大象传媒

We couldn鈥檛 sail directly to Arromanches - we had to zig-zag across the Channel to avoid German submarines. The journey therefore took many hours and I remember playing bingo to pass the time.

When we arrived at Arromanches, we disembarked and went to a field a short way from the beach. It was a hot sunny day 鈥� some soldiers even went back to the beach for a swim in the sea. Everything seemed OK, very normal 鈥� then suddenly there were explosions around us and I remember asking 鈥榳hat鈥檚 that?鈥� It was the Germans shelling us but we were so innocent that at first we had no idea of the dangers surrounding us. My response to my first experience of shelling was naive. I heard them flying over and exploding nearby 鈥� I didn鈥檛 even know what they were. But I soon learned to duck when I鈥檇 seen the results 鈥� dead bodies, dead, bloated cows in fields. You couldn鈥檛 see how you were going to survive with such destruction going on around you.

Sadly, one member of our troop was killed in this incident. Audrey, who was by now my fianc茅e, had given me a writing pad 鈥� I remember thinking that I wouldn鈥檛 live to use it. I didn鈥檛 panic about that, I just thought I鈥檇 end up getting killed.

We were sent to join up with the rest of the 43rd Recce who were based further inland to pick up our equipment. Each squadron was then given different areas to reconnoitre 鈥� I found myself as lead recce driver to 鈥楢鈥� squadron responsible for recce-ing for the infantrymen of the Dorset, Wiltshire and Somerset regiments.

It was the summer of 1944, and we were pushing on through the Villers Bocage 鈥� Calvados country. French civilians in the Villers Bocage were very friendly and provided us with Calvados 鈥� a favourite tipple. It was a difficult area for fighting in because of the wooded terrain where the enemy could easily hide. The plan was to push the Germans back all the time, starting in France, then into Belgium, Holland and eventually into Germany by crossing the Rhine. And that鈥檚 what we did, but there were many hold ups along the way. One particular stumbling block was Hill 112. The high vantage point allowed the Germans to view the allies鈥� moves and use their defences to pin them down. This delayed the push for some considerable period, and cost many infantry lives.

Being a leading recce driver meant that you were under constant strain from the moment you set off to the moment you returned. There was nothing in front of you but the enemy - somewhere 鈥� so you had to have your eyes all over the place. The strain really was horrendous 鈥� you didn鈥檛 know when the enemy would appear 鈥� round the next bend, over the next hill, hidden in the hedgerows lining the roads. Roads were mined, German bazookas were hidden in hedges. Sometimes there was a German gun at the very end of a straight road just waiting for you. You were looking for tell-tale signs constantly so couldn鈥檛 afford to be distracted by flippant conversations, jokiness or anything. I remember once a mate called Charlie 鈥� he was a sergeant with brilliant eye-sight 鈥� put his head out of the turret of the car and a bazooka blew his head off. He hadn鈥檛 spotted it.

We often drove into enemy fire unexpectedly, and as the gunner engaged fire with them, we had to reverse back rapidly 鈥� and I mean rapidly! I remember also another sergeant bending down inside the vehicle and at the same time the gunner firing in response to enemy fire: the recoil of the gun hit him in the forehead and killed him outright.

Once Hill 112 was taken, we were able to carry on doing our reconnaissance work, heading for Belgium. Our friends, the Americans under General Patten (2-gun Patten!), were heading for Paris.

I remember one time finding an abandoned truck which we exchanged with a local farmer for eggs a plenty 鈥� for the next few days we lived on eggs, a welcome addition to our usual rations. The farmer was extremely happy with his truck 鈥� we got heartily sick of eggs!

The British allies had a wonderful reception when they arrived at Brussels. As we drove through the centre of Brussels in our tanks and armoured cars, people lined the street, cheering, waving flags and giving gifts of fruit and chocolates.

We were heading for Holland on Operation Market Garden, and although there were no major battles then, our job was the same as always 鈥� reconnaissance to seek out any German units along the way. We eventually found ourselves on the solitary road to Arnhem. There should have been no resistance along this road 鈥� except the SS Panza Division were 鈥榬esting鈥� along its route! This meant that the army coming up from behind us were effectively delayed on their way to join up with the Parachute Regiment at Arnhem.

Our next destination after the failure of Arnhem, was Brunssum in Holland. I was billeted here for about three weeks during the winter of 1945 鈥� this was a base from which we could relieve the infantry at Gellenkirchen. In Brunssum I remember going ice skating. There was also a village baker who baked big fruit tarts for the village and they shared them with us. There was a lovely cinema at Heerlen which I visited 鈥� it had double seats for couples.

Shelling made you wary, apprehensive, wondering where they would land 鈥� though at least we had the protection from armoured cars, except when we were used to relieve the infantry who had no protection at all. I don鈥檛 remember feeling fear in a physical way 鈥� sickness, palpitations, nervous laughter and so on. In the job I was doing there wasn鈥檛 time for fear, you were concentrating so hard all the time. I鈥檓 not a particularly religious person and didn鈥檛 become religious even when facing a lot of danger. I really did believe that I would be killed 鈥� but I don鈥檛 remember praying when on active service. I remember feeling admiration for the courage of the padre who showed no fear of live ammunition falling around him. I鈥檓 still not religious, but believe in God and an afterlife 鈥� there鈥檚 no point to life otherwise.

I know that some of my troop experienced physical responses. I remember one member of the troop 鈥榝roze鈥� in a trench and was ordered to move at gunpoint by the sergeant. My mate Nobby had a nervous breakdown during shelling at Gellenkirchen which was excessive 鈥� the shells were hitting trees and the shrapnel was horrendous, raining down. Nobby cracked. I found it difficult to understand at the time 鈥� almost like losing face. It surprised me that he was affected so badly because he always seemed more of a 鈥榡ack-the-lad鈥� than me. It must have been a front. He was sent back to the hospital. I did feel at the time that he鈥檇 failed in some way but I can understand and accept it more now.

I think the greatest apprehension to all of us was caused by the 88 mm gun of the Tiger tank and the Moaning Minnie 鈥� it made a sound like a cow being sick, then you heard it whining as it fell, then the explosions as it landed. If you heard it explode you knew you were safe.

It was essential to work as a team; you were all interdependent on each other. We had to work closely together. You got to know who you could rely on 鈥� there were some who you knew might let you down in a real emergency and you couldn鈥檛 afford that.

I was told after the war that I had a very blase attitude, appearing not to have a care in the world. It wasn鈥檛 a front 鈥� it was just my nature. Some years after the war I suffered severe bouts of depression and I often wonder if that was a belated response to the tensions of my experiences during the war. I was kept on recce duties for longer than was normal and at the end of the war the captain of my squadron apologised for keeping me on such a stressful job for so long.

There wasn鈥檛 much time for discussions when we were on a recce, but when we returned to base we would mainly discuss what had gone on during the day 鈥� finding out how other troops in the squadron had got on, casualties etc. The main concern was to have a brew-up, something to eat and a smoke. There were plenty of cigarettes available but I only smoked when back at base, not when out on recce. Other conversations consisted of spinning yarns about conquests 鈥� typical 鈥榖ar room鈥� talk 鈥� what the Yanks were doing with your girls (they had all the money!) We often complained about our stupid CO who used to say things like 鈥渉unting Germans today, chappies鈥�. We had no respect at all for him, or any other senior officers who were seen as inept.

There was a lot of camaraderie between us swaddies during the war and in my particular job we really did have to work as part of a team, so we got to know each other pretty well.

There have been many criticisms of British weapons, vehicles and equipment over the years and I think they are fair. Vehicles supplied did stand up to the job 鈥� Humber, Daimler and Scout armoured cars were adequate. But the weapons were lacking. Some of the assault troop weapons were a dead loss. The Bren gun was a joke 鈥� forever jamming. Rifles came out of the Ark compared to the Americans. The Lee Enfield rifle was used in the 1st World War and Canadian P14 rifles were not automatic. The German MP38/MP40 鈥楽chmeisser鈥� was far superior to anything we had.

Churchill tanks had 鈥榩ea shooter鈥� guns 鈥� two pounders whose shells would bounce off a Tiger tank. Tiger tanks had 88 mm guns 鈥� and I鈥檝e seen ONE German 88 mm gun hold up a whole division! On this occasion, we were leading. We stopped and suddenly heard the crack of the 88 gun which was straddling the road in the far distance, but out of our sight. Then the shells came whizzing over, past my car, past Jackson in the second car. We sat waiting and eventually Eddie Phillips, my car commander, said: 鈥渨e鈥檙e not hearing anything鈥�. We looked all round, to find all the other cars had retreated and we were on our own! They hadn鈥檛 told us! We made a hasty retreat 鈥� about fifty miles an hour in reverse!

There weren鈥檛 many recreational facilities on offer to servicemen that I remember.
There were occasional mobile baths when we pulled out for a break 鈥� which wasn鈥檛 very often as I rarely pulled out for a rest! The only way we could wash when on a recce was by igniting sand soaked in petrol and then heating water in a tin over it. That鈥檚 how we boiled water for drinking too. Before going out on a recce we would eat a cooked breakfast 鈥� tinned sausages, fat bacon (I didn鈥檛 eat that!) and perhaps beans; we wouldn鈥檛 eat again until we returned to base at dusk. I never saw a library or a mobile cinema. There were occasional live concerts 鈥� I saw one with Gracie Fields. There were no other recreational facilities on offer.

The Salvation Army was brilliant, the best soldier鈥檚 friend. They came right up to the front (WI and WVS never did) 鈥� very courageous in providing refreshments to soldiers on the front line. I had, and still have great respect for the Salvation Army.

I found no difficulty and felt no sense of guilt about the destruction of property in Germany 鈥� they鈥檇 done the same in Britain. I didn鈥檛 agree with the intensive bombing campaigns (Bomber Harris) as they created huge obstacles/craters which made the practicalities of our job more difficult as we had to negotiate them with our vehicles. It seemed like sheer destruction for destruction鈥檚 sake.

I never destroyed, or remember any members of my troop, destroying anything for the sake of it. The troop was always well disciplined. However, I remember that we did appropriate items of furniture from bombed out buildings in Germany and take them to Dutch families who鈥檇 been occupied by the Germans. I remember seeing wardrobes and other furniture strapped to tanks to be taken to Holland! It wasn鈥檛 really seen as wrong, more a perk of the job. Some soldiers did sell these things and made quite a lot of money 鈥� some even bought bars out there.

In England the dress code for swaddies was very strictly enforced. On active service I was something of a rebel 鈥� whilst on recce duties I never wore a hard hat; I wore a black leather bomber jacket, air gauntlets, gumboots, a yellow neckerchief and a beret. I was never challenged by senior offices, they seemed to be very lax. There was only one other trooper that I remember who was much like me 鈥� Shagger 鈥� but the other soldiers seemed to stick to the uniform.

There was an incident on one rare occasion when I was wearing a hard hat. A British plane came down 鈥� as it descended my mate Wally told me the plane tip touched my helmet. Probably exaggerated, as I don鈥檛 remember it, but another close shave. The pilot and crew survived 鈥� it鈥檚 where I got my gauntlets from.

Belgians provided support to the Allies but were frightened of the Germans: during the Ardennes offensive, villages which had been flying Union Jacks and Belgian flags seemed overnight to be flying German flags. Self-preservation I suppose.
The Dutch were excellent people. When we were on the push to Arnhem they couldn鈥檛 believe the number of troops passing through. They lined the streets cheering as we passed through. I was billeted with the Von Kemp family in Brunssem 鈥� they were very friendly and welcoming and I got to know all the families in the area.

Somebody must have known the war was coming to an end but the rank and file didn鈥檛, until the cease fire was announced to us the night before. On the day it was due to finish we were ordered to do a patrol but our officer, Jackson wasn鈥檛 taking any chances. He put us all in a lay by and we sat and waited.

Once the war was officially ended, it was 鈥榦n parade鈥�, all brasses polished, marching here, there and everywhere 鈥� a very strict dress code enforced!!

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