People in story:
Frank Phillips
Location of story:
D Day landings in France, advancing into Germany, RAF
Broadwell.
Background to story:
Army
Article ID:
A4190177
Contributed on:
14 June 2005
I was called up in 1940 into the 7th Buffs Infantry Regiment which
was later converted to 141st Royal Armoured Corps.
We were under canvas in the grounds of a big house at
Maidenhead by the Thames. After three months training we were
sent to South Devon to defend that part of the coast against a
German invasion. Four companies were stationed along the coast
from Bigbury on Sea to Salcombe. H.Q. was set up in the Albion
Hotel at Kingsbridge.
After one night when we were called out on a false alarm we
returned to the Guard Room,which was the room on the left as you
enter the hotel,where one soldier was on a charge.
He was marched in, stood to attention, banged his rifle butt on the
floor and it fired a round straight up through the ceiling and just
missed the C.O. sitting at his desk in the room above!
Later I volunteered to join the Airborne forces and was posted to
the 6th Airborne Armoured Recce Regiment.We had lightweight
Tetrarch tanks (named after military chiefs in ancient Greece),
Daimler Scout Cars with a pre-selective gear box and
forward/reverse lever enabling all speeds in either direction. There
were also Jeeps and Bren Carriers.
Most of our training took place on Salisbury Plain. There we were
later inspected by King George VI,the Queen and Princess
Elizabeth.
About one or two weeks before D-Day we stocked up with food
and ammunition and drove down to a field near Brize Norton
airfield. (RAF Broadwell)
Nobody knew when D-Day would be but we were confined to this
area. All letters that were written home were burned. We were
visited by General Montgomery and given a lecture by Lt General
Richard Gale,6th Airborne Commander. He gave the plan for the
whole Division on the second front. We were told we would be the
first to land on D-Day which was to be June 5t