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On this night we were in our bunks in a warehouse, when the air raid siren sounded. We all jumped out of bed to go to our posts. I and four others were making our way to the warehouse next door, on reaching half way, up the spiral stairs, a land mine hit the roof. We were sent flying up in the air, clothes ripped off and then I remember coming down and then oblivion. I came to, trapped in a sitting position, I remember, that I had a cigarette lighter in my pocket, it was still there. I lit the lighter and I could see an iron door with a padlock within my reach. I smashed the lock with a brick and pulled the door partly open and flames came through burning my feet and legs.
I must have passed out and I came to to find water upto my mouth and in complete darkness. Still trapped by the legs, I pushed up with my arms to keep my head out of water. I must have passed out again. I came to and found that the water had gone. I then heard voices telling me to shout, which I did until my voice went. Then a shaft of light appeared in a wall above me and a man's face, which was upside down as he was lowered with a rope. He said 'hold on son we're coming for you.' He came through the hole with another man and released me from the iron girders, they helped me through the hole and I shinned up the rope myself even with a broken leg, ankle and burns. I was met at the top by a host of hands which put me on the back of a lorry, which took me to Walton hospital where I remained for 12 months.
The nurses were: Sister Morris, nurses Webb, Morgan and Roberts.
The men who rescued me: Rifleman Henry Brayshaw and Liverpool man LT Gillot, who was later killed in Italy. They received the George Medal.
7 of my comrades were killed in that raid. I returned to the Cheshire regiment and was posted to North Africa and ended up in Rome.

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