大象传媒

Submission For The 大象传媒 Peoples War Website

Originated By Dave Drew at Kirkby Libray On Behalf Of Mr Ernie Wray On Februay 2005

'A winding' an old colliers term for raising and lowering of the cage that took miners to and from their work. To miss the cage meant missing a shift and a days pay. Hence the local expression 'Tha's allus missin a winding' meaning someone who was always late for work.

From the story that follows it can be seen that from the day war broke out until January 1946 Ernie Wray, who could have stayed home in the mines did more than his share of the fighting. It may be truly said that in 7 years with the colours, Ernie never missed a winding.

Mr Ernie Wray (86 )is a member of the Kirkby in Ashfield Branch Of the Royal British Legion Except for his war service he has lived locally all his life. Kirkby is a North Nottinghamshire ex mining town with a typical ex service population.

Ernie Wray served with The Northamptonshire Regiment from 15th July 1939 until 31st January 1946

This is his story.

Ernest Wray was unfortunate enough to be amongst the only batch of militia actually called up. He registered for service on the Kings Birthday 5th June 1939 and began his service with the Northamptons on the 15th of July.

As he left his wife and the security of his pit Village at Newstead in Nottinghamshire little did he realise how many years would elapse before they would be reunited. In all his 7 years service Ernest only had 32 days home leave. He returned to his 6 yr old son almost a stranger despite his wifes best efforts to keep the lad abreast of his fathers distant doings.

Along the way Private 5887127 of the 5th Bttn Northamptonshire Regiment was in for a rough war.

The unit landed in France on the 8th January 1940 and sat out the phoney war on the Maginot line before moving up towards Belgium shortly before Easter.

Ernie was then caught up in the madness of the German thrust across the low countries he reports that, "We moved up to Louvain at 6am on the morning of the Belgian surrender and by midnight were engaged in a fighting retreat that took us via Ypres to the Dunkirk beaches. I was lucky to be evacuated from the mole on the 31st of May for operations from the mole stopped shortly after we were taken off"

Following the debacle the Northamptons followed a typical garrison and training regime. firstly at Lyme Regis then Christchurch until finally being moved to Dumfries to become part of 78 Div and be honed to combat strength and efficiency.

Ernie sailed for operation Torch on the SS Ocean Trader from Barry South Wales and even the voyage to war had its moments. Four hundred miles out into the Atlantic off the Spanish coast, Ocean Trader and her corvette escort engaged a surfacing U boat, that, as Ernest says, popped up 'Slap between us' the ships gunfire was for once deadly accurate and the conning tower was seen to be blown clear of the U boat which turned turtle and sank with no survivors.

The Brigade landed un apposed at Algiers and moved rapidly into action.

A frantic war then developed with the brigade taking casualties and suffering badly in the rainy season. Ernie recalls Banana ridge and the American failure at Kasserine Pass as particularly trying periods.

Sergeant Wray's luck ran out at the Tebouraba Gap when whilst atempting to remove two vehicles under direct tank fire. A pair of Stukas intervened and destroyed both, badly wounding Ernie.

He wryly says Churchill boasted that we had an aircraft to cover every cross roads in Tunisia." For all the good some of ours did they might as well have been parked on the buggers. Still it wasn't our lads let us down it was the American Air Force who even then had a poor reputation for blue on blue engagement". He acknowledges the skill of the German pilots who attacked him. Two aircraft one bomb each and both vehicles detroyed'.

He was evacuated by pack mule and train to Algiers where doctors professed astonishment at his survival so serious were his stomach wounds.

Ernie now spent many months recovering and to be truthful should have been invalided out. Indeed his papers were eventually sent back to the UK. The army forgot however to parcel Ernest up with them and he remained in theatre.

Though eventually rejoining his bttn B echelon via 'Cherry ripe' his wounds forced him back into hospital. His Italian combat war was over.

Ernie relects that he went up to Cassino, Just for a look and decided he'd been well off out of it. The battn he'd served so loyally continued being D Day Dodgers all the mud sucking way to Austria.

Ernie completed his war as a REME policeman guarding a vast stores depot in Naples. He returned to his colliery village and family in late winter 1946 and within 14 days was back down the pit.

His abiding memory is of the poor benighted refugess of the low countries and the desperate hunger of the troops during those bloody days of Dunkirk.

In the context of Sicily and the Italian aftermath he has no time for Field Marshall Montgomery considering him vainglorious and guilty of bad decision making because of it.

He now wonders if the blood spilt by his generation is to be set to naught, though proud of his part in stopping a rampant Germany he feels let down by the modern world, convinced that the youngsters of today have no purpose and discipline.

Campaign Medals:-

1939-45 Star and Africa Star with 1st army clasp
Italy Star
Defence Medal
Victory Medal
Croix de Fidelite (Belgium)
Dunkirk Star

Ends

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