To War With The Bays: 70 - A Message For Corporal Merewood
...Unexpectedly, in a field in the direction in which our guns were pointing, and about 300 yards away, six German soldiers who had been hiding in the grass stood up and waved a white flag. Some of our infantry went out to get them. I had my guns trained on the Germans, when suddenly they threw down the flag and opened fire on our men. This proved to be a fatal mistake, for it only needed the press of a button with my foot and they were dead men. Our soldiers were unhurt...
After a day of fierce combat in Italy Jack Merewood receives an unexpected message. To read the earlier chapters of Jack's wartime memories please click on To War With The Bays in the menu on this page.
The Troop Leaders had been moved around and now Mr Lyle had been replaced in our troop by Lieutenant Ian Saunders, who had been with the squadron a long time as Troop Leader in another troop. I liked Mr Saunders, and had at one time been gunner in his tank. For bravery in an earlier action he had been awarded the MC.
'Flails' went ahead across suspected mined areas - manned armoured vehicles with flails attached to detonate mines before other vehicles ran into them - but they moved very slowly, too slowly. So in some cases we were given orders to try and get through the minefields anyhow. The tank commanded by Mr Lyle hit a mine, and poor Jock Bayter, his driver, was killed and another crew member wounded. We were running into stiff resistance, and another of our tanks was hit and put out of action, fortunately with no casualties.
A bridgehead had been established north of the Senio, but the enemy mounted a heavy counter-attack against it. 'A' Squadron had suffered losses and casualties and our squadron had to push on to reinforce the bridgehead. Our troop was leading; in fact we were the leading tank. But amid all the shelling we led a charmed life and reached our objective. Another of our tanks was hit and Lieutenant Read, the commander, was wounded. The light was failing, the German counter-attack was held and we leaguered among some houses about five miles south of the River Reno.
15 April: 'Reveille 3.15 a.m. and moved out at 4 a.m. Cold, misty, dismal morning. I had a sleep (of a kind) on turret floor as we went along. Dark outside and nothing to see. Crossed the Reno, the third river we've crossed this week. (Senio, Santerno, Reno.) Our tank sprang an oil leak. Stopped at 6 a.m. to work on it. Took off sprocket and worked all day.'
The squadron was now about two miles ahead but we caught up with them. The enemy was on the retreat again but another of our tanks was hit and its commander, Lieutenant Perkins, was wounded: 'not badly thank goodness. Place here full of mines.'
17 April: 'Up about 2.40 a.m. and moved at 3 a.m. When it came light we were about a mile north east of Argenta. We pushed on with No. 3 Troop. Loads of mines about. Aircraft as usual doing magnificent work, especially the Spitfires. Lot of prisoners coming in. A hard day's fighting. One of the 3 Troop tanks knocked out. Then we were hit, but no damage done and kept going. I missed one of his tanks, but someone else got him. Hammered a lot of houses. Took prisoners.'
The fighting was fierce and tiring and though we steadily continued to advance, the Germans fought for every inch of ground. The poor civilians were often caught up in the firing and many were killed. My heart ached for them and especially for the children. It was hard to understand this pointless suicidal resistance by the German troops; and now they brought up Tiger tanks to stiffen their line.
It had been a tough battle to cross the Reno, for it was a big river and the German fortifications on its north bank had been massive. But we had crossed it, and now our target was the town of Ferrara.
Wednesday 18 April: 'Dead tired this morning, but by dawn we were on the move again, steadily advancing, and with us the 10th Indian Infantry Division.' We battled on all day and it was coming dusk when we pulled into a farmyard, with our tank up close against one of the buildings.
Unexpectedly, in a field in the direction in which our guns were pointing, and about 300 yards away, six German soldiers who had been hiding in the grass stood up and waved a white flag. Some of our infantry went out to get them. I had my guns trained on the Germans, when suddenly they threw down the flag and opened fire on our men. This proved to be a fatal mistake, for it only needed the press of a button with my foot and they were dead men. Our soldiers were unhurt.
All the tanks were in touch with each other and 'HQ' all the time on the wirelesses. We began to settle down for the night to sleep in the tank, when over the wireless came: 'A message for No. 1 Troop, 'C Squadron. Corporal Merewood. Your name has been drawn out to go home on leave. Prepare to leave the tank in a few minutes. A scout car is being sent up with a replacement gunner, to collect you.'
'I'm going home. Oh God, I can't believe it.'
