Aspects of life with the French 2nd Armoured Division in World War II

Introduction

I have written these stories, at the request of my family and friends. The request arose because, on my eightieth birthday, certain old records, citations and documents were unearthed. The response to these various papers was, "That's all splendid, Grandpa, but what did you actually do?" It is not very easy to write a readable story when the truth is that an awful lot of war-time activity, or non-activity, is sitting about being bored. I have tried to pick out those events that do, I hope, make an entertaining tale.

A reader should also remember that the events described took place over fifty years ago. In some cases my memory is very clear, where it is not I have tried to say so without spoiling the story. The actual writing has brought back some memories that had not surfaced for many years. The clearest memories are of Paris, Dompaire and the mine-field episode; but having said that I must confess that happenings about which I sometimes dream seem to have no substance at all on closer examination.

If any historian in future should come across these stories I hope they will treat them as a little light relief from the more academic and closely researched text books of their time.

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