Wervik Belgium, March 1945. Back from leave with the memory of being back on the British Isles after a long absence.
Mind you, after all our years in the regiment it was no great hardship to be back amongst your own. Here is where you fitted in best of all. I had a lot of what went on in my absence to catch up on.
Stories of Monty's visit. When assembling the troops around his jeep, he welcomed all old comrades from the 8th Army and said, " We have lots of Germans here for you to kill”. Words like that have a different ring now than they did so long ago, but I suppose that was the business we were in, and many Canadians died because the Germans knew that theme before we learned it.
Chuck Savin had looked after Fox troop while I was away and did a great job. A couple of days after I returned from leave, I was invited for a formal luncheon by the head of the Belgium Red Cross, and his wife, at their home. This invitation came through Charlie Brown's batman who was staying with them. The Belgiums knew that I had been on the advance party and they were going to honour us with a fine meal. This meal was attended by the host, hostess, and at least three other Belgium couples, plus Gunner Parkin and myself. This meal was something else!, about seven or eight courses all served, it seemed, with a different wine or liquor.
Between every course, while their servants were taking away dishes and replacing them, the group would go out in the garden. Here the host would take movies of us and it seemed that we were to be front and center and kiss all their wives, not bad for a luncheon.
The ladies certainly were not shy and if we were not quick enough they pounced on us, to the amusement of their husbands. Most unusual I thought but after a few courses and a few glasses of wine, what the heck? Go for it!
I think this luncheon lasted four hours, so after the last toast and cigar I made my way back to the battery area where I met Battery Sergeant major Bill Lloyd coming out of the area just as he had dismissed all for the day. Bill took one look at me and said with a smile, "Sergeant major it is time to turn that pass in". In other words my holiday was over. I have wondered how the Belgium host's movies turned out? I will never know. The next day I was back into the old routine .
