THE SUFFOLK REGIMENT
O.C.A. STOWMARKET
Vic Mayhew
If you have any memories you could tell us about I would be pleased to add them to
our web site and a photograph to go with your memories would be appreciated
our web site and a photograph to go with your memories would be appreciated
Vic was born in Hemingstone, Suffolk, and volunteered in February
1943 and joined the REME. He received basic training in Derby and
was then transferred to Bury St. Edmunds and the 1St Battalion of
the Suffolk Regiment on the 17 June 1943. Then he travelled to
Dumfries, Scotland to receive training, then transferred to Wales to
train in tank warfare before going to Nairn to prepare for the D. Day
landings in Normandy.
Men who were to take part in these landings waited in Portsmouth to
board ships. On the 6th June 1944, Vic took part in the second wave
on Sword Beach at seven in the morning. He was in A company.
Once having landed A company’s objective was Hillman, a machine-
gun post, where Titch Hunter of the Suffolks was awarded a DCM for
taking out a bunker single handed. The taking of Hillman proved to
be a hard battle and casualties among A company started to mount
up. By 8.1 5pm, Hillman had been taken and the men consolidated.
The company’s commanding officer Capt. Riley was killed.
On the 27th June an attack on Chateau De La Londe was carried out. The battle
lasted all day. At 10.30pm, the following day, an attack was launched from a barn in
Gazelle, by the light of two hurricane lamps. The total casualties for the Suffolks in
the battle for Chateau De La Londe were 7 officers, and 154 other ranks, killed or
wounded or missing. Losses occurred almost daily from there on.
The 10th July was the first day no shells fell on the battalion since D. Day.
Next battle was for Caen. During this period Vic narrowly escaped death or injury on
two occasions.
Weather conditions were poor as Vic remembers sleeping in slit trenches filled with
mud and water and being continually bombarded by shell fire from the enemy.
There was never any change of clothes, boots would remain on the feet at all times.
Fighting and listening patrols were sent out at night.
The men had taken shelter in some woods and were continually bombarded by enemy fire. Unknown to them,
ammunition had become very low as supplies had not been forthcoming because of the rough seas.
The following day Vic’s Battalion commander, Lt. Col. Goodwin was severely
wounded.
The battalion fought through France and Belgium, fighting for Hamont, and Weert in
Holland. Eventually fresh clothes were brought up in trucks in October when the battalion
found itself fighting for Venray where heavy fighting resulted. It was here where Vic
received a wound to his leg which became gangrenous and he was hospitalised in Rouen,
France before being transferred back to England.
Having left the Suffolk Regiment on the 11th September 1945 he was transferred to the
Royal Army Service Corps in Palestine as part of the peace keeping force. Finally he was
demobbed on the 15th September 1947.
Men killed during the Second World War would have 7/6d taken from their wage to buy a
blanket in which they would be buried. 7/6d was a very high percentage of a weekly wage
in those days.
Vic on the left
Vic Paying tribute
to his fallen comrades