I was a member of HQ Platoon, 69 Field Company, Royal Engineers, which came under 30 Corps (GOLD beach) for the assault phase of OVERLORD. I was a driver/radio operator. I am going to begin with the transcript of a letter I wrote to my wife on 11 June 1944….
…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…
…navy doctor with half an hour to spare to come and talk to us – and help us through our First Aid and Home Nursing exams. I am glad to report that I took and passed every exam going. Small things in the eyes of the world, but a big…
…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…
…It could have gone off when it was first touched. Days went by with lots of heavy action. There was mine clearing with our Sherman flail tanks, which had a huge drum at the front with heavy chains attached and when the drum revolved at high speed the chains set…
…as they flew over to hammer the German defences and I remember saying to myself those lines of Shakespeare from Henry V: ‘He that outlives this day, and comes safe home, Will stand a tiptoe when this day is nam’d … And gentlemen in England now abed Shall think themselves…