大象传媒

Ever since I was little I would ask my Grandad to tell me what he did in the Army. I would sit for hours listening to him tell me of the exciting times he had. The most memerable stories I am about to tell.

One is of his escape in Norway and the other is of the Ford truck he used to drive. My Grandad was an Engineer in the Leicester Transport Unit, (this was his favourate story to tell me). He was fixing an engine when another young officer came over to him and said that he needed his Ford truck for a journey, as the journey involved going through deep water and his engine couldnt be waterproofed. My grandad never said anything and let the officer take his truck. Whilst his truck was gone he had the Bedford truck to drive around in. When the officer returned my Grandad announced that the Bedford truck could now be driven through deep water. But the young officer didnt believe him and so my Grandad bet him that he could drive it through the test water and it would be ok.

It was a hot day and all the unit were lined up along the opposite bank of the test water. My Grandad drove into the water and kept going. The truck created a bow wave at the front. As he got to the other side the bow wave caught everyone and soaked them. The young officer shook my Grandad's hand and appologised for not believing him. When the Sargent came over he asked my Grandad why he hadn't spoken up before about the engine and that it could be water proofed. My grandad simply replied that no one had asked him.

Another story that my Grandad told me was when he went to Norway. He was on one of the first boats that sailed out. When he arrived in Norway their equipment hadn't arrived. It was the middle of winter and extremely cold. He told me that whilst in Norway alot of men were captured. My Grandad and his troop were very nearly captured. But my Grandad and his troop made a plan to escape the enemy. The plan involved steeling a truck and driving across to the coast to where the boats were docked.

The troop found a truck with the keys in it, which alot of trucks were left like and no one locked them up. They drove across the country in the dark for cover. As they neared the docks they ditched the truck. My Grandad got out and locked the truck up. My Grandad explained that they walked for hours until they got to the dock and boarded a boat that was headed for England.

My Grandad and his troop were reported as missing over the radio, which my Nana was listening to back in England. My Nana was worried that he might never come back, but she says she knew that he was still alive. The first thing my Nana heard was from the Sargent back at the base. He said that my Grandad's troop had called in to say that they were safe but couldn't say where they were. It was a week later that my Grandad and his troop walked into base. My Grandad still has the key to the truck that they stole.

Although my Grandad has passed away I thought it would be nice for everyone to hear the stories I grew up listening to. However many times I heard him tell me the stories they were always exciting.

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