I didn’t land in England with any troops or anything,
I just was reinforcement and I was sent to Brighton
on the coast and all we did was guard duty.
I didn’t do any training just guarding against the Germans landing.
And a nice hotel where we stayed in Brighton.
And the Germans used to come over every night and
strafe our hotel. They expected the Germans to land
in that area and that went on for quite a while.
Let’s say about three months before D-Day.
And then some lieutenant from the Royal Winnipeg
Rifles come to Brighton. He was looking for volunteers for
drivers, mortarman and motorcycle dispatch riders.
I put up my hand to volunteer and I think that’s the last time
I ever volunteered for anything because it got me into D-Day.
I volunteered and they took me away and a bunch of other soldiers.
And that was the very thing I was lonely.
No friends, you’re just shoved in with strangers
and I was reinforcements for the Winnipeg Rifles.