大象传媒

I joined the army at the age of 18reporting to the East York's Light Infantry at Beverley Yorkshire to undergo my 6 week's Primary Training. Upon completion I was transferred to the 54th Training Regiment at Barnard Castle County Durham. I was trained on wheeled vehicles(B vehicles) and track vehicles (A vehicles). Upon completion I was posted to the Fife 7 Forfar Yeomanry based at Bridlington Yorkshire. The regiment was equipped with Sherman Tanks entirely different to the tank's I had been trained on . However I was after a numberof test's following further training selected as a driver althoughas faras I can recallin the majority of instances I was Co-Driver with John Murray as the driver. We were accomodated in house in the town with the cookhouse and mess some distance away, there were occasion's when we marched behind the Pipe Band for meals complete with mess tins.
I was posted 4 Troop in B Squadron and very quikly palled up with another trooper named George Wooldridge and we remained best mates of mates throughout. George came from London and I came from a village named Everdon in Northamptonshire.
The Division was transferred to Aldershot driving tanks that distance was atremendous experience with many people waving on the roadside as we passed and the FFY was accomodated in Warburgh Barracks from what I recall an old Victorian building. Things were happening and it was not difficult to guess we were preparing for "D Day". Eventually we moved off to Gosport and of course ended up in Normandy France. In the battle code named "Operation Goodwood" theregiment suffered heavy losses, in fact all regiments in the Division did.
I surved the Battle, I never knew what happened to John Murray over the years I have tried to trace him. I amfairly certain he survived as I have a copy of the regiments Roll of Honour and have visited many Normandy Cemetariesand have found no trace. The other crw members were Doug Bostwick (Corporal Crew Cammander), Ken Gillmore (Gunner) and Claude Marchant (Radio Operator)were all killed. Iwas eventually picked up as the battle moved on and taken to an area of ground/woodland that the gliders had landed for the invasionGeorge was there he to had survived although the remainder of the crew in his tank had suffered. Imagine the joy when we got together. During the hours of darkness there was a tremendous air raid we along with others darted under a Sherman for protection. George died from wounds the following day. I suffered what is commonly known as a blighty and after treatment aat a Field Hospital was evacuated and treated at Canadian Military Hospital at Ascot, to be transfered to aHosital in Liverpool Nd Another at Wrexham North Wales, evsntually ending up at a convelescent depo at Trentham Gardens Stoke on Trent Staffordshire. After some hectic exercises and further treatment I was declared to be A1 and posted to Catterick Yorkshire then to the Kings Dragoon Guards an Armoured Car regiment in the Middle East.
The Division

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