大象传媒

I joined the ATS in 1943 and my first posting was to the South East Army
Weapons Training Centre near Dorking. We were billeted in private houses, I was in a Niissan hut in the garden. A Doodle bug came down nearby and blew the roof
off and we were covered in rubble and dust.
Troops on the training courses used live ammunition for the final week and an
ATS ambulance driver picked up the casualties. She gave us lurid accounts of
the injuries. Home Guard members suffered the worst incidents.
Next I went to a Petrol depot. Troops were concentrated in the South East for D Day. Our Unit also ordered the bread required. Once the total was wrongly
phoned through by a code, consequently the number of loaves was too few, so
some men must have been short of bread.
In Oct 1944 my Overseas posting came through. I had dreamt of going to Egypt
but arrived in Brussels, to the HQ 21st Army Group. The offices were at the
former Gestapo HQ in Avenue Louise.
Xmas 1944 was the Liberation celebrations for the Belgians, and the King and
Queen gave all personnel a gift. Mine was a tablet of soap, nicer than Issue.
The New Year brought rumours of a German counter attck in the Ardennes. Gunfire
could be heard in Brussels, and another Dunkirk was on some minds. Monty called all personnel to the largest cinema, and made a rousing speech to assure us that he had the situation under control.
Soon the HQ moved into Germany, to Bad Oynhausen. No leave had been awarded for UK visits, but in early spring I obtained seven days back in Brussels to visit friends still there. The journey by train took 15 hours, overnight in an unheated carriage with no lighting. We tried to sleep wrapped in our greatcoats on the hard wooden benches. Bridges over the Rhine were damaged hence the shunting back and forth.
In May 1945 my UK leave was obtained, so I was in London for VE Day, being given an extra day.
Before I was demobbed. I spent a month at the Army College in Gottenburg, staying in a little hotel opposite the famous Goose Girl statue.
A day trip to the Harz Mountains and lakes is still a vivid memory.
I still possess letters I wrote to my sister and dozens of photos of those War Years.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.