Normandy
This was to be my second and last Christmas home-leave in six years active service, two on the rock one in Brussels and the last in Jerusalem!
On return from leave of coy, was gathering store etc, and on the move again to various places. A few weeks in Wimbledon then a spell at Godalming and various camps in Sussex.
Finally quite a long spell down at Southampton where we did a lot of work in reinstating railway-sidings that had suffered badly in blitz at Eastleigh just out of the town.
As the year 1944 wore on into March/April things were beginning to build up in the South of England with constant rumours of a summer offence on little old Hitler's mob across the Channel. By then we were back up to Sussex in camp at Petworth, and the coy, began to grid its loins.
All vehicles engines were being prepared by various means to be waterproofed against salt water to enable them if necessary to make a short dash from a Tank-landing Craft through a reasonable depth of water up the beaches. So we knew what was coming but did not know when!
It was during this period of time that I had another clash with the army discipline. It arose over an argument I had with our section officer who, although supposed to be qualified Accountant in civy street was, we all considered, to be a complete useless individual regards soldiering and particularly to give us orders in the undertaking we were soon to be engaged in. I ended up in front of the C.O. on a charge of refusing to obey an order. The result was another 28 days in the 'cooler'. But I had made my point and after that 'hoppy-hall' as we nicknamed him altered his attitude to me.
Later in Normandy when we were on the march he even came alongside me and offered to carry some of the Bren-Gun ammo I was lumbered with at the time! But the other lads who had the same opinion of him as me, swore it was because he had got a bit of a 'shake-on' because I put it about that I was going to get myself out of any trouble he might in-avertedly get the section into. In other words our motto was going to be 'I'm alright Jack' for our forthcoming caper across the channel.
It was during these weeks of 'Stand-By' in Sussex that the VI so called 'Doodle-Bug' flying bomb came across the South Coast heading for a devastation of the 'Smoke'. We stood and watched and listened for that cut-out of engine power that meant a few moments of gliding to earth and terrible blast of explosion.
Some luckily did not get as far as London or other towns, but we assembling in the countryside around Petworth had no early fallers near us fortunately. Then came the news on the wireless 'D-Day Invasion' early morning 6th of June, we held our breath.
After about a week we moved camp further down nearer the coast and joined a massive gathering of forces. We had been issued with the shoulder-lash of the 21st. Army Group under 'Monty' but as we were not front line troops we found ourselves attached to Army Group H.Q. and that we were to follow the Guards Armoured Divi, and the Canadians across the water.
In the following week we made our way among the troops, tanks, and all manner of equipment of war, down to Littlehampton when came the day it was our turn for the 'off'.
We embarked in a T.L.C (Troop Landing Craft) on the jetty early one morning and after assembling in the Solent we were away. Not a bad crossing as the earlier storms and rough sea of the D.Day's days abated.
We blessed our luck with the padre an hour before going aboard. The hours seemed to drag by slowly with the T.L.C's and destroyer escorts as far as the eye could see, an awe-inspiring sight, but at least we had a little comfort knowing that the worst initial beach assault had long been overcome.
As we approached the French coast a Battleship and cruisers away to our far left were pounding away salvos in shore, also a T.L.C (Tank Landing Craft) firing rocket launchers, moaning-minnies as we came to know then one hell of a crescendo of noise about our ears.
The order came for slow ahead and ramp swung down. We were 100yrds off the Normandy beach of Courselles and gradually eased in so that as luck would have it we were at the shore-line and in event never got our feet wet!
Vehicles off first and we followed on foot. At the double up the beach and over a sand dune under the barking orders of the Beach-Master, a Naval Officer. All quiet apart from the guns in the distance, and I was safely on Normandy soil.
A short march to a field behind the dune where we were assembled for role call and told to spread out in twos and threes to our K-Ratipns and kipped down in any available cover by the hedge side for the night with only our grounds sheets for shelter.
It was a fine warmish night but I, like most of the other lads only got catnaps as we wondered what dawn and the next few days would bring.
