Sword Beach to Bremen., A Veterans tale. Sapper

Hi everyone.
The Maas.
The Casualties of mines.

After the battles for these two towns, the war went into a quieter period, quiet in comparison that is, if were possible to ignore the continuous casualties from mines and shell fire. As far as we were concerned, it was fighting patrols, night after night out on the miserable flat lands that made up the Maas river line. Apart from the Enemy patrols, our greatest danger was mines, "Schu mines in particular. Schu mines are made of wood and cannot be detected by normal mine sweeping, there was no metal in them at all, just wood.

These mines took a terrible toll, the injuries nearly always the same, it blew a mans foot off and left the remainder of the bone split up through like a stick of rhubarb, every day, men were coming in injured on Schu mines. Holland seemed to be infested with them. We tried everything to counter this threat. There was a lot of talk about mine dogs, some units thought they were wonderful, and that, with these dogs, they had found, and lifted, huge numbers of Schu mines without suffering any casualties. My experience was quite different, we found that the poor dog, when hearing the violent explosion of a mortar or shell near by, would disappear, with its tail between its legs never to be seen again! I, for one, did not like putting my life, my feet, or by future ability to father children in the gift of some scruffy canine

The accepted manner of finding these mines was to get down on ones hands and knees and crawl forward, prodding the ground in front of you with a bayonet, hoping against hope that you would prod and find the mine, without prodding the top, setting it off. Even when found, these mines had to be lifted with the very greatest care from the surrounding soil without it blowing up 6 inches from your face, at times damn near impossible.

Picture if you can, a squad of Sappers, backsides in the air, slowly crawling along on their hands and knees prodding the ground in front of them, and in the middle of a battle field, can you imagine how the Germans would have laughed at such capers? but, that was the method that was used at that time! One sergeant. Sgt Rees, while prodding, came up with a schu mine stuck on the end of his bayonet. YUK

Next, The garden roller man.
Sapper Brian.

 

Hi every one.
has anybody been to the war museum at Overloon or to the town of Venraij. I have never been back to any of my war time areas and have no idea of what they all looks like now?
Sapper

 

Hello Sapper,

First of all thank you for your stories. Riveting reads! I am reading up on the Overloon/Venraij story and hope to ask you some questions in a few days. Am reading the story of the Royal Norfolks during the battle, now. Questions, but only if you feel like answering them. I understand that the place(name) is a very emotional matter for you and I certainly don't want to further my (egotistical) urge for knowledge to be the cause of emotional turmoil for you.

I very recently went to Venray, the museum at Overloon and the Cemetery there. I believe Sommecourt visited the place very recently as well.

I am doing research for my upcoming website, dedicated to all the Allied soldiers that were KIA in The Netherlands and/or are buried here.

The museum I visited last when I was a 'nipper'. Then again a few eeks ago. They have several buildings on the premises now where they have exhibitions, a rather big museum, not only on the battle but also on the war in a bigger persepective as it is a National Museum. A lot of vehicels. I bought a booklet there and a video they made about the battle with interviews with vets and original footage. Very interesting.

Then we visited Venray, and as you can imagine the centre of the town is practically re-build with modern buildings.

The cemetery is located at the edge of a forrest and very well kept. Very humbling to walk along the graves and read the names and ages of those who are buried there. One cannot help but reflect and be grateful for their sacrifice. I also got a big sense of regret that it all had to come to this. So many lives cut short.

Anyway, The war is still very much remembered over here, Sapper, and so are the sacrifices of you and your comrades.

As I wrote, I am researching these battles and will post a few questions soon.

Thank YOU very much for all your efforts back then and now on these forums. They are VERY much appreciated. We need to keep the memory alive and your tales help us 'post-war-babies' a lot to understand...

PS: If you appreciate I will get you some pictures/postcards and the like of Venray and Overloon and the Museum and sent them to you.

[ 19. November 2002, 07:19 AM: Message edited by: Stevin Oudshoorn ]

 

Hello Stefin.
My word! that was quick answer! For the Third British Infantry Division the freeing of Overloon and Venraij was a particularly brutal battle, especially the Molen Beek. That was mined on top, underneath, and all around, it was awful.

I would be pleased to answer any questions that you may have. I have "No hang ups" in talking about those times, for that serves to keep the memory of my fallen comrades alive. I do remember that the war Museum was first dedicated to the Third British Infantry div, though there must have been so many changes that have taken place. The last time I was there, the houses were destroyed and the trees had been stripped bare and about one third the normal size by gunfire and bullets. So if I can help with any questions, then fire away.

By the way the next topic should interest you if you know the area well, for it concerns the little villages out on the wet flatlands near the Maas. places where we dug our holes in the ground only to see them fill with water, and freezing water at that. lovely to talk to you. Write again.
Sapper Brian

 

Hi again Stevin.
Sorry my typing is abysmal! when I put this on the site I had spelt your name wrong. sorry!I would love to have some pictures of Overloon and Venraij. come to that, any information about those places, for me it is so very interesting for it takes me back to when I was young, Was I ever young? The Dutch people did invite me for a holiday in Holland, everything paid. I wrote back thanking them for their generosity, but explained that I was too disabled to accept that offer, they wrote back immediately and said."No trouble, we will have a nurse waiting for you" I am sometimes amazed at peoples kindness.

I know from talking to other Veterans that have visited Overloon and other places in the Netherlands, just how well the folk look after our fallen. I know that the British are so grateful to the people of the Netherlands for caring so beautifully to the graves of our fallen comrades. I for one am very gratefull and so pleased to know they are in good hands.
Sapper Brian.

 

Hi. This, is one time, I would love to hear your reactions to this bit of history? For it sounds daft! Do you think it is true?

The Garden Roller Man!
Oh God! What next?

We were now billeted in a former Dutch youth SS training camp. Somewhere in the vicinity of Overloon and Venriaj, much of it had been shelled, but what was left, provided a bit of shelter. All the time the casualties from mines and booby traps had been coming in. Schu mines in particular, previously, I had described the injuries that these mines inflicted.

The sight of mangled, and blood soaked young men, with their lower half’s torn to shreds as they were stretchered in every day, was sickening. It was the terrible nature of the injuries that was so frightening, to lose ones legs is bad enough, but to lose ones genitals, was catastrophic. For these men there would be no happy marriage and the joy of family, and children of your own.

Something had to be done to stop this carnage, and the terrible injuries to our young men. Then someone came up with the idea of using a long handled garden roller. (Please do not stop reading this, thinking this is too far fetched) because it is perfectly true! A garden roller was obtained that had a long handle fitted, spikes had been welded on the drum, the operator had a cut down gas mask to protect his eyes, then, a woven rope protector was fitted round the groin, with the addition of long sleeved gauntlets to complete the ensemble.

The idea, was to push this contraption along in front of you, and as the weight of the roller set off the mine, the roller would be blow up and jump up in the air on its long swivel handle, and drop down again, without causing injury, believe it or not, this did actually work, but how often are you likely to find a bit of ground flat enough to successfully use it? At this point you may think "What a load of rubbish" and that is just what it sounds like! Rubbish. Apart from the fact that I was one of those soldiers who pushed this blasted thing.

Imagine if you can, a cold and wet battlefield in Holland with all hell let loose, and this lonely soldier bravely pushing this “bloody garden roller” all by himself. Much to his mates amusement. No! No! We knew the best way to remove them, get a huge armoured bulldozer, drop the blade and cut a deep furrow in the ground, when the mines exploded they did no damage at all against the blade. If, dear reader, you think this is a bit "way out" then let me tell you that to counter the threat of these mines, they also tried running a bren gun carrier up and down over the mines, all that succeeded in doing, was to blow its tracks off. The garden roller device was demonstrated in front of the Deputy Commander in Chief. Air Vice Marshal Tedder.

Now at this point, many of you are going to think “What ever is the old boy talking about?” This is so silly, and over the top, that it must be rubbish! Well, yours truly, fed up with side-long, and unbelieving glances, sent for the company war diaries.
They cost me £76, but in there, for all to see, is the following; The war diaries of the company state. Result: "The garden roller experiment was a washout"!
Next. Deception, deep behind the enemy lines.
Sapper Brian.

 

Incredible story, Brian - what we Brits would call a very "Heath Robinson" device!!!

Keep the memoirs coming - we are all fascinated to read the next bit!

 

Hi Sommecourt.
Yes it was a Heath Robinson affair. BUT it did work on flat and even ground. The carnage of the "Schu" imne was horrific, it did what I described, it "Shredded a mans legs and lower regions. Can you imagine the looks of disbelief when I described this to audiences in the past?
But if you think this was daft enough, you should wait till later, for there was something even dafter. and unfortunately, I have no record of this stunt. paying out £76 was bad enough to prove my point. When I got to the second stunt.
the company records stopped short at that point and i was not going to spend another £76. I think that the second of these, was an officers own idea. I shall never know!
Sapper Brian.

 

Thanks Sapper and Otto! Good Q's and interesting A's! We can hear and read the stories of 'heros' 'everywhere'. I for one am interested in what is happening here, on this thread and this interview, the story of the 'ordinary footslogger'. Sapper, you story is just as interesting, if not more intersting than some general's. As you say, it is to keep the memory alive of the men who died and are not here to tell it. Your stories and Otto's interview are graphic illustrations of that.

Thank you both VERY much!

Stevin

 

Here here!! I second that, thank you very much!! I've been telling alot of people I know to read this thread, and I'm sure all who have read it appreciate all you've done here and in the War!!!

 

Hi To Everyone.
May I first take this opportunity to thank very sincerely, all those kind folk that leave these messages for me. You are very kind! It is appreciated, and just shows what a lovely bunch you all are!

Before I start this next episode, may I just refer to Otto’s inclusion of the questionnaire that he sent me. I did hesitate before giving the OK to include it on his web site, but, after some serious thought, I agreed to the inclusion, The whole idea of these war stories is to show what the ordinary soldier experienced, and that those that paid the ultimate price, will be remembered! It also serves as a bit of social history, and what the World was like back in 1944.

I must emphasize again, that there was nothing special about me. I was just a very ordinary, and very green young man. Again, I would love to tell you how brave I was, and about my heroic deeds! But the truth is, I was not brave, and certainly not heroic!

The fact that I have chronicled the events here, is simply to record those times for posterity. The events of one of the Worlds greatest and most traumatic upheavals, was a time of great hardship and great sacrifices. But it must be said, a time when history was being reshaped. Those that took part in those momentous times (No matter how insignificant) had a hand in the reshaping of history. The World is now a better place.

The only thing I would say is, like all of those at the sharp end, the only way we could carry out our duties was to overcome our fear, and that we did manage. But it always lurked at the back of our minds. My Monties Certificate? The one I never got? Well those were given for good service, and that is all.

Fighting patrols. At Night
Try to get there first.
Now, to get back to the war! For us now, it was night patrols out on the bleak, flat, wet lands of Holland. Out there, were many little deserted villages and these night fighting patrols now became a regular practice. There were so many of these little villages out in the vicinity of the Maas, all totally deserted, we never saw a soul there, but, it was best to get there before the Enemy, if you could. Sitting behind what was once a window waiting for the appearance of the Enemy. Bren gun cocked ready.

Meanwhile, fresh food was becoming quite a problem, or lack of it! We were still living on soup, biscuits, and canned foods. I remember that we were all beginning to feel very tired, far to quickly, we heard that some units had been issued with real bread, but so far none had come our way and it was 4/5 months since we landed, one day, (glory be) we were issued with a half pint of beer, I shall never forget it, it was Tennants beer.

There was a lot of discontent at that time, we felt that our rations were being fiddled and pinched by those in the rear echelons, for precious little reached us! As the Winter began to draw in, we were issued with a navy rum ration every night, I liked mine with my tea, still being drunk out of my one single billy can.
Out on patrol in this “Virtual No mans land” all the locals had long departed leaving everything as it was, and all their animals to fend for themselves. Many chickens, all of them skinny and white long legged things, they could run a fit young Sapper off of his feet. “Shades of the road runner” My old friend Spud and myself, spent a great deal of energy chasing these very elusive hens. Even in the confined space of a chicken run, they managed to avoid us, more than once I threw myself headlong at these hens, only to come up empty handed, accompanied by loud squawks as they flew by at 90 miles per hour.

Spud. Bless him, had a very nasty habit of chasing a pig into the most inaccessible corner before dispatching it with a rifle bullet, we then had the job of carrying it back to the half track, dead weight, and lift the damn thing aboard. Shortly after, to be greeted with some very unpleasant remarks from our cooks.

So it continued, night patrols, some times with casualties, some time all you ever saw was a German patrol dog, one minute the dog was there, the next, as you turned your head he would vanish. Miserable, cold, flat, and featureless. For some one brought up amongst the green rolling hills and valleys of his native Dorset, I found Holland a very unpleasant place to conduct a war. Yet, on those infrequent times I met the Dutch people, I found them to be charming and very friendly, I do like the Netherlands Folk.

Next episode.
Strangers!

 

Sapper I throughly enjoyed reading the questionnaire and are sorry for your injuries. I think you proved several times how un-ordinary of a Sapper you were. I do think you are a person well deserving much more good things than you ever recieved. Personally--im greatful that your hear and also "talking" on these forums.

 

Brian - brilliant stuff. Reading this took me back twenty years when I used to speak with veterans of the Great War; what they told me then I have never forgotten, and their memories of that war formed the basis of my knowledge of WW1. The war from the average soldiers point of view is so important - and so easily lost. What you've written has been fascinating for me, and rest assured that what you tell us helps us begin to understand, and will ensure that those of us here will never forget the men of your generation. So thank you for sharing all this with us.

And Otto - excellent questions and well done for making this available.

 

Hello everyone, again, thank you for your kind words. It is very satisfying to know that you find this true story of an ordinary man’s war interesting. At this point I am a bit perplexed, for my second wounding (Severe) is about to occur, and my departure for England is imminent.

What I would like to know is this? Would the forum like me to continue this tale of what happened to me on my return? As a piece of social history of the period 1944/5, it is interesting. At the same time, and intermingled with what happened back in England, continuing the story what happened to my company, all the way from Overloon to Bremen, after my departure. That reminds me! I must get around to having my photo taken for the Forum site. I did promise Otto, and I have not done it yet.

Strangers.
Fats Domino to the sound of Shells!

Winter in Holland! The state of the great flat wet lands of Holland in the depth of winter prevented any large scale operations taking place, during this time, the war went into a waiting period throughout the three months of deep winter, the war did not stop, it continued with a great deal of hate being exchanged, but only small operations were possible. Shell and mortar fire with plenty of small arms fire, and with the ever present danger of mines, making sure that there would be plenty of casualties for the field dressing stations. This was one of the few times when we could live above ground, foxholes were now useless, they quickly filled with water.

Somewhere to harbour away from the worst effects of the bitter Dutch winter now became essential. As I said earlier, our officers had managed to find a former Dutch youth SS camp and managed to secure it for our company. A collection of wooden huts, a bit battered and damaged, but provided a roof over our heads, dry, and a base from which we could sally forth into our winter operations. (Mostly aggressive patrolling) We managed to get some sacking and some straw to make something to lay on at night, almost like a home from home, certainly a great improvement on sitting in a fox hole that slowly filled with water, not only filled with water, but froze solid as well.

About this time they fixed a screen in one of the buildings and put on a film, shall I ever forget it? We sat there watching this film about “Fats Waller” with the shells banging away around us, I can remember very clearly thinking, “I wish I were elsewhere”. By this time there were many fresh young new faces in the company, many old friends had long departed, one had to look hard to find a familiar face that you knew. I remember the odd feeling of being a stranger in ones own company, so many had left us, one way or another. Had I known it, time was beginning to run out for me. In the company of one or two of my old friends, we had laid out our sacks in a dry corner of the wooden building that was not too badly damaged, one of the floor boards creaked when I lay down, thinking “what the devils wrong with it” I lifted up this loose board and found a sack underneath filled with bottles, tried it, and found it was very good quality Sherry, we helped ourselves and put the bottles back for another night, from then on we always had our nightcap. This Dutch SS camp was used by my company throughout the winter and provided an excellent base for our winter patrolling and mine work operations.

The next episode;
Deception, deep inside the Enemy territory.
Sapper Brian.

 

I for one would like to hear what your life was like after the war, what you've already mentioned about it has interested me. What about you other fellas?

 

I second the motion--im all for it.

 

Hi everyone. Hope you find this interesting, for it is very odd.

Deception.
Just two feet away!

Bizarre. Absolutely bizarre, that is the only way to describe this little escapade, even now I look back and wonder, how the hell did we get away with it?

A small group of us (about 4 or 5) had been briefed to make our way out on to the area of the wet lands that surround the river Maas. Areas that were supposed to be under our control, but in fact, were patrolled by both sides, and were disputed. For the line was very thinly held amongst the scattered villages on our side of the Maas.

Indeed, because there were few troops to cover this very large and flat bit of countryside West of the Maas, there were some large pockets that the enemy still held. Our brief then, was to make our way across the soggy flat, and in places, flooded wetlands that is typical of the Limburg area of Holland in the Wintertime. Then travel some miles inside ‘presumed’ Enemy held territory right up to the banks of the River, (again, who needs the SAS?)

Our instructions were to be as stealthy and as quiet as mice, the whole object of this operation was not to be caught. At this point, I hesitate to go further with this description of what happened, in the past, when I have told this factual story, I have been looked at sideways, just as though I was losing my marbles!

Our orders were to make our way right up to the banks of the river Maas, deep in Enemy territory. Later, at dusk, we set off, creeping along as quiet as we could, we never saw a soul, made our way right up to the bank of the river and lay there hidden in the rushes in freezing, clammy, horrible wet Dutch mud, Our purpose to deceive the enemy. This operation was one of *deception* and nothing else.

(I am not putting this on the web site, if you want to know? send me a private E mail)

All night long we stayed hidden on our stomachs until our limbs froze. About midnight, two Germans came down to where we were, then loaded up a multiple mortar, (Moaning Minnie) a few feet away from our hiding place, talking amongst themselves, with no idea that we were there. When they had loaded the weapon, they fired it at our base miles away, in the process, damn near deafening us, there was nothing we could do about it, they then set off back, talking and laughing together. I can tell you, the most wonderful sound was the voices getting fainter as the departed!

Early in the morning, at first light, we set off back ourselves, frozen stiff, and numb with cold, stiff as boards, we made it back without being caught. How we got away with it, I shall never know, I just wish that I could trace another who was there that night. When I tell people the full story, I swear they think I am shooting a line. This really did happen! Unfortunately, there is no mention of this operation in the company diaries. And, for heavens sake, I am not going to spend another £76 trying to find any trace of that op.

Now, dear reader! I did not mind lying in cold freezing Dutch mud on my tummy for hours on end, stiff as a board, miles inside Enemy territory, putting up with the danger of being captured, or shot, or worse, cold, wet, and thoroughly miserable, for my country, but what I do object to, is people who look at you as though you are not telling the truth, IT ENRAGES ME! But then, on reflection, I am not surprised, those were momentous times, I hope that our youngsters will not have the same experiences.

These days it would be considered a job for the SAS, or some other specialised group, back in 1944, great things were afoot, and the necessity to take on these tasks was seen as part of the Royal Engineers Field Companies duties! Some times, at the age of 78, I look back and wonder? Did we really do all these things? For some of what happened then, are now considered to be “Way out” or “Over the top” Well. I can assure you. Too bloody right we did! But you can understand why some folk think you are laying it on a bit thick! But! Not to those that served back in those momentous times.

The next episode. The deserted town. The only inhabitants were furtive cats.
Sapper Brian..

 

Hallo, Mr. Sapper!

I have not seen this thread like six pages ago, so now I am a bit lazy to read it all in the computer. But I have it all ready to print. I will read those 70 pages of wisedome and incredible stories written in a lovely way and let you know about my opinions. I also will give it to my grandfather who has liked them a lot. Thanks a lot!