大象传媒

This story is submitted by a volunteer on behalf of Radio Bristol Action Desk at City of Bristol College.

Shortly after his time as a Firewatcher at the age of just 15 (see 'Firewatching in Park Row' story) Ray joined the ARP which became known as the Civil Defence as a messenger boy.

Delivering messages by bicycle (a second hand raleigh which he paid 拢3.50 for) until he was called up to join the army in November 1943 at just 18.

He was stationed for his first few weeks training at Corchester until transferred to the Rifle Brigade stationed at Retford near Nottingham.

On D-Day plus 12 he was sent over with his brigade to Normandy to meet up with the rest of the battalion just outside of Caen shortly after it had been taken by Allied Forces.

Here he split up with his friend as they were sent to different sections in the same field and shortly after this friend was sadly killed by an enemy shell. Most of his friends kit was distributed amoungst the rest of the section which was for very sad for Ray but he just had to get on with things as the advanced column which he was involved with was advancing up through France towards Belgium.

Their battalion was held up for the winter in Holland due to severe weather until it cleared when they advanced north towards Denmark.

All the way through Belgium and Holland they were liberating the local villages and the inhabitants showered them with flowers, wine and even kisses amounsgt theses celebrations. Ray remembers having to duck and dodge to avoid some of the stuff that was thrown!
A dark side of this party was when two women who had been colaberating with the Germans had their heads shaved and were stripped in the street. This was done by the local villagers and not the troops.

When they reached the Kiel canal they made camp and within a couple of days the war ended and they lit a huge fire to celebrate VE Day with the added bonus of a tot of rum!

The next few days they had to stay to make sure that the German's were getting rid of their weapons and armoury and he has photos of them throwing their gear over the bridge and into the canal!

From here they were moved back to a small town called Guluckstadt near Hamburg on the river Elbe. Here he applied for a job in the officer's mess as a waiter (to avoid guard duties!) and after a while the position of seargent was offered to him. He declined to accept this and became a bat man to an officer while still keeping his rank as Lance-Corporal.

During his stay in the officer's mess he occasionally went with the Seargent to Hamburg with butter and cigarettes to barter for fresh vegtables. He remembers the incredible image of people popping up out of holes in the ground (as Hamburg had been flattened by the bombing) to take them to their supply depots!

Somewhile afterwards Ray had early release from the army to get back into the building trade as a labourer which he did before he was called up. He then worked at Lockleaze on the new housing site.

He still had the same bike that had served him so well and used right up until the day he came off it coming down down Ashley Hill after a few too many drinks!

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