In January 2006,at the time that this website became a closed archive I had reached the age of 82 and was fully active, fully retired and living in London.With hindsight I can recall at 18 I was called up, fortunately I had some basic military training, being in the JLB, which is similar to the boys brigade,only being Jewish.
Basic training began in Blackpool, learning how to wear boots, my feet were full of blisters for days, sleeping in rooms with strangers.
From there to Gongleton in Cheshire,where I was chosen and trained as a driver/wireless operator,this took a further three months,and
was then given embarkation leave. Stationed at Aldershot, I phoned to my father to say good bye that I was off to war, I cried and my Father cried saying, Take care.
Arrived at Greenock in Scotland and boarded the ship SS Franconia, some time at sea, finally arrived at Algiers, during an air raid.
Then on to a base camp where I sent as reinforcements to the 49th LAA.
After a couple of weeks I was so hungry that, although I hated rice pudding at home, I lined up twice for a second helping of rice pudding.
From North Africa to Sicily Landing at Taranto up the Adriatic coast where my war began, the worst experience was at Adrano, for as we entered, we were being shelled and all around were blackened dead bodies.
From Sicily to Italy further up the Adriatic
coast to Termoli, where we were told to drive up in front and if we were shot at to return back and report. we were not shot at, and came back in one piece.
At Termoli we were digging in, when two planes came streaking out of the sky machine gunning us, how they missed was a miracle, discussing this, my comment was "what is my mother going to say, when she hears that I have been killed"
Further North, we were then told we are going to Egypt for a rest.I must recap, from leaving North Africa to this point of time we had lived on hard tac,Bully beef and biscuits, I had not eaten bread for about three months, the first was from an Italian farm,it was mana from heaven.
We arrived in Egypt, but my experience left a lot to be desired, I caught something called Forunculotis, Which caused me to have large boils all over my arms and legs, that continued when I got back to Italy, I was in agony.
Finally in Italy I was sent to a hospital and was cured by penicillin.
Back in the line once again,being shelled all of the time,sleeping in dug out full of water, we moved further North.
The regiment finally broke up, and I was sent to the 28th infantry brigade HQ in Greece, to a City called Patras, the war was then almost over, we just did guard duties and patrols, my best time spent there, was dating the Mayors daughter Angela.
LIAP arrived, I was sent home, was stationed in Stanmore in the RAF barracks for a while. Got my Demob suit and home.
I had been in the Army for Five years 1942 to 1947, and been in the war nearly all of this time.
I started a small business when I was demobbed with my LIAP money as a gown manufacturer, some years later I was supplying all the major stores and groups with my goods, so that I always feel
" THAT SOMEONE UP THERE LIKES ME."
Lewis(Larry)Fox.
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