Voices of World War II by Gene Quigley

Author:Gene Quigley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: BIO000000
Publisher: Breakwater Books Ltd.
Published: 2006-03-11T16:00:00+00:00

JAMES HUGH SHIELDS

DATE ENTERED SERVICE:

February 12, 1940

CAMPAIGNS:

Battle of the Atlantic, North Africa, Sicily, Italy, D-Day

DECORATIONS:

1939-1945 Star, Atlantic Star, Italy Star, Africa Star, Defence Medal, Newfoundland Volunteer Service Medal, Victory Medal

SHIPS: HMS Derbyshire, LST 367

CONTINGENT: 13th

SERIAL #: P/JX248015

I was born on October 26, 1920, in St. John’s to James and Flora Shields. I grew up in the east end of LeMarchant Road where my father had a store. At the age of 12, I was in the Scouts, and at the age of 15, I was in the CLB [Church Lads Brigade]. In those days, I remember, everybody went to church, it was automatic. You went every morning, probably twice on Sunday.

When the war started, I wanted to get in it. I joined for a number of reasons. First of all, Great Britain was at war and in danger. In addition to that, we worked with the fellas who were in the First World War. It had only been twenty years since that time, and some of these men were only in their forties. We worked with them, and we figured if we could get enough Newfoundlanders over there, we could finish it up pretty quick, because we had no doubt of the ability of Newfoundlanders in a row. Another reason was that money was tight in those times, and if you wanted to see another part of the world, you had to get in something. Another reason was that you wanted to satisfy yourself that you could face action and conflict.

I joined the navy in February 1940. I was supposed to go over in the draft with Herb Wells, but I was injured while working at Lawlor’s meat market, and I ended up in the hospital. It was a good while before I was called up. It turned out that there had been a mix-up and they thought I had gone over already. Finally, I went over with the 13th draft in November 1940, and it took 31 days to cross the Atlantic. It took so long because the old boat we were on, the Baltrover, had one engine break down and we did four knots all the way over on our own. On the way over we were lucky enough not to have any altercations with U-boats.

We arrived in England in December 1940, and we started our training shortly after. We trained in Ganges, which was near Ipswich, and I remember a lot of bombing going on. I did not mind the training, as a matter of fact, it was the fittest time of my life. Training lasted three months where we did things like navigation, knots, and taking boats out on the salt water. It was really thorough. I remember there used to be a mast in the middle of the parade ground that was 180 feet up. On the top of the mast there was a circular platform that was about three feet across which was called the button. There was always a Newfoundlander who went up there and would stand on top of it.

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