner and also a member of the 5th Battalion (TA) , the Border Regiment. Each year, Pat and his pals in the Territorial Army used to go off on a Summer Camp each year. When Pat went to TA Camp in late August 1939, he was not to know he would travel thousands of miles, fight his way through a score of countries and not go back to work in the mines for almost a decade!

When war was declared on 3 September 1939 Pat joined up with his 鈥榤arras鈥� (close pals) straight away. Miners did not become exempt from serving in the Forces until later in the war. As Pat鈥檚 group were already in the Border Regiment鈥檚 5th Battalion, many of them being TA soldiers of 4 years standing they were already trained soldiers.

The 5th Borders became part of the British Expeditionary Force and they were sent to France. Amongst the close pals Pat joined up with was a friend and close neighbour by the name of John Lowrey. Both pat and John hailed from Marlborough Street, which is near Whitehaven harbour. Pat was then 24 years old and John was 19 years old.

During the Dunkirk evacuation, the 5th Border pals were on the sand dunes at Dunkirk for 3 days. One story Pat tells is how their Sergeant took their party to 鈥渓iberate鈥� planks of wood from bombed out local houses and carry out running repairs to the Mole they were eventually rescued from. They were one of the last parties to leave the beaches, sailing on 3 June 1940. What was left of the battalion were eventually reunited at Spennymoor, County Durham. After that, all the TA lads from Whitehaven eventually went different ways, joining different units and serving in different areas.

On to the Middle East

In Pat鈥檚 case, he then travelled via South Africa to the Middle East. This involved a long sea voyage and it took about 6 weeks. They had to sleep in their trousers and keep their water bottle and emergency rations near by, in case they were torpedoed! No wonder some of the men were queasy. There wasn鈥檛 much room on deck and the officers had their own bit, so it could get a bit stuffy below deck.

To keep themselves occupied, Pat and his mates read books or magazines, played cards, watched boxing matches, anything really to fill in time. It was a welcome relief to disembark in Cape Town, South Africa where they saw Table Mountain.

While with the Middle East Forces, Pat served all over the in the Middle East: Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan then in the North African desert where Pat drove a tank. Pat was at Tobruk in Libya in May 1941 when Rommel鈥檚 Afrika Korps were winning the battles, and then again in October 1942 when Montgomery led them to victory. They then went onto regain El Alamein in November 1942.

Pat has said desert warfare was more like being at sea: 鈥淵ou moved from compass point to compass point and travelled miles and miles鈥�. There was no real front line in the desert. There were no landmarks to use. It was all navigation and sand! This is how Pat puts it:

鈥淭he war was won on bully beef, biscuits and a gallon of water per man per day. The worst thing was the sand. It got everywhere. The winds could whip the sand to sting your bared arms and legs and the flies were always there鈥�.

In August 1942 Churchill inspected the soldiers in Cairo Egypt, just before Montgomery arrived to command the desert army. Pat and his mates spent some welcome time in Cairo, climbing the pyramids and honing their suntans. This was a time when sometimes it felt like being on holiday!

One of the 鈥楧-Day Dodgers鈥�

By the beginning of May 1943, the North Africa campaign was won. Pat was 28 years old on the 15th May and he was delighted to receive a letter from home. Unfortunately, it had been following him around for months. The letter contained the bad news that his mother had died the previous Christmas. This really took the shine off the victory / birthday celebrations

Moving on to Italy, there were soldiers from lots of countries fighting on the Allies side: Free Polish, Free French, Yanks, Indians, New Zealanders, English, and Scottish. They were to become known as 鈥楧-Day Dodgers way out in sunny Italy鈥� after a slur on the soldiers by Lady Nancy Astor. The reality was that winter 1943/44 was the coldest and wettest in living memory.

While in Italy, the army endured almost World War one conditions: wet mud and continuous shelling and they had to fight for every inch of land. Although Mussolini was sacked at the end of July 1943 after the invasion of Sicily, it was not until September that Pat took part in the invasion of mainland Italy. This is how he tells it:

鈥淏y then, the Germans had had time to blow bridges, strip cover and mine routes. The countryside was horrendously mountainous and roads almost non-existent. Although the Yanks had air superiority we called them 鈥淓isenhower鈥檚 Luftwaffe鈥�. We also needed more bridges etc than anyone thought possible. It was 18th May 1944 before the Free Polish Army took Monte Cassino and it was early June when Rome fell鈥�.

Destiny moves Pat on to Greece

Later in the war, Pat鈥榮 unit landed at Patras, Greece. They travelled through the ravaged countryside that had been devastated by the retreating Germans and years of Occupation. They eventually arrived in Athens in October 1944 only days after the Germans left. This was to prove a turning point, and a defining moment in Pat鈥檚 life. It was while he was in Athens that Pat met and fell in love with a beautiful young Greek girl by the name of Angelina Marcoulatou, who eventually became his wife! Destiny had played its part.

Before that, on arriving in Athens, Pat and his mates were all showered with flowers and everyone seemed to have a flag. Their reception by the Greeks was amazing! It made a nice change from what they had been used to before. Now, possibly for the first time, they could see why they had been fighting all those years.

Pat even had time to visit the Acropolis, which once again was flying the Greek flag. It all seemed too good to be true. By December 1944 they were fighting the Greek 鈥楢ndartes鈥� (Communist Guerrillas). The 鈥楢ndartes鈥� had come down out of the mountains, marched down to Athens and then stopped just outside. Athens was now in complete chaos. The 鈥楾ommies鈥� had their orders from Lieutenant General Ronald Scobie and now they were once again being bombed.
As Pat has summed all this up to us, with a wry smile:

鈥淚t鈥檚 a rum job being a soldier鈥�.

Conclusion

Pat and Angelina were to marry in Athens on 31 December 1945, after which Angelina moved to Pat鈥檚 hometown of Whitehaven, Cumberland (now Cumbria) where they raised their family. Although Pat and Angelina now no longer enjoy the health and mobility they once had, on 31 December 2005 they celebrated their Diamond Wedding Anniversary: a great day for everyone.

Despite not being as mobile, or having as many adventures, as in previous years, Pat and Angelina are still able to enjoy many things together. In 2005, as well as their 60th Wedding Anniversary, there were two other key events they were able to celebrate. On 15 May 2005, Pat celebrated his 90th birthday with family and friends. Then, on 26 June 2005 Pat was able to take part in the Veterans Parade through the streets of Whitehaven, which formed part of the official County of Cumbria commemorations for the 60th Anniversary of Victory in World War Two.

This was a tremendously joyful day for Pat, as it was for Angelina and all the family. Once again, as when he arrived in Athens, Pat saw what they had been fighting for all those years before. It was one of many days of shared happiness Pat and Angelina have enjoyed throughout their lives.

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