大象传媒

Chapter 8.1

On the evening of the 23rd February 1942 we were suddenly raked out of bed at 11 pm and told that we were moving, the prospects were not at all good, not that we had anything to pack. Mick and I were now mucking in together, we decided to visit the kitchen on the scrounge for food; all that we could find was dry macaroni, so with that we filled all available pockets. About 1 pm we were put into lorries and after a wait of a couple of hours, moved off. We arrived at daybreak feeling very cold in Tripoli docks. I was very relieved as the lorry was overloaded and we had a reckless driver, he nearly tipped us out when driving through the town. We were then taken aboard a cargo boat, unfortunately we were the second party to board and in consequence the positions obtained by Mick and I was far from good. No 1 hold was allotted to officers and we were on the third deck down, lying on steel plates is not at all comfortable to say the least and for a quick getaway if necessary, it was hopeless. It was the evening of the 24th February 1942 before we moved, so we were able to do bit of exploring, the boat had 4 holds, 2, 3 and 4 were allocated to the troops, 400 to a hold. Conditions were terrible before we started and I dread to think of what they would be like before the end of the trip. I met some of our lads on the boat and heard that others were put on another that was to accompany us. In the harbour we could see the results of our bombing there being several damaged and sunken ships, outside the harbour we could see a hospital ship that had been sunk.

Late in the afternoon of the 24th February 1942 we put out of the harbour, we saw a convoy arrive which showed their respect for the Royal Navy because it consisted of 4 cargo boats with an escort of 13 naval craft, 3 of these craft formed the escort for us, our convoy being 2 ships carrying POWs and the escort. Like proper POWs our morale went up because we all thought that we would be rescued by the Royal Navy, we had a laugh to ourselves because immediately we left harbour all sailors and soldiers escorting us unlaced their boots, removed putties, undid jackets and donned lifebelts, we had no such comforting equipment. As soon as we were out of port we were all ordered below and hatches put on, this was not at all good. There was just one little electric light so that we could just see, I laid down next to Mick on a cold steel plate and tried to get some rest, but who could, my thoughts were about the hopeless position I was in if anything did happen. I got a position quite close to the steel ladder leading up to the next deck and knew that I had to move quickly if it did happen. Then of course I got hungry during the day we had been issued with 2 biscuits and a tin of Italian bully, of this I saved half for my breakfast, but gave way to temptation and ate it knowing full well that if I didn鈥檛 I should lay awake thinking of it. I eventually dropped off to sleep only to wake up at a resounding crash, what a rush for the ladder, I managed somehow or other to maintain my self control and didn't join in the crush because I had heard the noise before, the anchor was being dropped but for what reason I did not know, of course this episode drove all sleep away, there was just no hopes of it for me. The next morning the 25th February 1942 the officers were allowed on deck for a time and saw our escort had diminished by one and the other POW boat was missing. The troops were in a terrible condition and it wasn't until after a very strong protest that they were allowed up for air, a hold at a time. During the morning we got a hot cup of coffee and the same ration as the previous day. All day long we were creeping along the North African coast and nothing untoward happened, but conditions were gradually getting worse, there was no drinking or washing water and only one latrine for the 1300 on board. On the 26th February 1942 we were allowed up on deck again, the troops were in a terrible condition, dysentery had broken out and the men could not get up on deck to relieve themselves, on protest from us the troops were again allowed on deck whilst the holds were cleaned out. Rations were the same as for the previous day, the sea air made us feel hungrier. During the day we passed Lampadusa and Pantalera, off Pantalera we had a scare, we missed a mine by about twenty yards, I was leaning over the side at the time and saw it. Some aircraft appeared and action stations were taken up but it turned out a false alarm, it was their own planes on patrol.

During the evening we arrived at Palermo on Sicily and put into the harbour, the entrance being closed immediately we entered. There was one regrettable incident that I noticed whilst on the trip, we had been kept short of food during the trip and had very small rations at Tarahuna, but nevertheless midway across, a Lt Col and a Major and two friends who were employed in the cookhouse at Tarahuna suddenly produced some cheese, bread and dates and commenced a sumptuous meal, obviously from rations that should have been issued to us. This caused a lot of discontent, after they had finished some dates were left over and the Colonel ordered the friend to throw them overboard but we stopped him, saying that we would throw him over if he did, Mick got them and washed them, then had two good meals off them.

We stayed at Palermo until the evening of the 27th February 1942, we were allowed up on deck until we set sail, but we were getting hungrier and disappointed at not being rescued. The boat steamed ahead all night on the 27th as fast as it could go, British submarines being in the vicinity, arriving at Naples early morning of the 28th February 1942 getting our first view of Vesuvius and the Isle of Capri. In peacetime it must have been a beautiful sight and could have been appreciated but from a POW vessel unwashed, unshaven and extraordinarily hungry it was the last place we wanted to see. The saying see Naples and die, I saw Naples and nearly died of hunger. As soon as the boat docked the officers disembarked, we asked for food but were told that as soon as we had bathed and had been fumigated it would be supplied. So with lighter hearts we marched off, it all turned out very funny, on arrival at the fumigation centre we were all given a small bag and told to strip and put all clothes in the bag, including all the kit we were carrying, we were also told not to put any leather wear in. Our bags went one way and we went the other into a gloriously hot shower bath, it really was wonderful, in addition I managed a good shave, men wrapped in a towel proceeded into a another room where we waited in our nakedness for our bags to come out of the fumigator. What a shock we got when it did arrive, our khaki was nothing but creases especially my greatcoat, and they never came out for months. I then felt in my pockets and to my dismay my pipe was still in it, the stem in the extreme heat had turned into a letter 'C'. I had also forgotten the leather work on my braces as everyone else had and the tabs just broke, that was all my damage, but some of the others, a Padre forgot his leather gloves they came out in miniature, wouldn't fit a doll, another fellow put his breeches in with leather grips of course the grips shrunk to about one inch, he had to frantically cut them off whilst everyone was saying hurry up we are hungry don鈥檛 keep us waiting.

We all rushed out when ordered to fall in, formed up under our own steam all because we had visions of food, away we marched, straight on to a train, what about food? Yes, you shall get some immediately everyone has been fumigated, 1200 troops to go through, it had taken us 100 officers moving very quickly exactly one hour. It was now 9 am and true enough we were made to sit in a carriage until 7 pm before we got a bite to eat and then all we got was two very small rolls, I just couldn鈥檛 resist temptation and ate mine on the spot. I had been sat in a third class carriage all day but just before we moved that evening some of us were lucky enough to be put into a first class carriage, I obtained a corner seat, as soon as the train moved off I fell asleep, arriving next morning at Capua station. We marched through the town to the camp, visions of food, but before getting any we were subjected to a search lasting about 2 hours and then when we did get it, it was coffee and soup only.

For the first 2 days at Capua I lived in a wooden hut, with a bed made of 3 wooden boards and 2 trestles, but no mattress, after that we were moved into a place called the Infirmary which was slightly more comfortable, I had a little shelf on which to keep my belongings, such as they were, 3 jolly good blankets and a mattress, and lavatories and wash house were inside the building. We had our food in a tent, which would only hold a 100 and as there was 300 in camp we had to do our feeding in 3 sittings not that we got much, every morning at 8 am we got a cup of tea, the tea coming from Red Cross parcels to which we were looking forward to receiving, at midday we received a plate of rice or macaroni and our bread ration, sometimes a bit of jam or an orange at about 4 pm, we got another plate of soup and once a week a bit of cheese then just before dark another cup of tea providing the fuel issued to the cookhouse had lasted the day out After being at Capua for 4 days we received our first and last Red Cross parcel in the camp, the scale was one between three but nevertheless it was grand, I made my portion last a week the biscuits, salmon, cheese, sardines, bully, butter, jam and prunes, it was simply wonderful to be able to eat a bit of bread with butter was, well I just cannot express how I felt. With the parcel were 50 cigarettes or should have been but we never got them, I was however given an English cigarette, I must have been weak or something because it just knocked me dizzy. By this time I had been able to send a message to Kit over the Vatican Radio and also send a letter and a postcard home. I was also getting more settled and finding out things, I got myself a new suit, some pyjamas, socks and handkerchiefs from the Red Cross store, in addition some soap and toothpaste. I tried to set an example and kept myself clean and well shaved although in order to save blades I grew a moustache, which was not a success.

The thing that worried me most was money, I found out that I was paid at the rate of 拢13-3-11 a month out of this I had to pay for my food which was 12 Lira, the rate of exchange being 72 to the 拢, on working this out I found out that Kit couldn't possibly draw the same amount of money she had previously done, this worried me beyond words but there was nothing that I could do about it except be very judicious with everything. We stayed at Capua until 23rd March 1942 before being moved to a permanent camp, Capua was only a transit camp. During this time I was trying to think out a programme of work for myself in order to keep my mind occupied when I got to a permanent camp, soon the problem was solved for me, I was elected to the Mess Committee, who gave me the job of supervising the of cooking of rations and kitchen staff. Before taking over I took every opportunity of studying my co-POWS, the more I studied them the less I understood them. Of course on the whole they were much younger than I was but I do not think youth could account for everything, I know that we were hungry- Bloody Hungry - at all times and the food was not even a quarter enough but instead of occupying their minds and trying to forget about the next meal, they would just lay on their beds and think about it and what鈥檚 more they would talk about it and spread the melancholy feeling. It was quite uncomfortable to sit at the meal table, everything was drawn for, so that nobody should have more than another, if 7 oranges were on the table naturally they were not all the same size and so 7 bits of paper were made out and numbered then each one would draw for first choice and so on. the same used to occur with the bread ration. When the mess waiters brought a plate of soup in immediately all heads would turn to look at it in order to ascertain of the plate whether or not it held more than it should have done. I also knew morale was very low, none could have been lower than mine but some never washed or shaved and just lay in bed with the exception of meal times. We were given an advance of cash with which to buy items from the canteen but they were always very few and the price exorbitant, after 2 or 3 days I stopped buying anything except my weekly cigarettes of which in Italy there was no free issue but we were allowed to buy 35 each week. Before leaving Capua I went into the cookhouse and had a chance of learning the working of Italian administration so as to be ready for the new camp.

A civilian contractor ran the messing arrangements for the officers and he was responsible for supplying all our food. Some of this he had to purchase from the Italian Government, the value of which was about 3 Lira, the balance of the daily 12 Lira was spent as he thought fit and we had no say in the matter at all, once a week he was supposed to supply meat or one egg per officer for one meal and for another fish or cheese together with vegetables and fruit daily and jam once a week. The main item issued of was course macaroni or rice, which was flavoured with tomato puree. The cooks were our own POWs, mainly South Africans who knew but little about it and again thought only of themselves. I was able to reorganise things when I went in, the first thing I did was to sack the cook NCO and thereby improved the messing immediately, I then cut down on the waste vigorously and with the cooks it was unpopular until they got to know me. I dread to think what people outside a POW camp would think of some of the dishes I made up. One extraordinary dish was cauliflower stalk rissoles, the issue of meat came up and was not sufficient for 50 let alone 300,I was at a loss what to do, some cauliflowers were also bought, to make up the weight. I had the stalks and the leaves cut off, and boiled. The meat was also boiled and then minced as was the cauliflower stalk, some rice and macaroni I held back from a previous meal was added and made up into 300 rissoles and they had tomato soup, rissoles, cauliflower and an orange each. Another day I got a whole lot of chestnuts had them boiled and peeled put through the mincing machine, all kinds of things added, so more rissoles on the menu.

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