…the Channel, practising towing what turned out to be components of the Mulberry Harbours. The extracts that follow are taken with Mr Close’s kind permission from his Memoirs, ‘Beyond the Horizon’, published in 2010. If you would like to read the full story of Jack Close’s wartime adventures and the…
…Helmieh after a short time. As a non-combatant I was returned to England in 1940 and joined the combined band of the 11th Hussars and 12th Royal Lancers. I finished my boy service in 1943 and decided to leave the band and return to regiment duty to fight in the…
…tents. When I left the Cambridge Military Hospital at Aldershot, I was posted to another hospital at Woolwich, with courses now and then. Later I was posted to a field unit, and so joined the Field Ambulance of 214 Brigade in the 43rd Wessex Division in 1943. The commanding officer…
…sixty of us. The senior ranks were briefed on 27 May about the date but not the location. Then surprise, surprise we had 36 hours leave, but no travel passes. I went across to Exbury post office and sent a telegram to my mother in Norfolk, telling her to come…
…tried A nice way up my little heap Not at the bottom, like a sheep And as we near our Journey’s End My Platoon Commander is still my FRIEND!! Memories of D-Day written by Major Ian Wakefield, Officer Commanding No 8 Platoon and subsequently A Company of the 2nd Battalion,…
…of the war I was involved in minesweeping at Ostend. One day we had a very Senior Officer come out with the Flotilla to see ‘How his boys (bloody cheek!) were doing.’ The joke was that he picked the wrong day to come out with us as we were sweeping…
…D-Day objective, the Caen-Bayeux road. Our CO, Brigadier Senior, was wounded, so for the remainder of D-Day the Brigade Major virtually commanded the brigade. We couldn’t pull in the senior battalion commander, as he was too committed in command of his battalion of the Durham Light Infantry. A new brigadier…
In 1944, I was an Able Seaman Gunner serving in HMS Swift, commanded by Captain J. Gower, R N. After experiencing some very hard times serving with the Russian Convoys, and the boredom of Scapa Flow, we were suddenly ordered in April 1944 to the Clyde. As we proceeded towards…
…senior ones were primed ready to go to the ‘Far Shore’ with the Allied invasion of Normandy. A couple were attached to an HQ in the American sectors. Lieutenant Commander (A) Gerald F Arnold RNVR and I were appointed to the Staff of the Flag Officer, British Assault Area, Rear…