Have You a Tiger In Your Family?

Rank : Pte - Bdr

Army Number : 4858025

Unit : 4th Bn

Biography :

Percy William Frederick Reeves enlisted 2.6.1936 in to 4th Bn Leicestershire Regiment. Transferred on conversion to Anti-Aircraft Battalion Royal Engineers 9.12.1936.

In 1936 the 4th Battalion was rerolled to searchlights as 44th (The Leicestershire Regt) Anti-Aircraft Battalion Royal Engineers. It later became a Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery, in which role it was to be employed throughout the impending World War, including in North West Europe 1944-45.

POW: Stalag XXIB - Hohenfels, Rhineland-Palatinate - admitted 9.6.1940 - prison number 383

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'WW2 People's War is an online archive of wartime memories contributed by members of the public and gathered by the BBC. The archive can be found at bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar'

Contributed by Simon Page, 'Peoples War':

This diary is being written on behalf of Percy William Frederick Reeves 4858025, a Bombardier in the 1st Search Light Regiment.

The 1st Battery was formed at Rhyl in 1940. Training was not finished when we were shipped out to relieve Royal Engineers at St Omer. We went on to Lille operating Search Light defence.

The training was finished on the 12th May; NCO's were made up from selected people and we were to leave for England in June 1940. I was promoted to Sargeant on the 1st June 1940 and came back to England for three weeks leave, returning to Fenam Barracks, in Newcastle, to be brought up to date on weapons etc.

The 1st and 2nd S/L Battery formed the 1st S/L Regiment (Colonel Goldney C.O.). The 1st S/L regiment had been the AA S/L defence for Lille until the German breakthrough in the Ardennes. We then drove into Belgium. La Basse formed the front-line as part of the "rough front-line". One day later we were ordered to Calais to form AA S/L defence. Two days after arrival (May 23rd, 1940) we were hurried into my lorry, at about 1.30 p.m., to deal with a "cornered German tank." we had no equipment as it was still packed up in our kit bags; so greatcoat and 80 rounds in cotton Bandolier formed our kit, along with my Bren gun plus anti-tank rifle. In all, about 50 men went to Les Attaques where we engaged a German armoured troup carrier. Finding volley-fire at the machine-gun vent made them recoil rather quickly (with shouts of injuries), we were then visited by a light spotting plane which went round and round just out of range. Some 45 minutes later German medium tanks were seen approaching. Shell fire then made 2nd lieutenant R.J.Barr ( C. Troop Commander) order "everyman for himself" and "make for Dunkirk."

We were surrounded by tanks and Panzer Grenadiers and were rounded-up from our hiding places. "for you the war is over" a German Captain and Sargeant greeted us. But they were very "nice" about it. I replied "perhaps" to his message. We then went to a collecting point, with no raised arms.

After a walk of three weeks through France and Belgium, eating dog biscuits and water from roadside pools, we reached Trier, in Germany. Then three days train journey to Poland. I was a prisoner in Shublin (21b) Prisoner of War camp. It was five years later, almost to the day, that we returned to England.

The above recollections can be read in Airey Neave's book (The Flames of Calais) from pages 42 to 47.
The services of The 1st/2nd S/L Regiment, together with other very-poorly equipped soldiers, caused such skirmishing as to make the German forces stop and consider their position. This gave the Rifle Brigade and The Queen Victoria Rifles time to make a fight lasting for four days. Much has been documented about the efforts of the soldiers who held back the German advance for such a long time with such minimal armaments; giving time to evacuate Dunkirk.

Obiter:
Decorations were given to
2nd lieutenant Barr - Military Cross
TSM Coppack - Military Medal.
All the 1st Search Light Battery were 1st and 2nd Militia officered by TA. All NCO's were also TA.

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Footnote: Percy Reeves was taken prisoner and discovered in a chicken coup after a German soldier opened the lid - in later years he returned to the spot in France with family friends.

Date of Birth : 1920

Place of Birth : Leicester

Date of Death : 2007

Place of Death : Leicester

Civil Occupation : Fitter Engineering

Period of Service : 1930s

Conflicts : WWII

Places Served : France