WW2: Great Uncle Jim’s service in Europe and Africa

• By Paul Newton

Introduction

James (Jim) Patrick Lynch was born on 17 March, St Patrick’s Day, in 1926, and died in December, 2002.

On 11 August 1943, aged just 17 years and 5 months, Jim enlisted to the General Service Corps (GSC) with the army number 114496987. Jim was initially allocated to W(T) — to remain in a civilian occupation until called. In October 1943, Jim was ‘Called to Colour’ and his service began.

Jim joined the Lancashire Fusiliers in April 1944 for Infantry Training, and moved to 5th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment in July 1944 for home defence. On 22 August 1944, Jim was posted to 11 West Yorkshire. His work may have included manning searchlights to defend industrial cities of West Yorkshire. Just over a week later, on the 31 August, Jim was absent without leave (AWOL) from 9:30pm. Three days and 21 hours later, he returned to barracks and reported to the sergeant. Because of going AWOL, he was confined to barracks for 14 days, and had to forfeit 4 days’ pay. However, on the 7 September he again was AWOL, and surrendered to civil police a week later on the 14 September in Buxton. For this, he had 14 days FP (field punishment): forfeited 8 days’ pay, and was in close arrest. Perhaps the frustration of being so near to home in Manchester and the realisation he would soon be fighting in Europe led him to try to go home and see family. On 28 September 1944, Jim’s will was recorded prior to active service abroad. He had £350.

Active service, Europe, October 1944 — August 1947

In October 1944, Jim embarked for North West Europe (NWE) and, after some days in Reinforcement Holding Units, transferred to the Royal Welsh Fusiliers (RWF) 4th Battalion. Starting in France and moving eastwards, Jim served in the front line in the advance toward Germany. While he was in Europe he became proficient in French, and possibly Dutch and German, and sometimes acted as an interpreter.

The 4th, 6th and 7th RWF Battalions, all Territorial units, served in 158th (Royal Welch) Brigade assigned to the 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division. However, on 2 August 1944, the GOC, Major-General Ross, decided that due to the casualties suffered by the division in Normandy and an acute lack of infantry replacements, the battalions of 158th Brigade (the 4th, 6th and 7th Battalions of the Royal Welch Fusiliers) were replaced and sent to other brigades of the division, with the 4th RWF transferring to 71 Brigade.

Belgium

On the 19 October 1944, Jim was posted to the RWF (Royal Welsh Fusiliers) 4th Battalion. Between October — December 1944, Jim spent 3 months in Belgium. The 4th RWF had been involved in heavy fighting in a place called Rousel in Belgium in the first few days of October and probably needed manpower reinforcement at that time. The battalion were certainly at the front line sharp end at this period.

The division took part in the swift advance through Belgium where fighting took place to secure an important bridgehead at the Junction Canal near Lommel. The 53rd Division fought hard to expand the salient south of Eindhoven in conjunction with the Operation Market Garden, which ended in failure due to events at the Battle of Arnhem in late September, where the British 1st Airborne Division was virtually destroyed in severe fighting. Advancing into the Netherlands, 53rd (Welsh) Division liberated the city of s’Hertogenbosch in four days of heavy fighting from 24 October.

Jim’s daughter Brenda remembers a few stories that her father told her about his time in the war:

“They were somewhere in the countryside and stopped for a break and bite to eat. Him and another soldier chose to sit on what they thought was a load of old rags. The guy with him said “oh that’s a nice ring” and when my dad looked over he was lifting a hand up that had a ring on a finger. They hadn’t realised there was a body where they were.”

Holland

From December 1944 to March 1945, Jim is recorded as being in Holland.

Between December 1944 — January 1945, the division took part in the mainly American ‘Battle of the Bulge’, helping to cut off the northern tip of the German salient.

On the 2 December 1944, Jim was admitted to 147 Field Ambulance and evacuated on medical grounds. Jim was back in the battalion on the 11 December.

Jim’s daughter Brenda remembers:

“They were in a farmhouse surrounded by the Germans. In front of the house further down the garden was a ditch which they wanted to use as the first line of defence. Two men were required for the job. He said the older men decided to ‘draw straws’ using matches to decide who was to go. My dad who was only about 18 at the time and another young soldier about the same age as him drew ‘the short straws’. According to my dad everyone thought he was so brave when he immediately volunteered to go out first but I’ve never forgotten his explanation: “I wasn’t silly … I thought the first person out of the house would take the Germans by surprise but they’d be waiting and ready for the next one.” He said he flew out the house and ran like a mad man. Both survived. He also said that now being older and wiser he realised how ‘green’ he’d been about the whole ‘drawing of the straw thing’ and that the two ‘losers’ had been set up by the older men.”

The division then took part in Operation Veritable (the Battle of the Reichswald Forest) in February and March 1945, where the division, supported by Churchill tanks of the 34th Armoured Brigade, was involved in some of the fiercest fighting of the campaign thus far against determined German paratroopers. During this battle, some of the Churchill tanks were fitted with flamethrowers, known as Crocodiles. Jim’s sister Jean remembers that:

“at one point in his WW2 service he was a flamethrower operator, the results of which gave him bad nightmares.”

Jim’s daughter Brenda also remembers:

“He had 100s of cigarettes in a tank. To be honest I don’t think he ever smoked. Maybe he was going to sell them. Who knows? Anyway, he was pretty upset when the tank was blown up with the cigarettes inside.”

Throughout Veritable the 53rd Division suffered almost 2,500 casualties (including psychiatric casualties), roughly a quarter of what they suffered throughout the entire campaign, while capturing over 3,000 prisoners.

Germany

Between March 1945 — August 1947, Jim was in Germany, for a total of 30 months. The division took part in Operation Plunder, starting on 23 March, crossing the Rhine and advancing into Germany, towards Hamburg.

Jim was admitted to 147 Field Ambulance two days after the start of the operation, and was in the Field Ambulance between 25 March to 8 May 1945.

Jim’s niece remembers talking to Jim about the war a few months before he died, and he told her about how one day, in Europe, he and a few other soldiers decided to bathe in a river (unsure if this was the Rhine), leaving their uniforms on the bank. They were disturbed by German soldiers and had to escape as they were, thankfully when they returned later their uniforms were still there.

On 3 May, news came that Hamburg would surrender unconditionally. On 4 May the regiment entered Hamburg. On 5 May the German Armies in NW Europe surrendered unconditionally.

Throughout its 10 months of almost continuous combat, the 53rd (Welsh) Division had suffered nearly 10,000 casualties: 113 officers and 1,396 other ranks killed, 387 officers and 7,221 other ranks wounded and 33 officers and 1,255 other ranks missing.

On 8 May 1945, Jim left the 147 Field Ambulance and was possibly posted to 12 Can Reg for a few weeks, before rejoining the 4th battalion on the 27 May 1945. This was also VE Day.

Brenda remembers:

“At one stage in his army career when he was overseas, he also had a German Shepherd Dog. What job he was doing that required a canine I don’t know but he always spoke very lovingly about the animal and I remember him getting upset when saying about it having to be ‘put down’ when he returned to England as strict quarantine regulations wouldn’t allow it into England.”

Jim’s sister Eileen has said that towards the end of the war he was part of those clearing up at a concentration camp, possibly Bergen-Belsen, after its liberation. She said that made him ill with what we’d now call PTSD.

Jim was admitted to 147 Field Ambulance between 9 October to 8 November 1945.

Jim’s nephew, whose career was in the RAF, has said:

“I find it strange if not a bit eerie in reading the 4th RWF battalion history that in my own RAF service I often visited RAF Bruggen and RAF Laarbruch which are both in the Reichwald area, and I have in the past spent many happy and pleasant hours in the towns of Kleve and Weeze, (properly pronounced “Weatzer”) that are mentioned in the text. I used to regularly stay in a hotel in Goch, and at that time being totally unaware that these towns were fought over by his army unit!”

In February 1946, Jim passed a test as a shoemaker.

Jim moved to Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry (DCLI) 5th Battalion in July 1946.

In November 1946, Jim moved to 164 Railway Group Company Royal Engineers (RE). It is likely that during this time Jim was supervising German workers who were rebuilding the railway network after the war.

In April 1947, Jim moved to 348 Rly Operations Company (RE) in rank of sapper (military engineering and infantry combat duties) with British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). At this time he also passed a trade test and reclassified as Fireman, Locomotive Class III.

Home service

Between 29 August and 26 November 1947, Jim moved to home service, and then his service ended.

Military conduct: Exemplary.
Testimonial: A first class soldier who is also a good tradesman both as a railway fireman and boot repairer.

Jim lived at Miles Platting, Manchester in 1947.

Jim then moved to the Z(T) Reserves RE, i.e. available for recall.

Jim was awarded three medals:

• 1939/1945 Star
• France and Germany Star
• 1939/1945 War Medal

Re-enlistment

In May 1949, Jim re-enlisted under army number 22258247, and was based at Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) Depot at Crookham Camp, Aldershot, UK. This is where medical training took place. Jim passed the RAMC instruction course in August 1949 and transferred to 12 Company, RAMC, UK.

Between 4–13 April, 6–8 May, and 30–31 October 1950, Jim was AWOL. This was punished with being confined to barracks, 168 hours detention, close arrest at MCE Colchester, and forfeit of 9 days pay. From family stories, this was because his younger daughter (at the time only one year old, and he and his wife also had a two year old daughter) was seriously ill and wasn’t expected to live. He couldn’t get compassionate leave to go home, so he just left and tried to get back to see her. Family stories say that he didn’t manage to get to Manchester, and he was picked up before reaching home. Happily, his family were alive and well when he returned after his service in Libya.

On 14 November 1950 Jim rejoined 12th Company from detention, and soon after passed a trade test, N. O. Group c class III.

Libya

In June 1951, Jim moved to a depot (RAMC), and between 25 June — 2 July 1951, Jim was in transit to Libya.

Between June 1951 and November 1952, Jim was with the Middle East Land Force (MELF), supporting medical work at the British Military Hospital, Tripoli, e.g. his sister Jean remembers that he was able to give injections.

Jim’s youngest sister Kath was still a child when he returned, but remembers him saying it was so hot in Tripoli they could fry eggs on the pavement.

In June 1952, Jim passed a certificate of education.

On 4 October 1952, Jim received injuries of a moderate nature and on the 26 November 1952 was in transit from Libya on board HMT (His Majesty’s Transport) Empire Kew — a 1,052 Gross register tonnage cargo ship which was built by John Lewis & Sons Ltd, Aberdeen.

In December 1952, Jim undertook home service and was posted to Y/6 list on 21 December 1952. In general, a Y list posting was extra sick leave after being in hospital for more than 21 days.

Military conduct: Very good.

No medal recorded. RAMC didn’t carry arms and did not fight, perhaps the reason why.

Civilian life

After the war and demobilisation, Jim suffered from post traumatic stress disorder. Acting as a flamethrower operator gave him bad nightmares, and he was badly affected by being at a concentration camp shortly after its liberation. However, despite this Jim settled back into civilian life: he was married for 40 years, had two daughters, and lived and worked in Lancashire for the rest of his life.

In the early 1950s, Jim rescued a drowning child from the Ashton-Macclesfield Canal in Manchester, for which he received a Royal Humane Society award and which was reported in the Manchester Evening News.

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