Yateley Town Council would like to wish Yateley Veteran Dennis Thatcher a very Happy Birthday! Dennis turned 100 on Friday 29th May and there will be a small gathering today at the Royal Oak where we present Dennis with a surprise! We have put Dennis’ biography from the D Day celebrations below. Yateley and Hawley RBL would also like us to publicise their Veterans Breakfast, which is every 1st Saturday of the month in the Royal Oak. Click here for more information.
Dennis John Thatcher
DOB – 29 May 1926. (aged 98). Army number 14781108
Dennis was born in Acton, and lived in Hounslow, where he played for the local football team. He has been a life-long Brentford FC supporter.
Dennis was called up aged 18, commencing training with the Hampshire Regt on 15 Jun 1944. After 16 weeks of training at Canterbury, Northampton and Cromer, he was offered a training job as a sergeant, but elected to go overseas. He embarked via Harwich to the Hook of Holland and was transported to the Dutch/German border. Along with 5 others he was transferred to the 5th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry, part of 52 Lowland Brigade. Dennis says everyone mucked in together and he quickly felt at home there.
He remembers being shelled in the trenches, and a young officer being killed by a sniper when looking through binoculars. He was appointed as a runner for a second Lieutenant – only seconds after he left that trench, it was shelled, and 2 of his Hampshire mates, plus the officer were killed. That had a big effect on his small sub-unit. Of the 6 Hampshires moved to the HLI, 2 were killed, 2 injured and only Dennis and one other survived uninjured. At one point Dennis came face to face with a German soldier – whom he immediately took prisoner.
His battalion moved through Germany, and Dennis remembers marching for about 3 weeks. When a mobile bath unit appeared, the first 12 men were led to the showers by pipers!
They made their way to the Rhine, under firing and shelling, and remained there for about 10 days. They crossed the Rhine on pontoons and continued east. At the Dortmund/Ems canal they had to wait a short time until the Engineers had built a bridge. They went across on Day 2. Dennis remembers the numerous bodies of British soldiers – the bank had been well defended by the Germans and it was a shock to see so many who had been killed on Day 1. This had a profound effect on an 18 year old.
The Battalion was in Bremen when the war ended. They took 1150 German POWs who were ‘a ragged lot’ – hungry, in a pitiful state, and glad the war was over. In contrast, Dennis recalls that they always had enough food, and plenty of stores. Not all German units knew the war was over and Dennis remembers some snipers in the Black Forest still operating.
At the end of the war, the Battalion moved west to Brussels where they were kitted out in tropical gear and told they were off to the Far East. Fortunately the order was rescinded the next day. The whole battalion got drunk that night – celebrating as no-one wanted to go!
After the War, Dennis stayed in the Army for a few years. He was posted to a fuel depot in Oldendorf. He also went on a Physical Training Instructor Course, was trained in all the events in the Olympics at the at time and was the top soldier on the course.
Dennis was demobbed in 1947 and he married Muriel in 1948 – they had met when Dennis was 17 and Muriel 13! He worked at Provident Cheques, was a bookie for 20 years, and for many years ran the General Stores and Post Office in Frogmore.
He went to London every Sunday morning, visited 6-7 wholesalers and there was always a queue on Mondays to see the new goods in the store! They cooked 14-18 whole hams a week and about 100 sacks for Christmas were in his loft, with Mums paying for presents weekly. The clock presented by the Scouts is still on the outside wall of the (now) private house.
Dennis retired in 1988, and in 2008 he and Muriel received a Diamond Wedding card from the Queen. Sadly Muriel died in 2015 aged 84. They did not have any children, but Dennis has 3 nieces who visit regularly, and is now a Great Great Uncle. He lives in Yateley.
Medals:
France and German Star
Defence Medal
War Medal