On Thursday 8th May we all celebrated 80 years since VE Day, the end of WW II in Europe.
VE Day Celebration flags were flown and our local Royal British Legion Banstead & District branch started the day with a flag raising ceremony at Memorial Green Banstead.
This was followed by a breakfast, a Church service at All Saints Church Banstead and in the evening, the lighting of the Beacon on Epsom Downs.
The British Legion had a very important guest of honour at their celebrations. Michael Ewen joined up in 1944 and served in Italy. Readers may remember Michael from an earlier article in eNEWS when he was one of a group of local men who built their own homes after the war.
Michael Ewen with Surrey MP Rebecca Paul and Reigate & Banstead
Mayor Elect Cllr Rich Michalowski
Here is a summary of his war time service.
Michael Ewen, who lives in Tattenham Corner, was born on the 25th July 1927. Aged just 17 years old, Michael attended the West Croydon recruiting Centre that had been set up in the Foyer of the local train station and signed up for active service. There were concerns about his age but, nevertheless, he attended Warley Barracks for an initial six weeks training. Although enlisting at a young age he was already proficient in handling weapons, namely a 303 Lee Enfield from his Army Cadet days whilst still at School.
Despite protestation from his Aunt Minny (who had looked after him since his mother died in a bombing raid) and who had attended a local police station to protest, Michael was sent to join the 57th Training Tank Regiment at Catterick barracks. The training took a full six months and before he left, he was fully competent in all the roles required to operate a Churchill tank, from driver, mechanic, wireless operator and gunner.
Following his training he was sent to Dover Barracks and awaited deployment overseas. The wait was very short-lived and within a day was travelling by paddle steamer to Calais to join up with his new command, the 4th Royal Tank Regiment. He travelled by train through France, Germany and Austria before arriving at his destination, Udine in Northern Italy where he was trained on the Sherman tanks having been assigned to C squadron.
Michael and fellow crew members on their tank
He then travelled to Trieste in Italy following ‘The Race for Trieste,’ a battle during early May 1945 which led to a joint allied victory for the Yugoslav Partisans and 2nd New Zealand Division and a joint occupation of Trieste. Michael’s C Squadron made up a part of a large occupational force.
Michael on the Padua fortifications in Italy – 1946
You can re-read Michael’s earlier story about how he and 39 other incredible men built their own homes in Chetwode Drive and Ferriers Way.