大象传媒

This was written by Gilbert after being told many a time. It was processed at the Age Resource Desk run by Age Concern Oxfordshire at the Clockhouse so that it can be read here.

NIPPED IN THE BUD

It would be towards the back end of 1944 when the 46th Royal Tank Regiment was leaving Italy to return to Egypt when we found ourselves in the TRANSIT CAMP at TARANTO with very few duties to carry out and plenty of time for having a look around the town searching for presents to send home, or just lazing about. I wanted particularly to have a closer look at the sleek Italian destroyers that were moored up in the harbour but, as it was getting close to dinner time, I decided to come out again later that day. During the afternoon I went out through the gates, passed the sentries and headed round the harbour to where the destroyers were moored, which was quite a distance from the camp. As it was getting towards evening I made my way back to the camp and found that the situation I had left had changed drastically. The camp was swarming with the 'Red Caps' of the Royal Military Police, both in the camp and at the gates. I could see several figures dashing about in white overalls with hats and gloves to match - something was wrong and it looked serious. When I reached the gates a 'Red Cap' came up to me and said "Join that queue over there will you!" This was obviously not a request but an order so I promptly joined the queue as indicated. I asked the Trooper in front what was happening and he said that there was a 'Flap on' because a 'Red Cap' who had been patrolling the dock are had been bitten on the neck by a flea and he had gone down with a fever so they were taking precautions against the likelihood of Bubonic plague. I hadn't an intimate knowledge of plagues in general and I hadn't been in any, but I knew that Bubonic could be a disaster. My turn soon came round to enter the hut where the Doctors and Orderlies of the Royal Army Medical Corps were waiting to blow D.D.T. powder over all my body. It was quite a simple procedure really. An outsize in puffer sprays was pushed down the front of my uniform, a lever was given a smart pump and the white powder of D.D.T. came out of my sleeve cuffs, my trouser leg bottoms and any other orifice it could find. This treatment was repeated down the back of my uniform turning me into a passable stand in as a snowman in a Christmas Pantomime. I was then told to go back to my quarters and try to leave what D.D.T. remained on my skin where it was - on my skin. I have never seen any reference to this incident in any records but as a result of this treatment and the dedication of the RAMC and RCMP I learned that not a single soldier had reported sick with a fever because it had been 'nipped in the bud'.

I know this to be true because I was there, and finished up as the third snowman on the right in the second file.

G C Bayliss
Ex. 'A' Squadron
46th Royal Tank Regiment
Cpl 7932844

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