大象传媒

If you have been a soldier in the second world war and been in battles where there was great loss of life, you have to be lucky to come through. I was one of them.

I was a signaller in the 1st Battallion, the Border Regiment. We went to North Africa in 1942. We were Gilder Troops of the newly formed 1st Air Landing Brigade. I believe I was in Glider Number 85. We took off and did not land in either the sea or Sicilly because the pilot could not find the landing area. We landed back in North Africa on the Mareth Line. Of course we were wild at the time. It was our first action. However, when we heard what had happened to the rest, we were relieved. We (The Air Landing Brigade) lost 600 Officers and men, 300 who were drowned.

My next stroke of luck was at the Battle of Arnhem. I was again a signaller with "D" company of the 1st Battallion, The Border Regiment. We had settled into a farm near Oosterbeck called Van Boorsellweg under a Captain Hodgson. On September 19th we two signallers (myself and Ernie Hamlet) went with 19 platoon to set up a standing patrol on the crossroads just north of Heave, a drop about a mile from "D" Coy. The patrol was useless because we couldn't make contact by wireless. We were attacked by a motor group. We killed the drivers. Lt Bainbridge (the officer in charge) decided to retreat. He proposed going through the woods. Both Ernie and I were horrified. We had come up a main road, why not go back that way? He agreed that we could go back that way. We were back in about twenty minutes. The rest of the patrol took two days and lost three men.

The third stroke of luck was this:- I was sent with an RA officer to go to the asylum at Wolfheze. I think this would the 25th or 26th. We were unable to communicate over the ground area so it was thought that if we could get high up, the officer could report German targets for the guns over the river. We climbed up onto the top of the tower of the asylum, and we did get through to the wireless operator over the river. As we left, a barrage of shells landed in the area pinpointed. I returned to the company. Capt. Hoggson asked if I had got through. We were standing in the barn of the farm house. I replied "yes." "Good," he said,"let's try out here." He didn't give me time to say how high I had been. Both him and Lt Bainbridge rushed outside, while I bent down to pick up my 18 set. They were hit by a barrage of mortar shells. Hodgson was killed and Bainbridge was badly wounded. If I hadn't had to bend down to pick up my 19 set, I would have been hit too.

Of course, even the luckiest guy's luck runs out. I didn't get back across the river and I got captured. The trouble was nobody told "D" Coy they were retreating, but that's another story.

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