Ted Timberlake's memories

My father Ted Timberlake was Watford born and bred. In 1939 Ted a Territorial was called up and went into the Herts Yeomanry based in St Albans. He served 6 years in the Army and was in the D-Day landings in Normandy. They landed at Arromanches, Green Beach, and driving a Canadian Ram S.P. Gun on trank tracks. Ted took part in battles around Caen, Vilers Bocage, capturing the Port of Antwerp and on to Eindhoven and Nijimegen...
As children my sister and I were told many war stories. He told us he was lucky to escape. A bomb entered his tank and killed all his mates just after he had jumped out!
Another time his troop ran through a wood in France, seeing no one they came out the other side only to look back to see the Germans coming up out from under the ground where they had been hiding, a near escape indeed!
Finally with his nerves shattered from the explosions he was air lifted out and went to work in the docks in South Wales. They called him Lucky Tim!

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.