Bert’s War

Albert Eli Perkins (born 1922), son of a baker who lived at 1 Warner Street, is  Barrow upon Soar’s last surviving resident who served in the Second World War.   Whilst the people of Britain celebrated the end of the war Bert and his shipmates were loading supplies to take to the Partisans in Yugoslavia.

Bert had enlisted in the Royal Navy at Chatham.   He was a Chatham rating.   Training started at HMS Ganges, Shotley Gate, Ipswich and lasted eight weeks.  He was posted to Landing Craft Infantry L113, which was converted into a store ship carrying troops or stores.

 

Bert recalls a memorable voyage he took to America on the Queen Mary.   He returned in a landing craft from Boston, via New York, calling in at Bermuda, Gibraltar and Algiers.  The ship was attached to the 1st and 8th Armies in North Africa. 

Landing Crafts were designed to run up on to the beach and drop anchor so that infantry soldiers could go ashore.  LCIs could land up to two hundred fully armed troops.   Landing Craft Tanks, (LCT)s were able to carry three 40-ton tanks or seven 20-ton tanks.   The vessels were able to winch themselves off the beach.   Bert’s last such duty was to land American Forces in southern France.

On one occasion Bert was despatched by train from the south coast of England to Troon on the west coast of Scotland.   As the train rattled through Barrow Bert threw out a note which Billy Fewkes, the porter, retrieved and duly delivered to Bert’s parents.

His Boat was a landing craft with a company of 18 sailors.  They were in the Med for 3 years.  He was at the Anzio landings.  His Boat was LC113 (I) (I for infantry).  Some were (T) (T for Tank). 

In 1947 Bert and his cousins Gordon and Millie joined a Forces Welcome Home celebration at Mr S.P. Farmer’s house called The Rookery in Catsic Lane, now Cotes Road.   Invitations, programmes and photographs of this event still survive.