大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People`s War site by Alan Magson of Age Concern Bradford and District on behalf of Philip France and has been added to the site with his permission. The autohr fully understands the site`s terms and conditions.

On December 1st,1939, I registered for military service and in January 1940 received notice that I had to report to the 9th Field Training Regiment, Royal Artillery, at Harrogate, - twenty miles away. When I reported on the 15th February, little did I know that before I resumed my permanent residence back in Bradford, how many thousands of miles would be added to that original twenty.

I was at Harrogate four months during which time I was trade-tested and became a gun-fitter, and, as such, was posted to a regiment down in Dorset. This meant I had to pass through London, on to Waterloo to catch a train to Dorchester, to join a regiment who had lost all their guns at Dunkirk. I was immediately given a rifle and bayonet and told I was on guard that night, which was something I had never done before. To make matters worse we were bombed that night, - luckily without any casualties.

After a time we were equipped with 25 pounder guns and in May 1941 fitted out with tropical kit including topees. The guns and transport went off to Cardiff to the ship taking them where we did not know and we marched to Tiverton, with Topees on one shoulder and "tin hats" on the other. We got a train which eventually went to Glasgow and went on board the Duchess of Bedford. We sailed down the Clyde but not so far because the ship ran aground and we all had to disembark (under armed guard) and wait at the riverside until the tide came in and the ship refloated, then back on board.

We sailed out into the Atlantic and after 2 weeks we pulled in off Freetown, then down the coast of Africa to dock in Cape town where we spent four days, and were able to get off the ship in the afternoons. From there we went round the east coast and sailed to Mombassa then carried up towards the Red Sea, seeing Aden in the distance. We reached Port Tewfick and disembarked, boarded a train and off we went to Ismalia near the Suez Canal. We were taken by trucks to El Quassasin out in the desert and the guns were waiting for us. After two or three weeks to acclimatise ( and to get over "Gyppy Tummy") we moved to Port Said. Crete had just been occupied and Cyprus was thought to be the next German target so we were going to Cyprus to reinforce the troops there. We landed at Famagusta and were stationed among the olive trees near Nicosia. The guns were placed round the perimeter of Nicosia airport ready for any attack, which, luckily never came.

In November we got orders to prepare to move, and one evening were transported to Famagusta again, leaving the guns in place, and about midnight three destroyers came in, unloaded an Indian division troops and we Embarked, sailed off, and, at dawn, arrived at Haifa in Palestine.

After disembarking, we were taken to a camp near Nathanya where the guns belonging to the troops who had relieved us on Cyprus were left. After a calibration shoot in the hills passing through Nazareth to reach the position, we then had to pack up and set off to Iraq, where Rashid Ali was causing trouble and to quell the uprising and be there to stop the Germans coming from the north. We had to travel, over the desert through Transjordan into Iraq which took about four days, passing through Baghdad and going on to Kirkuk where we made our camp. After a short stay we moved farther north to Mosul where we stayed over Christmas until early February 1942. It was a very cold winter and we were in tents so not very comfortable.

Late February some more troops came from the Indian Army and we were on the move again, this time through Syria, Palestine, Egypt and up the Western Desert to Gazala which was to the west of Tobruk,. We took up our gun positions, and occasionally went out into the desert to fire at German Transport in their positions. Water was short because the nearest water point was 25 miles away.

Early in June the enemy started attacking and The Division lost a whole Brigade and the Germans broke through behind us. We had to go west and then down into the desert and then turn east, and eventually came to Mersah Matrua. We put up a stand there but then had to retreat towards the east and we lost all our guns, we got to El Alemain where the Australian Division were coming from Palestine. The Germans were held there and our regiment regrouped and we carried on back to Cairo where we were reinforced, reequipped, and ready for action again. We were at Mena, near the Pyramids but the we went back up the desert, taking our position in the line again.

Late August the Germans made another attack, but this time was repelled And by the amount of tanks that were coming in, it was plain to see that it would be soon our turn to attack. By this time Montgomery had assumed command and things seemed different. On October 23rd we began the battle of El Alemain, which made the enemy retreat. This retreat went on through Derna, Mersah, Tobruk ,Benghazi and on to Tripoli. Our regiment spent Christmas 1942 out of the line at El Adam just south of Tobruk, then we went on to Benghazi, and joined the line at Mareth where we were being held up. After a big battle where a Bradford man got a V.C. we advanced to about 30 miles from Tunis, where we were relieved by the "Black Cat" division who had followed up from Iraq. We were ordered to go back to Alexandria over 2000 miles to the East and off we went on the desert road. By the time we reached Alexandria, the desert campaign was over, and Rommel had got away to Germany. We went to a camp at Sidi Bishri on the outskirts of the city, and told we were to have some leave, which was welcome.

After the leave was over we began waterproofing the guns and vehicles, why, we did not know. Later in the month the guns and vehicles were taken to the docks, split into two parties and loaded on two separate ships S11 and S18.

The rest of the regiment were taken to the shores of the Red Sea for more training in the hills, Early in July we sailed from Alexandria and were told we were to invade Sicily and on July 10th This invasion took place. Our ships were Off the shore of Sicily When a German plane came in and dropped a bomb down into the hold S18 and it was terrible to see our men jumping into the blazing sea, because, in addition to carrying the equipment the ship was carrying
high-octane petrol.

After some fierce fighting we eventually captured the island, then we fired over the Straits of Messina into Italy, then for some reason our guns etc. were taken from us. The local people knew what was happening because they started to sell souvenirs to take home. In due course we were told we were going back to England, and in October embarked again on our old friend the Duchess of Bedford, reaching Liverpool on the 5th November 1943. We were taken to Great Shelford on the outskirts of Cambridge, and, in due course given three weeks leave.

We were re-equipped once again, and had a firing camp at Hunstanton and later at Otterburn up north, then, in May our guns and vehicles were taken away with some personnel while the rest of the regiment went to Brentwood. It was apparent that the second front was due to begin soon by the amount of tanks etc parked up on the roadsides. On 1st June we went to Tilbury and embarked on the troopship Worcester, which had been refurbished. Being a senior N.C.O. I along with three more men were allotted a cabin with an Indian boy to look after us - make tea, make the beds etc. We had lovely white fluffy towels, and could not really believe what was happening. We sailed down the English Channel and laid off Southampton then in a convoy set off towards France. We laid off the coast, among all the noise of the warships firing and then late on D day we had to get our equipment on and prepare to go down the landing nets into the landing craft. The Captain spoke over the Tannoy asking for all men who had taken the new towels, to return them, but I think he did not have any takers.

We went towards the beach, then the ramp was dropped and we had to wade ashore, up to our necks in water, we were lucky ,we did not have any causalities, and we made our way up the beach to where one of our officers was waiting. After getting rid of our "Mae West (life jacket) we then followed the officer who took us about three miles in the wrong direction, but in due time we did reach the area to where the guns etc. would come to. Owing to the bad weather these were delayed for 24hours, so we were at a loose end. When they did arrive, it was during the night, so we had to get going to make certain all was in good order.

When the Germans began to retreat we followed up supporting the Infantry and sometimes the armoured regiments and we went through Villiers Brocage, the Falaise Gap where the enemy got a severe beating, and on to the banks of the river Seine. Crossing the river on a pontoon bridge was an experience we could have done without, but after that we went through Belgium, being in Brussels just after its liberation which was exciting. We then went on to the banks of the Escaut Canal which separates Belgium from Holland. Our task after that was support troops for the Market Garden attack which meant going up through Holland into Germany, unfortunately this was not a success although we went through Eindoven, Graves and into Nijmegen.

We had to halt there and spent the winter and spring in that area, the troops being on the "island" between the rivers Maas and Waal. when the fine weather came we advanced again through Arnhem to the town of Ede and there we heard the news that the Germans had capitulated and V.E. day was celebrated on the 8th May 1945. The regiment moved into Germany soon after being stationed near Osnabruck for a time then into Dortsfeld near Dortmund and from there I made my way via Krefeld Calais, Dover, Strensall and eventually to where I had set off from 5years and 11 months previously , Bradford. In that time I had had about seven weeks at home.

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