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Description
Mr. Rusling describes the attack on Hellville with 20mm guns and mortars. It was the first time that he saw a grenade being thrown. Fortunately, no one was injured.
Frank Rusling
Frank Rusling est né à Belton, Lincolnshire, Angleterre, le 30 janvier 1922. Son père a fait déménager sa famille dans le comté de Suffolk, en Angleterre, où il a grandi. Il s'est enrôlé dans la Marine royale à l'âge de 15 ans parce qu'il adorait l'océan. Il est entré au service des communications de la Marine et a reçu l'instruction en signalisation visuelle. Il était très doué dans ce domaine et a rapidement gravi les échelons pour atteindre le grade de timonier. Le premier navire sur lequel il a servi fut le HMS Sheffield. Toutefois, il a travaillé sur d'autres navires et s'est rendu dans diverses parties du monde avec la Marine royale. Après la guerre, il a joint les rangs des policiers du Canadien Pacifique, où il a travaillé pendant 30 ans. Il habite aujourd'hui à Saint John, Nouveau-Brunswick.
Transcription
When we went in, we actually fired the guns. We fired the main armament into the hills. The echo of the shells, it was to create sound. Okay we did strafe the waterfront and there were small warehouses and things there, you know, not, just these flimsy things. But anyhow we strafed the waterfront with Bofors and 20mm guns and mortars and everything else like that. And it was basically to create shall I say, let them know that we were an offensive vessel, you know, no question. And of course it did, it had the desired effect. There was one grenade that was thrown at our little party, I was then with about 6 other people, and but I'd never seen a grenade thrown before at that time. This one, little sparks were emitting from it and one of these South African warriors that was with us identified that right away and he yelled out ‘grenade.' It was tossed down from a promenade and so we all dived for cover and I, and fortunately, none of us were, we had time, none of us were injured when it exploded.