大象传媒

My father, then Gunner, (later bombadier and sergeant) Bill (William) Lawrence tells of one of the times in his war when he really wasn't sure he was going to make it through the battle. He was in Charlie troop 5th medium artillery regiment, 20/21 battery.
"It was easter weekend, night time, and the four guns of my section were in a field 100 yards or so off a main road near Medjez El Bab. We were in the low part of the field, when the germans counter attacked, their tanks pushing foward just over the slope at the top of the field, perhaps a quarter of a mile away, whilst their infantry went past on the main road, just below us. We were in darkness and under camoflage netting, so we weren't seen. One of the infantry did let fly with a burst of fire from a machine gun, the tracer could be seen flying over our heads, but fortunately he didn't spray it around, so he hit nothing and we didn't respond so they carried on towards Medjez El Bab without locating us. The battle continued on around us in to the light of the next day, we were lucky, it was hell on earth all around us but our field wasn't badly affected."
"We were surrounded and it looked like we were in trouble, not likely to make it through much longer."
" With us being surrounded, our DonR - Dispatch Rider was going to make a run for it and see if he could get out. I stopped him to talk before he went, and he said he should be all right, it wasn't light enough yet and he'd be taken for one of the germans. I picked a few flowers from the field near the command post, wrapped them in cellophane from a cigarette packet and scribbled a quick note to my mum saying I was alright, not to worry, and keep the flowers safe for me. The DonR took my letter and flowers and rode off.
"I was on guard duty for the command post, with a bren gun, and could see some of our infantry (Royal West Kents' I think but can't be sure) attacking what I assume was a german machine gun position, they fixed bayonets and charged, two of them were shot as they charged towards the enemy, but then they were around the hill and I couldn't see any more of what happened."
"Our tanks were over on the other side of Mediz El Bab, and they, with the infantry managed to force the germans back past us, the allied infantry arriving at our position eventually. The infantry and tanks moved on up, and a Daily Herald reporter arrived on the back of another tank. He stopped then, saying that was close enough for him to the front. I asked him to take my photo ut he didn't. Later we received orders then for 5 or 6 minutes of intense fire. That meant fire as many shells as you can for 5 minutes, at a set area. We went for it and that was the last we saw of the reporter."
That's where dad usually finishes telling his story. Some years ago I was with him when he went to see his mum, my nan. We went through her old photographs of the family. We found a small piece of age darkened cellophane, with three small dried flowers in it. She'd kept them safe for more than forty years.....
They sit at dads house now in a small frame, along with his other momento's of his war. A flag from a german staff car, Orders for the escort of a jugoslavian renegrade from Milan to another prison in the south of Italy. A picture of the gun team.Below is a photo of the flowers as they are today.

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