大象传媒

January 1st Gales and cold. Stop in bed to keep warm, Shots fired at mid-night to bring in New Year
January 2nd and 3rd Cold. - Massage every day for arm
January 6th We all get presents of razor blades, brush and soap allowance.
January 7th Had radiation on arm for first time. Nice day but cold
January 8th Had hot water lain on.
January 9th A lovely HOT bath.
January 11th My Birthday Homesick. No cigs
January 12th Pullover goes for 50 cigs. Arm much better but still swollen.
January 13th See lots of our planes over, also three believed down. Later many wounded brought in.
January 16th A new game called Battleships. Cold. Hear bombs.
January 18th Arm not much better yet. Lots of our planes over here again. Nice day
January 20th Keen frost. More raids not far away this time. We have a quiz tonight
January 21st Visit from Red Cross man Frost. Another quiz
January 22nd Cold but fine Hear that there has been a landing 50k from Rome
January 24th can鈥檛 smoke in this ward now, quiz at night
January 25th A fright early this morning dull day Good news. We get six America parcels between us, so had a cocoa drink. Lovely day
January 28th Learning to play chess. (Red Cross sent us) Some game!
January 29th Doctor says I shall have to have two more operations. Can hear guns barking in the distance.
January 31st Send message home through Vatican.
February 2nd Guns going at it all night and day. Cold
February 7th News not so good, no cigs this week. Cold Quiz at night
February 10th Miserable. No smokes. Cold News not good Jugo and John are taken away.
February12th Cold no heat in pipes hear bombs. Lots of planes over.
February 18th two of our lads come in wounded from the front, bring good news.
February 19th Got the flue. Head and eyes ache. Bombing last night
February 20th Feel awful. The two lads go away.
February 22nd Lots better today, cigs issue. Hear guns again.
March 1st Cup of tea, first for four months Meet Bob, Cig issue.
March 3rd Bombs Gas and Water. Damaged Station, Very near. Lots of planes.
March 5th Miserable day Snowing, a rare thing for Rome
March 7th Raid on Station Bob goes. Rain again
March 11th No more massages Start with light baths. Play chess most days/
Nice outside but cold in here.
March 26th Six months today since I came here.
March 28th News not good for us, Think we shall soon be off now.
April 1st Native boy dies after a long and hopeless illness
April 8th Go for walk round Hospital grounds. Lovely day flowers coming out and trees budding.
April 9th Easter Monday A big holiday in Italy. We all get better food, and all get presents. I get Wallet, pencil and fountain pen/
April 16th Arm not a bit better. Getting a little worried about it. Hearing gun fire all day.
April 22nd How I am longing to be home. We all fed up with looking at each other
April 23rd See Doctor, he says he can鈥檛 do anything about getting my arm any better. Wish I was at home to have it seen to,
May 2nd Have photo taken, lovely weather now. Send letter home. Hear nightingale this morning. All trees are green now, makes me long for home.
May 9th Padre Minister comes and gives service and communion. Lots of talk about second fronts Wonder when it will come off.
May 14th Big battle starts down at South
May 16th Cig ration only 21 per week. Jack very bad, Padre comes to pray with him. I finish with light treatment. We get some Jam. Poor food these days. Plenty but awful.
May 24th jack is a lot better, its wonderful how he鈥檚 come round.
May 26th Our two forces link up down south. Good news.
May 27th Getting hot now Whitsuntide. What happy Whitsuntide鈥檚 I鈥檝e had in the past, different to this.
May 28th Have heard guns all day, the battle is getting nearer. Please God may we be here when our forces arrive and may they be soon It will be to bad if we are taken away at the eleventh hour.
Mat 30th After a bad night Jack dies this morning 10 a.m. He leaves a wife and three children. He was 44 years old.
May 31st They say our lads will be here in a few days, hope we are still here when they do. Guns are getting nearer.
June 3rd Lots of fighters over. Diving and machine gunning. Plenty of action
June 4th bangs in the night. Shakes building. Don鈥檛 know what鈥檚 happening, can鈥檛 hear battle, but loud explosions as if Jerry is blowing dumps up
Then here at 9.30 last night, cheering started, our lads have come. What excitement.
June 5th Today we have been looking round Rome everybody round us. Wounded coming in. Two dies. Plenty of cigs but no food rations yet
June 6th British Col comes says we can鈥檛 go out. I think it鈥檚 the limit. Photo taken.
June 8th We get permission to go out. We go out to tea to the Princesses flat.
June 9th Officer comes for particulars, says we will soon be going home. British have brought no food in yet, but are going to take over now. Wards full now of our lads. Cup of tea at night.
June 10th English meals at last! Eggs and bacon breakfast. Potatoes, peas and Roast beef dinner. Bread and butter, fruit and cream, tea to drink. Fitted out with shirt, socks, slacks, soap, all things we wanted.
June 12th Leave Rome 10.am. Arrive Naples 6p.m. A good journey. See plenty of ruins, but to wait for a boat now. Oh boy will soon be home to my darlings. Paid %5
June 13th Get new clothing. Get vaccinated Meet some lads I knew in camp MO says we are to go to the Hospital. Stroll to the sea
June 14th Lots of lads come in. Cigs cheap Good food. I am at No 2 Rehabilitation Hospital. I send first letter home since been free. Receive the official star ribbon. Come to 92 Hospital. The Doctor may do my arm here
June 17th Go to pictures for first time since been free Send green envelope letter home
June 18th Nothing doing. Just don鈥檛 seem to take any notice, Can鈥檛 get to know anything
June 20th Red Cross takes us for a trip on boat round the Harbour of Naples.
June 22nd Still no news of when I鈥檒l be going home
June 23rd Go to concert Help to dish food out to the patients now. The nurses seem to expect you to do it.
June 24th Oh dear, I wish I was going home, browned off
June 25th Go to morning service. Wish I could get a letter.
June 26th Plenty of work to do. Arrive 6.30a.m. each morning. Go to Dentists, says he will fix me up with new set.
June 28th Get some home news.
June 30th No letters yet
July 2nd Get new teeth. News that I may leave here for home Tuesday.
July 4th Sore gums. My darlings birthday. I鈥檓 not to go on the next boat. There are 200 wanting to go.
July 5th Yes the boat goes without me. Five from our ward goes how I envy them Word from home at last. Much happier.
July 6th A grand day, two letters, my first for ten months.
July 19th Go to service Send letters home, move into tents. Hospital full up.40 of us in this tent, all for UK.
July 14th News that I鈥檓 for home in a fortnight. Letter from Mary, and Grandmother.
July 17th Come back to No 2 PW camp. Lots of talk of a boat on the 25th.
July 19th Write letters home Cig and choc issue.
July 22nd More chaps I know turning up. The news goes that we will be on the boat end of the week.
July 29th Well we are to go at last. Have final inspection by MO, get inoculated.
July 30th The great day arrived. We get on the ship at 5p.m.A lovely boat 22 thousand ton 鈥� Queen of Bermuda鈥� Set sail 11 a.m. What joy it is to us. Please God that we have a safe journey.
August 2nd Pass Oran. A little cooler today
August 3rd Beautiful Sunsets. We are close to the North of African coast now. Big convey joins us. A grand sight with all the shops around us.
August 4th 355 miles Pass Gibraltar in the night, so now we are out of the Med
August 5th Set sail Queen of Bermuda 11.a.m. What joy it is to us. Please God that we have a safe journey. Lot seasick
August 6th Go to Service
August 7th 376 Miles. Cold with rain. 22 ships in convey including 10 aircraft carriers.
August 8th 370 miles Rain and cold. Bury a POW at sea. Oh boy we are nearing England now!
August 9th 320 miles getting nearer see some seagulls, so land can鈥檛 be far away
August 10th 310 cold mist and rain. May dock tomorrow. See land all day.
August 11th Dock at Liverpool!
August 14th HOME AT LAST. Just three years since I left England. How lovely to be home.

THE END

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