Tag Archives: D day

Phil Kelsey: WWII 1940s

I was called up in1940. I had instructions to go to Newport Station and wait there.  I went there and was met by Army people and they said they were waiting for trains to come from other parts of the Island, could we come back in an hour. There was one or two of us there and we went off and had a drink. When we come back they had a lorry there and loaded us in, and where do you think they brought us to – Golden Hill!
I was in the Hampshire Regiment.  I was in for just about six years,  I travelled about all over the place.  I didn’t go overseas until just after D Day.

A few days after D Day we went to Southampton and were transported across to Normandy. We went to where the British went ashore near Caen and it wasn’t long before we were moved up to where the battles were, to Hill 112. It was said whoever had charge of Hill 112 was in charge of Normandy. We had a battering there, constant shelling at night. When we went there I had a section of 6; when we came away there was four of us. We spent some time there defending that, several night skirmishes, attached to the 43rd division. We then went to a place called Montpinchon. Going up one side a Mortar Shell landed. Next thing I knew I was picking myself out of the ditch on the other side of the road. I staggered around for a bit and then a medical car picked me up and that was the end of the fighting for me, I still have shrapnel in my chest. I was treated for several weeks and then at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, it was decided not to operate to remove the shrapnel.

I went to Chester, a big place for a lot of wounded who were getting better. I managed to get away to a couple of football matches while I was there and then moved down to Colchester where we took out German Prisoners to work on farms. That was a very boring sort of  a turn out, just walking out with them and then taking them back. Next place was just outside Worksop, where I was instructor for small arms firing until I was demobbed.
While there I was able to get around. I went to a game of football at Bramall Lane,’’ even managed to get to a cricket match. Phil Kelsey b 1920

Ron Wallis: Thorley WWII 1940s

WWII: a boy’s perspective

From 1941 we were living at Lee Farm, Dad was bailiff for Granny Haigh. Later we moved to Thorley Lodge, then Michaelmas Cottage ( now South Lee) and eventually North View.

I can remember seeing the overturned earth from bombs which dropped adjacent to the railway line just east of the Lee Brickyard.  I imagine they were trying to hit the railway line.  How many bombs it was I don’t know, but I can remember seeing two craters.

I was outside with father one night, because when he was not on Home Guard duty, he used to love being outside watching it all go on, and you could see the search lights and the anti aircraft shells bursting. All of a sudden there was this terrific screech, which you did get occasionally when you had stuff coming down. And there was this bang and the next morning father found this large piece of shrapnel which had gone through the roof of the meal house.   It was about twenty yards away from where we were standing.

There was a gun emplacement at the top of Broad Lane, a bit before you get to Dog Kennel, on the side of the road there where there’s a footpath goes across.  It was only about twelve foot square. Where the Home Guard used to go night time I don’t know, Brook, I think.  Father did have a rifle quite quickly after the Home Guard was formed, although they didn’t have enough to go round. Yes, he was handy with a shotgun. As well as having a couple of shotguns of his own, he did have a revolver and very nice large knife, a beautiful thing, illegal these days.  Him and Bill Welstead were Home Guards.

I would have ten or nine, I remember being fairly close to the old estate carpenters shop and I could hear vehicles coming in through the gates. At that time, closest to Thorley Lodge was a granary and that big stone barn, and alongside that was a double tin barn. I was there playing, and these vehicles came in and scattered themselves around the area in the yard and adjacent fields. There were three or four fifteen hundredweight Bedford type things with lots of aerials sticking out, with canvas backs. One had a solid back, if I remember it was a Commer.  There was at least one armoured scout car, couple of motorcycles and two or three large-ish type jeeps – and the men had an odd uniform with pill box type peak caps for officers.  I didn’t know what they were saying or who they were.  It was only when father took them down a basket of eggs we found out, not what they were about, but who they were – French. They were there probably for two days and then one morning they were gone.  That was a few days before or after D Day June ’44.

We milked in the long stable and the cows would have just been chained up. It was quite a herd.
I think there was about eighteen in the bottom shed and six or seven in the top shed, twenty five milked by hand. One man could milk twelve, they reckon, so there must have been two men milking.
We had an Italian Prisoner of War, Giovanni Azara, he became head milker along with father. Father was always up at half past five every morning and they used to bring ‘Johnny’ over about seven o’clock.
He arrived probably ’42. He had farming experience, I think he was from the Po Valley agricultural area so he knew what he was doing and he loved being with the cows.  He had a terrific pride in his work.  He was lovely chap.  I would think he was about twenty.
You weren’t supposed to allow them in the house or anything.  I must admit mother flaunted the rules a bit towards the end particularly. We had to get permission to give him a crucifix when he left and I can remember him hugging mother and crying because he didn’t want to go home.

We didn’t have holidays.  Gracious no.  Went to Grandmother’s and Auntie’s for tea on Sunday.  We weren’t short of food. Father could go and shoot a few rabbits, there were plenty about.

I remember there were two old ladies, spinster ladies, the Misses Vaudrey. They lived over at Cranmore somewhere.  And they used to come two or three times a week with mashed fish and stuff to feed the farm cats.

There were some celebrations I remember, I’m sure it was VE day. My grandmother and two of my uncles lived at Marks Corner, and I can remember going up there and there was a great big long table laid out with lots of goodies. Some of the soldiers in Parkhurst Forest were Canadians but I think these were Americans; they seemed to provide all the goodies.  We had a big party to celebrate.  But I don’t remember any parties going on in the Yarmouth area. I think it was just a sigh of relief.  Ron Wallis b 1935