World World 2 Personal Articles

Memorial Service - Sun 9th Nov 08 I had attended our memorial service at Brompton Barracks quite a few times since I became a life member of the REA Chatham branch when I was about 70 but today was extra special because I had the honour of laying a wreath on behalf of the local branch.

The First British Bridge Across The Rhine To compliment my own personal story and the 60th anniversary of the end of ww2 read the official report at the time by the Chief Royal Engineer 8th Corps of how my colleagues hastened the end by bridging the Rhine.

Get to Know Me (Part 1) Born Dec 1925 the son of an actuary who was gassed and injured in WW1 I grew up in the small sea side resort of Herne Bay Kent ............

Off to War! (Part 2) I left several friends ,well-wishers and family behind at London Kings Cross standing all the way enroute for Preston to join a company of basic training recruits in Aug 1943............

Into Battle! (Part 3) This was not the kind of battle that was being fought over in Normandy and I quite enjoyed it because I felt useful, but there were no age limits on this side of the channel and babies and children were killed along with the rest on a daily basis ............

Into France! (Part 4) One august evening when the weather was thankfully fair I was transported with about 150 others to Southampton docks to board a small steam packet called Ben McDwui that in peacetime had plied between Liverpool and The Isle of Man............

Journey into Belguim! (Part 5) At last at the end of august I was on a truck heading inland to the city of Caen or rather where it had once stood . As many will know it was almost totally destroyed by the violent battles and bombing as the allies strove to break out from the bridgeheads.............

Into Holland! (Part 6) We were all relieved when at last orders came through for many of us to join various units and our bit of the war could begin. We knew that the enemy had been pushed back far and wide very quickly and we were not expecting to get into any real trouble but we knew nothing of the actual circumstances with "market garden " ourselves..............

1944/45 The Last Winter Of The War. (Part 7) It was hard to imagine that all around us in an area little larger than Kent hundreds of thousands of British and Canadian troops were massing for the final assault on Germany itself with a million and more Americans poised for 100 miles to the south...............

The Final Conquest. (Part 8) 508 Field Park Company was not one of those army units that could just pile into a column of tanks or trucks at a moments notice and be off. We kept and maintained much equipment used by all kinds of other royal engineer units, specially those dealing with bridging and road clearance and were always a few miles behind the action................

Occupation Forces. (Part 9) Only a few days after the war's end 508 company was moved to a static location into the centre of the narrow arm of Germany that leads to the border with Denmark called Schleswig Holstein. We occupied huts along the side of the Einfelder See which is a large lake a few miles north of Neumunster on the main road to the German port of Kiel.................

A New Life in Berlin and Hamburg. (Part 10) Berlin was built to impress and despite the fact that half the buildings were demolished on a massive scale there was still much in the very wide thoroughfares and open spaces that was to exhilarate me for the rest of my army service.........

Between Soviet Lines. (Part 11 with photos) Berlin was behind Soviet lines and we were only able to be there courtesy of a political agreement that was always in the balance. Our presence in the city along with the American and French in their respective sectors was always a risk as the tensions between East and West developed..........

60th Anniversary Of The End Of WW2- A Tribute To Elaine Today we saw the excellent concert of celebration in Trafalgar square. Sentimental memories abounded and reminded me of how little people finding we would have if it were not for those nostalgic thoughts of associations long past. When the guns fell silent most of us had been in the thick of it and we were not celebrating in the UK at all but amongst those that were at home were the many people who had sustained us through it all.....