大象传媒

We were mobilized on the 1st Sep 1939 and war was declared 2 days later on 3rd September 1939. I was 20 at the time.

The photo consists of the Radnor Battery leaving Llandrindod to go to its first camp at Clytha Park outside Abergavenny for military training. The Radnor Battery consisted of three troops, D-Troop came from Llandrindod Wells, E Troop came from Knighton and F Troop came from Presteigne, which also included the surrounding areas. The commander was Major Anderson and he was the headmaster at the Llandrindod Wells County School.

On outbreak of war, they gave us a new battle dress. I was the last one to be issued with a battle dress - there were more chaps my size so they ran out quickly.

After a few months of being stationed at Tenby and Haverfordwest, the 53rd Welsh division was moved to Northern Ireland to commence military training where we were equipped with modern equipment and attended fire rangers and all military training.

After two years in Northern Ireland, we returned to Kent, England, waiting for the Second Front - the invasion of Europe, which was Normandy on the 6th of June 1944. Prior to the invasion of Europe, I was posted to a unit as First line Reinforcements for the casualties they expected to receive on the beaches of Normandy.

Eventually I was posted to the 49th Polar Bear Division which originally came from Yorkshire and had been trained in Iceland. This is why when they were looking for a divisional badge, they adopted from the time they spent in Iceland the polar bear divisional badge.

I fought with the Polar Bear division on the beaches from France to Holland, Belgium and into Germany until the end of the war in Europe on 8th May 1945. I eventually got demobbed on 26th January 1946.

There is no glory in war. It is a disaster from start to finish. When I returned to Normandy for the 60th anniversary commemorations in 2004, I was going around the cemeteries and looking at the headstones.

Many had died at 17, 18 years old. Their life was taken away from them. They didn't get a chance to live.

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