大象传媒

A FOOT SLOGGERS STORY 鈥�

D Day Normandy 6th June 1944 to the Reichswald Forest Germany.

My unit was the 1st Buckinghamshire Battalion the Territorial Battalion of OXFORD and BUCKS Light Infantry.

For the assault on the D Day Beach, we were part of an independent command 鈥� The 6th Beach Group.

Our brief 鈥� to secure Sword Beach and beyond, and defend the ammunition dump.
We landed at Ouistreham at the mouth of the Caen canal 鈥� Sword Beach in the 2nd Wave following Lord Lovets Commando.
My company was detailed to cross the Caen canal holding the ground from the Lighthouse to the river Orne. The Germans holding the opposite river bank were heavily fortified and backed up with artillery. A very short distance well within sniper range both sides being active . The snipers continued to be a danger, to expose your head above the dugouts was a sure way to lose it, however you learn quickly to survive.

A stray German plane hit the Ammunition Dump, we were ordered to leave our dug out positions to fight the blaze. We lost our Company Commander, seriously wounded, he was sent home to England we were not to see him again.

One of my colleagues driving away a lorry full of ammunition was killed when an explosion caused a large clod of earth to fall onto his cab killing Eddie instantly. (He should have got an award, as indeed did the company commander well deserved.

We were successful in saving the Ammunition Dump, then we moved back to our dug out positions.

This is the point, that my sad story begins.
We had previously found a RAF fighter aircraft, the Germans had buried the pilot marked the grave with a wooden cross on which they had placed his tunic, sadly identified as an Australian Squadron Leader.
Some days after D Day we were in the slit trench on the bank of the River Orne, (heads down) quiet on both sides, a beautiful hot summers day. One of our fighters (a Hurricane I believe) found it self in trouble and made a perfect landing at the waters edge on the German side, directly under the sights of their gun in emplacements. (The River Orne is tidal at the mouth, when the tide is out it exposes long stretches of golden sandy beach). Not a shot was fired on the plane by the enemy. There was nothing that we could do, but wait. A horrible feeling of uselessness came over us all, because to move to try to rescue the Pilot would have proved disastrous.

Both sides watched and waited as the incoming tide edged towards the stranded plane, there had been no sign of movement from the Pilot, Dusk fell, at last light the plane had disappeared, most likely swept away by the out going tide.

What happened to the pilot? What must of been his last thoughts and fears, was he wounded and unable to vacate the cockpit? After nearly 60years I often think of that excellent RAF fellow, hoping the Germans did rescue him before the plane was swept away by the tide.

During late August we were taken out of the front line, only to be told: -
The 1st Bucks Battalion was to be split up, to reinforce the 51st Highland Division or the option of joining No 2 Commando.

All my colleagues were sent to the 1st Battalion The Black Watch; I was not to see any of my company chums again.
Some 50 years later a brother of a chum killed in action days after D-Day landings contacted me for some information on the loss in action of his brother. This strange coincidence enabled me to contact some of my past C Company mates, and meet for the first time in 53years, sadly to learn that 53 lads of the old C Company 1St Bucks had been lost in action, not including the wounded.

For my self I was transferred to the 5th Seaforth of the 51st Highland Division, the only explanation I had been selected for the unenviable task of training on FlameThrowers. On joining the Seaforths I was to realise the full extent of their casualties.
The Highland Division capitulated at St Valery in 1940 and in 1944 they were given task of re taking the town. 鈥淟uck was with us this time鈥� the Germans having withdrawn. The local people gave us an excellent reception.

ON THE MOVE AGAIN - EVER ONWARDS WE RECEIVED THE NEWS -

The port of LE 鈥� HAVRE was our next target, 10,000 Germans were still stubbornly resisting.
152 Brigade of which 5th Seaforths were part, were given the task of taking the high ground over looking the Port.
We went through the minefields during the night, unfortunately losing heavily, killed and wounded, we came under fire from 88mm guns and Germans in pill boxes.

ON THE MOVE AGAIN NO STOPPING, TO EINDHOVEN IN HOLLAND.
The Germans had pulled out thanks to the Phillips Company. A few days to wash eat and sleep.
At this time the operation in Arnhem had started, we moved from Eindhoven towards Nijmegen and Arnhem through the American Airborne who had just landed with slight opposition compared to our lads in Arnhem.
NOT FOR US TO REASON OR EXPLAIN.
We were told to withdraw maybe because the Arnhem operation had been costly in loss of life, and un successfully trying to relieve the Airborne boys.

ON THE MOVE AGAIN.
Holland and the Low Countries, digging in, our slit trenches quickly filled up with water, wet and miserable. Our next target to cross a canal towards Herogenbosch."Operation Guy Fawkes"
H - Hour was 16.45 on November 4th. During the previous night we man handled collapsible canvas assault boats to the canal, then lying doggo behind the dyke ready to cross. We had close support from our tanks, the barrage was tremendous. We crossed the canal in the 14 man assault boats, we managed to make the opposite bank under fire from our own tanks unfortunately as happens many times we lost men by friendly fire. I was wounded in the shoulder, taken back over the canal to our friendly forward Casualty Clearing Station then to 79 (BR) General Hospital in Brussels, I was in hospital until mid December then returned to the regiment in North Holland via many transit units. For a change front line was extremely quiet.

Christmas Day 1944 鈥� we expected something special for Christmas Lunch, we did get a Special Present - rumours during the morning 鈥� something big was on.
Eating lunch at 12.30 orders came through 鈥� To Kit Up 鈥� Move out at 2.15pm.

AS NORMAL NOBODY KNEW WHERE WE WERE GOING.

Moving south in a mad dash in lorries through the day and night with out stopping
In the morning we found ourselves on in a little village on high ground over looking Liege. We were in the Ardennes to stop the German advance, the American boys having had a hell of a time.
MY ABIDING MEMORY

Intense bitter cold, sub zero conditions, icy roads and deep snow, we were to learn later the most severe weather for 30years.
The locals gave us a wonderful reception, a charming Granny befriended me and invited me into her home, warm fire, hot soup, one good thing we were never short of food as our 14 man Compo Ration Packs with self heating cans of soup, and drums of 50 Fags went a long way as the platoon was never up to strength, we always had more than we needed.

Its a small world, my Granny (Angel) introduced me to another elderly lady who spoke perfect English,she told me that she had spent some years prior to the war as Nanny to the Wills family in Bristol.

Sadly orders to move were given. This was to move into the Forest and open ground of the Ardennes. We had no air cover ; we were wet and cold. The Germans were well prepared with warm hooded parkas, also believe me Khaki uniforms do not blend well in with the white snow, we were very vulnerable.
We advanced through the snow and icy roads, still no fighter cover, due to mist and cloud, the transport got stuck, our Tank support was a joke, the tanks could not cope with the Icy conditions. Thank goodness the foot sloggers could move.

The weather improved then we had plenty of Air Cover, we all achieved our objectives, but we were all glad to see the back of the Ardennes, now better known as the Battle of the Bulge.

Early in February we received orders for the Attack on the German Frontier through the Reichswald Forest. Dense woods, wet and dank, very gloomy place.

I was not at this time to realise my foot slogging days were near the end, but that is another fascinating story.

IN CONCLUSION.
I had often thought of my old colleagues in C Company 1st Bucks who had landed on the Beaches on D-Day 6th June 1944 and had transferred to the 1st Battalion Black Watch 鈥� 51st Highland Div. as reinforcements due to the battalion鈥檚 high casualty rate.
But over the years I could not find any information but in November I received a surprise telephone call from Frank the brother of Norman Tonkins who had also for years tried to obtain information on his brother killed in action during heavy fighting on D Day, Norman jumped into a slit trench on top of his mate Chalkie White, was sent back home to a hospital in England with a suspected Broken Arm but returned to the regiment in the front line only to be killed in action on the 3rd August 1944.
Norman (Chalkie) White and myself signed on at Le Cateau Barracks Colchester 3rd December 1942 and our regimental numbers are sequential also birthdays are in the same month May.
This telephone call from Frank was followed by many meetings was remarkable after 50years, I was to learn that Norman鈥檚 Mother wrote to his Trench Mate Chalkie, bur received no reply as by then Chalkie was back home in hospital after being badly wounded and near to deaths door. The three of us Frank, Chalkie and Self had many meetings over lunch and at NVA meetings, where Frank was made an Associate member of the Bristol branch of NVA, an honour that he was justly proud of, sadly now passed on.

I was to learn from Chalkie the sad loss of so many of our pals from C Company who were killed in action serving with the Black Watch 51st Highland Division, this coupled with the losses we had when part of 6th Beach Group amounted to over 50% of our original company strength.

A FOOT SLOGGERS EXPERIENCE
14365556 Norman W Searle
Ex - OX & BUCKS L.I.
and
5th Seaforth Highlanders of 51st Highland Div.

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