207901 Sgt. William Perkins British Army 65th Anti Tank Regiment RA The Norfolk Yeomanry from:Swaffham, Norfolk William Perkins was born in Swaffham Norfolk in 1916. Swaffham, is a small, rural market town with not much scope for adventure. It was for adventure that in 1934 Billy Perkins joined the local Territorial Army unit the 65th Anti Regiment Royal Artillery (The Kings Own Royal Regiment The Norfolk Yeomanry). At this time Billy’s unit had 14 pounders pulled by horses. Billy’s younger brother also joined the Norfolk Yeomanry. Both of them very nearly joined the International Brigades to fight against the fascists in the Spanish Civil war. However their Dad Charley, a veteran of the First World War, said “don’t be daft buggars, we’ll be fighting the Germans again soonâ€.
Billy and Charley’s Dad was right and in 1939 their unit went to France with the BEF. By this time Billy’s unit was mechanised with 2lb Anti Tank guns. As everybody knows that when the fighting did eventually start things went bad for the BEF. Billy and Charley got split up. Charley was eventually evacuated from Dunkirk and Billy was eventually rescued from Bray Dunes by merchant seaman.
After a stint on home defences Billy and Charley went to North Africa with the MEF and both were captured in 1942 during Gazala Line Battles. Billy and Charley remained prisoners of war until liberated in 1945.
Billy was a devoted family man and like many of his peers generally kept his wartime experiences to himself. However his family were and are very proud of him. Billy did have respect for his German adversaries particularly the Afrika Corps and did say that he saw Rommel briefly. However Billy did not have a good word for the Vichy French who he said were a “disgrace†and the Italians who he said mistreated him after he was captured.
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