When World War 1 ended, I went to Canada with my uncle and worked on logging. I was homesick for Liverpool, so returned home after two years away.
I was fortunate to get a job in Liverpool Dockyards, as in those times it was a very busy port, so was employed there up until the outbreak of World War II. I was employed as a Stevedore, passing the service trade test, as a Stevedore D1 to work in a supervisory role.
In 1939, I enlisted in the Royal Engineers 13th COY, as a Sapper. Once trained, I joined my Battalion and took part in operations with the North Western Expeditionary Force in 1940.
I came home on leave and was introduced to my brother George's sister in-law, whose name was Florence, and lived in Walton Village. She was an interesting person and very typical of her time, who was training as an Air-Raid Volunteer. There may have been a bit of match-making going on in the family, as I am not sure if she liked me or not. Well! we seemed to click and on my next leave, we got married in Walton Church,Liverpool. I was dressed in military uniform, as it seemed to be the thing to do during the war years.
On 22nd August, I was posted for war duty in Iceland and was there until the end of 1942. I returned home just before Christmas 1942, bringing with me a seal skin fur coat,hat,
handbag and matching purse for my bride.
Early in the New Year,I had to report for war duty and was briefed we were leaving for North Africa and the Mediterranean. The troop carrier I was on was torpedoed off the coast of Algiers,North Africa. There was no warning and it was thought we were hit by a U Boat. Everything happened so quickly, and the next thing we found ourselves in the sea. I was picked out of the sea by crew of an ocean-going tug. There was no others from my company around and I can only imagine what had happened to them, God Bless their souls. The last person, I remember talking to, was a medic when we were in the sea. Both of us were not strong swimmers, so we just kept kicking and talking about home, while we waited and prayed to be picked up.
I was transferred to amphibious landing craft, very wet and cold but otherwise,okay. There was no time to dwell on what had happened. I had taken my boots off when I was in the sea, I was handed an old pair of boots and another rifle. The boots were too big, but I was grateful and glad I had survived. I was already on my way for the Allied Invasion of Salerno in Southern Italy. By now, we were under continous fire, as we landed and made our way ashore. My ears were ringing with the noise from heavy artillery fire from our own ships and the enemy. I was glad I had not been hit, as I found cover by some rocks beyond the beach head. After, a while we re-grouped and moved forward, then dug into the area.
The next stage came, as we pushed on and came around the coast by amphibious landing craft for the Anzio landings. There was fierce enemy Panzer resistance and we were held up here, as a result of the time it took for Allied forces equipment to arrive ashore. The weather just seemed to get worse with the rivers around the area being so high and on the point of flooding. It was our job to assist, with the bridge building and on the arrival of reinforcements, we pushed on again to Trieste with the allies heading for Rome.
At the end of World War II, I returned to the UK being demobbed and went back to Liverpool, thankful to be home safe, and to be with my wife and child who was born while I was away at war. Liverpool to my eyes, looked a great place, as I got my old job back on the docks. I stayed here for the rest of my life.
About the Author: Is the son, quoting
from parents letters in family memoirs.
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