大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's war site by Helen Oram, Scotland csv on behalf of Alex Clark and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

TRAINING
I was called up in 1942 and did basic training at Gordon Castle, Fochabers during the worst winter I could remember. It was cold and miserable. After a spell at Camberley we were shipped out to the Middle East. We landed at the huge harbour at Port Suez. There was a huge ship, the Idaho, which reminded me of the ship that had run ashore on the beach at Aberdeen. It was the same ship - a link with home.

EL ALAMEIN
We had training at a holding camp in the desert to accustom us to the heat. Then it was up the line to El Alamein to stop Rommell's army breaking through.

On the night before the 23rd October 1942, we knew it was the big thing. We were ready to do battle. I was the Company runner and had to be beside the Sergeant-Major to take messages.

When I went forward into battle with the Sergeant-Major, he was the first man to be killed. It brought me to my senses. I said to myself; this is war and there is no point in being feart. I charged forward like a banshee with my bayonet fixed. Men were being killed all around. One man who had been a pal of mine at school was killed. His stomach was blown out. "Never mind me - help somebody else", he said. NCOs were killed left, right and centre.

MADE A CORPORAL
After that, being a survivor, I got made a corporal. After the battle, we were sent out on "reccies". Six volunteers would be detailed to go out on patrol. Men had stopped volunteering. But when I asked them, they all volunteered. Though I was now a Corporal, I was still their pal. An English officer asked me how I managed it.I told him that I said to the men, "Follow me and your tackets (hob-nails) will never rust".

ME POLSKI
There were some terrible battles as we fought our way through the desert. A little episode happened when we were far up the desert after El Alamein.

We were in front of our troops at an observation post. We spotted people approaching in the distance and waited. It was four Germans carrying a wounded soldier in a blanket. Our daily water ration was very small, but we gave the wounded man a drink of water. "Me Polski", he said. We showed them where they should go in our battalion to get help. These soldiers were in fact giving themselves up as POWs.

Some time after demob, I was walking along the beach at Aberdeen. There were a lot of Poles on the beach. One of them, a man of over six feet, said to me that he knew me. I shook my head. Then, "Me Polski", he said. It was the wounded man from the desert. An amazing co-incidence!

CASTIGLIONE
In Sicily we took a hill village called Castiglione, which had been held by a battalion of the Hermann Goering division. Before making a hasty retreat, the Germans put bullet holes through the huge vats which held their harvest of wine. Wine was running down the streets. We helped the villagers plug the holes (there were joiners among us) and they were able to put wine into the vats again.

Our pipe band beat a retreat in the village square. The villagers all gathered round, clapping. They had never seen anything like it before. They were the friendliest people I had met in my life. It belied the advice given in a letter from Monty (Fortress Europe) saying we should regard everyone as our enemy.

MEETING MONTY
Later on I was involved in training Canadian soldiers how to get on and off landing craft, etc. It was a secret thing. One day I was left behind to look after the camp. I saw staff cars coming - obviously top brass. It was General Montgomery and some brigadiers. They stopped 100 yards away and had a meeting. One of the Brigadiers asked me if I would have a cup of tea for the General. I filled up six cups and he carried them up.

Monty stopped the car and asked,"What are you doing here,soldier?" I said I was on a secret mission. He said, "Surely you can tell the General". He asked me where my home was and I told him I was from Aberdeen. He gave me a parcel of newspapers (The Times) sent by his wife from London.

When the Officer came back I said who had been visiting. He didn't believe me, until I showed him the newspapers. I gave them to the Officer as were no use to me.

I met Monty twice again. A few days later, Monty's staff car stopped again.The officer saluted. Monty said, "See that man (meaning me) gets a bed and a bath tonight".

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