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[The Heretic]

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[The Heretic]

Recollections of Private Albert Dance, Rifle Brigade.
When we were in the general area of Brussels, this captain came round and said, 'You may not know it-but you're on the very slopes of the Battle of Waterloo.' We were told to dig trenches all along. That night, I was propped up in the trench, listening to this tremendous noise. I was trying to make out what it was. First it sounded like men marching, then I could hear the clop of hooves and then engine noises. When dawn came up, I looked across to our left and saw what looked like the entire French army retreating past us.

We were going back and back until we got to a town called Hazebrouck. The town was empty of French people and then suddenly the RSM turned to us and said, 'You, you, you. There's an ammunition train pulling into to the railway sidings and it's got to be destroyed. Take all the hand grenades you want.' We got down there and sure enough, there were German troops unloading the wagons. We got as near as we could and threw a hell of a lot of grenades and then scarpered. It caused a lot of pandemonium, if nothing else. As we ran we lost each other but I remembered the route back. When I got to Hazebrouck, there was no sign of my battalion or the headquarters. I realised they'd gone on again.

I tried to figure out which way was north and as I was walking down the road, I heard a motorcycle. I took cover in a doorway and I saw this German motorcycle and sidecar come round. Then one or two others joined them and they stood pointing up the road. I had a rifle but I could see an anti-tank weapon in front of me. There was one round in the breech and as these Germans stood talking, I aimed at the sidecar and fired. There was a tremendous recoil, and all I could see was that everything disappeared. It must have hit the bike and splattered all over the place. I ran like mad, and the others came round and started firing at me, so I ran into a house. The door was open and there was bread going mouldy on the table. I rushed through to the back, and on the table in there was a naked body of a very old man who'd been dead for days. I rushed through the back and climbed over fences and walls until I got to the outskirts of Hazebrouck.

I was completely alone and I went on for a day, hiding whenever I saw Germans on the road until I came across a party of eight British soldiers-all odds and ends who'd lost their units. There was a corporal with us and he said we couldn't go any further and we should give up. 'I'm not giving up! I'm getting back! My sweetheart's back in England!' I could see a forest ahead and I thought if we could get into there and head north we'd be alright. The light was going but I said, 'If we go now, we can make the forest.' We made it to the forest and then we came across a muddy trail. On a nearby tree was a daub of red paint. This paint ran right the way through the forest. It was a guide mark for the British troops who had been through. It took us a day to get through the forest but when we came out, we could see British troops on the road. We'd gone right through the Germans.

I had taken to the open country. I was on my own, and I reached what must have been the last canal around Dunkirk. I walked along the bank until I found a bridge that had been blown in the middle. I slid down it, grabbed the other side and clambered up. I carried on until I could see Dunkirk.

When I arrived on the beach the order came along that there wouldn't be any more boats. Chaps were just sitting there, waiting to be picked up by the Germans. I headed north east towards La Panne. When I got up there, I noticed a wooden jetty running out into the sea. It had been hit by a couple of shells but it went out quite a way. I clambered on to it and got out to the end and fell asleep. When I woke up it was dark and a boat was banging into the jetty. I heard English voices and I looked up and saw a little sailing yacht with two men aboard. One of them said, 'There's no one here! We've got to get back!' So I shouted out. I leapt down onto the yacht and I hit my head on the deck. I still had my steel helmet on and I must have banged myself in the back of the head and knocked myself right out. The next thing I remember was someone saying, 'Come on chum! Have a cup of tea!' I had a mouthful of tea and he said, 'Do you want to see the white cliffs of Dover?' And there they were, coming up.

I was in pretty poor physical condition when I got back. I'd had very little sleep and I'd not had my boots off for a week. When I eventually got them off, I was amazed. I had a ring of sock above my ankle and nothing on my foot. Underneath the arch of my foot was all the wool packed together and congealed with blood. My feet were bloodied and blisters had burst. I could only wear slippers for a while.

I got off the train at Woolwich, which was where my sweetheart Maisie worked. I went up to the place she was working and saw the foreman and he said, 'I know all about you! I'll tell her you are here!' and she came running out with all the other girls looking on and we embraced.

What was left of the battalion reformed at a tented encampment at Okehampton. The amazing thing was that the RSM put me on a charge because my boots were dirty. I was brought in in front of the colonel and I told him that I had no cleaning gear and no money because I'd handed my paybook to the RSM when he'd sent me out on patrol in Hazebrouck. At first the RSM denied any knowledge of this but eventually the adjutant said that he'd seen some paybooks handed in. After that the colonel was pretty good and I got some money and cleaned up my boots.

 

[Bacchus]

A page of history that made me feel like I was right there.

Thanks for that.

 

[The Heretic]

 

[The Heretic]

DID YOU KNOW there was a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution, located in Washington Square in Philadelphia?

Completed in 1957, the memorial honors the thousands of soldiers who died during the American Revolutionary War, many of whom were buried in mass graves in the square. An eternal flame and a bronze cast of Jean Antoine Houdon's statue of George Washington are at the monument's centerpiece. The plaque on the tomb reads:

"Beneath this stone rests a soldier of Washington's army who died to give you liberty."

 

[The Heretic]

 

[The Heretic]

 

[ilostmypswrd]

Yeah this day is not about buying a cheap mattress. SEMPER FI, and dont you dare thank me for my service today...Gawd

 

[Jasonanddeonna]

Recollections of Private Albert Dance, Rifle Brigade.
When we were in the general area of Brussels, this captain came round and said, 'You may not know it-but you're on the very slopes of the Battle of Waterloo.' We were told to dig trenches all along. That night, I was propped up in the trench, listening to this tremendous noise. I was trying to make out what it was. First it sounded like men marching, then I could hear the clop of hooves and then engine noises. When dawn came up, I looked across to our left and saw what looked like the entire French army retreating past us.

We were going back and back until we got to a town called Hazebrouck. The town was empty of French people and then suddenly the RSM turned to us and said, 'You, you, you. There's an ammunition train pulling into to the railway sidings and it's got to be destroyed. Take all the hand grenades you want.' We got down there and sure enough, there were German troops unloading the wagons. We got as near as we could and threw a hell of a lot of grenades and then scarpered. It caused a lot of pandemonium, if nothing else. As we ran we lost each other but I remembered the route back. When I got to Hazebrouck, there was no sign of my battalion or the headquarters. I realised they'd gone on again.

I tried to figure out which way was north and as I was walking down the road, I heard a motorcycle. I took cover in a doorway and I saw this German motorcycle and sidecar come round. Then one or two others joined them and they stood pointing up the road. I had a rifle but I could see an anti-tank weapon in front of me. There was one round in the breech and as these Germans stood talking, I aimed at the sidecar and fired. There was a tremendous recoil, and all I could see was that everything disappeared. It must have hit the bike and splattered all over the place. I ran like mad, and the others came round and started firing at me, so I ran into a house. The door was open and there was bread going mouldy on the table. I rushed through to the back, and on the table in there was a naked body of a very old man who'd been dead for days. I rushed through the back and climbed over fences and walls until I got to the outskirts of Hazebrouck.

I was completely alone and I went on for a day, hiding whenever I saw Germans on the road until I came across a party of eight British soldiers-all odds and ends who'd lost their units. There was a corporal with us and he said we couldn't go any further and we should give up. 'I'm not giving up! I'm getting back! My sweetheart's back in England!' I could see a forest ahead and I thought if we could get into there and head north we'd be alright. The light was going but I said, 'If we go now, we can make the forest.' We made it to the forest and then we came across a muddy trail. On a nearby tree was a daub of red paint. This paint ran right the way through the forest. It was a guide mark for the British troops who had been through. It took us a day to get through the forest but when we came out, we could see British troops on the road. We'd gone right through the Germans.

I had taken to the open country. I was on my own, and I reached what must have been the last canal around Dunkirk. I walked along the bank until I found a bridge that had been blown in the middle. I slid down it, grabbed the other side and clambered up. I carried on until I could see Dunkirk.

When I arrived on the beach the order came along that there wouldn't be any more boats. Chaps were just sitting there, waiting to be picked up by the Germans. I headed north east towards La Panne. When I got up there, I noticed a wooden jetty running out into the sea. It had been hit by a couple of shells but it went out quite a way. I clambered on to it and got out to the end and fell asleep. When I woke up it was dark and a boat was banging into the jetty. I heard English voices and I looked up and saw a little sailing yacht with two men aboard. One of them said, 'There's no one here! We've got to get back!' So I shouted out. I leapt down onto the yacht and I hit my head on the deck. I still had my steel helmet on and I must have banged myself in the back of the head and knocked myself right out. The next thing I remember was someone saying, 'Come on chum! Have a cup of tea!' I had a mouthful of tea and he said, 'Do you want to see the white cliffs of Dover?' And there they were, coming up.

I was in pretty poor physical condition when I got back. I'd had very little sleep and I'd not had my boots off for a week. When I eventually got them off, I was amazed. I had a ring of sock above my ankle and nothing on my foot. Underneath the arch of my foot was all the wool packed together and congealed with blood. My feet were bloodied and blisters had burst. I could only wear slippers for a while.

I got off the train at Woolwich, which was where my sweetheart Maisie worked. I went up to the place she was working and saw the foreman and he said, 'I know all about you! I'll tell her you are here!' and she came running out with all the other girls looking on and we embraced.

What was left of the battalion reformed at a tented encampment at Okehampton. The amazing thing was that the RSM put me on a charge because my boots were dirty. I was brought in in front of the colonel and I told him that I had no cleaning gear and no money because I'd handed my paybook to the RSM when he'd sent me out on patrol in Hazebrouck. At first the RSM denied any knowledge of this but eventually the adjutant said that he'd seen some paybooks handed in. After that the colonel was pretty good and I got some money and cleaned up my boots.

View attachment 1428221

Amazing; thank you for sharing.

 

[Jasonanddeonna]

View attachment 1428463

Love this and the one with the Vietnam Wall. THANK YOU will never be enough. Rest in the Lord's arms.

 

[Jasonanddeonna]

View attachment 1429337

No, this is why I have my freedom and must always protect this. They paid the price.

 

[Jasonanddeonna]

DID YOU KNOW there was a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution, located in Washington Square in Philadelphia?

Completed in 1957, the memorial honors the thousands of soldiers who died during the American Revolutionary War, many of whom were buried in mass graves in the square. An eternal flame and a bronze cast of Jean Antoine Houdon's statue of George Washington are at the monument's centerpiece. The plaque on the tomb reads:

"Beneath this stone rests a soldier of Washington's army who died to give you liberty."

View attachment 1429179

Thank you for sharing, I did not know this.