D-DAY RECOLLECTIONS FROM JIMMY REDDELL

Haven't kept up my twice-weekly postings due to very tight deadlines, but couldn't miss telling you about one of our local heroes of the D-Day landings which occurred 75 years ago today.  I interviewed the late Jimmy Reddell several times while he lived at London's Chelsea Hospital and he was always welcoming. My features appeared in local and regional magazines at the time. Throughout his life - he passed away on 16 November 2007 aged 97  - Jimmy remembered what happened during the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944.

Jimmy joined the Essex Regiment in 1932 as a regular soldier and he and his family lived at Warley Barracks.  Jimmy wrote his memoirs and often gave talks to the school children of Brentwood.    In his later years, Jimmy was often the guest speaker to local societies, recollecting his wartime experiences, and in particular outlining the important Operation Overlord which has been headline news over the last week. 

“Brentwood, and in particular, Warley Barracks played a very special part in World War II,” Jimmy explained during one of recording sessions at Brentwood Library. “Soldiers had been posted to Warley for many years, coming from all over England to do their basic training.  It was one of the most famous barracks and this was usually prior to the young soldiers being sent overseas. 

“In the lead up to D-Day, several of our local country parks were seconded as training grounds.  Thorndon, Great Warley and Little Warley, Childerditch and other commons and woods were used.   South Weald was probably the most important place.  In June 1944 the locals all knew that something big was happening as the grounds around the lovely old Weald Hall were chockerblock with soldiers, tanks and army vehicles. This was all secret, of course, but South Weald turned out to be one of the many assembly points for onward journey to the South Coast.”

What happened in that theatre of war has been recorded in history books, but locally,  residents remember the military convoys leaving Warley Barracks, passing up Kings Road to the High Street.  Mr Looker, from his nearby locksmith shop had the keys to the traffic light control unit and at a pre-arranged time, turned all lights to red so that the military vehicles passed through uninterrupted.  A young lad standing at the junction of Westbury and Kings Road watched as endless streams of army vehicles passed by.  A soldier threw something to the boy, shouting ‘catch’.  It turned out to be a ball of water-proofing material – very much like plasticine – unobtainable then, but turned out to be useful around the house. On Friday, June 5, a coachload of veterans, families and staff from the Royal Anglian Regiment left Blenheim House, Warley, to travel to the Normandy Commemorations over last weekend.

How Jimmy Reddell would have appreciated the ceremonies! In 1999 he became the very first  Freeman of the Borough of Brentwood, having served most of his peace-time years on Brentwood Borough Council.  Having lost his wife, he had gone to live at London’s Royal Chelsea Hospital.  He looked wonderful in his wonderful scarlet Chelsea Pensioner’s uniform and managed to return to visit Brentwood, the town he loved best.  And I do miss my old friend!