大象传媒

During the period October 1998 to September 2002 I worked upon a documentary photographic project with surviving D-Day and Normandy Veterans from the Hull and District Branch of the Normandy Veterans Association.

I would like to use just one unique old soldiers story from the many I came to know. Max Hearst was in my opinion, a special human being, from a very special generation. He received his call up papers like hundreds of thousands of others at the beginning of WW2.

He was an Infantry Soldier and he took part in the retreat to Dunkirk in 1940. One day whilst marching towards the Coast, his unit stopped for a brief rest and a cup of tea, when he noticed a rabbit (they were very short on food and rations) not that far away, running around in the grass (he had visions of rabbit stew).

So he put his Lee Enfield .303 Rifle to his shoulder took careful aim and shot the rabbit dead (only moments later did he find out that he had shot a nearby French units Regimental mascot!).

Max then served with the 8th Army (the Desert Rats) in North Africa. Then on June 6th 1944 he took part in the D-Day Landings, landing with the 5th Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment on Gold Beach in the first wave.

He like many others witnessed sights that day that he did not wish to talk about too much.

But he remembered being ordered to go (that night) and collect the Company's rations from the beach area in a 'Bren Carrier'. On doing so he was told to take a full Company's rations(the problem was up to 70% of the Company was either dead, wounded, listed as missing or hospitialised).

As such I could tell many more stories about Max such has the one about his good mate "Taggy Taylor" and "Rommel and the cigarettes".

Max was a lovely, kind, generous, helpful person with a great sense of humour (he tried to see the funny side of what must have been a very dark period of his life in the thick of the action in WW2) he was also very supportive to me with regards my photography project.

He was the Chairman and a leading light in the Hull Branch of the Normandy Veterans Association for many years.

Sadly after a period of ill health Max faded away (like all good soldiers do eventually)aged 82, in September 2002.

I look back on this period of my own life has being especially priveleged to have known Max and many others like him whilst doing this project. The World is a much poorer place with his and their passing.

Yours Sincerely

Trevor David Betts
BA (Hons.)

Ex 2nd Battalion Royal Anglian Infantry Soldier (1979-88).

4th June 2004.

P.S. The Normandy Veterans - Lest We Forget photographuc project is currently on display at:

The Land War Fare Hall, The Imperial War Museum Duxford, Cambridgeshire (until the end of December 2004).

The Museum of Lincolnshire Life, Burton Road, Lincoln (until the 14th Novemeber 2004).

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