大象传媒

鈥淭his story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War website by Terry Cleaver of 大象传媒 Kent and has been added to the website on behalf of Mr Harry Arnold George Garrett with his permission and they fully understand the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.鈥�

242/61 Battery Antitank Regt. BEF
152/208 Battery Antitank Regt. Alemein, Sicily, Italy, N. Africa

My army life started in 1938, my younger brother and I joined the Territorial Army at Brixton because with Hitler taking over Germany and Austria I knew it would not be long before we were involved.
Our battery was on Summer Camp in Devon, when we heard of a lot of unrest in parliament. Our unit came back to Brixton barracks and told that we were to be embodied in the regular army.
Our unit went to Kempton Park to be kitted out and given our guns etc, ready for hostilities, which started in September 1939.
We entrained and were sent to Southampton to join the convoy for the B.E.F, we embarked at Cherbourg. From there we were moved to Lille, my unit moved off, but I was taken ill and sent to Cherbourg General Hospital where I had 3 weeks first class treatment and great food, while my unit had Billy beef, stew and biscuits.
While in hospital I palled up with a Royal Engineer, Jimmy James, and he joined me as his unit was also at Lille. I said goodbye to my friend wishing him good luck.
Our unit was then given the honour to join the 5th Y Division under General Franklin, digging gun position from Lille to the coast, which had a 360-degree transverse, not like the Maginot line which held 2 million troops and only fired one, one way. We were not allowed into Belgium because King Leopold wanted to be neutral??
As soon as the Germans invaded Belgium our unit being anti-tank had to go forward through shelling bombing and carnage of civilians, it was heart braking.
We got stuck in to the Nazi鈥檚 on the Belgium canal system where we were heavily engaged and overwhelmed, and we had to retreat right to Arrns and Vimy Ridge 1918 battleground. We could not hold the Germans; they were far too strong for us. Operation Dynamo was then in the order and we had to make our way to Dunkirk. We were being bombed, strafed and shelled all the way.

One morning at 4am we heard tanks coming, we were told if their guns pointed forward, they were Germans. My sergeant said they were pointed forward so all hell went on. We were being smashed up, suddenly firing ceased, and we found out they were French 100 ton tanks, lots of apologies and very, I think we had 16 casualties. My bombardier was killed. They call this friendly fire. So on to Dunkirk to smash up our vehicles and guns and equipment and then get to the Mole.

My brother and I made our way also with my dear friend Ebby Lee, who got killed at Alemein 1942 in my team.
The bombing, shelling, stun dive-bombing, made hell on Earth. We were very frightened but brave. We made for the sea but that was suicidal. We then dug a trench up by the roadway where the Dunkirk memorial is.

We had no food or water so I went on a reccy. I came across a locked store. I smashed open the store, when I entered 鈥淎laddin鈥檚 Cave鈥� hundreds of jars of neat Jamaican Rum, cases of Carnation Milk, Biscuits, Norton and BSA Motorbikes. We did not have much water so we filled up six water bottles with rum and carnation because the rum was almost jellied. After a while, I think we were the bravest men on the beach. Later on I saw a bunch of Royal Engineers. In front was my friend Jim, they had walked 25 miles with no food, and like we, were exhausted. When I gave one of them one of my bottles of rum, that bought him back to life. They made their way to the mole, Ebby my brother and I saw the destroyer Molsey at the Mole, a Matlow shouting out 鈥渉urry up you lads, next stop Dover.鈥� We got on board pretty quick.

What a great relief from all the bombing, strafing and casualties. What a wonderful sight to see the White Cliffs of Dover, and to see my darling wife. I broke down quite a few times till I had settled down after what we had all been through!

After 14 days rest I with my brother Ken and my good friend Ebby Lee were transferred to Broughty Ferry to join the 51st Highland Division. After reequipping we sailed to the Middle East, to join 30 Corps under General Montgomery. On the 3rd day at the Battle of Alemein, we got blown up by an 88M Shell and knocked about badly. Dear Ebby had a bad wound from his neck to his back, a terrible wound and he died after an hour. He is buried in the cemetery at Alemein. I have a photo of his shrine.

After Alemein we fought many battles, all the way to Tunis in 8 months. After resting we invaded Sicily, but the enemy was on the run, and we with the American鈥檚 beat them again.
My next hazard in Italy was when I was driving down from Naples to Via Riessio in my Bedford Truck. From the back came a cry: 鈥淟ook out Sarg.鈥� A messershmit fighter coming at us as we pulled up and headed out of the truck. Cannon shells hit the petrol tank and blew the vehicle to bits. We were shocked but unharmed. All my letters and loot, which I had saved since Alemein, were all lost. I called that pilot a few bad words.
We went back to Messina to get ready, and go home for the Invasion of Europe.

About my friend Jimmy who was in Cherbourg Hospital with me who I met on the beach in Dunkirk.

When, I was in Scotland in Perth we were allowed our wives to stay. My wife and I were walking down Kinnoul Street, Perth and I looked across the road. Jimmy and his wife were there. It was a wonderful coincidence. I hope like me he made it.

May I add that God pulled me through many hard times. The God Lord received my prayers and I prayed many times when we were in trouble. I say I will go to Heaven when I die as I have been through Hell.

Harry Garrett 1987

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