Infantry not for me thank you

Discussion in 'Veteran Accounts' started by bob90, Feb 5, 2013.

  1. bob90

    bob90 WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    As the war progressed in N.W.E., so the Infantry roll changed, no longer regarded as a threatening attack force, unless, tracked or motorized. But very much a necessity for Policing evacuated area. Movement being awarded to the side that could produce the largest amount of "stonk" in the shortest possible time. I recall a conversation with Ex Blitz Ack Ack Gunners called to fill the diminishing ranks of 15th Scottish Div Infantry in waterborne Holland, quite unenchanted, though secretly consoled that there was not another "Arnheim" affair ongoing. bob90
     
  2. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Bob ,
    Never thought I'd hear a member of The Foot Guards say that.
    ''Infantry not for me thank you''
    ;)

    Were there any fisticuffs between armoured & non-armoured guardsmen ?
     
  3. TTH

    TTH Senior Member

    On the other hand, there was Joe's comment when Willie suggested that they might be better off in a tank: "No thanks. A movin' foxhole attracts the eye."
     
  4. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    It's funny how neither the infantry or the tankies wanted each other's jobs.

    I can remember being told by one of the PBI we carried in our Kangaroos
    "wouldn't want your job for any money, mate" when I was thinking exactly the same thing about his role in the current battle :)

    Ron
     
  5. Andreas

    Andreas Working on two books

    The tankies were right though. Look at the casualty statistics. :(

    All the best

    Andreas
     
  6. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Andreas -
    We Tankies only had to worry about the big stuff coming at us - the PBI had to

    worry about everything all around them....from everywhere...
    Cheers
     
  7. Wills

    Wills Very Senior Member

    Full Circle! We spent time as - mechanized infantry, Now 1st Bn Scots Guards are 'Armoured Infantry'. Guardsmen and armour - we got a rollicking from REME for polishing 'fings what ain't meant to be polished mate!' The LAD at BATUS Alberta had a pop at us too, the guardsmen were lifting inspection covers to clean out the gunk - leave it alone said head spanner , the Jocks happily complied as the make it shine brigade looked on.
     
  8. sapper

    sapper WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    That reminds me of conversation with the infantry. It went something like this. The sapper "I don't want your job" while the infantry man says "I certainly don't want yours" My old but late friend Dick Harris (Suffolks) said this of the infantry "there are only two ways out of the infantry on a stretcher or buried"
     
  9. Joe Brown

    Joe Brown WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    One may argue that an infantryman had a degree of comradeship that could 'embrace' more friendships than Corps troops, operating at a basic level of ten men in a rifle section, 35 in a platoon and in these two formations one knew everyone on close dependable terms. In a rifle company of 120 men it became less so but still a high degree of comradeship between one and another. No 'machines' getting in the way!

    As my three older brothers told me in 1939, they joined the artillery because they didn't want to walk everywhere as I would have to in the PBI. True, in the approach march to attack Heinsberg my Battalion walked some 13 miles with loaded rucksacks, took a short break before reaching the forming-up area and had something to eat, then formed into a left and right columns and proceeded to encircle Heinsberg, Bofor guns helpfully including at regular intervals tracer rounds to give us a centreline during our night attack. Even then I would not have changed places with my big brothers!!

    Joe Brown.
     
  10. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Joe

    You set me thinking with your talk of " operating at a basic level of ten men in a rifle section, 35 in a platoon and in these two formations one knew everyone on close dependable terms".

    As a Driver/Op in LAA, it was always three men to a wireless truck, often operating the set 24/7 and after a while we knew each others habits (good & bad) down to a T.

    When I became a tankie it was less so, mainly I suppose because young Hewie was the driver and Bustie, as SSM, was a law unto himself and in the main we only saw him whilst we were in action.

    Having said that, the mere fact that as a tankie I was exposed to more risk than in my previous role meant that life was "sharper" and friendships within the unit seemed to mean much more. One also soon learned the true meaning of the word comradeship.

    It's also funny to read Brian's comment regarding the same "rather you than me" talk between the infantry and the REs...............

    This despite the fact that at times you would have been hard pushed to separate their roles !

    Ron
     
  11. sapper

    sapper WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Hi Ron...And everyone else! Reading your post. Have you ever acted as infantry for a short period. When the war went into its winter mode in Holland, mud and more mud... we were sent out on to the "wet lands" near the River Mass to act as infantry with fighting patrols. Oddly enough in a strange way, it was a change to do something different. We stayed out in the deserted villages for some time..It made a change...... Some of our lads went across the river on fighting patrols.. Over the Mass. Not me thankfully...My lot stayed out in the villages.
     
  12. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Brian

    You say
    Have you ever acted as infantry for a short period.
    Fortunately for me, never !

    Other chaps in my first unit, the 49th LAA and most of whom were gun crew, were not so lucky, as during our stint at Cassino they were also used as smoke layers and stretcher bearers.

    What spared chaps like me from those type of jobs was the fact that communications had to be maintained 24/7 and as we were a crew of three this was our full time role.

    I know I have said it before, but my admiration for the work done by the PBI in Sicily & Italy was and is unbounded and this was only increased during my time with the 4th QOH when we were responsible for actually carrying them into action.

    Ron
     
  13. sapper

    sapper WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Cheers Ron I had great admiration for the Infantry of he South Lancs and East York's lads. Tenacious and brave men..... And of course the Suffolks that my dearest but late friend Dick Harris was a member of.
    It was odd out in those completely deserted little villages near the River. They left their live stock behind to fend for themselves. We occupied the little one floor houses while trying not to do any damage when we set up the Bren. For the people had little enough.

    I did not like Hollland much. If you dug a foxhole to get out of the shell and mortar fire, the damn thing quickly filled with water. Then froze.... Yuk
     
  14. Joe Brown

    Joe Brown WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Brian,

    Remember being on south bank of the Mass. Battalion was based at Vlijmen. Sodden dismal swamp land, slits filled with water very quickly.

    We were ordered not to cross but to patrol to the river's edge and one one patrol picked up three 'civilians' and we rightly guessed they had just crossed. After interrogation at 52 (L) Division proved to be members of the Brandenburg Sabotage Division. We believed we had the signal for them to be picked up but we were fooled and an exchange of fire resulted. Next day an up-turned boat found further down the river.

    Hope you are well.

    Joe
     
  15. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Wills - whilest I would accept the close relationship of ten men in an Infantry section - to me that is not quite the same as the five men in any Tank which is pinned down for 20 hours at times when calls of nature have to be answered etc -

    Once watched a Guardsman polish - with brasso - the 44 grease nipples on a Churchill Tank which was otherwise spotless - and thanked God that I was in a regular RAC mob

    Cheers
     
  16. footslogger478

    footslogger478 WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Ron
    What further can I add to the comments already shown? I think that feeling between the PBI and the armoured lads has always been there. I know after seeing the results of hits on our tanks I knew that to a certain extent there was a greater chance for an infantry man to get away with minor injuries after a "Stonk," than the crew of a tank even with the armourplated protection Trying to get out of one of those "Sardine Cans" after a Brew Up! I would not have had their job for anything !!
    I admired them very much for their undoubted courage.
     
  17. Wills

    Wills Very Senior Member

    Battened down - BAOR we were doing one of the 24hr NBC 'marches' in AFV432 carriers. Trying to map read and keep some sort of formation the driver driving on periscope and me watching where I thought we were also by periscope a section of guardsmen in the crew compartment. The smells, heat the constant carrier wave on your headset eyes nipping in the fug - the lads always said I was good tempered, I did hear some vehicle commanders were less so. On the prairie Alberta I spent a few days with 5 'Skins' - those lads knew how to live! I was guest of a Chieftain crew a big girl too but she could move - the commander was a young officer - 'here boss said a corporal get the brew on' it was his turn! Into a replen - up went the joint mess, optics, bar barbie! There was less of a formal barrier between the ranks than I was used to, although we were less so in the Scots Guards,than the Grenadiers or Coldstream- the Jocks wanted to see the KK (company commander) digging in alongside them. I was 2nd Bn then and we had a reputation for being dry when on service - or any other bloody time! Northern Ireland no nights out at the barracks, BAOR anyone caught with alcohol in their rooms would catch it. Yet here was a regiment with a mess a thousand miles from nowhere, on the prairie, great hospitality.

    I never mentioned that I had been a qualified weapons instructor and my weapon of choice was the 84mm Anti Tank Gun!
     
  18. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Bud (AKA Footslogger478)

    Good to see you posting again !

    I'm particularly glad because I wanted to get your slant on the Infantry/Armoured Corps debate.

    If you look around we have got some new members on site who are both veterans & ex-infantry so you will find much to interest you.

    Best regards

    Ron
     
  19. sapper

    sapper WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    As you all know...Infantry Divisions always work in conjunction with armoured divs or groups. Ours was very often the Guards, and more often the 11th armoured div. There was a relationship between the Sappers and the Tankies, we were called their "little friends"..Have any of you pals here heard of this in your area.?

    Joe, beore we got to the Maas we went out through the Enemy lines to the River, Hidden in the reed beds, playing a bloody army gramophone, with little plastic disc a small group of Sappers hidden in the Maas river rush beds.

    STINKS to high heaven. It was so outlandish, and frankly way over the top, that I would not talk about it for years, then I read an article that said that the same thing was being done in several locations in Holland.

    Bloody near deafened me! for the Germans came down to where we were and a few feet away fired a bloody moaning Minnie over our heads. There were two of them chattering away not knowing we were feet away.... But here again tell this to the average civilian and they will look at you sideways as much as to say Who are you kidding....

    PS the discs were of the sounds of Sappers preparing to build an assault bridge...Of all the bloody stupid things I did, that was probably the daftest....Some of the antics that the Sappers got up to were so unlikely that I sent for the Company war diaries to prove my point. That one is not noted. Oh and yes they cost 76 quid to buy
     
  20. Joe Brown

    Joe Brown WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    PBI Advancing . . .

    [​IMG]

    Joe
     
    Owen likes this.

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