大象传媒

We only had two and a half hours sleep as we had to stand to at 4.30am until 5am. Bill Blackett, who was on sentry during stand to, captured an Italian motor truck and its crew of five. The truck contained one machine gun and a few 鈥淩ed Devil鈥� hand grenades. After breakfast we moved on and passed through Floridia and prepared to take up positions. We were cutting over a field, protected from air observation by Olive trees, and the transport was keeping up with us on the road. Battalion HQ had picked their position and our mortar detachments were waiting there to be called on by any company who needed mortar support. On the road were the trucks carrying ammunition, some pulling anti tank guns, some with stores and fuel, and there were carriers and medical trucks. I was watching them unhitch an anti tank gun from this first truck when an enemy 88mm gun opened up. The first shell hit the leading truck and set it on fire. For a few moments all I could hear was the explosion of shells. I got down behind a small bank just as the truck blew up. What a huge explosion and blast there was as petrol and ammunition went up. Parts of the truck and petrol cans flew high into the air and came crashing down in the field all around us. Flaming petrol started several small fires in the field as the grass was long and dry. We put them out as soon as we could. As soon as it was quiet again, we found out that Di Jones of the Anti Tank platoon and the Inniskillin Mortar Officer had been killed, a shell had gone right through his carrier. Four or five others were wounded. Our detachment and St Pughs were sent for to give support to C Company. The shelling was still fairly heavy so we made our way forward over a ravine and under a low bridge only to find we were out of rangeThen we made our way through the trees and over low walls, ducking as shells fell close. An Italian mortar opened up on us then, but we finally got both our mortars in position and started to fire on the two enemy mortar positions that were holding up C Company鈥檚 advance. As soon as we had got the range, we put down a barrage of rapid fire with all the bombs we were carrying. C Company Commander was very pleased with us as we destroyed both enemy gun positions and the OP reported seeing casualties being taken away. We then rejoined our platoon at battalion HQ. That night we had quite a good sleep except for our short spell on guard. Each of us had to do half an hour in pairs, each pair waking the next two when their turn was up. We hollowed out slit trenches to sleep in.

Early next morning, we moved up to Solarino. The rifle companies moved forward and took up new positions and three mortar detachments, including ours, moved up to the RAP. Our carriers caught up with us at this position. Two of them were parked under cover of some trees in a dip by the roadside. The other one was between two walls also under cover of trees. On the other side of the road was a Bren carrier with Stan Price in charge. After camouflaging the carriers we sat down and had a bite to eat and made some tea. We had just finished eating when an enemy mortar opened up. I heard a few mortar bombs exploding fairly close, one burst in a garden, one on an outhouse roof and one on the road, but none of them hit us or our carriers. Then it reduced its range and dropped a few bombs in the battalion HQ area causing a few casualties. One officer was blown into a tree by blast and received a broken arm.

Then came a lull in the shelling, so Sgt. Riley's detachment and ours took up positions. St Riley had his mortar and crew in a pit at the right of the RAP, and we had our mortar and bombs in the garden at the side of the RAP behind a high bank. We ranged with both mortars and opened fire on the enemy mortar position. When we ceased fire, we stayed in this position. I covered the barrel of the mortar with a gas cape and camouflaged the remainder of bombs with leaves and small branches and then we waited for further orders. While we were waiting, we had a look around a big school that was being used as a temporary regimental aid post. It had been a children鈥檚鈥� boarding school. In several rooms upstairs were rows of beds still made up. In every room were pictures of Mussolini and King Victor Emmanuel and huge flags of Italy. Two caretakers still looked after the place, one had been cook for the children and teachers. When they were there, he gave us a few jars of Apriconi Marmalati, it was home made and very delicious. Having looked over the place, we came down and watched the MO, Padre and Medical Orderlies attending to the wounded as they were brought in. Pete Kirk, Wenty and myself were just enjoying a smoke when we heard a heavy rumbling and saw the MO and Padre hurrying to get a couple of the wounded inside the building. Just then the first of three enemy tanks came into sight and opened up with heavy machine guns. Pete Kirk shouted a warning and we all dived to earth just as a stream of bullets cut along the wall of the school and through the large wooden door where we had been standing seconds before. We crawled to a room at the side of the school and just as we had got in and slammed the door there was a huge explosion followed by a crash and a long burst from a Bren gun, and then all was quiet. We waited a little while and then went out. In the centre of the road was one enemy tank that had been knocked out. An Italian officer was lying dead in a pool of blood beside it. The driver too was dead inside the tank, an anti tank shell had penetrated the front of the tank.

The Italian officer was killed by a burst of Bren gun bullets as he jumped from the tank's turret firing a revolver. A second tank was on its side and Johnny Poole and one of Sgt. Riley鈥檚 men were hustling the crew out. Two of them were slightly wounded and were treated at the RAP. The third tank got through but was destroyed by a Sherman tank about two miles from Floridia. This tank was commanded by a German who had led the column in a break through attempt to reach the beach and do as much damage as they could. A fourth tank, which we had not seen, was blown up by a Hawkings mine near A Company. The remains of the two dead Italians were placed in blankets, and while we dug a grave and laid them to rest, the Padre read the burial service. We then put small stones around the grave and a large on at the head with their identity discs under it. The Padre then went back to help the MO. That night we were relieved in this sector by the 50th Division and next morning the 13th July 1943, we moved up to Melilli. It was evening when we arrived and we took up positions but did not have to fire our mortars as the Germans had pulled back out of the area. Melilli stands on a hill with the sea below it on one side and low hills behind it. Next morning, 14th July 1943, while we were having our breakfast in Melilli four enemy planes came over and the Ack-Ack guns opened up on them. I remember an old lady of about 70 had just come out of the ruins of her home, when the Ack-Ack guns opened up. She fell to her knees behind on of our carriers, she held a bundle of household goods wrapped in a blanket in one hand and a Rosary in the other and she was crying and praying as she knelt there. We tried to comfort her and explain that the guns were ours firing on the enemy planes. Her home had been ransacked so we gave her some food and helped her over the rubble. As she walked away, she made a picture of utter despair and loneliness, devoid of hope.

On 15th July 1943, we passed through Carlentini where we stayed the night and moved on again to Lentini. Nothing had happened in either of these places, so we kept on until we came to Straz Val Savoia. It was here that I saw the effects of a sharp battle between a unit of our division and German troops of the Hermann Goring division. I will write down the account of the battle as told to me by a medical orderly who was collecting personal items and identity discs from the dead and bringing in the wounded. This orderly was a corporal in the KOYLI, a unit of the 15th Brigade. The other two units in that brigade were the Green Howards and the North Hants. After taking the port of Augusta, they were ordered to move on and take Carlentini and Lentini and then move in land towards the Catania plains and Gerbini airfield. Their first two objectives were easy, but at Straz Valsavoia the Germans decided to make a stand and blew up a road and bridge to delay any advance. They also had good defensive positions in concrete pillboxes and SP guns. Severe Spandau fire from the pillboxes held up the first advance, so they had to dig in while senior officers while the Brigadier planned the next attack. They decided to putdown a heavy artillery barrage on the pillboxes then the Infantry, supported by tanks, would make a bayonet charge on the enemy pillboxes.

Everything was precisely timed, from the artillery barrage to the final assault by the Infantry. The command post and OP was to be in a tank, but this turned out to be a disaster. The tank, after pushing forward through the rubble of a house, fell over on its side injuring two of the occupants and severely damaging the radio. The artillery gunners were not given fire orders, so when the tanks went in, four of them were destroyed as soon as they entered the field. The remaining tanks had to withdraw, so the KOYLI鈥檚 went on alone but they were hopelessly open to Spandau fire. A few did reach the first pill box, but had to withdraw behind a smoke screen. Then the artillery opened up on the pillboxes and the Green Howards were rushed up. They finally cleaned them out and the few surviving Germans pulled back a little.

We were then ordered to take up positions around the field where the tanks were destroyed, but the Germans did not counter attack. All next day, 17th July 1943 our brigade helped the Royal Engineers to repair the road and build a temporary bridge over the river to replace the one destroyed by the Germans. Each battalion took it in turns to do two-hour working shifts. The first party had nearly finished their turn when a lone enemy plane came over and started to machinegun the area, but it was soon driven off by intense anti aircraft fire. Only one soldier was slightly wounded. I was in the second working party, from 8am to 10am. When I got back from my turn in the working party I cleaned my rifle and had a smoke. Then I took my camera and went with Pop Comer, Wenty and L/Cpl. Holdsworth to take a couple of photo鈥檚 and have a look at the knocked out tanks. We were on our way back to the platoon when we looked up and saw a German plane having a dogfight with two of our fighter planes. They were at it for four or five minutes when we saw some smoke coming from the German plane. It still kept weaving and diving and firing its machine guns until at last it crumpled and crashed in flames. Before it crashed it had crippled one of the Spitfires. The engine spluttered and stopped, and the pilot baled out. As we watched him we saw a little flutter of silk above him, but the parachute did not open, and he fell to his death. Strangely, the Spitfire just floated down in gentle circles and landed in a field. We could not help thinking that maybe he would have lived if he had stayed in the plane. The second Spitfire dived low over the field and then flew off.

We moved on again next day and came upon a German paratroop HQ, they had withdrawn in a hurry leaving behind parachutes, tents, a medical kit and a high class caravan, no doubt belonging to their commanding officer. I found a couple of rolls of film to fit my camera. We did not stay there long and moved on towards the river Simeto. C Company put in an attack over the river, and during the fighting, German tank shells set light to a field of corn. For a while a truce was called to recover both German and our wounded. For a while the fighting was fierce and the Inniskillins on our left had several casualties. We spent several days in this position and we dug our gunpits in the riverbanks. Our brigade made several attacks on enemy positions and sent out patrols every night. Some were unsuccessful, but a good deal of information about enemy strength and positions was gathered. In our platoon, four detachments were in reserve, and Sgt. Riley's and my detachment was in support of A Company.

During the day we took it in turns to bathe in the river, wash our clothes and improve our slit trenches. At night one man from each detachment would be on guard together for an hour each pair. Even the Sergeants had to take their turn on guard. All rations and ammunition had to be carried over the river which was not very deep at this point. We had to wade over and collect it from a carrier on the other side. The wounded also had to be carried back, and it was no light job for the stretcher-bearers. The German artillery kept up its shelling, but it didn鈥檛 worry us a lot, it was the Inniskillins position that caught most of it. At night we were all keyed up as the Germans also sent out patrols, and it was thought that they might drop paratroops behind us at night. A Company were in position all along the rive bank. Just behind the rear section of the company was Sgt. Riley鈥檚 detachment, and next to him was our detachment. In the pit where we did our guard, was a Bren gun, five magazines of ammunition, our rifles and grenades, and a clock. All sentries were in shouting distance of each other in case of an attack.

After several days of heavy shelling from our artillery, enemy forces pulled back a little and made a new line at Gerbini Airport. When they pulled back we were taken out of the line and moved back for a rest. It was only a brief rest, one day and one night. We had to take up new positions a lot further forward than our line on the River Semeto. It was dark when we left the rest area and what a night that was. As we moved forward in our carriers, we had to cross over a steep railway embankment. We were just on top when I heard three bangs from ahead and then three shells exploded on the embankment just below us, shrapnel flew everywhere. We crouched down in the carrier and our driver put his foot down and we were soon away on the other side. The shelling kept up for nearly an hour, but by then we were well away from the embankment. For the remainder of the journey we were in the open, and what a hell of a bone-shaking journey it was. We must have done everything except turn a complete somersault. We went over bumps, down dips and once our carrier slid sideways into a bomb crater and we had to reverse out. We were blinded and choked by the infernal dust churned up by the tracks of the carriers.

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