My Dad

On 3rd September 1942 my father Norman Draper joined the army atDerby for 6weeks training.After completing a Driverscourse at Ashton-underLyne he was transfered 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 excercise Spartan.
He then transferred to Great Nissendon Buckinghamshire and joined the 79th Armoured Division. Christmaswasspent at home in 1943.
He then went to Orford 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 droveall night and by morning were in Tilly-Surseilles nr.Bayeaux.Then hetravelled to Caen Lileaex,Villiers Bocage Falaise and on to Rouen where he witnessed ruins and damage.
He then visitedDieppe 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.
Heleft the unit temporarily for theTank Corps where with a drivernamed Allen and 2 lorries carying new Tank Crews from Ostend to thefront line at Sitard.
He stayed for 2 months and then atached to the 4th Recovery at Eindhoven carying supplies with a driver named Cuss.Hereit wasvery busy from Antwerp to Brussells and then moving to Venlo where hesawalot of damage.
On 8th May 1945theWarcame to an end and he went to Brussells for a 3day holiday beforing returning to Venlo withthe 825 Armoured Troops Unit Shops r.e.m.e .
Hecrossed the Reine at Rees Wesel Emerichthrough 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 atBrunswick.
The unit changedto 15 Inf .Brigade 5th Division and then changed to 114 Sub w/s.He wasposted in July 1946 to 13/18 Royal Hussars.
In October he was posted toH.Q R.E.M.E 5th Div andspentChristmas 1946 there.
He then had leave to return to the u.k and wasdemobbed on 9th April 1947.

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