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| From the back streets of Leeds to fighting through Germany | From the back streets of Leeds to fighting through Germany |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| A few days before his 21st birthday in 1939, and shortly before he was due to become a qualified master tailor, Cyril James was conscripted into the army. | A few days before his 21st birthday in 1939, and shortly before he was due to become a qualified master tailor, Cyril James was conscripted into the army. |
| In the preface to his biography of Cyril James, the author Dave Foxton writes that it was clear that Cyril James, now a sprightly 94-year-old | In the preface to his biography of Cyril James, the author Dave Foxton writes that it was clear that Cyril James, now a sprightly 94-year-old |
| is a man from an ordinary background , who had shown extraordinary qualities under extreme conditions; and that his story deserved a wider audience. | is a man from an ordinary background , who had shown extraordinary qualities under extreme conditions; and that his story deserved a wider audience. |
| Cyril James's father Albert was clearly another remarkable man, one who had left school at twelve and did not read books or newspapers, but thought deeply and was not afraid of holding strong opinions that were unpopular, including being an enthusiastic republican. He was active on the picket line of his factory during a strike, which led to him being blacklisted by most Leeds engineering firms. | Cyril James's father Albert was clearly another remarkable man, one who had left school at twelve and did not read books or newspapers, but thought deeply and was not afraid of holding strong opinions that were unpopular, including being an enthusiastic republican. He was active on the picket line of his factory during a strike, which led to him being blacklisted by most Leeds engineering firms. |
| Means testing meant that even Cyril's income from a paper round was included when his father's dole money was being assessed. However, some things were (slowly) improving. In 1930 the family moved to a three bedroom council house on the new Halton Moor estate, to the east of Leeds city centre. The rent, of twelve shillings a week (now the price of a first class stamp), was more than the 40p a week they'd paid for their previous house, but that had only two rooms, one upstairs and one down. The new house had electricity, an inside lavatory, hot and cold water, a bath and a new gas cooker. | Means testing meant that even Cyril's income from a paper round was included when his father's dole money was being assessed. However, some things were (slowly) improving. In 1930 the family moved to a three bedroom council house on the new Halton Moor estate, to the east of Leeds city centre. The rent, of twelve shillings a week (now the price of a first class stamp), was more than the 40p a week they'd paid for their previous house, but that had only two rooms, one upstairs and one down. The new house had electricity, an inside lavatory, hot and cold water, a bath and a new gas cooker. |
| Schooling was largely inadequate, and expectations dismally low – generally children of Cyril's background, no matter how bright they were, simply weren't expected to go to grammar school. So at 14 years old he started work at a big tailor's factory, earning a pound for a 48 hour week. | Schooling was largely inadequate, and expectations dismally low – generally children of Cyril's background, no matter how bright they were, simply weren't expected to go to grammar school. So at 14 years old he started work at a big tailor's factory, earning a pound for a 48 hour week. |
| At the outbreak of World War II, Cyril was called up, and found himself a member of the Royal Scots Fusiliers. The rudimentary training he received, coupled with sporadic anti-English bullying from the Scottish troops and NCOs, in no way prepared him for his first taste of action, retreating in disorder through France, ending up with a shambolic evacuation of his regiment from Cherbourg late in June 1940, after the French army had surrendered, and several weeks after Dunkirk. | At the outbreak of World War II, Cyril was called up, and found himself a member of the Royal Scots Fusiliers. The rudimentary training he received, coupled with sporadic anti-English bullying from the Scottish troops and NCOs, in no way prepared him for his first taste of action, retreating in disorder through France, ending up with a shambolic evacuation of his regiment from Cherbourg late in June 1940, after the French army had surrendered, and several weeks after Dunkirk. |
| The following years saw him undergoing training in Scotland to prepare for reinvasion. During this time Cyril was promoted to Sergeant, briefly demoted, and promoted again. The training was intensive, frequently brutal and often dangerous, but there were peaceful interludes – Cyril and some of his friends became expert at dynamiting salmon from a nearby river, using a small explosive charge which would stun the fish but not damage them enough to affect their value. The regiment also trained for mountain conditions, camping in thick snow in the Highlands in preparation for a mountain campaign which never happened. | The following years saw him undergoing training in Scotland to prepare for reinvasion. During this time Cyril was promoted to Sergeant, briefly demoted, and promoted again. The training was intensive, frequently brutal and often dangerous, but there were peaceful interludes – Cyril and some of his friends became expert at dynamiting salmon from a nearby river, using a small explosive charge which would stun the fish but not damage them enough to affect their value. The regiment also trained for mountain conditions, camping in thick snow in the Highlands in preparation for a mountain campaign which never happened. |
| The chapters on the fighting itself make sobering reading. James was a good shot so was often on sniping duties. Wounded after taking part in the amphibious landing on South Beveland in Holland (later one of the regiment's battle honours, alongside Waterloo), he fought almost continuously from the moment his boots landed on European soil in late 1944 until VE Day eight months later. He took part in the Battle of the Bulge, fought across the heavily defended Siegfried Line and on across the Rhine, finishing the war on Luneberg Heath, near the banks of the Elbe, having also helped liberate slave labourers. The book vividly describes the mental and physical exhaustion that results from constant exposure to danger, coupled with irregular food and rest. | The chapters on the fighting itself make sobering reading. James was a good shot so was often on sniping duties. Wounded after taking part in the amphibious landing on South Beveland in Holland (later one of the regiment's battle honours, alongside Waterloo), he fought almost continuously from the moment his boots landed on European soil in late 1944 until VE Day eight months later. He took part in the Battle of the Bulge, fought across the heavily defended Siegfried Line and on across the Rhine, finishing the war on Luneberg Heath, near the banks of the Elbe, having also helped liberate slave labourers. The book vividly describes the mental and physical exhaustion that results from constant exposure to danger, coupled with irregular food and rest. |
| Unlike most war memoires, which tend to be written by officers, it is fascinating to read an account by one of the "other ranks". So, for example, we learn that it was routine to loot captured enemy soldiers of their watches, money and any other valuables they had on them – | Unlike most war memoires, which tend to be written by officers, it is fascinating to read an account by one of the "other ranks". So, for example, we learn that it was routine to loot captured enemy soldiers of their watches, money and any other valuables they had on them – |
| Cyril didn't really see what the platoon did as proper looting: they just collected things as they went along ...Men always looked for food and drink, and if they found it hidden away they took it. | Cyril didn't really see what the platoon did as proper looting: they just collected things as they went along ...Men always looked for food and drink, and if they found it hidden away they took it. |
| He also found it helpful to dull his nerves with alcohol, taking regular tots of rum before going into action – "the rum kept him calmer and reduced the instinct to panic." | He also found it helpful to dull his nerves with alcohol, taking regular tots of rum before going into action – "the rum kept him calmer and reduced the instinct to panic." |
| Gary Sheffield, professor of War Studies at Birmingham University, writing in the introduction, says | Gary Sheffield, professor of War Studies at Birmingham University, writing in the introduction, says |
| Dave Foxton's achievement is to tell the story of a very ordinary man who was thrust into extraordinary situations... Cyril's story is an important contribution to understanding the People's War. | Dave Foxton's achievement is to tell the story of a very ordinary man who was thrust into extraordinary situations... Cyril's story is an important contribution to understanding the People's War. |
| After the war Cyril James married and settled back into civilian life, working in England, Scotland and Wales before settling down to retirement back in Leeds, where he still lives. Born at the Wrong Time: the biography of Cyril James by Dave Foxton is published by FeadAread.com and is also available on Kindle. | After the war Cyril James married and settled back into civilian life, working in England, Scotland and Wales before settling down to retirement back in Leeds, where he still lives. Born at the Wrong Time: the biography of Cyril James by Dave Foxton is published by FeadAread.com and is also available on Kindle. |
| Alan Sykes is the Guardian Northerner's roving arts specialist and a sheep farmer in the high Pennines. He Tweets here. | Alan Sykes is the Guardian Northerner's roving arts specialist and a sheep farmer in the high Pennines. He Tweets here. |
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