Douglas Hudson - Soldier 4346057: A Second World War Diary

Title Page

SOLDIER 4346057:

A SECOND WORLD WAR DIARY

D. Hudson

ARTHUR H. STOCKWELL LTD

Torrs Park, Ilfracombe, Devon, EX34 8BA

Established 1898

www.ahstockwell.co.uk

Publisher Information

D. Hudson, 2014

First published in Great Britain, 2014

All rights reserved.

Digital conversion by

Andrews UK Limited

www.andrewsuk.com

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright holder.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Soldier 4346057

SHORT, THEREFORE, IS MANS LIFE AND NARROW THE CORNER OF THE EARTH WHEREIN HE DWELLS.

Anon.

It is my hope that this narrative, with scrapbook, will be preserved by our children if for no other reason than to ensure they do not forget the tragedy which fell not only on England and Europe but on the whole world, and that they do not forget also the absolute futility of war.

Dedication

To my dear late wife, Margaret, daughters, Susan and Jane, grandchildren, Katie, Adam, Paul and Robert, and all those who never returned.

The Second World War

11 a.m., 3 September 1939 to 2.41 a.m., 8 May 1945 (Europe)

4346057 - Hudson, D.

Age on entry - twenty-one years (army)

The notes contained in this book are a verbatim copy of those taken by me during military service. They were in pencil, on paper once white but now sepia-coloured with the passing years; before my memory fades, like the notes, concerning certain details and dates, the transcribing to type was commenced as a New Years resolution.

Where possible the notes are supported by a scrapbook of pictures and press cuttings, most of which I was able to secrete home for safekeeping in the monthly allowance of one green envelope (applicable to duty overseas). Green envelopes were subject only to spot checks by censors as opposed to unit mail, all of which was censored before leaving the unit. Green envelopes were censored at base by persons unknown to the writer.

The notes comprise a potpourri of anecdotes, hopes and fears, successes and failures of the Herculean days of war. As I read them now, more than five decades later, they do seem a little melodramatic or histrionic, but I am sure that at the time any attempt to create such an impression could not have been further from my mind. The attendant difficulties and danger in compiling these notes, often hidden away in my kit in a rear echelon, does bring back a little nostalgia. Whilst not representing top-grade intelligence, if a rear HQ had been overrun and the notes captured, they would without doubt have been of some use to the enemy.

I wrote as I felt, as I thought and as I saw, believing strongly that right was on our side and that the Almighty would give us all the priceless experience of witnessing a victory at some time and that we would, as Rupert Brooke wrote in the First World War, see the powers of darkness put to flight. We did indeed see the morning break and the glorious light of freedom which followed, always remembering those less fortunate ones who were not so privileged.

Rank, Courses And Promotions

Private Soldier - 15 January 1940

Acting Unpaid - Lance Corporal 2 July 1940

Lance Corporal - 31 October 1940

Full Corporal - 3 December 1940

Lance Sergeant - 4 November 1941

Sergeant - 1 January 1942

War Substantive Sergeant (Signals) - 1 April 1942

Basic Infantry Training - Beverley, East Yorks.

Advanced Field Training - Beverley, West Woods

Specialist Signals (Infantry) - Hornsea, East Yorks.

Wireless/Telegraphy - Seaburn, Co. Durham

Signals, Classified Q1 - Catterick, North Yorks.

10 Corps Junior Leaders School: Pass Q1 - Leyburn, North Yorks.

Bofors 40-mm AA Gunnery: Pass Q1 - Chester, Cheshire

Aircraft Recognition: Pass Q1 - Hoo, nr Chatham, Kent

Mines: Pass Q1 - Hoo

Motor Transport: Pass Q2 - Hoo

Junior Commando: Pass Q1 - San Martino, Italy

Signals Refresher: Pass Q1 - Paolisi, Italy

Movements, Units And Formations

I volunteered for the Royal Air Force on Sunday 3 September 1939 at a recruiting office in the Odeon Cinema, The Mount. Scores were being turned away on arrival and told to wait for registration. I joined the long queue nevertheless and an officer came to talk to us on the pavement. He explained that there were few training establishments, no equipment and few instructors; and that if we volunteered for flying duties, it would make no difference. Eventually I made it to a trestle table in the foyer and was again told exactly what the officer had said, so I went home to wait.

Royal proclamation, age group 20/22 1 October 1939

Registered. Order of choice: RAF, navy, army 21 October 1939

Medical examination, St Georges Cinema, Castlegate, York 11 November 1939

Papers received for the army 6 January 1940

East Yorks. Regt., Training Depot, Beverley Barracks 15 January 1940

Signals Depot, Hornsea, East Yorks. 14 April 1940

Conservative Club, Beverley 29 June 1940

8 th Bn. East Yorks. Regt., XV Foot, HQ Coy, Sunderland 11 October 1940

D Coy, Horden, Co. Durham 31 October 1940

HQ Coy, Seaburn, nr Sunderland 10 December 1940

B Coy, No. 11 Platoon, Roker Park, Sunderland 27 December 1940

Seaburn 11 January 1941

HQ Coy (Signals), Sunderland 11 February 1941

Wireless/telegraphy course, Seaburn 16 February 1941

10 Corps Junior Leaders School, Leyburn, North Yorks. 16 March 1941

Sunderland 26 April 1941

Hutton Rudby, North Yorks. 12 May 1941

West Hartlepool, Co. Durham 1 August 1941

Middlesbrough 23 November 1941

Chester 29 December 1941

Carnforth, Lancs. 24 February 1942

Dover, Kent 24 March 1942

Hoo, nr Chatham, Kent 7 April 1942

Ashford, Kent 25 April 1942

Hawkinge, Folkestone, Kent 10 May 1942

Butlins Camp, Clacton, Essex 18 July 1942

Shorncliffe, Kent 28 July 1942

Stubbington, Hants 30 July 1942

Folkestone, Kent 12 August 1942

Ashford 21 August 1942

Clacton, Essex 23 September 1942

Ashford 6 October 1942

Aldershot, Hants 4 December 1942

Embarkation leave 15-18December1942

King George V Dock, Liverpool 23 December 1942

Mersey estuary 24 December 1942

Set sail for Clyde 25 December 1942

Algiers, North Africa 3 January 1943

Sidi Moussa 4 January 1943

Souhk Arras 12 January 1943

Ghardimaou 13 January 1943

Tabarka, Tunisia 20 January 1943

Sedjenane (West) 24 January 1943

Battle of the Ridge, Sedjenane 30 January 1943

Battle for Sedjenane 28 February 1943

Djebel Abiod 5 March 1943

Three days rest, Tabarka 20 March 1943

Concentration area, nr Djebel Abiod 24 March 1943

Djebel Abiod recaptured 25 March 1943

Nr Sedjenane 4 April 1943

139 th Brigade, 46 th British Division, 1 st Army was at this stage considerably depleted and we were merged with the remnants of some commando units and the Parachute Brigade, operating under the title of the latter in 46 th Division until 139 th Brigade was reformed.

Our route took us through Tabarka, Ain Draham, Fermana, Souhk-el-Chemis, Souhk-el-Aba, le Krib and El Aroussa to Central Sector Northern Front to provide support in the Kasserine Gap battle.

Kasserine Gap battle 14 April 1943

Medjes-el-Bab 20 April 1943

Hideout (place not recorded) 22 April 1943

Goubelat Plain - final attack on Tunis 22 April 1943

Hideout in a wadi with 138 th Brigade 23 April 1943