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One of the last Desert Rats tells his story
Dennis Churchill, 93, has recounted his time in the Royal Engineers during World War II, clearing mines and rebuilding roads during the battles to
regain control of North Africa and Italy. Juliet Platt met him at Angel Care Home in Haydon End.
Originally from Dorchester, and had to spend time in A particular memory ing on the railway. He married teacher
having attended a military school in hospital in Alexandria. for Dennis was when Winifred Critchley and worked at
Dover, Dennis was working as a hotel As quick as ever with a a German soldier sur- Plessey as a machine operator before
porter when war broke out. He joined quip, he joked: “I never rendered to him while spending 30 years in the Post Office
up at the age of 19 and was assigned recovered from it.” he was working on a until he retired in 1985.
to the Royal Engineers. As Dennis As the famous battle bridge. Remembering Dennis still speaks Italian to this
had some military experience he was of El Alamein got un- the incident he said: day and can sometimes be persuaded
quickly promoted and eventually derway, Dennis and “He was a big fella; to give a rendition of ‘O Solo Mio’
became a sergeant leading a squad his troop were sent he just put his hands to keep everyone entertained at the
of engineers into no-man’s land up and wanted to give Angel Care Home.
He was posted to North Africa whilst the huge artillery himself up.” See Dennis’ pictures from Egypt at
where the British 8th Army was being bombardment went on Whilst stationed at www.bit.ly/dennisdesertrat
forced back into Egypt by the German overhead to clear routes Arezzo near Florence
Afrika Corps under General Rommel. through minefields so that tanks and Dennis met his bride to be. Taking up
Recalling his time in the desert he the infantry could make the assault the story his step-son Mike Critchley,
said: “We had to dig down into the which led to eventual victory. from Woodhall Park, said: “A young
sand to make ourselves a bed and kick Looking back Dennis commented: man came in with an injured foot
the scorpions out of the way. General “There was no messing with that Ger- after a vehicle had run over it. He was
Montgomery was our leader and we man army. It was very pleasant to see accompanied by his sister, Juliana.
had a lot of respect for him; he used them off.” Something clicked between them.” CANDICE - Navy,
beige or silver
to sleep in a caravan near the troops.” In the next phase of the war in 1943 After his return to England towards leather £55
Mine clearance required soldiers Dennis was part of the Allied invasion the end of the war, Dennis went back
to use a metal detector to locate them of Sicily and went ashore under fire to the hotel trade in Bournemouth EASY - Navy, black or
before gently probing in the sand with at Salerno and later took part in the where Juliana joined him. She also beige leather; blue or
a bayonet to gently dig them out to horrific battle for Monte Cassino. worked in the hotel and sometimes pink Nubuck £55
be disarmed. A number of Dennis’s His squad was involved in rebuilding entertained guests with her singing.
colleagues were killed or maimed bridges and roads so that supplies She sadly died in 1955 and Dennis BLAYLOCKS
on operations. He himself suffered could reach the front line as the moved to Swindon soon afterwards Bath Road Corner, Old Town
shrapnel wounds to his head, and troops fought their way through Italy. where his younger brother was work- Tel: 534271

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swindonlink.com • July 2013 5

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