Bill's WW2 Itinerary - Second World War
The map below illustrates the regions Bill Cheall visited across the world during his World War 1939-45 story. He started WW2 in the Territorial Army, with horrific action at Dunkirk. Then he had a Queen Mary voyage to Egypt, sailing right around Africa to get there. There followed the bloody battle of Wadi Akarit (Operation Scipio in Tunisia, North Africa), then the Sicilian campaign (Operation Husky). Then in Normandy, France, he was wounded in action and later witnessed the post-war devastation in Germany. Bill was a Green Howard with the 50th division (50 Div) amongst others.
Link to Google map with interactive step by step narration from the book
In words:
Start
Crediton, Devon - on holiday - 3 September 1939.
Middlesbrough, Lytton Street. Regimental Barracks for the Green Howards
Marton, near Morecambe - First Territorial Camp held here before war started.
France: 1940
Calais
Irles
Saucy Caudry
Canal Du Nord
Cambrai
Saudemont
River Scarpe at Roueux
Farbus
Vimy Ridge
Gondecourt
Arras
Gravelines
Haeghe Meulen
Bray-Dunes
Dunkirk
Britain:
Folkestone
Fairwater, Cardiff - Bill arrived here shortly after Dunkirk.
Launceston
Highcliffe
Studland Bay, Swanage
Frome, Somerset
Bath
Richmond, Yorkshire, 1941
Northumberland:
Gosforth racecourse, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Fenham Barracks near Gosforth
Whitley Bay
Seaton Sluice
Seaton Delaval
Cullercoats
Blyth
Lincolnshire: 1942
Donna Nook
North Somercoates
Marsh Chapel
Mareham-le-Fen, Lincolnshire - Dad was stationed here for some time in 1942
Skegness pier
Lincoln - Passing through
Harrogate - Passing through
Newcastle - Passing through
Edinburgh - Passing through
Glasgow
Gourock
Africa: 1943
Freetown
Capetown
Cape of Good Hope
Madagascar (Coast line only)
Horn of Africa
Aden
Egypt:
Port Tewfik, Suez Canal
Suez
Sweetwater canal
Qassasin camp
Cairo
Libya:
Benghazi
Tripoli
Tunisia:
Medenine
Mareth
Gabes
Wadi Akarit
Enfidaville
Sousse
Sfax
Wadi Akarit, Tunisia, the location of a bloody battle
Libya:
Tripoli
Benghazi
Passing south of Tobruk
Egypt:
Sidi Bishr camp
Alexandria
Cairo
Kabrit
Port Said
Sicily:
Avola - Landed here in the invasion of Sicily
Sortino
Lentini
Primosole bridge
Catania airfield
Letojanni
Messina
Augusta
Algeria:
Algiers
Gibraltar
Bay of Biscay - passing through
Britain:
Liverpool
Riddlesworth
Thetford, Norfolk
Southwold, Suffolk, 1944 - Billeted not far from Southwold pier
Inverary on Loch Fyne, Scotland
Sterling railway station
Boscombe, Hampshire, England,
Swanage
Weymouth
Studland Bay
Romsey
Southampton
France:
La Riviere
Arromanches
Britain:
Southampton - 22nd Canadian Hospital, Southampton - Bill was operated upon here to remove the shrapnel when he was wounded after D-Day.
Dundee Royal Infirmary, Scotland - Bill was taken here to recover from his wounds. Met Mary Wiseman.
Killin, Perthshire (Auchmore House) - Convalescent home.
The River Dochart in Spate, Killin, Scotland
Glencorse Barracks
Penicuik
Edinburgh 1944 - Princess Street - Dad's first Hogmanay started here!
Bridlington
Dover
Belgium:
Ostend
Brugge
Holland:
Arnhem
Germany:
Hamburg
Oberhausen
Dussledorf
Duisburg 1946 - Wolfsburg House, Duisberg
Belgium:
Brugge
Britain:
Dover
Catterick Camp, Yorkshire
Middlesbrough (Twinned with Oberhausen)
Home again!