- Contributed byÌý
- actiondesksheffield
- People in story:Ìý
- Arthur Allott, Bill Cooper, Syd Smith, Harry Adams and Macdonald
- Location of story:Ìý
- Normandy to Germany
- Background to story:Ìý
- Army
- Article ID:Ìý
- A4108781
- Contributed on:Ìý
- 24 May 2005
This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Bill Ross of the ‘Action Desk — Sheffield’ Team on behalf of Arthur Allott, and has been added to the site with the author’s permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.
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We started in Normandy, then we went through the Falaise Gap where we lost 2 men after being bombed and machine-gunned. We followed the Armoured Guards into Brussels where we were met by three ladies who took us home. ‘Us’ being Bill Cooper, Harry Adams and myself. The ladies’ father had served a bottle of Brandy for the first British troops who came to his house.
From there, we were trying to get to Arnhem which we didn’t manage, we only got to Nim Bridge where we lost a plane that was shot down. Our unit was an Air Observation Post whose function was to direct artillery fire onto targets. I was in the R.A.F. attached to the army; the pilots were actually army captains and we were attached to the 30 Corps.
The next battle was the Rhine crossing where we had a grandstand view of the paratroopers dropping. Later, we lost another plane which was shot down; two people were killed. Meanwhile, whilst in Holland, we were taken for dinner at a house in Treebeck; they were very kind to us; they had two little girls whom I still have a photo of.
The next battle was the Battle Of The Bulge in the Ardennes. We were in a little village outside Brussels arranging a Christmas party for the kids. We had made a great spread, but unfortunately, we had to move for the Germans had broken through the Ardennes.
I often wonder how these kids went on. Syd Smith was a great friend whom I haven’t seen since the war. He lives in Berkhampstead in Hertfordshire, Bill Cooper lives in Newcastle, Harry Adams, in London and MacDonald lives in Huddersfield (assuming they are still living of course).
“We will never see the likes again.â€
PR-BR
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