"Death is in every nook and cranny"

We arrived back off detail one night and I am informed to get packed. 8 of the "A" section wagons (including mine) are being attached to "D" section and are moving off at dawn.

Daybreak finds us on our way. We are heading for Rouen and a transit camp about eight miles outside. After one day here, we are told the mission.

We were to be detached to the "4th Battalion of the Buffs" for stores and troop carrying. The "Buffs" arrived the next day. We were allowed in to the village for a few hours but the sound of bugles called us back. We were now under their command, we must go as it is a general stand-to. At dawn we move out, we rest in our wagons all night. That's me on the left.

Our object was to make Abbeville where we are to relieve the 5th Battalion. We were due midday but owing to the evacuees from Belgium, we were delayed, got to the Rendez-vous at 5pm, we were immediately turned back, we were informed that Jerry (Germans) had been bombing the town for two solid days, what was left of the 5th were prisoners.

Jerry spots our convoy but his aiming is rotten and he does not hit the road once, I don't think he wanted to because he needed to use it later. This is our first bombing and we are shaken, it was hell for the next three days with no sleep at all. See below..

My mate couldn't drive so I had no help from him, when the convoy stopped, which was very frequent, I often dozed off, only to be woken soon after, then off again for a few yards. After several incidents, we eventually hold Jerry at a small bridgehead outside "Argues-La-Bataille".

There is confusion everywhere but it later calms down. A few of the lads come back from the village with good news, a canteen had been abandoned, we are pleased, smokes for all!

In a few days we are settled down near a farm and the platoons have taken up various positions. We meet up with an Officer and his batman, they were all that is left of the 5th Batt. I am detailed for rations and the Officer is to go with me, I groan, it is very late and I am so tired but it is an order. The Office is a grand fellow and everyone calls him Bert.

We arrive on the outskirts of Dieppe for rations, the D.I.D is in the docks in one of the sheds. A raid is in progress and we decide to wait. It went on through out the night, what a dawn! Jerry clears off and we venture on.

Everywhere is in ruins, there are strained faces and scared looks. We are informed that 5 evacuee and hospital ships are sunk in the harbour. Death is in every nook and cranny. We draw rations and make our way back. Below is a picture taken from the web of Dieppe, the only one not from Alf's scrapbook.

Back at echelon my O.C greets us, he thought we'd been hit! I am off food for a few days and I thought I could take it...

France for the first time

We left Southampton, UK for France in the March (1940). We docked in Le Havre, France.


It took 3 solid days to unload the vehicles and get the convoy together.





This was one our convoys. We left Le Havre and set off for Rennes, France. This was to be our base.

We arrived at Rennes still a bit puzzled about the rules of the road! We had to park on the outskirts of the town and told to wait until the R.E's (Royal Engineers) had finished erecting "nissan huts", they were being erected not too far away. This gave us time to make valuable repairs, this is me changing a tyre with a mate, I am the one with the dark hair.

After 3 days we moved into the barracks and found that the French Cavalry training unit occupied the best part. The area left for us was unfit to live in hence the "nissan huts".

Most of our work consisted of local details, we had the occasional run to Les-Nevern, near Brest. We were moving a hospital back to Rennes. After two months at Rennes, Hilter's storm clouds gather over France, Belgium gave in and surrendered and the "Maginot Line" was found to be of no use. Jerry (The Germans) simply left the French on guard in the "m" line and by-passed it. This picture is from my diary:-

I tell more soon.

Alf

Army Life - The first days

By A Harris 123327----286 G.T.Coy R.A.S.C----M.E.F.

1st December 1939

I joined the army. We were sent to the training centre in Felixstowe, UK, it was called "Felixstowe No2 Coy".

My first guard post was Christmas Eve. We were promised leave but it was cancelled owing to movement orders on passing-out..Embark for an unkown destination near the end of February 1940, this was Stow-on-the-Wold, UK.

When we arrived at Stow, everywhere was covered in ice and snow. It was freezing. This was where we started to work in earnest, our new company was formed the "5 Res M.T". We were lucky and all of us given 4 days embarkation leave. We returned to Stow and went as a unit to Southampton, UK. We were heald there for a while, then off to France.

From the left, Bobby Smith, me, second from the left, good looking fellar, Fez and (Jimmy?) Jenkins

My First Post...87 Years Young!!

My Grandson decided to do this for me. I don't really know what computers do!!

So with a little help from my family, I am going to try to tell my story..how we really lived it..

I won't be typing on that computer thing, my family will be doing all of that, I do sometimes forget things but I never forget the War. I loved every minute of it, yes it was bloody hard, we lived each day as it was our last, but it made men of us.

My first story is to tell you about the Second World War.

So to start today, here is a picture of me and the "boys"