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Reminiscences of Mr. Thomas M. Ruff
Thomas Montague Ruff was born in Keysoe. He was called up in 1939 for National Service to the Field Ambulance (Army). After training he was posted to 155 Lowland Field Ambulance Service as a Nurse and Orderly Mark II. As part of his training he practiced splints and crawling across fields to bring back the wounded.
He went to France in 1940 after Dunkirk (landed at St. Malo) but was only there for 24 hours and was then sent back. After arriving back in England he was sent to Ely in defence of the country in case of invasion. From there he was posted to Scotland where he undertook mountain training including skiing.
Under a bivouac in Scotland. Mr Ruff on right.
In 1944 Mr. Ruff was sent back to Ostend and was in the fighting at Bremen and Hamburg with ambulance duties.
A handkerchief hand painted by Mr Ruff made from British parachute silk used to drop supplies in 1944. He sent it back to his wife in England.
Two days after the war ended he went to Trondheim in Norway and helped to open up a blind school and make it into a hospital for Russian POWs.
Mr. Ruff was demobbed in 1945.
Mr. Ruff with a field ambulance.
Page last updated: 30th January 2014