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World Community Grid Forums
Category: Community
Forum: Chat Room
Thread: On this Day |
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Thread Status: Locked Total posts in this thread: 716
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Monday, 4th December 1944
It was later; at Leisel that someone discovered a German hand grenade, whose primer worked by holding the handle and throwing the rest, as a ribbon trailed between them. Captain Kilpack demonstrated this by throwing the grenade from one safe spot to another, while the rest of us were in cover, fingers in ears. |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Tuesday, 5th December, 1944
Here, in Leisel, we occupied a row of abandoned houses, with peat burning stoves. Scotty and I set up office, while some of the others went foraging for fuel and came back with a load of peat. Captain Kilpack accused my old mucker, Rowley Hall of disobedience and me of lying to cover up for him. I replied, “I thought you knew your men better than that. I am no liar, and I don’t think Hall would deliberately disobey an order!” Nevertheless, he awarded Rowley field punishment, which I had to supervise. I had to watch Rowley marching round and round the back garden of the officers’ house, in what was called “full marching order”. Actually, it was full marching order plus extras – what the troops call “Christmas Tree Order”. Rowley took it in good part, regarding it as a challenge for him to laugh off. Dr. Kilpack was pleased with my report, and called off the rest of the punishment, as we were probably moving the next day. |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Wednesday, 6th December, 1944
The infantry had gained ground, so we followed them to Meijerl, and occupied a schoolhouse. The stretcher bearers and the flying squad were together in one large, unfurnished, classroom. |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Thursday, 7th December 1944
Angus made dumplings and told me they were kneidlach. He told nobody where he obtained the ingredients, but presumably he used flour, water, margarine and dried eggs, as there was no way he could have obtained matzo meal. |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
We are expecting that you post at our thread as per our telecon from today
Thanks  JP |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
This is in the cummerbund name, and in our thread:
December 1944 It was at Meijerl that we received a shelling one night. Tommy Fleming found himself a safe place to spend the night alone in secret, as he appeared not to want company. One or two others threatened company morale by complaining about the risk of death, and I had to counter that by telling them that if they were not prepared to follow Tommy's good example they might as well die comfortably in their sleep. Will Farmer sat up and remarked "He's right, you know", then lay down again and we all went to sleep. Fortunately, there was no direct hit, and no casualty that was due to enemy action or battle accident, the only casualty (in the military sense of the word) being Guy Kilpack. |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Could you please answer to Scribes´s post Here
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
December 1944
One day in Meijerl, Captain Kilpack paraded us all outside our billets, thanked us for our support during his command of the company, and shook hands with each of us in turn, wishing us all well and hoping that I would in due course be able to return to my old medical school. That was the last any of us saw of him - presumably, he was due for promotion and as a rule, this means a change of unit. |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Thursday, 14th December 1944
The ration truck came daily with nearly everything we needed, but it was months since we last saw a NAAFI. We could manage quite well without Blanco, and brass polish; soaps, including shaving soap were lasting well, but it was hard to shave with dull, well used blades. There seemed to be no shops where we could buy these things and little chance of staying in one place long enough to visit a town |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Maasbree, Friday, 15th December 1944
Now HQ Coy took over Meijerl and we moved a mile or two to Maasbree, in the Maas valley, near Blerick, which Hobart's "funnies" had just captured with a “text book” operation. For the first time since crossing the Channel, the whole company, including drivers, cooks and the barber, but not the officers and sergeant, was together in a room, which was heated. It was some sort of community hall, with dusty, faded party decorations festooning its main room. The anteroom, which was our transport office and guardroom, had another room above part of it. Scotty and I adopted this as the company office and library. Space there was somewhat cramped, so we slept with the rest of the company, I nearest the stove, as I still had no greatcoat. |
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