About the contributor

I was born December 1918 at Ashton Under Lyne and I had two other brothers, Harry and Neville. When I left school at the age of 15, I became an Apprentice Lithographic Printer. I joined 30th Survey Training Regiment, Larkhill on 16 October 1939. I passed out as an Artillery Surveyor and posted to the 2nd Survey Regiment as an Instrument Operator in Sound Ranging. In July 1942 I joined 4th Durham Survey Regiment RA, and served in the Western Desert, El Alamein, Sicily and then returned back to England November 1943. I then went to Normandy 9 June 1944 continuing through to Belgium, Holland and Germany. I was discharged 25 January 1946 and returned to work at a Lithographic Printer andwas married to Dorothy 17 August 1946. We had two children, Allan and Sharon and lived in Stalybridge and moved to Ashton on Mersey in 1956. I retired from work in 1983, and in March 2000 we moved to Nottinghamshire to be nearer our family. Sadly my wife died in November 2000.
I have two grandchildren, Iain and Hannah and my hobbies are gardening, painting, bowling and I have written my wartime experiences which are on the Net "Sounds Like the Enemy". Last year I attended the service at Westminster Abbey for the Desert Rats and next year I am going with my son and his wife and my grandson to Normandy for the 60th Anniversary of D Day. If anyone recognises my name or the regiment, please contact me.