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My name is Alison Russell, and I have so many memories while
growing up of my
Dad telling us stories about the war, but of course, when I was younger I had
no way of understanding what my Dad was really talking about. Now that I
am older, I understand a lot more.
Dad (born in Liverpool), joined the
Irish Guards in 1940. He trained at the Guards Depot
Caterham, Hobbs Barracks-Lingfield, and
went on to the
South Coast, Dover, where he was
sent to prison for fourteen days, seven for
firing his rifle at an enemyAircraft without a firing order, and seven more
days for wearing his fatigues and not battle dress.
Dad was first wounded there by a Mills hand grenade, which accidently went off.
Then on to Ayr-Scotland. From there he was sent
to North
Africa - Algiers - with the 1st army, where he was wounded twice.
He said that
on three occasions they camped in, and around, dry river beds, which
then
flooded, and men were washed away.
Dad also talks about Macarthy,
the
platoon sergeant who was attacked at Recce Ridge; Rice who was the driver
of
the carrier; the MO - Peggy O'Neil, who went to release them;
Reggie
Light who was the battalion cook; Captain Watney Coombe Reid; and
C A
Douglas
Scott - commanding officer.
From North Africa he then went
on to Italy-Anzio and finally back to
Scotland (somewhere near Hawick) in
1944, where he was de-mobbed in 1946.
Dads brother, 865667
George Reginald Russell
served in the 1st
and 6th Battalion Grenadier Guards.
George Reginald Russell joined in 1938, was part of the BEF,
then joined the
Grenadier Guards. He was wounded in Europe (we believe in
Belgium) before
the BEF were evacuated from Dunkirk. He was then wounded
again while serving
with the 8th army in Africa, and finally he was killed in
1942 in Salerno
and is buried at the Salerno war cemetery.
Dad
remembers his brother's friend, George Gerrard, and when his brother
George
Reginald was killed, (Dad was in Italy at that time), it was George
Gerrard
who took Dad to where his brother was killed and buried.
My Dad currently lives in Buckinghamshire aged 84.
Here are some photos from his Album:
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