大象传媒

Cousins meet at Minturno.

My cousin Eric and I lived almost next door in a village in Northamptonshire. In July 1939 Eric was 20 and at the outbreak of the war on September 3rd he was called up to enlist in the Army and on the 11th September he joined the 2nd Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment. During the first six weeks he did his basic training at Northampton and was able to come home for a days leave at the weekends.
Eric looked very smart in his uniform. After these first six weeks he was moved to unknown destinations in England and was unable to get sufficient leave for visits home.
I was only 16 years and 7months at the outbreak of war and not called up until 6th May 1942 when I enlisted in the Royal Armoured Corps, 55th Armoured Training Regiment, at Farnborough in Hampshire.
At this camp I did my six weeks basic Army training. After completing the basic training I trained for a further six weeks on Valentine and Covenanter Tanks for the duty of a Tank driver and gunner. After the 3 months training I passed out as a qualified driver and gunner and was then posted to the North Staffordshire Regiment stationed near Colchester.
This Regiment was in the process of being re-equipped but due to the shortage of tanks spent most of the time on basic army marching and drill routine. I was only with this Regiment for a month before being posted to the RAC Training Camp at Bovington.
I spent the next few weeks including Christmas 1942 at Bovington on further driving experience then on 10th January 1943 posted overseas to North Africa.
I left the UK from Greenock on board the SS Circassia and after a week at sea docked at Algiers in North Africa. It was then a march round the bay of Algiers to a staging camp a distance of about 20 miles. Transport was supplied for kitbags and for anyone who failed to keep up. It was marching to attention until leaving Algiers then break step and walk at ones own pace walking for 50 minutes and rest for ten. On arrival at the camp allocated two to a tent and given a tin of meat and vegetable soup between two and a ladle of tea.
After about 10 days at this camp having been on more drill and route marches I joined a company of reinforcements being sent to the front line by train in cattle trucks. These trucks were for the transport of 40 men or 8 horses. After a three day journey the train arrives at a railway station. At this station I was counted into a group with 9 other men and taken to the camp of the 16/5 Lancers. Having been registered in the Regiment I was allocated to the position of co-driver in a Sherman Tank in B Squadron where I remained for the North African campaign.
On 4th January 1944 the Regiment moved to Italy I had now been transferred to the Squadron Leaders Sherman Tank, HQ Troop, B Squadron. On arriving in Italy the Squadron was dispatched to the line at Minturno giving forward artillery support to the Infantry.
About 2230hrs on Friday 4th February the four of us in the crew (not the Squadron. Leader) were resting on our beds (a single blanket on a ground sheet by the side of the tank under a makeshift tent of the tank Tarpaulin sheet) when I heard voices outside and then someone put his head under the sheet and said is Jack Gudgeon in here.
I looked up and what a surprise I said, "Eric, what are you doing here and at this time of night"? Come in and sit down, the crew moving up to allow Eric to sit on the bed (ground).
The conversation was then something like this:
Me, "How did you know I was here"?
Eric, "The Northampton's are in the next area and one of the echelon drivers who had been up with the supplies said the Northampton's are sitting alongside a Squadron of tanks and I asked if he knew which Regiment when he said the 16/5 Lancers I then asked the echelon Sgt. if I could ride with them to see if I could find my cousin who is in the 16/5".
Me, "It must have been a bit difficult finding the right tank".
Eric, "Yes, I was getting a bit disappointed having asked at five other tanks each saying not this end he is further along when someone said yes he is in the Squadron Leaders tank over there".
We then talked about home and both said they will be surprised to hear at home about our meeting like this. There was very little time left before Eric had to return to the echelon for his journey back to base.
Travelling up to the line at this place was very difficult because convoys could only cross the Garagliano at night at prearranged times over the pontoon bridge, which was under enemy observation and constant shelling.
We arranged to meet again the following night, Saturday 5th, if Eric was not on duty this we did having a little more time now he knew where to find me. On the second night Eric said he was on duty on Sunday but would come again on Monday we were hoping to make similar arrangements that night if Eric could get time off. I said the Squadron had been detailed to return to base camp at Sparanise on Thursday or Friday night so come tomorrow or Wednesday.
Eric said, "Are you camped at Sparanise"? Sparanise is only about fifteen miles from my camp at Carno, if I am not on duty I will try to come to Sparanise.
We received orders to move on Friday 11th. We left Minturno at 1715hrs crossing the pontoon bridge over the River Garigliano at 1800hrs and arrived at Sparanise at 2200hrs.
Sunday 13th Eric came to Sparanise in the afternoon for about two hours but said "I think the Brigade HQ. are moving and I am the Brigadiers staff car driver so I don't know when we will meet again". Eric moved into Anzio a few days later and on leaving Anzio went with the Brigadier to the middle east, I moved into the line after a few days rest to continue in the Italian campaigns at Cassino and on to the river Po where we had to halt because all the bridges over the river had been demolished.
The Infantry crossed the river and not long after the war in Europe ended.
The next time Eric and I met was back home in the village on the 12th October 1945 on our first leave together.
Photograph of us taken at Northampton on 12 October 1945 on our first leave together after the war in Europe ended.

It is interesting to note, before the outbreak of war in September 1949 that Eric and I would see each other two or three times a day but from the war starting to October 1945 we only met four times for only a short time in total. We however both made it back home.

The crew mentioned above when Eric first came were as follows: -
Sergeant F Watson tank gunner, Corporal S Rogers Wireless Operator both returned home without incident. Lance Corporal L Mabey tank driver was wounded by shrapnel when we were on a rest day and evacuated to hospital.

Major R. Gill, Squadron Leader, fatally wounded by shrapnel at Cassino. I was the Co-Driver (Trooper J Gudgeon).

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