World War 2 Talk - View Single Post

Ron Goldstein · 01-05-2007, 09:52 PM

Hi

It's me again, this time with a postscript to my fairground stories and a confession regarding my actual lack of shooting experience whilst serving in the wartime Army.

Yes, I certainly did all the preliminary infantry training which included lots of rifle practice and yes I subsequently trained on Sherman tanks that used 75 mm canon but my main job between 1942 and 1945 was always that of a wireless operator and so I was not having to actually fire live ammo at anybody, particularly the Wermacht.

When my Ack Ack Regiment was disbanded at the end of 1944 and I was transferred into the Armoured Corps things altered drastically but I still never had to use small arms as a means of either attack or defence.

That was the situation until one particular Friday the thirteenth when, as my diary reminds me, I nearly killed Hewie.

Friday 13th. April 1945
Moved over Santerno. Some M.G. nuisance and one H.E. about twenty yards away. Bags of prisoners, Kiss from Signora. "Liberatoris !". Chasing after tedeschis with 30 browning blazing!

The Browning machine gun referred to was rarely fired in anger, the exception being on this one occasion when I nearly killed Hewie our Stuart Tank driver.

We had been on the move all day and the Germans were surrendering left, right and centre. To our left, about two hundred yards away, German infantry were climbing out of slit trenches with their hands high and we were gesturing to them to get behind us and to make their way to the rear.

Suddenly someone to our right opened light rifle fire at us and Busty (SSM ‘Busty’ Thomas) lost patience and yelled at me "Let the bastards have it!" Hewie swung the tank to the right so we could face the new threat and I started firing non-stop, without giving Hewie a chance to drop his adjustable seat down below the level of fire belching from the Browning. A horrified Busty yelled: "Get down you stupid bastard!" and to my immediate relief Hewie disappeared from view before I could hit him.

Within seconds the rifle fire was replaced by more hand-raising, and we were able to proceed without further incident.

So there you are, that was the only time I ever got to fire the Browning in anger and, with a little bit of luck, Hewie is still around to tell the tale to his grandchildren.

01-05-2007, 09:52 PM	#14 (permalink)
Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: London, England Posts: 846	Hi It's me again, this time with a postscript to my fairground stories and a confession regarding my actual lack of shooting experience whilst serving in the wartime Army. Yes, I certainly did all the preliminary infantry training which included lots of rifle practice and yes I subsequently trained on Sherman tanks that used 75 mm canon but my main job between 1942 and 1945 was always that of a wireless operator and so I was not having to actually fire live ammo at anybody, particularly the Wermacht. When my Ack Ack Regiment was disbanded at the end of 1944 and I was transferred into the Armoured Corps things altered drastically but I still never had to use small arms as a means of either attack or defence. That was the situation until one particular Friday the thirteenth when, as my diary reminds me, I nearly killed Hewie. Friday 13th. April 1945 Moved over Santerno. Some M.G. nuisance and one H.E. about twenty yards away. Bags of prisoners, Kiss from Signora. "Liberatoris !". Chasing after tedeschis with 30 browning blazing! The Browning machine gun referred to was rarely fired in anger, the exception being on this one occasion when I nearly killed Hewie our Stuart Tank driver. We had been on the move all day and the Germans were surrendering left, right and centre. To our left, about two hundred yards away, German infantry were climbing out of slit trenches with their hands high and we were gesturing to them to get behind us and to make their way to the rear. Suddenly someone to our right opened light rifle fire at us and Busty (SSM ‘Busty’ Thomas) lost patience and yelled at me "Let the bastards have it!" Hewie swung the tank to the right so we could face the new threat and I started firing non-stop, without giving Hewie a chance to drop his adjustable seat down below the level of fire belching from the Browning. A horrified Busty yelled: "Get down you stupid bastard!" and to my immediate relief Hewie disappeared from view before I could hit him. Within seconds the rifle fire was replaced by more hand-raising, and we were able to proceed without further incident. So there you are, that was the only time I ever got to fire the Browning in anger and, with a little bit of luck, Hewie is still around to tell the tale to his grandchildren. __________________ If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when? Rabbi Hillel circa 30 BCE I was "Called-up" in Oct 1942 Served as a Wireless-Op with the 49th LAA (78 Div) from Apr 1943 to Dec 1944 (North Africa,Sicily,Italy, Egypt). The Regiment was disbanded in Dec 1944 and I was retrained (in Italy) by the Royal Armoured Corps. Served as a Loader-Op with the 4th QOH from Mar 1945 to Jan 1946 (Italy, Austria, Germany) Finished up as Tech Cpl for "A" Sqdrn. I was "De-mobbed" in Apr 1947 Last edited by Ron Goldstein; 01-05-2007 at 09:58 PM.