大象传媒

I was in the Territorials before the war. I was working at Hafod Colliery, on the afternoon shift, when I got called up. That was the end of the pit! I didn't go back because I'd had so much fresh air that when I came back I didn't bother.
I was in the Reconnaissance Corps. We went in front to see what was happening. We drove all sorts of vehicles, the biggest being a 17 ton armoured car. Before leaving we'd had a little bit of training but once we were out there we just had to get on with it.

In 1942 I was being taken to Algiers on a ship, the Strathalan. I was asleep on a table when the torpedo struck. The captain said it would be safe for a while. They started turning it to the next port to Algiers. Then I think they found they couldn't do it so they knocked the ropes off and I went over the side, climbing down the nets. When we were waiting to go over the side, I felt something sliding down my back. I turned round to see and the person waiting behind me was on the floor. He'd been shot. I don't know who he was. Eventually we were rescued and taken to a port.

My first Christmas away from home was in Algiers. Christmas dinner was a tin of McGonahey's stew, followed by boiled rice and currants. The September before we stole four bottles from a little shop. We thought they were wine. We buried them in the sand and on Christmas day we dug them up and took them to the table. Everyone else was asking 'What have you got there?' One of my mates took a mouthful and spat it all over the table - they weren't bottles of wine, they were vinegar!

During the war, I was with the same people all the time. There would be maybe five of us in one car and the same five would be together all the time. We were on the move all the while. I started off in Algiers, went to Tunisia, went down through the Sinai Desert to Palestine. In the Sinai Desert it was so hot you didn't know what to do with yourself, but at night time it was so cold. I got sunburned when I went to shave for the first time in three days - my face was bleeding because it was so sunburnt. I couldn't shave for three weeks. We were sent on flat-bottomed boats to Italy - the Salerno Landings. I went to Italy, then to Greece, for about 12 months, then back to Italy. I was in Italy when the war ended, but we carried on up to Austria. We found places deserted by the Germans - they'd left their eagle standards there. Then we went to Germany. And then I got to go home. I hadn't been home all through the War.

When I came from Germany, I ended up getting home to Johnstown at 10pm. My parents weren't expecting me but they were glad to see me. There was no party when I got back though - I just got home and that was that! It took some time to settle down again. I took all my leave - and a fortnight extra! - before I started work again.

I didn't see any of my friends from the War again. We were from all over the UK. But years later I was working in Monsanto when I saw someone I thought I recognised. I said 'You were in the Reconnaissance with me'. He said he was, and he was from Johnstown too.

I only like to talk about the good times I had. I don't like to talk about anything else."

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