My Dad

On 3rd September 1942 my father Norman Draper joined the army at Derby for 6weeks training. After completing a Drivers course at Ashton-under-Lyne he was transferred to Bovington near Bournmouth and then to Tidworth near Salisbury Plain where he spent Christmas 1942.
Boxing Day was spent on the way to Ireland where he joined the 184 INF BGDE W/S R.E.M.E 61st Division. In February he came back with the complete unit via Scotland on exercise Spartan.
He then transferred to Great Nissendon Buckinghamshire and joined the 79th Armoured Division. Christmas was spent at home in 1943.
He then went to Oxford near Ipswich and changed name to 30 Tank Troop workshop.On D-Day 6th June 1944 he moved to Bishopstone nr Bournmouth to prepare for Invasion.
On 14thAugust 1944 he sailed from England for France and landed in Seine Bay 15th August. They drove all night and by morning were in Tilly-Surseilles nr.Bayeaux. Then he travelled to Caen Lileaex, Villiers Bocage Falaise and on to Rouen where he witnessed ruins and damage.
He then visited Dieppe and the outskirts of LeHarve through Lille to Tournai Belgium and Herzele nr Alost. The people here were very good and made them feel very welcome.
He left the unit temporarily for the Tank Corps where with a driver named Allen and 2 lorries carrying new Tank Crews from Ostend to the front line at Sitard.
He stayed for 2 months and then attached to the 4th Recovery at Eindhoven carrying supplies with a driver named Cuss. Hereit was very busy from Antwerp to Brussels and then moving to Venlo where he saw alot of damage.
On 8th May 1945theWarcame to an end and he went to Brussels for a 3day holiday before returning to Venlo with the 825 Armoured Troops Unit Shops r.e.m.e .
He crossed the Reine at Rees Wesel Emeric through Goch Cleve Calacar and on to Luneburg and visited Hamburg, Hanover, Soltau Minden and then to Unterluss near Velzen and Celle.
The unit broke up on 1stFebruary .He stayed on the rear party and moved to a new unit on 16th February 1946 which was the 800 Inf Troops work shops attached to the 5th Division still in 30 corps at Brunswick.
The unit changed to 15 Inf .Brigade 5th Division and then changed to 114 Sub w/s. He was posted in July 1946 to 13/18 Royal Hussars.
In October he was posted to H.Q R.E.M.E 5th Div and spent Christmas 1946 there.
He then had leave to return to the U.K and was demobbed on 9th April 1947.

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