大象传媒

Grandad was a Lance Bombadier with the 2nd Field Royal Artillery .He was officially a Driver /Mechanic,but did all sorts of other things as well. He was a Regular from 1925 to 1930, posted in Shanghai for a lot of that time. He was called up on 1st September 1939,and went across with the BEF. He got taken off Dunkirk on Day 3 and got back to Swansea.He and his mates had to help lots of troops into the boats,as they couldn't swim.He said it was a 'bit of a scamble'and 'fairly lively'..a fair understatement! Anyway,back to the North Africa story. He was serving as a despatch rider for part of his time there,and they were falling back .He had to go to an artillery post in an old farmhouse and let them know that they were pulling out.The signals were out,so he set off on a motorbike to tell them. As he pulled into the stockyard,he saw the Germans were already there! He switched his engine off and swiftly turned it round, took it back down the long dusty drive and 'gave it some welly' He took off ,warning everyone he could see that the Germans were much further up than they had thought,and was mentioned in despatches for it.This was grandads great escape story.
He was seconded to the Ist Army under Eisenhower, and went on to Anzio and Sicily with them. He and his mate used to cross over to the British lines at night with American fags and food.In Sicily,they lay under bombardment in sand dunes for 3 days. He ended up in Egypt, guarding POWS,'quite a soft job'

Grandad Tom was a lovely,modest man who had the attitude that he had just done his bit. He had a twinkle in his eye but stood for no 'nonsense' from kids or anyone!After he was demobbed on August 29th 1945, he went back to work as a handy man and on the land.He died quite young from a heart attack in his early sixties,in Boston Lincolnshire. A long way from home for a Welshman. His Army number was 1060665
he kept a diary,throughout the whole war, which we still have,a wonderful record of war seen from a soldiers eyes.

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