大象传媒

Chapter Two
鈥淵ou were no longer a boy.鈥�
Then the instructions came through on what we intended to do and we moved from The Flats to The King George 5th docks in London.
We boarded the ship there and our transport and everything was put onto the ships, we sailed in the evening.
We were issued with 3 bags for vomit, a 24 hour ration pack, and an emergency supply of chocolate. It was in a tin and that only had to be used on the words of an Officer. You could never, y鈥檏now, you couldn鈥檛 use that.
We sailed down the Thames and anchored off South End for about 6 or 7 days, owing to the fact there were storms in the channels and such a glut of transport trying to get into Arromanches.
Eventually we sailed and landed in Arromanches. All of us were filled with trepidation at seeing all the damage on the coast and the signs along the coast road, Achtung Mines! and so on.
We harboured for the night near Bayeux. We slept in the fields and around the fields y鈥檏now.
The following day instructions came through that we were going to relieve a regiment at a place called St Manvieu in Normandy near the Carpiquet Aerodrome. We moved off in column, meanwhile the tanks were still in England so we went in as independent Infantry.
We took over from a Scottish Regiment who had had quite a pounding and had delivered the goods themselves like y鈥檏now.
On our way in we were over a ridge when we were shelled. We started taking casualties as we were going in. It sounded like a thousand dogs howling in agony as they wound their thing up. All our hearts were pounding faster and faster, at those first moments you ever were under attack was when your boyhood left you. All your youth and sillyness y鈥檚ee it kinda went and you were no longer a boy!
You can imagine been young fellas never been under fire before, huh, our skin was prickly and our hair was standing on end and we were breaking into a sweat not knowing what was going to happen to us.
We got through that and we relieved the regiment at St Manvieu and we started having a scout around.
Now then it was a Line Regiment an Infantry Regiment we took over from. And of course of us been six footers or more, the trenches were very shallow. We had to start digging deeper (he laughs) so we could fit in!
How we use to do it was we鈥檇 dig a trench so just the head was just above the parapet sort of thing, head and shoulders.
Then more often than not two would share a trench and you鈥檇 dig the trench and then you鈥檇 dig a foot hole in the middle of the trench so you could sit down and put your feet down in the middle of the trench.
We use to sleep at night still in the trench, you鈥檇 get your blanket round you, what we call a gas cape. You鈥檇 have your tin hat on and you鈥檇 pull it over that way you鈥檇 be sheltered from all the little insects and everything that were falling in. You could hear 鈥榚m pattering on you and that鈥檚 how you used to sleep when you鈥檇 chance to sleep like.
So here, well we were just holding the line in St Manvieu and Carpiquet Aerodrome and the following morning we got instructions we鈥檇 to do patrol and I went on what they call Standing Patrol with my section of carriers. We went onto the perimeter of the aerodrome we went through this little village it was absolutely obliterated and the riffle companies were all dug in all amongst the rubble like.
When we did this standing patrol we use to have go out at first light, just as daylight was breaking every morning and we use to go very quietly up this little track and get into position along the edge of the aerodrome.
Then at last light as it was getting dusk we used to pull back into the battalion area. It were frightening at times, you were under observation all the time from the far side of the aerodrome.
They use to give us a battering with what they called the Moaning Menace, it was a multiple mortar it just sounded like a thousand dogs in agony the noise鈥� and then you could hear them zinging. Well after a while when you鈥檇 been peppered a time or two you had a fair idea where they were going to land y鈥檚ee. And they鈥檇 land and then there was an absolute tremendous blast from these things and they鈥檇 drop in a line.
Well as I say we use to go in first light on a morning and there were bunkers with anti gun partitions on top of the bunkers so when they fired and you could hear the mortars coming you use to roll down and into the bunker y鈥檚ee well that was at that side and all the trees were shattered and everything you could see.
There were bunkers at this other side and during the night when we pulled back snipers use to come in.
So what we had to do was clear the bunkers every morning incase there was somebody in and they鈥檇 be at the back of you. Then we鈥檇 get into gun position and we鈥檇 be there observing all day long like.
We use to see the Typhoons had come in, they were the rocket firing plane and there鈥檇 probably be three at a flight of 'em.
It was tremendous to see them coming in and they would dive right in and let their rockets away. We use to be cheering like mad y鈥檏now.
There was one occasion where there was this water tower y鈥檏now with a bulbous thing, away out on the Aerodrome. We suspected that the Germans were using it as an observation post you see.
So one day the artillery opened up on this and with six shots they demolished this here thing. We thought it was marvellous shooting y鈥檚ee so it were good!
Your nerves were jangling all the time you were wandering am I gonna get through this you know like, some chaps did go, there nerves just went there were quite number.
Personally I was frightened. Funnily enough I thought well I don鈥檛 want to be, or to look a coward in front of me mates (his voice now starts breaking, long pause)... so I was an NCO then and it were up to me to show that we could do things.
Well I started up as a Lance Corporal the lowest, then I became a Lance Sergeant, not particularly through merit but because a lot of the people were getting knocked over and promotion came very fast!
Then I finished up as a full Sergeant which meant I had more responsibility for other people than I had for myself like.
I was proud to be a Sergeant and I had respect from below me and above, so it was a great rank to have I thought.
At times depending who it was I鈥檇 have to give 鈥榚m a right good bollocking, or if I knew they were a sensitive lad I鈥檇 say 鈥淐ome 鈥榚re old mate have a fag lets talk about it.鈥�
More often than not things turned out ok, sometimes you did have to say to your Officers 鈥業鈥檓 afraid this lad wont make it I鈥檇 be better off with out him.鈥� and they鈥檇 move him out like, it was very, very rarely it happened.
As I say though you鈥檇 get other fellas and they tried to keep going, but their nerves would go and they were genuine. Where as this fella, he was yella, gutless and a bully!
I think I were a good NCO鈥� I had a driver called Peacock he was a baby faced little lad from Brighton鈥� Charlie Coverdale from Harrogate he was my Mortar Man and then I had Horace鈥� (Very upset)
Horace Camm was me Bren Gunner he was a boy, a Doncaster lad. Nowadays they鈥檇 say he was thick, he had no nerves at all that fella. (He laughs鈥�)
Looking back all I can think is he must have been a bit thick as well (he laughs...) he was a smashing lad. He was a right good looter he had a nose for anything to be scrounged, if it were to be had Horace would scrounge it like y鈥檏now.

Chapter Three
鈥淗e鈥檇 not even seen a German!鈥�
Well there鈥檇 been such a demand for reinforcements I was fortunate compared to a lot of young men I had a long time at training and had the experience over a lot of young men.
I ended up teaching some y鈥檏now I got to so I could teach my knowledge and I couldn鈥檛 have been, nobody could have been better prepared to go into action than I was y鈥檚ee.
I mean there were a lot of young men green, green as grass had a lot, a few months training then they came out to you y鈥檏now.
It was a sad part, in fact we were under attack once and I was having to demonstrate to some young lads how to prime a grenade and get the grenade ready for some use y鈥� know. I mean an attack were coming in you know like, and that were a thing I were there having to do like!
It was a killer in the trenches particularly if you were on a front which was very active with a lot of shelling and mortaring.
Or you鈥檇 done an attack and were dug in, you鈥檇 be two hours on, two hours off and at first light just as the light was breaking, they use to call it 鈥楽tand To.鈥�
Everybody for an hour, everybody, cook, and bottle washers the lot were stood up in their trench with their arms at the ready until it came daylight.
Sometimes it was so hard to keep your eyes open, you could fall asleep standing up like, but if you were caught asleep it was severe punishment.
That was the hard one trying to keep awake y鈥檏now.
I remember another old pal of mine Tommy Witon, he鈥檚 dead now poor old Tom.
We鈥檇 pulled back into Battalion area from our patrol and I was laid in my trench. Couldn鈥檛 sleep like, they were shelling all around us and I could hear guitar music, y鈥檏now Hawaiian guitar music. I could hear it in my head so I said to Tommy 鈥淒o you know Tom, I鈥檝e been laid in my trench 鈥榚re and all I could hear was bloody Hawaiian guitar music鈥� he said 鈥淒o you know Stephen I was the same, I could hear bloody music there too!鈥�
To put it bluntly you were scared, you were frightened y鈥檏now. In my case I didn鈥檛 and I suppose in lots of them you thought 鈥榳ell I don鈥檛 want to let my mates see I鈥檓 a coward鈥� but I was, I was frightened to death y鈥檏now. I think if anyone says well he wasn鈥檛 he鈥檚 definitely telling porkies.
I went through it all and the things I did y鈥檏now, I was absolutely shit scared but I did it I knew if I didn鈥檛 do it they would think I鈥檓 a yellow bastard y鈥檏now.
You needed strength or you had to have something y鈥檏now like. The old woodbine and a sip of whiskey were good aids.
And as I say you鈥檇 have some good mates, you could have a giggle y鈥檏now, have a laugh at something silly. It kept you going.
I recall a very sad occasion it were upsetting, in Normandy.
We鈥檇 advanced so far and then we reached a valley like, it was like an escarpment you鈥檇 to climb up the sides.
There鈥檇 been one or two Regiment鈥檚 who had had a go up here and they鈥檇 been knocked back.
Well of course the old Fifth Battalion, bloody nutters, they sent them in and we managed it, but we were followed through by the carriers and there were this 鈥榚re lad at the side of the road.
He had come up as reinforcements at night time y鈥檚ee.
It were very sad, he were just quivering and he鈥檇 just had it like, it was so sad he's just laid at the side of the road and bloody dusts covering all over him and what not y鈥檏now. That was an upsetting thing鈥�(starting to cry)
So as I say poor buggar he'd not even seen a German y鈥檏now he was just taken from his home and 鈥榩ppsh FINITO!鈥�
Like I say I were lucky, well I think right through my service luck were with me!
A certain thing happened, we all wanted a blighty, a little wound in your backside or a pitted arm, so you could get back out like y鈥檚ee.
One Old George Hardy use to lay in a trench with his leg sticking up and out like hoping he'd get bloody shrapnel! Huh he got his shrapnel but it got him in the back and it were a really really bad wound for George.
Arthur Davis he were the same, oh he got his blighty, he鈥檇 been in Dunkirk and he鈥檇 just had it. A bloody shell landed miles away from us he got perforated eardrums and oh off he went. 鈥淥h鈥� he says, 鈥渉ear that I鈥檓 off鈥� he says鈥�.
Aye as I say funny things happened another time we鈥檇 linked up to the American Airborne, and we鈥檇 harboured for the night. So we鈥檇 pulled off the track into some woods.
I heard this here firing at back of us and I thought it must have been a German Tank at back. Anyway it was a Messershimit and he were coming right down the column y鈥檏now like.
Well my mate he dived under a carrier and I cleared this 鈥榚re thorn hedge, I felt something sharp stab me right in the backside and I thought 鈥淥h I鈥檝e got me blighty.鈥�
I turned to me mate and said 鈥淗ow bad is it, how bad is it?鈥� he said 鈥� Oh ya big soft buggar鈥re!鈥� and he handed me a thorn, a thorn about four or five inches long, it were stuck in me bum like! So that were my blighty.
Aye me mate he dived under a carrier and they use to fire a mixture of high explosives, phosphors and what not, he鈥檇 lost some fingers y鈥檏now with the phosphors and so on. His clothes were burning and what not. Douggie Adams they called him, of course he were home then and got his blighty.
So then we had some devastating news about my Pl Bill Wigley.
Bill took a patrol out onto the area of the Carpiquet Aerodrome, the lads dismounted and the three drivers were left with the vehicles.
Well whilst they were out they must have been spotted and the Germans put a barrage down on the vehicles and the three lads were killed.
There was a lad called George Cobby, we鈥檇 been together right from our first day of service. We were in the same squad and had soldiered right together like.
Then there was a boy from Leeds called Tom Dean and another young man, young married man called Tommy Johnson. They were all killed together.
They鈥檙e now buried side by side in St Manvieu Cemetery which I visited three times like, y鈥檏now.
I intend going again on the 60th anniversary on D-Day, which is the 6th June 2004.
Like I say anyway, our officer came up Captain Fanning came and told us the news we were all really cut up.
It wasn鈥檛 the first time we had lost casualties, no we had lost some lads the night that we went into the line they were coming up as reinforcements. As they were coming up they were shelled on their way in and a lad called Les Ascough he was badly wounded and died of his wounds. An old mate of mine Neddy Hunt, he was very badly wounded but he survived like y鈥檏now but he was left badly crippled for life through it all.
I鈥檝e seen him twice since he was wounded and he鈥檚 still the same old Ned y鈥檏now. (He Chuckles.)
From then we took a lot of shelling in our positions eventually when our armour landed in France they brought us out of the line for a rest period. Our nerves were on end and we were all very jumpy for quite a number of days.
They say smoking's bad for you but did we give the bloody cigarettes some stick y鈥檏now鈥�(He Chuckles.)
Some of the lads they鈥檇 discovered the local drink in some of the battered farm houses it was a very potent drink called Calvados. They all had their water bottles filled with it to steady their nerves like y鈥檚ee.
When I was younger I always had the thought that my Mum was watching over me and that nothing would get me, I think that was what had helped me get through, apart from cigarettes and a good stiff drink!

See Chapter Four next....

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