- Contributed by听
- stoke_on_trentlibs
- People in story:听
- Ronald Needham
- Location of story:听
- Burma
- Background to story:听
- Army
- Article ID:听
- A2535284
- Contributed on:听
- 19 April 2004
This story was submitted to the the People's War site by Stoke-on-Trent Libraries on behalf of Ronald Needham and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.
Surrounded
"We were in the wilds when we were surrounded. I was going for a shave. There was a hill about 500 to 600 yards away where some men were digging in. I was told they were from the Ox and Bucks (Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire) Regiment. I waved to them and walked on as they waved back. I was part-way through my shave when all hell broke loose. There were bullets everywhere. It was the Japanese on the hill!
Back to my post
I was a Bren gunner and ran back to my post at the edge of some trees. I remember there being a Mahratta unit with us. The attack went on for two hours - bullets all over the place.
While we were firing a bloke came crawling through the undergrowth on his stomach. "Just you three?" he asked. We said, "Yes," and he replied, "Right. Breakfast's up!" So we crawled through the wood to a hedge and then ran through an open space to some bushes about 20 yards away. Then we ran to the side of a hill another 20 feet or so away. Round the corner they were cooking breakfast. I remember how strange it seemed to be in the middle of a battle and be called to breakfast. At least we could eat in peace!
Brain-shaker
On another occasion I was blown up. I can't remember a thing. I woke up days later being asked for my name by a chap. I was told a shell had landed close by. I wasn't wounded. It just shook my brains apart. I was sent home soon after that."
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