Hartle

John 'Fred' Hartle was born in Rotherham, Yorkshire in March 1917 to Thomas and Esther Hartle.

He married Mary J Butler in April 1943.

He served with 1st KOSB in France in 1939 and was evacuated from Dunkirk. He was an NCO in D Company, 9 platoon in Normandy and provided an audio interview to the Imperial War Museum which can be found here

"We were there a month (Cambes). This meant patrolling in front of the Battalion position. I got to know the area quite well especially St. Contest, Lebisey and La Delivrande. Led by Captain Skinner M.M. we were out most nights on patrol and tried to sleep at the bottom of the slit trenches during the day but the constant rumble of artillery fire made it difficult. Captain Skinner and Major Donald Gray were both wounded while on patrols".

Sgt Fred Hartle 1st KOSB, D Company - from Monty's Ironsides. P60.

Fred's Dairy is kept in the King's Own Scottish Borderor's museum in Berwick-Upon-Tweed.

He says this about the afternoon of D-Day. "We were now ordered to dig in and take up all-round protection positions. In the late afternoon, the sky forward left of our positions was filled with air-craft who flew over 6th Airborne positions dropping supplies by parachute. In the meantime, the infantry companies of the KOSB had managed to get a brew of tea. “D” Day was coming to an end and the initial surprise was wearing off. The German Army started stiffening its resistance." https://kosb.co.uk/events-news/archive-news/d-day-the-normandy-beach-landings/

Fred was wounded on the 25th April 1945

His medals were awarded in February 1949 and he was back living in Rotherham at that time.

Fred gave an interview in 1990 that is preserved on the Imperial War Museum site here