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In the trenches — in Southhampton!

In September 1940,Mike left Kilkeel to attend a three-week course at the School of Military Administration in Southampton.
He met another officer on his way there and, after both had checked in, they made a ‘beeline’ to the local pub.
After having been in Northern Ireland a few months the soldiers were thirsty for what Mike called a “a good English pint of beer”.
But that pint never materialised. The duo had just ordered at the bar when a despatch rider arrived at the pub and told them to return to the school straightaway.
“The Brigadier then had us all gathered together, some 30 to 40 NCOs”, he explained.
“He said he understood the invasion of Britain was imminent ---operation Sea Lion as the Germans called it.
“The barges were apparently loaded with troops and ready to come, and we had to be in a position to at least hold off any invasion for an hour or two until things were considered stabilised.”
The officers were all key men in their own regiments and were not to be committed to a sustained battle if at all possible.
Mike continued, however: “That night we had to go out and dig slit trenches around the building. The ludicrous thing was we had to examine the weaponry we had between us. Being NCOs everyone only had revolvers, so by the time we shared the ammunition out, I was down to four rounds because some of the men hadn’t even got ammunition because their regiments were so under-equipped.
“In the event, of course, we know the invasion didn’t come off, but in slept in our clothes every night,with our revolvers under our pillows for the remainder of the course.”

SERVICE RECORD

1931 TO 1936 — Solihull School, Birmingham, Officers’ Training Corps.
15th September 1939 — enlisted in Regular Army- Royal Artillery Training Centre, Kinmel Park, Abergele, North Wales.
1 November 1939 — Posted to 81st Field Regiment Royal Artillery. Rank:gunner, medical officer’s orderly and batman, Pembroke, South Wales.
1 January 1940 — attended Divisional Gas School 14 day course, Penally,South Wales.
22 January 1940 — promoted to Bombardier (two stripes), duty NCO Headquarters Staff 1/c Regimental Police.
1 March 1940 — promoted to Lance Sergeant (three stripes), duty NCO Headquarters Staff, attached to Quartermaster Department part-time.
1 April 1940 —promoted Sergeant (three stripes and gun).
5 April 1940 — Regiment posted to Ballymoney, Northern Ireland.
21 June 1940 — Regiment posted to Kilkeel,Northern Ireland.
6 July 1940 — promoted Warrant Officer 11 Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant (RQMS).
16 September to 3 October 1940 — attended Military School of Administration , Brockenhurst, near Southampton (result grade A).
17 October 1941 — discharged to commissioned rank- appointed Lieutenant and Quartermaster,the youngest in the British Army.
20 October 1941 — joined 71 Anti-Tank Regiment, Poyntzpass, Northern Ireland.
April 1942 — Regiment posted to Rochester, Kent.
August 1942 — Regiment posted to Herne Bay, Kent.
August 1943 — Regiment posted to Sudbury, Suffolk.
September 1943 — Regiment posted to Herne Bay,Kent.
October 1943 — Regiment posted to Dartford, Kent.
10th June 1944 —Regiment posted to Normandy, 30th Corps 2nd Army Group.
17th June 1944 — landed in Normandy after one week spent anchored at sea.

MAJOR BATTLES

24TH July to 20 August 1944 — fighting west and south west Caen, Normandy, Falaise Gap.
27 August to 7 September 1944 — drove day and night to Antwerp.
17 September to 17 October 1944 — Arnhem Battle Support to Nijmegan and on to the island south of Arnhem.
17 October to 1 November 1944 — fighting in Holland — captured S’Hertogenbosch.
1 to 18 November 1944 — rushed back to Belgium to repel counter-attack. Lt.Col. Casselli captured. Advanced to River Maas, near Roermond.
9 to 17 December 1944 —held position near Roermond.
20 December 1944 — pulled back to Brussels. German breakthrough at Ardennes.
29 December 1944 to 17 January 1945 — Ardennes, Battle of the Bulge.
18 January 1945 — pulled back to Liege.
19 January 1945 — to Holland en route for Nijmegan and battle into German Reichswald.
7 February to 21 March 1945 — Reichswald Battle. Six weeks of fighting.
1 April to 4 May 1945 — crossed the River Rhine and fought to the outskirts of Hamburg. City surrender.
June 1945 —posted to Krefeld near Dusseldorf as occupation troops.
October 1945 — disbanded 71 Anti-Tank Regiment. Posted to disband 83 Field Regiment.
February 1946 — posted to disband 81 Field Regiment at Grevenbroich.
June 1946 — remained as rear party 53rd Division Royal Artillery having completed disbandment.
4 July 1946 — to Bremen for demobilisation.
5/6 July 1946 — to Hull for Demob. Camp. Handed in kit and drew civilian clothes.
8 July 1946 — arrived in Belfast, having served six years, nine months and 24 days.

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