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15 October 2014
WW2 - People's War

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Stories categorised in 'Duncan Torrance's Army Memoir'. These stories may contain references to other themes.

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Foreword - From Desert to Danubeicon for Story with photo

Much of it', was typed in Benghazi on an old Italian Oliveti typewriter that was in the care of the...

Chapter 1 - The Raw Recruit

I remembered how I had joined the School Officers Junior Training Corps in 1940 and then the Home Guard in...

Chapter 2 - The First Scheme

Tired, hungry and excited, we were met at Woking station by a Highland Light Infantry Officer with a...

2 Platoon 'B' Company, 29th. Training Battalion - photoicon for Story with photo

Photo Gallery
Books Photo Gallerylink to gallery

Photos that were contributed with stories in this category.

icon for Story with photoStory with photo

Chapter 3 - War Office Selection Board

Chapter 4 - A Fully Trained Soldier

Chapter 5 - Pre-O.C.T.U.

Chapter 6 - Life in Morecambe

I well remember one fellow crawling through a wet tunnel being blown out of the other end when an officer...

Chapter 7a - A 2/Lieut is Born

While we were going along the bottom of the valley, we spied our enemy half, way up the hill. We lay in...

Chapter 7b - A 2/Lieut is Bornicon for Story with photo

We must not be spotted by our own officers or the police, who would endorse our instruction papers. They...

Chapter 8 - On Foot In The Highlandsicon for Story with photo

The 'Old Man' seemed very decent and made me feel quite at home before handing me over to the...

Chapter 9a - On Active Service

All hopes of bed were dashed away when I reported to the orderly Officer at Langholm. I sat at the desk...

Chapter 9b On Active Service

The Cairo ones seemed past-masters at their job and had plenty employed in the profession, 'clefty...

Chapter 10a 'Bury Me Out In The Desert, In The Heat Of The Lybian Sun'. My Green Howards Sergeanticon for Story with photo

In Derna, I was presented with a cemetery of seven hundred enemy, an old and extremely innaccurate Italian...

Chapter 10b -'Bury Me Out In The Desert, In The Heat Of The Lybian Sun'icon for Story with photo

I found it aggrivating to sit beside a driver who, with the wheel to steady him, would throw the vehivle...

Chapter 11a - Deeper Into the Desert

In Giovanni Berta we lived on an old Italian, Farm on the top of a hillock, high up on the Jebel limestone...

Chapter 11b - Deeper Into the Desert

Our map reference lay in the'no man's Land' between his tribe of Senussi and the neighbouring...

Chapter 12 - Winding Upicon for Story with photo

The officer and sergeant were from the British Operating Company, and had been to Tobruk for the week-end....

Chapter 13a - A Life on the Ocean Waveicon for Story with photo

These were merchant navy boats, with merchant navy crews, on charter to the Ministry of Defence. The...

Chapter 13b - A Life on the Ocean Waveicon for Story with photo

The boat was held back in Port Said after a limpet mine attack on the 'Empire Rival' as she lay...

Chapter 14a - A Base Wallahicon for Story with photo

One saturday we drew a similar load of silver which had to be transported to Suez on sunday to catch the SS...

Chapter 14b - A Base Wallahicon for Story with photo

We left the poor duty clerk in charge and went off to the football match, officers and sergeants versus...

Chapter 15a - Back to Exhumations and Crossesicon for Story with photo

After having been on leave for a further month, I was sent to the Military Police Depot in Aldershot, to...

Chapter 15b - Back to Exhumations and Crossesicon for Story with photo

Some Germans were following a policy of removing the means of identity from bodies Papers, and even badges...

Chapter 16 - A New Cemetery

Here, I ordered a fresh vehicle to a nearby cemetery where I still had some work. The Germans were equipped...

Chapter 17 - The Deep Mid-Wintericon for Story with photo

In the British zone, A German may raise his hat, address you as sir, give concise directions. Anyone who...

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