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Introduction

I have assisted Mr Jim Renney from Dearham, Cumbria to put together some details about what his father did during World War Two. This has been done from what Jim’s father told him about his time in the army, his original Service and Release Book and photographs. He wishes to submit this article to the ´óĎó´ŤĂ˝ ‘People’s War” website. Jim’s father was William Leslie Renney from Cockermouth, Cumbria. During the war he served in the Army (REME) from 1939 to 1946.

Mr Renney (Senior) was known by his middle name of Leslie and passed away in 1999. Mr Jim Renney has read and understood the terms of the “People’s War” website.

A ‘D-Day Dodger’

“My Dad was William Leslie Renney from Cockermouth and known as Leslie. He was born on 9 July 1922. His parents were Harry and Norah Renney and they lived at 34 Derwent Street, Cockermouth, Cumberland (as it was then). He had four bothers and two sisters: Wilfred, Harry, Jim, Jack, Florence and June. He was in the Army during World War Two, signing up in 1939 and leaving in 1946.

I have some records about my father’s military service such as his Service and Pay Book (Army Book 64) and his Soldier’s Release Book (Army Book X 801) and a number of photographs. There are also a lot of photographs during the time he was in North Africa. I know he also served in Sicily and Italy but I hardly have any photographs from there.

Unfortunately I don’t have anything specific that my Dad wrote down where he was at, but I have worked out a lot of things just from his records and the photographs. There a few things I can remember he told me about. One time I remember Dad saying one of his mates rugby-tackled him and this saved him from standing on a landmine. I would be pleased to hear from anyone who knew him during his army days. Perhaps they have other memories about what they all did during the war.

Of course, having to serve in Italy in 1944 he was one of what Lady Nancy Astor called ‘The D-Day Dodgers’. Dad was really quite proud of being one of them! The only things they were dodging were German shells and bullets. In the army they were told where they had to go and what they had to do. He used to sing a version of a song called ‘The D-Day Dodgers’ which is to the tune of Lili Marlene. He had this written down and liked to sing or read it through.

Service Details

During the war my Dad was 3599121 Private Renney, REME. Before going into the Army he was a grocer. He enlisted into the Territorial Army at Cockermouth on 7 March 1939 so he was actually only 16 years old. To get round this, Dad said he was a year older than he really was and gave his date of birth as 9 July 1921. His Service Book and his Release Book give different birth dates. Interestingly, the Service Book has a written record that says ‘Age / Service Group not confirmed’. They obviously let him stay in later on when they found out his true age. The details in the Service Book were signed on 13 February 1940.

Dad could get away with saying he was older because he was tall and quite strong. According to his Service Book he was 5 feet 10½ inches tall, weighed 154 pounds, ‘Fresh’ complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. His religion is listed as C of E (Church of England) and blood group ‘O’. All his vaccinations are listed in the Service Book as well.

Information in the Service Book

According to my Dad’s Service Book, he passed courses as a Motor Mechanic (Group B Class III) on 13 November 1941 and 17 December 1941 and then as a Vehicle Mechanic on 3 March 1944. There are details of leave he was granted. He was given seven days leave with a free warrant from 25 October 1941 to 1 November 1941 and a ‘7-Day Draft’ with free warrant on 22 December 1941.

His next extended leave according to the Book in August 1945 he proceeded on 28 days leave in the UK and something called L.I.A.P. leave in the UK to 24 September 1945. Finally, he had 28 days demobilisation leave from 14 February 1946 to 14 March 1946.

On 19 July 1945 my Dad had dental treatment on two teeth at 4 F.D. Lab. The Dental Officer who treated him has signed it but I can’t make out the signature. There is a section for next of kin and about a soldier’s will. As my Dad was unmarried during the war his parents, and my grandparents, are given as next of kin.

The medals awarded to my Dad are listed in the Service Book and I have got these at home. In 1944 he was awarded the Africa Star medal and in 1945 the 8th Army clasp. I still have this as well. Dad received the Defence Medal on 29 January 1946 while he was still in the Army.

Information in the Release Book

The officer in charge of REME records in Leicester started making out my Dad’s release papers and then it has been stamped at HQ Static Workshops REME at Ashton-under-Lyne on 18 May 1946. Some of the handwriting is difficult to decipher but it looks like 3599121 Renney had been promoted to corporal by this date. His ‘56 Days Release’ leave expired on 13 July 1946.

The Release Book lists my Dad’s trade on enlistment as a grocer, and his Service Trade as Vehicle Mechanic III. Dad’s Regiment is given as ‘HQ Static W/S REME No 7 Group’. His military conduct is listed as ‘exemplary’.

One of the officers has written a testimonial, which it says has been done at Chester. This testimonial says:

“He has served 4 years overseas and has proved to be a good vehicle mechanic who works well and brings plenty of enthusiasm to his job. He can safely be trusted with supervisory duties and thoroughly honest, sober and trustworthy.”

I can’t quite make out the signature, but it may be something like ‘J.R. English, Captain.’

Photographs

Dad kept a lot of photographs, especially of his mates and some of the places he was at in North Africa. Because he took most of them he isn’t actually on many of them. He liked looking through the photographs after the war to remind him of happy memories.

There is one photograph of a German POW where Dad has written on the back ‘German Joe’. This German soldier is smiling and looks quite happy so there must have been some camaraderie and respect for each other as fellow soldiers even though they were on opposing sides. There are also photographs of war graves, both of the British troops and the Germans and a German POW camp at El Alemein.

A lot of the photographs have his best mates, some of which have their first names or nicknames written on the back. Unfortunately their surnames are not written on the back so. Among those photographed are ‘Mush’, Fred (with his tank ‘Honey’), Joe with a Sherman tank in Corneen, Tunisia, Henry, Jack and Vic. There are some photographs with ‘French kids’ when they were in Tunisia.

After the war

In 1946 after being discharged from the army, my Dad returned back home to Cockermouth in Cumbria, met and married my Mam. Dad worked as a coalman for his brother Wilfred, known by everybody as ‘Wif’. My Uncle Wif served in the Navy during the war. They used to deliver coal to people’s houses in and around Cockermouth so they were well known.

My Dad was a member of the Eighth Army Veterans Association because among his photographs is a membership card. This card says that he was Registered Member No 3142 of the Association, but I don’t have any other information about it. If anyone has other information about my Dad they can telephone or write to me and I would be pleased to hear from them:

Mr.J.W. Renney, Sandford, Central Road, Dearham, Maryport, Cumbria. CA15 7HE”

Conclusion

It was possible to obtain quite a lot of information from photographs and particularly the official army records. It means that at least a partial record can be made of some of Leslie Renney’s wartime adventures. The photographic record is in its own right a memory of people and places Mr Renney Senior knew during the war.

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