Sons and Brothers: Arthur Vimy Metcalfe and Thomas William Metcalfe in WW2
Creators: name: Project Team, Their Finest Hour
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2024
Subjects: classificationCode: 430304
subject: British history
classificationCode: 430308
subject: European history (excl. British, classical Greek and Roman)
classificationCode: 430316
subject: International history

description: This is the story of an ordinary working-class family and how World War 2 affected their lives. The story begins with Thomas William Metcalfe, born in Salford, Lancashire, the eldest son of a labourer. He fought with the Rifle Brigade in World War 1 and, having been injured at the Battle of Vimy Ridge, was discharged.He met Lily Kershaw, also from Salford, and they were married on 31st August 1918. Thomas was unsure of what to do with his life, and on the advice of his father-in-law, joined the Salford Police Force in 1919, a career he followed until his retirement in 1946. Happily married, they had their first child on 25th August 1919, a son named Arthur Vimy Metcalfe, my father. Soon after, on 18th March 1921, they had a second son, Thomas William Metcalfe, 'Tommy.'Life was good. There were day trips to Blackpool and occasional holidays to a camp on the Isle of Man. The two brothers were close, played football and rugby on the 'local croft,' supported Salford Rugby club, and visited the cinema. They went to chapel on Sundays, followed by 'parading' in the local park in their Sunday best. There were the usual boys' pranks, such as climbing the park fence at night to raid the fish pond and being chased off by 'the parkie.'Arthur did well at school and was described as trustworthy, honest, and of above-average ability. On 25th August 1934, at the age of 15, he joined the CWS Builders and Shop Fitters at Vere Street, Salford, and began his six-year apprenticeship to become a Joiner. His apprenticeship was to finish on his 21st birthday in August 1940. He attended college and passed his examinations with First Class in English, Mathematics, Practical Drawing, Science, Geometry, Carpentry, and Joinery. During his apprenticeship, he had the idea that he would go to evening classes and become a lecturer of Woodwork at a technical college. This was not to be.In 1935, Tommy left school and was described as intelligent, trustworthy, and capable. He joined Salford Parks Department to become a professional gardener at Buile Hill Park, Salford. All was well until the outbreak of World War 2 in September 1939.Arthur volunteered for the Joiners (Continuous Service) section of the Royal Navy, but on 30th November 1939, he was informed that they were 'no longer recruiting as there were no more vacancies and the waiting list was full.'On 15th March 1940, he was enlisted into the Royal Engineers Embodied Territorial Army as Sapper 2006381 and was posted to 'A' Company No. 5 Training Battalion at Blacon Camp, Chester. On 31st March 1940, he passed his trade test and was mustered as a Carpenter and Joiner B111. On 28th October 1940, he was promoted to Lance Corporal, and on 20th June 1941, he was posted to 6th West African Field Company in Sierra Leone.Meanwhile, in September 1940, Tommy decided to volunteer for the Royal Air Force and was posted to Padgate, Cheshire, and then as Air Cadet 1071978, he was recommended for pilot training. In December 1940, he was posted to Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire, as a trainee pilot. On 14th July 1941, he was discharged from the RAF as 'not likely to become an efficient airman pilot.'On 18th July 1941 (just four days later), Tommy enlisted into the Royal Armoured Corps Territorial Army as Trooper 7944849. On 14th August 1941, he was posted to the 57th Training Regiment at Warminster. On 1st November 1941, he was appointed as Lance Corporal, and on 14th February 1942, he was posted to Abbasia Garrison, Cairo, Egypt.Tommy was sent to the Middle East with B Division of the Royal Armoured Corps (RAC), which was integral in delivering supplies to the armoured fighting vehicles on the front lines, e.g., rations, fuel, spare parts, and ammunition. In this role, he found himself on the front line at the Battle of Knightsbridge (part of the defence of the Gazala line), in a tank, most probably replenishing ammunition. Then, on 1st July 1942, the first day of the First Battle of El Alamein, he was reported missing, aged just 21 years old.Back home, his parents, Thomas and Lily, realised something was wrong when they stopped receiving letters from Tommy. On 1st January 1943, they wrote to the War Office to enquire after him. On 7th January, they were informed that 'no casualty report had been received by the War Office' with regard to Tommy, 'but as you have not heard from him for some considerable time, enquiries will be made,' but 'in view of the existing military situation some time may elapse before a satisfactory reply is received.' On 18th March 1943 (his 22nd birthday), they received notification from the RAC that Tommy was believed to have been killed in action. In August 1943, they received a letter from the War Office confirming the circumstances of his death following the interrogation of survivors of the tank crew. They stated that 'when evacuating the tank, after it had been hit, Tommy appeared to have been struck on the head by a shell and fell back into the turret.' Finally, on 25th February 1944, they were informed that 7944849 Trooper Thomas William Metcalfe, Royal Armoured Corps, was buried in El Alamein Military Cemetery, Egypt. He was awarded the 1939/45 Star, African Star, and War Medal 1939/45. The decision was taken to not inform Arthur of his brother's death.Arthur, in the meantime, had been posted on 10th July 1943, as part of the 81st West African Infantry Division, to Bombay, India. In November 1943, he moved to Chiringa, near Chittagong and Cox's Bazar, on the border with Burma. From here, he took part in the Arakan campaign, where the 81st West African Infantry Division was required to move down the Kaladan Valley. Although the 81st West African Division was supplied by air, it was necessary to construct a jeep track 75 miles long for ground transport between Chiringa and the Kaladan. This was known as the West African Way and was constructed by the Royal Engineers by hand between 18th November 1943 and 17th January 1944, thus enabling the advance of the 81st West African Infantry Division into the Kaladan. This was constructed at the end of the monsoon season and through particularly difficult terrain. The Royal Engineers, including Arthur, continued to support the infantry throughout 1944 as they advanced down the Kaladan Valley and during their move to the Kalapanzin Valley, by continuing with road and bridge building and the construction of airstrips to enable supplies in and casualties out.In early 1945, the 81st West Africans finally withdrew from Burma, and Arthur left India on 25th May 1945. On his return to England, as part of the 821 Works Company, Royal Engineers, he erected a Nissen-type hut as a temporary Guards Chapel in London, thus enabling the first service to be held on Christmas Day 1945 since its bombing in June 1944. On 22nd April 1946, Arthur was promoted to Sergeant and released to the Army Reserve on 10th September 1946, being finally discharged from the Reserves on 30th June 1959. He served for a total of six years and was awarded the 1939/45 Star, Burma Star, Defence Medal, and War Medal 1939/45. He returned to his hometown of Salford, Lancashire, and resumed his chosen trade as a joiner with the CWS Builders and Shop Fitters, where he had served his apprenticeship. He never did get to train as a lecturer to teach Joinery as he felt he had lost too many years and had to get on with life. On 16th July 1949, he married Ida Lysons and they had two daughters, my sister Carol and myself, Linda. Apparently, life returned to 'normal,' and these men were expected to 'pick up the pieces' and carry on as if nothing had changed.Arthur didn't talk much of his experiences in Africa and Burma, though occasionally, on being asked, he would talk of his West African and British comrades, about learning pidgin English, the unbelievable monsoon rains, the leeches which attached themselves and had to be burnt off with cigarettes, the size of the African ants, the baby python which coiled around a tent pole and refused to be removed, about malaria tablets, about digging latrines at night to camp in the jungle in silence so as not to be discovered by the Japanese, and about the fear of being captured. He told us that the 81st West African Infantry Division was in the jungle for too long and that they should have been relieved but weren't.I am sure that these images and worse haunted him all his life, and he never truly came to terms with the loss of his younger brother.Sadly, this is not an uncommon story, but I hope that it will act as a reminder that we must never forget what these young men gave and how it affected them and their families.