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IN MEMORIAM
Melville Jones John Wintle. Chevalier
Legion d’Honneur. 3rd March 1924 to 23 March 2020 A.T.S. (Boys),
Arborfield, Intake October 1939
Information kindly supplied by Susan Preece, daughter of John Wintle. Melville
John Wintle 39C 23rd
March 2020 1924
-2020 It is
with sadness that we have to report the death of our father Melville John
Wintle, on 23rd March 2020, aged 96, after a fall and a short stay in
hospital. John
was born on 3rd March 1924 in Kenfig Hill,
Bridgend, South Wales, as Melville Jones Wintle (later known as Melville John
Wintle), the eldest son of a Miner. He was raised in South Wales, the family
living through the hardship of the Miners’ Strike of 1926. Eventually his
father found work in Bedwas Colliery, near which
John was to live for most of his life. As
a schoolboy, John did many part-time jobs before passing the 11+ exams, which
allowed him to get a good education. Whilst studying, he developed a love of
exploring how things worked, which later translated into a career in
Engineering. Although
John did reasonably well at school, after seeing a poster to “Learn your
Trade in the Army”, and not liking the alternative of becoming a Miner, he
decided to join up, despite his Head Teacher thinking that he was “being
foolish”. He signed up as a recruit to the Arborfield Army Apprentice School
as a Boy Soldier on 23 October 1939, followed by 8 years with the Colours
after age 18, and then 4 years in the Reserves. He
started in the Apprentice Training School for 2 years, leading to becoming an
“Auto-Electrician”, and it was around this time he became known as John, as
there was already a Mel in the barracks. After training, in October 1941 he
moved to the 9th Ack Ack
Division in Castleton, Cardiff. In May 1942 he moved to 2/5 Ack Ack (Petersfield,
Hampshire), followed by Light Aid Detachment (LAD) (Farnham) to service Bofors guns at Tangmere and Marsden
aerodromes and then to 5th Ack Ack
Workshops. In
October 1942 John was transferred from RAOC to the newly formed REME (main
unit for all trades).Whilst at Church Cookham, John
volunteered to train as a Glider Pilot, but was turned down due to an earlier
serious injury to his right arm, which prevented him from being involved in
either the D-Day landings at Pegasus Bridge or Arnhem. In
early 1943, John was transferred to 101 Company, Catterick,
and then was posted to No 3 Base Hospital Unit in Kidderminster. At a Home
Guard sports event, he was “volunteered” to have a boxing bout with an
ex-schoolboy champion. The Home Guard Colonel gave him a ten shilling note (a
fortune then), so he felt he must have put up a good show for “a little’un.” The
REME moved to Didcot, then to Newton Abbott. From there, in January 1944,
John was sent to Corsham, Wilts for one month
battle training. After this he went to Calne,
Wilts, and was billeted to the welfare house of the Harris Sausage Company!
In June 1944, John was transferred to Fareham for three days before leaving
from Southsea, Hants, for France. After
arriving on the Normandy Beaches at Arromanches on
D+8, John disembarked on the newly constructed Mulberry Harbour “never
getting his feet wet!” His first 2 weeks were spent clearing mines, booby
traps and ammunition around Vaucelles, near Bayeux.
In August 1944, he then moved on to 945 Rail Head Recovery Unit in Caen and
was billeted in Caen Prison! After the breakout in August 1944, he moved
between Brussels and Antwerp until the war ended, ensuring that tanks and
other vehicles were kept moving. In Brussels, he befriended many thankful
locals, one of which later attended his wedding to Margaret in 1954. After
WW2 ended, and most soldiers were demobbed, John stayed on as a Regular. In
October 1946 he was posted to 22 Heavy Workshops (Hamburg), and stayed in
barracks used by German U-Boat crews. By this time he had received his “first
stripe”, later becoming a full Corporal. On 3rdMarch 1950 (his birthday) he
was demobbed. Initially,
John found work as an Electrician at Wynn’s Heavy Goods Company, and then as
a Mining Electrician at Llanbadach Colliery. In
1957, he started 32 years of service at a Fork Lift Truck company as a
Mechanical Engineer, later becoming the Area Supervisor, before retiring in
1989. During
retirement, John was actively involved in fishing, gardening, the Normandy
Veterans Association from 1986 until it was disbanded in November 2014,
Normandy Commemorations in France, frequent AOBA re-unions, the Caerphilly
Twinning Association and as a volunteer driver for a local handicapped
children’s centre. In
particular, John saw it a duty to act as a spokesman for those comrades who
never made it back from Normandy. He regarded being awarded the Legion D’Honeur
from the liberated French Nation as an honour for himself and his lost
comrades who will remain in Normandy for evermore. Dad
will be sorely missed by his family, those who knew him and knew of him -
most of all, by his daughters Susan and Linda, their husbands, and his
grandsons David, Jonathan and Andrew
To view
the Order of Service for John, please Click on the Wreath below.
A tribute to John. Trevor 52A I always looked forward to meeting John at the Arborfield
Old Boys Reunions, whether that was at Arborfield
or Alrewas.
There was an outstretched hand, a firm handshake and genuine “How have
you been keeping?” It was a privilege
for me to meet with such a genuine Gentleman. Remarkably, into his 90s, he
was still driving himself from his home in South Wales to wherever the Old
Boys were meeting. Not physically a large man, John was a giant in character.
Sitting well back at the reunions, it was fascinating for me to watch people
naturally gravitate towards him. He commanded great respect, and indeed,
affection from one and all, no matter to what heights they had attained in
their military careers. He had a great love and pride for his family. There was also a passion and determination that
those who died in the service of their country should never be forgotten. He
attended many Services of Remembrance, both here and overseas. There were
those who were laid to rest beneath their named headstone. There were those
who were laid to rest, but under an Unknown Soldier headstone. More
poignantly there were those who had no known resting place, being recorded
only on a memorial. John honoured them all equally. His contributions to the
web site tell the real story. The sadness of his passing, felt by his family,
will be shared by those who had the good fortune to meet John.
John very kindly contributed photos and his memories to
our site. To view them, please Click on the Wreath
below.
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