Training at Pembroke Docks
Last updated: 11 January 2007
Here's an extract from the diaries of the late Joseph Edward Holt. He started his army training in The Welch Regiment, but went onto become a Lancashire Fusilier.
Below you can read about the time he spent training in Pembroke Dock.
It was sent to us by his grandson, Nick Lawson, who describes Joseph as a "warm loving gentle man" who had been equally upset by the loss of his fellow soldiers as by witnessing the treatment of the German people in the fallout from the war - despite having been captured by the Nazis and spending time as a POW.
Joseph was one of the first to the top of the mountain at the battle of Medjez el Bab before the battalion descended and crossed the river, walking into the "Wall of Steel" of the awaiting German troops.
He was taken prisoner at the end of the battle and was subsequently held in two Italian camps and three German camps. After the war he married, had three children, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He died in 2006.
Joseph's training diary
There were six other men, all joined up at the same time, travelling down at the same time, so we got together. There was a lot of bombing at the time.
It took over 14 hours to get down!
The military cook wouldn't give me any supper at first. He said "You've had your day's rations - it's on your papers here."
He said, "That's ten shillings and six pence for the unexpired portion of your day's rations."
So the army officer said "Don't talk bloody stupid."
He said, "What's that in there?" he said, pointing to my book. He said "That's tomorrow's breakfast, for the company." So the chef said "That'll do". He said "I'll cook them up, and make some sausage sandwiches".
We had a right blow-out. You wouldn't believe it! I had the biggest plate of sausage sandwiches I'd ever had in me life.
The next day when I was making my way to the cookhouse, we crossed the parade.
The parade officer pulled us up. He said "Who do you think you are?". He told us you never cross the parade ground unless you are fully dressed.
So we never did that again!
There were about twenty oil tanks round the barracks. The parade ground was in the same place where they brought in oil to make petrol, you know.
This made it a key target. This Luftwaffe came over. They dropped a bomb. Most people dived over into the moat.
There was a very big oil depot there - a huge Oil depot, by the Navy. And they bombed that.
They had to send fire fighters from all over to fight this blaze...to contain it.
There were several ships that sank in the Pembroke Docks - you know, warships. A lot of fire fighters, trying to control this blaze. A hell of a lot.
And we lost a lot of men as well as the National Fire Service, and they lost a lot of lives.
There was a big distillery on the oil depot. One of the firefighters got trapped inside, burned alive. Some of our lads were trapped in there with him. They'd never even worn their uniform.
You can discover more about Joseph's life on The Lancashire Fusiliers website.
