大象传媒

Then on 17th September I was one of the advance party to leave first stop Vallach Austria then to Calais next stop Hanover then by lorry to Verden North Germany where we prepared camp for the remainder to arrive on 27th September on 9th October I was on a square bashing course for two weeks then again on the move to Neinburg we are now 25th Field Regiment R A our camp is near the River Vasser during the winter of 1946 1947 the temperature fell to 29degrees below freezing, even the river froze over.
On Saturday 23rd November 1946 I had 19days leave, we had a truck to take us to Cuxhaven
For the boat home, we passed Hamburg which had many raids and was in a mess
I arrived home at 20.30hrs on Saturday 25th.
Some of my mates Bill and Paddy were on leave so we went to some of the haunts and met other friends and had a drop of beer.
A week later my Sister Pat introduced me to her friend Mary we seemed to hit it off so we met every day for the remainder of my leave .She wrote to me when I arrived back at camp. We married April 1949 so far we are still together 56 years.

On 24th February 1947 I went into Hanover Military Hospital Laryngitis and was there until 11th March when I arrived back at camp I was told that I had been promoted to Sergeant from 1st March I was still 19 years old what a different life in the Sgts, mess On 11th April I was 20years and one day We then moved camp again to Oerrel wooden huts on the edge of a forest through a clearing in the forest was a lot of burnt out aircraft a wartime airfield which had the attention of our planes as our camp was very isolated the sergeants and W.Os were given liberty trucks to take us to Uelzen to the C.C G club Control Commission Germany which was a club for booze and dancing Uelzen was a few miles from Luneburg Heath where the surrender was signed .Our Sergeants Mess was about half A mile from camp twice a week liberty trucks picked up girls from Uelzen to bring to camp for our dance partners
In September we are on the move again this time to brick built camp at Munster Lagar
The Regiment is Regiment Royal now 29th Field Artillery.
It is a nice town
November 15th Regimental Orders stated I was promoted War Substanceiated Sergeant, which meant that I could only loose stripes, by a Court Marshal.
On 8th December I had 19days leave one year since my last leave I met Mary every day then on 27th December back to camp I was then made Mess Sergeant in charge of daily duties of the Mess i.e. Catering, bar, and Social Duties.
Then on Friday 13th February I left camp for demob travelled to Hook of Holland then to Hull for civilian clothes Railway Warrant then I was on my way home I had 78 days demob leave with 9 shillings a day pay plus 3 shillings and 4 pence a day food allowance Finally on 1st May finished with the army and put on Z reserve for any further service

My address in the army was: -
14968721
Sgt. Simmonds E.C. ( T.A.R.A.)
A Troop
8 Battery
29th Field Regt .R A
B.O.A .R

Our Command Officer was Lt Col.Simpson
Our Battery Officer was Capt King
Our Battery Sgt. Major was Mc Quire.
Our Troop Officer 2nd Lt Jessop.

Our Troop Sgt鈥檚 were Alec Fowler, Chich Chisolm, Jack Crossland and Myself

My gun crew were Bdr. Baker, Driver Bradley, Gnr鈥檚 Moore, Mathison, and Barnes a
good crew

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