Commemorative

Christmas Eve at the Front

An interesting letter has just been received by Mrs Packer, of Broadclyst, from her husband, Corpl Packer of A Company, 1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment, who is serving with the Expeditionary Force in Northern France. In the course of a letter he describes a remarkable incident which occurred on Christmas Eve between the British and German trenches.

Bideford and Torrington Interest

Two brothers, members of a family with seven sons in the Forces or other branches of National Service, have recently been able to meet in North Africa. They are Driver John Francis Symons, of 16 Geneva Place, Bideford, and Driver Percival Symons, of 115 New Street, Torrington, sons of Mr and Mrs J Symons, of 30 Torrington Lane, East-the-Water, Bideford. Both are married and have a son.

Driver J F Symons, who is in Divisional Signals, was employed by Bideford and District Co-operative Society before joining the Forces some three years ago. He was a member of Bideford Health and Strength Club.

Driver P Symons is serving with a Tank Transportation Company. He has been in the army for about four years. Both took part in the Tunisian Campaign, and have been in North Africa for a year. They have been able to meet there on several occasions and have also seen W Stevens, of Hart, Street, Bideford.

Gazette article dated 29 December 1943

Five Hours’ Crawl Into Enemy Lines

Abbotsham Officer’s Patrol

In the brilliant sunshine, but with the threatening rain clouds scudding over the mountain tops, an officer and three men set off on patrol. Their commission was to find out if the Boche still occupied a village beyond the next range of hills.

Surmounting the first line of hill tops their hearts missed a beat for between them and the next summit, was nothing but sheer hard rock, not even a few clefts for protection. Occasionally there grew a clump of scrub growth. There was only one thing to do – crawl. Down on their side they went, rifles resting on one leg, and they pulled themselves over the open rocks. Bruised and soaking wet, they were able only to snatch a few seconds’ rest at each clump of gorse. At such a time, not even the grandeur of the Italian mountain ranges could compensate for the difficulties encountered.

Still they went on and with only a small hillock between them and their goal they took a last ‘breather’. Here the slopes were wooded and several gullies gave them friendly protection. With rising spirits and bodies they were now able to get on to their feet.

For nearly five hours this little band of men had been probing the enemy’s lines. Most of that time was spent either on their sides or on their stomachs but still they had the return trip to face. With the information, and more, which they had set out to collect, back they went. Foot by foot, yard by yard, they slithered down gullies and slopes. With the advantage of having covered the ground once, their progress was a little faster, but not much.

Wet through, but remarkably cheerful, these men arrived back at their company’s position in the darkness, some nine hours after setting out. That night, as a result of their efforts the Boche, who were snugly quartered in the village, had little rest, for our artillery thoroughly enjoyed the task of pounding such a splendid target.

And that night, too, Capt J R Strick, who led the patrol, had a minor disappointment. On their way out, these four men came across a cave blasted into the hillside. Obviously it had been used as a German dug out, and equally obviously it has been left in a hurry, for there still remained beds, blankets and food. Capt Strick, who comes from Abbotsham Court, near Bideford, North Devon, thinking salmon would make a nice change for supper, put a tin in the blouse of his battle dress. As he said “You can imagine my chagrin and annoyance, when I opened that tin and the salmon fairly leapt out, it was so bad.”

Capt Strick is the eldest son of Major-Gen J A Strick, CB, DSO, and Mrs Strick. Aged 25, he joined the Territorials just before the outbreak of war when a University student. He has been twice wounded – once in Sicily and now in Italy. He had previously served in other parts of the Middle East.

His father’s long military service included the campaign in Italy during the last war.

Full Gazette article dated 21 December 1943

Landcross Airman

Family’s Proud War Service Record

When a Bideford Gazette representative visited Mr and Mrs C R Marshall of Wyltowyn, Landcross, last week, he was the first to bring them the good news that their second son, Sergeant Reginald Leslie Marshall (since commissioned at Pilot Officer), had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal for gallantry and devotion to duty.

He was among a group of seven Devon airmen whose awards were announced at the same time. All of them had taken part in many successful operations and displayed high skill and fortitude.

Among friends especially interested in the award is the Bideford Gazette for Pilot Officer Marshall learned his trade as a compositor there in his youth. Subsequently he was employed for a number of years by the firm of Stephen Austin and Sons, Ltd, Hertford. He volunteered for the RAFVR in 1940, and became a Sergt Flight-Engineer on heavy bombers.

Aged 33, he is married and has a son. His wife was formerly a nurse at Bideford Hospital and is now a member of the Civil Nursing Reserve.

Pilot Officer Marshall is expected home on leave for Christmas.

This is indeed a family with a proud record of war service and all volunteers.

Another son, Acting Sergt Frederick George Marshall is serving with the RAF in Rhodesia, and there are two daughters, Edith and Madeline, Red Cross nurses, and a sister-in-law in the ATS. His brother Able Seaman William Charles Stuart Marshall, the eldest son, was among those on HMS Dorsetshire who lost their lives when she was sunk in the Bay of Bengal in April 1942.

Mr Marshall, senr, an ex Master-at-Arms in the Royal Navy, is serving as a Sergeant in Devon Special Constabulary.

Gazette articled dated 14 December 1943