248882 L/Cpl. James William Stanley "Yank" Rowe British Army Royal Engineers from:Truro James Rowe was drafted into the DCLI and did his basic training in Dorchester and Lossiemouth before being transferred to the Royal Engineers. He was involved in the building of the Mulberry Harbours in the Fal Estuary and went to Arromanches the Day after D-Day 7th of June 1944 being involved in the construction of the Mulberry Harbours over there.
When Caan was taken he went with his Battalion to delouse the local inhabitants noticing the complete destruction of the city by the British bombers. He then advanced through to Belgium with the advance troops passing through the Pegasus Bridge rebuilding project and also the building of the Bailey Bridges to allow Allied troops passage over strategic rivers, the existing bridges having been destroyed by the retreating Germans.
He spoke about being under fire and losing comrades to enemy action. He was also involved in mine clearance to allow the infantry to advance. He was called to man a boat with the rest of his battalion to help evacuate the paratroopers stuck in Arnhem where he was under constant enemy fire.
After the liberation, he stayed in Belgium long enough to pick up the Flemish language where he remained to help rebuild the towns, again under occasional sniper fire. He was offered to remain there but chose to return back to the UK to his young wife Margaret Eileen Sarah (Peggy) and young child David. He didn't talk much more about his time in the Royal Engineers.
He was de-mobbed in late 1945.
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