Ewart Clarke
Ewart Clarke was called up on Thursday 20th February 1941 and reported to the Royal Engineers barracks at Ripon in Yorkshire.
He served in the Western Desert attached to the 8th Army.
On 9th May 1943 he wrote in his diary: ‘We prepared to go into action tonight with the Ox and Bucks. Our first job was to clear a way through a minefield for the infantry but it turned out to be a disastrous night for everyone.
We came under very heavy fire and lost 5 killed and 8 wounded.
Lt Ewbank was awarded the Military Cross and L/Cpl Southall the George Cross. I was one of the wounded (by mortar shrapnel).
After I was hit Sgt Shiels dragged me into a trench and dressed my wounds. I lay there for several hours before some stretcher bearers picked me up despite the fact that we were still under fire and they carried me to an Advanced Dressing Station.’
He was operated on and had a piece of shrapnel removed; it had gone in on his left side, travelled through his body and finished up on his right side. When he came to he was given the piece of shrapnel which he described as: ‘about the size of a die but very jagged.’
He later served in Italy and Syria before being discharged in 1946.
British troops shelter in the tracks made by Sherman 'Crab' mine-clearing tanks, Normandy 1944
The stories on this page are extracts from a forthcoming book by local Military Historian, Dr Jonathon Hicks of those of Barrians who served in the Merchant and Royal Navies during the Second World War.
Percival Baker
Percival Baker joined the 9th Battalion of the Parachute Regiment and while making a practice jump from a Whitley bomber he hit his face on the way out of the aircraft, broke his nose and knocked himself out.
He survived the fall but dislocated his shoulder.
He missed the landings at Pegasus Bridge as he had damaged his leg on a demonstration jump and was hospitalised in Winchester.
He returned to his unit in time to take part in the Battle of the Bulge and the crossing of the Rhine.
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