(Note: In conjunction with submitting the picture, "Foret de la Londe, France - SSR Tour '92", to this Web Site, Dave was asked to help give some background on the persons in the picture and about the Foret de la Londe battle. Generally, this is his recollection. The account is presented with the permission of Dave Robinson and thanks are extended to Dave for sharing his experiences. - Bill Sutherland, April 2001)
"Yes, where those five or six of us in that picture (Foret de la Londe, France - SSR Tour '92) was taken (was the area of the Battle). I got the first bullet out of that Battle of the Seine River (Later to become known as the Foret de la Londe battle and one of the Regiment's Battle Honours.).
I think I was in 'B' Company. I can't remember what (number) Platoon I was in. Anyway the whole Brigade was marching up the road single file. There was 'miles of us.' My Platoon was in front. We came to a roadblock on a rail track, when a Frenchman came running up. He told the Louie (Lieutenant/Platoon Officer) that the Bosch (Germans), were just up the hill a bit, and around the corner. We were stopped of course, trying to figure out, what we should do. (Should we) Get up and go up through the bush or send the scouts up to find out where they (the Germans) were.
Anyway, the Captain came up from behind and asked what the hold up was? When we told him what the Frenchman said, the Captain said, 'Oh, get going. You can't believe half those damn Frenchmen anyway.' We found out the Frenchman, knew what he was talking about. The Louie looked like he was thinking to himself, 'Yes Sir, and you go away back to the end of the line (where it is safe).'
I had the Bren gun (.303 Light Machine Gun), and I was the third man (in the Point position). The Louie first, then the Sergeant and me. Of course, I had the high fire equipment (The Bren weighed 22 pounds and had a two-man crew but was fired by one man. The normal rate of fire from a 30-round magazine was five bursts of four or five rounds a minute.). I guessed that (as I was the firepower) that the sniper picked on me first. It was just a bullet through my arm. (Right now) Everybody was in the ditch! I had dropped the Bren (when I was hit) and I hollered at my number two to get the gun (from the road). He jumped out of the ditch and onto the road and ran for the gun. The sniper fired at him too, but missed. Then the Sergeant took the gun and the war was on. The Louie came back and wrapped (bandaged with a First Field Dressing) me up. He told me to get back out of there.
(As I walked back) there was such a long line of troops and so far back, that they couldn't even hear the shooting. When I passed Head Quarters (HQ) the Colonel wanted to know what was the hold up, up there? Then they put me in a jeep and sent me back to the Dressing Station. From there, I went back to a hospital for a few days rest.
I came back up to the Regiment at Bray Dunes but I only lasted about two days, when I was wounded again by shrapnel. I was helping to get some wounded personnel out. They were pinned down along the coast there.
Again, I was lucky. A shell exploded and I got about eight or ten pieces of shrapnel up one side. One piece was in the side of my head. They never removed that piece, as the Doctor said, it was a little too close to the temple and it didn't seem to be bothering me too bad.
I had been knocked out, when I was hit. I don't know how long I was out. When I came to, there was nobody around. I still don't know what happened to the guy that was with me or the guy (we had) on the stretcher. The stretcher was there but both the sticks (handles/rails/poles) were broken. I don't know, whether the men were blown to who knows where or what.
(After being hospitalized) After another six weeks or so, I was sent back up to the front again and Fraser Lee (Also in the picture, "Foret de la Londe, France - SSR Tour '92") was my Platoon Officer. My nerves were pretty badly shocked and eventually, I ended up in Ordinance, back behind the lines.
Dave and many others, could relate to the caption, from one of cartoonist, Bill Mauldin's cartoons, in The Stars and Stripes, 'I feel like a fugitive from The Law of Averages.'"
-Dave Robinson
