Left Romsey camp at 17h00 for embarkation at Southampton. This is a history of war podcast on ww2, covering D-Day, Dunkirk more WW2
The D-Day Diary of Company Sergeant Major Douglas Gray Every Saturday morning before the war Doug (and son, Doug!) would meet Oscar there for a natter.įTFDTH WW2 Normandy D-Day podcast episode 6 – Part 1 Great group photo of 7 Green Howards Battalion C1940Ī pal of Doug’s, Oscar Topham, nickname Topper, ran an ice cream parlour. Doug's diary tells a really excellent story with drama, tragedy and humour. The entries start just before D-Day and finish several weeks after, so it’s quite a rare historical record because soldiers were forbidden to keep diaries in case they got captured. The diary’s been supplied by Doug’s family. He even wrote a diary entry on the day he won his military medal, before he knew he'd won it! He wrote his diary as things happened and fascinating it is too. Can see flashes on the horizon in the direction of France – that’ll be the bombersĭoug Gray was there on D-Day and beyond. "Sea still rough and still baling at daybreak. Interested in Bill Cheall's book? Link here for more information.įighting Through from Dunkirk to Hamburg, hardback, paperback and Kindle etc. Found a cherry tree and ate the lot!įacebook page Best podcast for World War 2 history and the second world war Tiffin - A light midday meal (luncheon) - Bill Cheall was hit by shell shrapnel whilst having tiffin - he got a Blighty one!įound a cherry tree and gave them the big licks - Catch question.
They were all constructed in the Portsmouth area.īully - Corned Beef - a staple of the British troops - see Wilf Shaw's podcast to appreciate the finer dietary niceties of bully! The Hards - In May 1942, Mountbatten ordered the construction of 11 purpose built areas of hard standing, 'hards', to serve landing craft and ships that would support his Commando operations on the European coast. In war torn France it probably just meant tuck shop! NAAFI - Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes is an organisation which runs recreational establishments needed by the British Armed Forces. Hope so, as he's the best Sergeant in the Battalion and hates Jerries more than anyone, on account of him seeing his brother killed next to him at Akarit."Ĭushy one - A minor wound necessitating some time away from the front lineīlighty one - A wound serious enough to require the recipient to be sent home (to England) Marvelous piece of work by an officer getting him out. "Poor old Topper runs into a Spandau and gets five bullets in him. Doug's WWII diary tells a really excellent story with drama, tragedy and humour.
He even wrote a diary entry on the day he won his military medal, before he knew he'd won it! He wrote his diary and fascinating it is too.