大象传媒

On February 13th 1945 I was serving with No 3 Section of 13 Platoon, D Company, 5th Bn Wiltshire Regt,129 Brigade, 43rd Division, 30 Corps,2nd Army. British Liberation Army in NW Europe. The Company had just driven the German's off a small wooded hill. Going down the hill towards some farm buildings was a shallow communication trench which had been dug by the German's. They had created a very strong defensive position in the wood containing 1X 88 mm Gun, 2X trench mortars, 4 Spandau Machine Guns.After several attempts they were driven off taking their weapons with them. They withdrew about 300 metres,from there new position they were able to bring accurate fire on to us.We used the trench to go down towards the farm and then they switched their fire causing us to reverse up the trench. As we were going back towards the wood a mortar shell landed on the edge covering me with earth, and at the same time i felt something hit my arm. A minute or so later i noticed blood coming down my sleeve. I told my section corporal who cut up my sleeve exposing the wound on my elbow, he put my first aid dressing on the wound and told me to go back and find the stretcher bearers. As i was going back I passed Company Headquarters. The Company Commander on being told that I was wounded said that i should throw away my entrenching tool as i would not need it where i was going.
The stretcher bearers were in the basement of the farm, they cut off the dressing and said that i would have to go to the RAP (Regimental Aid Post) this is where the Bn Medical Officer was. I was told that the enemy had a machine gun covering the track from the farm to the road. I was wedged into a jeep between the driver and an S.B.holding on to the windscreen with my good hand. The driver accelerated down the track and on to the tree lined road that led to Bedburg. Arriving at the RAP, the M.O. cut off the dressing and fetched a small piece of shrapnel from my arm. He said that there was more in there and so I would havto go back to a Casualty Clearing Station. I was put in a 15 cwt ambulance going to where the German's had flooded the land, here I was transfered to a DUKW (Amphibious Lorry)which took me and several other wounded to a Canadian Casualty Clearing Station in Nijmecen. We were bedded down for the night on stretchers after having a meal and receiving a bag of goodies from the Canadian Red Cross Nurses.The next morning after being given breakfasr and the inevitable bully beef haversack rations, we were taken by TCV's (Troop Carrying Vehicles) to Eindhoven Railway Station to board a Hospital train. This took us to Brussels, being met by a fleet of 1 ton ambulances which took us to Brussels University which was now a British Base Hospital.I was operated on to remove the shrapnel and after a few days was transfered to a Convalescent Depot in Tournai.My stay there only lasted a wssk and then began my long journey to rejoin mu unit who had by now crossed the Rhine.

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