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This story was submitted to the People's War site by the CSV Action Desk at ´óÏó´«Ã½ Gloucestershire on behalf of Frank Wiltshire with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions. It was told to Tim Entwisle at Clee House, Tewkesbury, on 18 May 2005.

I first enlisted in April 1940 when I was aged 18 years and nine months and then spent three months ‘square bashing’ in Colchester before joining my regiment in Southampton. I joined the 1st Battalion, Dorset Regiment as a Lance Corporal. I then spent three weeks training on mortars. My crew was the fastest. We could get six bombs in the air before the first had landed - that is quite fast.

I was part of the D-Day assault through France, Belgium and Holland until December 1944 when the regiment broke up. I came back to England to get kitted out. While I was in England my wife got pregnant. I went back at the end of January (after three weeks in England) and was involved in the Rhine Crossing at the end of March.

Of the six mortars that had started D-Day only one was left at the end of the war. From the 36 men that started in the mortar platoon only three were left.

After the war I went to Hanover looking after prisoners until April 1947 when I was de-mobbed. My medical classified me as B1 due to bad nerves (I had gone into the army A1), which entitled me to a war pension.

I received several medals; the France and German Star, the 39-45 Star, the Defence Medal, and the War Medal. I received a French Medal for Bravery in the post after the war. I don’t know what I got it for.

I had missed my son’s birth on 23 October 1945. His birthday was the same as my father’s. My grandson’s birthday is the same as the date of D-Day.

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