大象传媒

Royal Scot's Fusiliers
6th Battalion
51st Scottish Regiment

I was called up and sent to the Royal Artillery, we went by train to Hereford and was met at the station along with other lads who had also got their papers. We went by trucks to the camp where we were given two thick slices of bread and corned beef then taken to a room and told all about the artillery regiment.

Now back to the barracks room which was to be home for the next few weeks.

The next morning we were called onto the parade ground and taken to the store to collect our kit, got dressed making sure it fit.

The next 6 to 8 weeks we trained and paraded along with weapon training and how to unarm our opponents, this went on day in day out until our drill sargent and officers were satisfied that we were efficient.

From Hereford we went to ringway airport where we trained on the searchlights, I was on the swivel, another lad on the lifting and lowering the barrel of the beam.

Trying to get the aircraft into the beam and keep it there so that the bofars and big guns can shoot them down took some doing with them ducking and diving, at least we did not do a bad job.

We stayed at ringway a few months before being transfered, I have forgotten everywhere we went but still remember Ventor in the isle of wight. We were up a big hill outside Ventor ready for the bombers from across the sea.

It was there I celebrated my 21st birthday, a night at the pictures with a couple of mates.

This went on for sometime then as infantry was short of men so a new battalion was formed in 1943 - "The Royal Scots Fusiliers" so Jack Pucknel were still together so did infantry training and boy was it tough - no let up - bayonet training also range practice and how to capture the enemy by surprise. We seemed to take quite a few months on that also riding in ducks and coming out at the run with full packs and guns at the ready.

Now will continue with my time of a fusilier, going abroad and entering into battle.

We left England shores about three days after - after seven days got across and waited another couple of days or so before we donned packs and guns ready to storm the beach.

We got into landing crafts and stormed off the beach and met a small amount of firing, also mortar bombs raining down but got ashore and got into position to hold our line, one or two prisoners were captured but others were 12 Panzer Division who put up a bit of resistance but were beaten so retreated back to a safer line to hold.

We carried on through small villages and places to form another line which we held to let another of our battalion to go there.

Later we went on to another battle - St Mauvien which we took, dug in and got sight of prisoners coming back some looking scared and some looking arrogant but soon they were sent back to holding areas.

The Falaise Gap and Esturary was our next objective where we lost our commander Lt Col Buchanan who was wounded and was replaced by Lt Col Mackenzie, a Canadian I was told he was.

I will say now after being in these battles I had a feeling in my tummy of being frightened but once in battle I lost that and realised it was him or I and it settled me down.

Our next battle was to cross the Seine to Louviere where some machine gun fire and we had some casualties but we overcame that and held our line.

Once I had been in battle I did not feel at all bad and we advanced forward.

One battle I remember was Caen Woods where we went forward with tanks - this was scary as with dust rising from the tanks it brought the grenade down on us but forward we went and held our position. We could see the enemy in their position but was too far away to fire on them as we had only Lee Enfield 303 rifles - distance too far.

One one of our sorties taking a farm house we found a young girl about 12 or 13 with shrapnel in her body so we got the stretcher team to take her back. I never did hear if she recovered, I hope so.

Another time we was holding the line at Blerik and a German soldier swam across the river and gave himself up and gave our high command quite a lot of useful information about the position of their forces.

Our next big battle was Tilburg which was taken with us taking the town and seaching the streets and houses which was methodically going in and getting locals out of cellars and looking for any Germans hiding there. Quite a few prisoners were taken.

After this we were out of line for a while. We were getting ready for crossing the Rhine and trained in a small village outside Brussels and were billeted in houses with the people who treated us well.

Anyway I shall always remember there were tears and fond farewells on leaving and wishing us well.

We had trained with landing craft (ducks) getting off quickly and regrouping then advancing against the enemy.

A huge barrage was put up and we got into the buffalds ready for crossing the Rhine. We had Wynford Vaughan Thomas, 大象传媒 commentator in with our Commander Lt Col Mackenzie (a Canadian) our chief. We had the piper playing as we went across you can imagine the wailing it gave - enough to put anyone off, only thing with the noise, it brought shells down on us. Strange as it may seem I was not afraid but felt proud that people at home would hear in later years about crossing the Rhine with bagpipes playing.

We took quite a lot of prisoners - 200 in all battalion. We took our share and as I was a Corporal I was in charge of them and with four men we took them back to the Rhine and put them in the buffalos to go to prison of was camps.

We could not tary as we had to catch up with our platoon and press forward.

We carried on taking prisoners on the way and when we got to the Elbe river it was here we heard a rumour that Germany had surrendered but was not sure it was true so we dug in ready to hold the line.

The following morning I lost my best mate, a sniper had shot him. Jack Pucknell was his name. That was the only time I hated the enemy as before they were soldiers like myself, fighting for our country.

I have left a few battles out and some of the horrible things I have seen which I suppose happens in all wars.

I never thought that when I joined up I would have to see lads dead and wounded as we travelled through France, Holland and Belgium but I was lucky and came out unscathed. I would not think I was scared only before a battle but once in, it left me and it was me or him.

I have left a few things out - battles and also the time we saw the planes bringing the parachutists over was quite an amazing sight.

It was grand to get home and married mum - all our fights were quiet with those I had been through.

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