大象传媒

D-Day: a memory of landing at OUISTREHAM
By Bob JONES

My brother and I, were in the same regiment: "The Buckinghamshire Light Infantry" wichmade the D DAY Normandy landing. We were put in separate landing craft, my lieutenant explained why we had been separated (the private Ryan syndrome). We were, of course, re-united ultimatly but there were times of anguish to follow. The one incident that I remember was towards the end of the war when jerry was on the run.

My brother and I werre both signallers which meant we had to go with different companies during attacks carrying a small radio with a throat mike to act as the Commanding officer's communication with Headquaters.

On this occasion, I was instructed to go with a company commander and my brother with another company commander.
Just before the attack, my sergeant told me that he had a "rookie" aged 19 straight from "Blightly" who had just married before leaving England, and that he, the sergeant, wanted me to look after him ( I was at that time an "old soldier" of 23.
So, as we wen't forward for the assault on this small german town I told our "Rookie" friend to stay at the rear and look after my spare signal equipment whilst I went up front with the Company commander, who was a canadian captain.

Hedaquaters advised me (coded, of course) that we were getting Tank support, a blessing and unfortunately, a curse, because with the noise and the dust, it gives the ennemy a direction in which to aim, which they certainly did.
So the squaddies took to shelter in the ditches at which point the C.O. said we should make for a small barn across the road. The C.O. instructed to tell H.Q. that jerry was now in retreat and we would consolidate in this small building at such and such map ref.

After some time my brother turned up telling me that he was informed that I (The signaller) had been killed by a german mortar attack. I remember that he refused to believe it, that it had'nt sunk in. After obvious reassurance he returned to H.Q. telling him to send out a don 5 field telephone.

At daylight, we had to enter this small town to mop up but jerry was well and truly departed.
The sergeant Major issued an order that all ranks attend a burial in the local churchyard of the only one of our comrades to be killed in that action. Tomy great shock and sadness, it was our "Rookie" friend who left a widow of a few weeks.

Bob JONES, ex-Buckhinghamshire Light, Infantry