From Normandy to Holland by Bren Carrier (Preface)

PREFACE
The following memoirs were written by my father Robert Stanley Chadwick (Stan) and are concerned with his exploits with his bren carrier section in the 1st/4th Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry from the Normandy invasion in 1944 to the end of the War. I helped him by typing up a version in 1997 with forms the bulk of the text. However, I have supplemented this with a photograph, stories from an earlier version (circa 1988) and some additional notes I have found. I have also made slight adjustments to the order to align the chronology of certain events with the historical record as depicted in the book “BATTLEFIELD TOUR — A History of Some of the Battles of the 1st/4th Battalion The King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry in the NW Europe Campaign June 1944 — May 1945” compiled and written by Godfrey Barker Harland 1987, and I have inserted dates where the depiction of events coincides with details given in the book.
Stan joined the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, with his brother Herbert (Bert) and other friends from the village (Streethouse near Wakefield), at the outbreak of the war having already been in the Territorial Army. The first action they played a part in was the failed defence of Norway in 1940. At some stage he was separated and lost from his main body of men and found himself very near Sweden and the possibility of safety for the duration of the war, but he rejected this opportunity to search for and return to his unit. After this the battalion spent 2 long years in Iceland, deterring the threat of German invasion and helping to protect the strategically important routes for the Atlantic Convoys that were so crucial to Britain’s survival at that time.
And finally there was the D-Day Invasion at Normandy and the liberation of Belgium and Holland.
He didn’t expect to survive during that last year and saw many close friends and comrades killed or badly injured. However, he not only survived but lived a further 57 years having a long and happy marriage producing three sons. Three granddaughters and a grandson were born whilst he was still alive and there have been a further two grandsons since his death.
I am putting this written record of his wartime exploits on this website as a tribute to his memory.

Christopher Chadwick
January 2006.

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