Fighting Hitler From Dunkirk to D-Day is the compelling story of a man
belonging to a group of which there are now very few survivors. Jeff
Haward MM is a pre-war Territorial Army soldier who enlisted merely for
something to do in the evenings. Consequently, he fought throughout the
entirety of the Second World War. Jeff is a Die Hard, the historic name
given to men of the famous Middlesex Regiment. He joined the 1/7th
Battalion, a machine-gun battalion, equipped with the British Armys
iconic Vickers medium machine gun.
Following evacuation from Dunkirk, the 1/7th, while refitting and
re-equipping, carried out coastal defence duties in preparation for the
German invasion. So desperate was the situation that on sentry duty, the
one rifle per section had to be handed to the next sentry, along with
the only ammunition available three rounds!
In 1941, they were attached to the famous 51st Highland Division. The
less than enthusiastic welcome from the Jocks gradually evolved into
respect following the Middlesexs performance at El Alamein and the
subsequent campaigns in North Africa, Sicily, Normandy and North West
Europe.
Following the Reichswald battle, in March 1945, Jeff was surprised to
hear that he had been awarded the Military Medal for bravery and was
subsequently awarded the ribbon by none other than Field Marshal Sir
Bernard Montgomery.
Jeff Hawards experiences, those of a normal soldier, make fascinating
reading and throw new light on the use of such Vickers gun battalions
during the war.
