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When I was called up in 1939, I was stationed in Bristol. I was in The Gloucestershire Regiment (Later known as ‘The Glorious Gloucester’s’). I had 6 weeks training then went from the barracks into bell tents in Eastville Park, Bristol. In December 1939 we had a very cold winter so when we woke up our blankets were frosted over. We could only see to eat our breakfast when a searchlight passed over our tables. If we didn’t eat it in the light our breakfast would disappear, when someone else would pinch it, in the darkness. Because it was so cold and dark it was very difficult to wash and shave, but we’d be in trouble if we didn’t look neat and tidy. We had to take our Mess tins, down to the boating lake and fill them with dirty, cold water then wash and shave as best we could. We then had to wash the mess tins again and eat our break fast out of them. The tins had to be spotlessly clean, ready for inspection. The people who lived in this area - Eastville, Bristol was very kind to us.

From Bristol we went to Ludlow Shropshire, then out to France where I joined the fighting unit of the 5th Battalion of the Gloucester’s. When I joined they were behind the Maginot Line of fortification. The regiment was in front of this line, with the enemy, when they came out other troops relieved them, so I joined to fill up reserves. While they were there an officer won the Military Cross, also a Sergeant and two Privates won Military Medals long before Dunkirk, they won them fighting on patrols. We were dive bombed everywhere, when we were on a convoy. An ammunition truck was bombed so I jumped out but my bayonet got trapped between two machine gun boxes. I found myself hanging over the side so I had to undo all my buckles to get out — I then had a bent bayonet for 2 years. I was the only soldier in the army with a bent bayonet.

When I was based near Waterbohse, near Brussels, an officer had come along and picked seven of us and told us to bring our fighting gear and to get in a truck. We had to report to Armentiers, a divisional command, where they seemed to have many intelligence officers, and our job was to defend them. There was a piano in this house and it had a Belgium flag on it. We had to live on the land, and when we came across a deserted village someone brought six German soldiers in, so we had to guard them. They were very big men and I was given the task of guarding them in a little bedroom of a deserted house. Because I was frightened they could overpower me, I got them all to lie down on a bed and guarded them with my bent bayonet! They were with us for two days. I found food in the empty house where there was a huge travelling box full of food, which the local people had stored up. I couldn’t give the German prisoners a knife to eat but found a spoon. The only thing I could find for them to eat was some big tins of peaches. I opened three of these tins with my army knife but the only container I could find to pour the peaches into was a chamber pot! I think they were quite amused, but were grateful for the meal. I got them to write their names down in a notebook so I could notify the authorities. I kept the book for many years, but now it’s lost.

When we were given orders to retreat, we travelled with the Intelligence Officers, to protect them as we were infantry. We stayed with them almost into Dunkirk. In this retreat I covered over 90 miles with a Bren Gun, crawling through ditches. The unit had split up and gone. The 5th Gloucester’s were the rear guard with other regiments, the 2nd Gloucester’s were also rear guard action. I went on the beach with thousands of men; we were bombed all the time whilst lining up to board the boats, so we had to hide in the sand dunes. You then had line up again. The men were panicking and an Officer asked if anyone was in Infantry. He got us to kneel down, with our rifles and point at our own men -I felt terrible and prayed he wouldn’t give us the order to shoot. He then shot his gun in the air to try to calm the men down; it pacified them. We followed him to another point to get on a ship. There was a big wooden jetty with loads of shelled ships and it was full of holes so they put stretchers across holes so we could cross and I climbed up ropes onto a ship. But when we got on board we were told to go back as they needed space for the injured men. I think it was Margate that I landed. There were trains waiting with people with pies and cakes for us on the train. I hadn’t eaten for days. I only had two days leave and it took most of that time travelling home.

We were sent to Bodmin in Cornwall. Half of the troops lost our guns leaving Dunkirk so we were on stand by. Eventually as they built up more troops we built up a number of coaches, their job was to take us to a battle if we were invaded. The drivers were civilians. We became the 43rd reconnaissance unit and we had to find out where the enemy was. One of their ships was mined on D-Day with great loss

When I was with the Loyal Regiment Training Area in the Lake District I was a Class1 Cook and a Grade 1 Medical, so I was out a lot because I was Grade 1, but it was gruelling. I used to cook on a tiny fireplace, and the men went out for firewood. I used a Dixie Pan, which was an oval heavy pan, for potatoes and meat. You used one for meat then had to use the same pan for a sweet.

I was stationed in Dalton in Furness, Cumbria. The camp was specially built for the people of Barrow in case they were bombed. It was huge and had a great, big machine for making bread with huge ovens. I, and others, made pork pies for a1000 men and was exhausted, working all night (pies made of pig’s trotters). One morning there was a huge explosion, but I had been a gunner and was used to big guns, so I couldn’t be bothered getting up. The explosion had caused a lot of damage, about 300yds away. Later on I was in Longton near Gretna Green, I was waiting to be demobbed I met a man there who told he was there and that two men were killed and many injured. He had dived to do floor when it exploded and got shrapnel in his bottom, otherwise he would have been killed. I recently visited Dalton in Furness again, a couple of weeks ago, and saw the 2 graves of the men killed one from Border Regiment and the Kings Own Regiment.

I was in a unit on an aerodrome in Brockworth but at that time there was no RAF regiment. We guarded the air force and we demonstrated to the RAF and they asked if we wanted to join. We said yes but our Lt. Colonel wouldn’t let us. While I was at Brockworth there was a pile of sandbags in a ring near a pub. A plane came over and I was firing into the clouds, a few minutes later I could see hands coming out at the tip of the sandbags and people with glasses of whiskey for me, as all the people had brought me a drink.

We had a bunch of older men who came to train us. We were taught how to pick locks and how to use grappling irons to climb up walls. There was also a ballistics man, from Scotland Yard, he taught us how to blow locks apart; we think we were being trained to capture Hitler.

They used to take us off in a lorry called prowlers. We had no routine and would just go off. I found out later, that Queen Mary was staying at Badminton House. So we think we were guarding her, but we didn’t know she was there.

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