"What a life and what a war"

News is not so good and rumours are very consistent. The D.I.D is moved to a racecourse and none too soon, it is a bit too hot in the docks. Jerry never left it alone, it is not much better at the course but at least we can disperse easier. The Stadium itself is burnt down, the local cook beat Jerry to it!

All in all things are not so good, Jerry is a bit too much for us. We have to leave and start heading off down the coast, we are going to make a stand at Fecamp. It is a lovely little village. How I wish it were peacetime..

The Sherwood Foresters and Border Regiments are taking over the town and the Buffs are on the outskirts. Jerry is one move ahead of us, we just about get settled when he opens up. There is no news from town as we are cut off in a valley, it looks very dark for us, the only road out is blocked.


All second drivers are told to go and help the infantry. As a first driver, we have to stnad by our wagons, it must be getting desperate now and we have to go also. I have a few shots but they are wild, at imaginary targets. "What a life and what a war".

All drivers with loaded lorries are recalled. I wonder what is up now? We are informed that there is a chance of getting out, an Officer has found a cart track and has great hopes of us getting away.

The wounded are loaded on top of loads, it's the best we can do for them..


Off we go! I am driving the last lorry as they cannot put any casualties in my wagon, the cart track goes under very low bridges. My wagon being the only covered wagon and last, had to watch the other wagons just scrape through the bridges, I am unfortunate, I am too high..

My nerves are more on edge than ever, I thought, why should I worry about the cover, as long as I get through the first bridge, I'll be safe. I decided to go at it flat out, there was a cracking noise but my luck is in, I made it minus the cover!


We were straffed twice before arriving at the outskirts of Le Havre. We meet up with the Black Watch preparing to meet Jerry. I wonder what happened to the rest? So far there are only about a dozen wagons. After two days about two-thirds of the battalion turn up, the remaining are posted missing..

Before I post anymore..

I am the oldest Grandson of Alf. Who I am is irrelevant, I am proud to be his Grandson..

I recently visited my Nan and Grandad (Alf and his wife of 60 years Joan) and found this tired looking photo album:-


It is typical of this proud and generally poor in wealth generation to simply put their photos away somewhere safe. I opened the album and saw this:-



The photos shown on this blog, unless disclosed are all actually taken by Alf during his days in the war. They were and still are all crammed in this folder. If you like this blog, click on the vote image to the right (dislosure: I own fuelmyblog).

When Alf recites the stories he does so proudly. You can see the memories flooding back and the odd tear in the eye. One thing he never does is complain. When I read through his stories I realise a little, just how hard it must have been.

Nowadays hard life for my generation is bloody easy in comparison and reading this blog will make you realise how lucky we all are, there were millions like my Grandad, many that didn't come back and were "less fortunate"..