大象传媒

IN June 1940 I returned from France still clutching my Vickers machine gun, not from any patriotic sense of duty but from the fact that if i lost it I would be forced to pay for it. Our company was detailed to patrol the South East corner of England.. As we were constantly on the move I was frequently on guard duty as the rota started alphabetically. I complained to the Sergeant Major and asked politely if the rota could be changed to begin with W and include such names as Williams and Wilcox. The Sergeant Major led me gently by the hand across the road to a war memorial. Look Corporal, when you are killed as you certainly will be, your name will be at the top of this war memorial. Now get out of my sight you horrible little man. Fortunately for me I was posted to the Military College of Science and became a radar technician and I was no longer eligible for guard duty. Sadly, my comrades in the Infantry were killed at the battle for Cassino.

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