The Wartime Memories Project - The Second War

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263473 L/Cpl. James Charles Soden Royal Marine Commandos from:Abingdon Jim Soden James Soden volunteered and did basic training at Eastney Barracks, Portsmouth and 7 weeks additional training at Achnacarry, Fort William, Scotland. Then to Leavesdon for transport training. Learning to drive bren gun carriers and tanks etc, under the instruction of CO Tallymash from Cheltenham & Sgt Major "Boy" Roy. After training Jim left Avonmouth docks onto a troop carrier, a converted luxury liner called Volandam (a dutch packet). With thousands of all sorts of troops in a convoy of 30 ships escorted by the Royal Navy to South Africa to collect supplies, then through the Red Sea to Cario Egypt. Disembarking going through the desert, he was at Tobruk, El Alamein following the 8th Army to Sicily. In Sicily he was based at Syracuse for a few months dealing with disgruntled locals and minor skirmishes. Then moved to Catania checking on the vodka and general duties for 1 month. His unit was called back to Scotland for D Day preparations to a place called Gurrock, he said there was no landing stage for the ship to disembark us, just cliffs. We were told to climb as we were commandos. We waited and waited for D Day. Eventually got involved, swept through the Ardennes with a lot of fighting and trying to keep yourself alive. Later to return to the UK to be demobbed in 1946 at Eastney Barracks Portsmouth. Jim returned to a farming life in the Vale of White Horse Berkshire an still has a say in the running of the family farm today in 2020. Leslie Badcock Add to this record.  Related Content: Eastney Barracks Can you help us to add to our records? Add a record to our website. The names and stories on this website have been submitted by their relatives and friends. If your relations are not listed please add their names so that others can read about them Did you or your relatives live through the Second World War? Do you have any photos, newspaper clippings, postcards or letters from that period? Have you researched the names on your local or war memorial? Were you or your relative evacuated? Did an air raid affect your area? If so please let us know. Help us to build a database of information on those who served both at home and abroad so that future generations may learn of their sacrifice. Contact us. Celebrate your own Family History Celebrate by honouring members of your family who served in the Secomd World War both in the forces and at home. We love to hear about the soldiers, but also remember the many who served in support roles, nurses, doctors, land army, muntions workers etc. Please use our Family History resources to find out more about your relatives. Then please send in a short article, with a photo if possible, so that they can be remembered on these pages.

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