大象传媒

The following story has been added to the website by 大象传媒 Radio Cornwall CSV Producer Nina Davey, on behalf of David Robins the author, who understands the site's terms and conditions.

My Dad's Wartime Diary started October 31st 1942
We left Newton Stewart Saturday October 31st by train and arrived at Greenock at six o鈥檆lock went on board.
Started our sea trip Sunday night arrived Port of Algiers Thursday Nov 12th, had an uneventful journey a bit crowded but OK,

Stopped in Algiers harbour till Sunday night the 15th then transferred to gun boat Queen Emma and left for Bougie a nights journey so did not expect and did not get any trouble.
Got on very well with the sailors they had not been ashore for two months a so I obliged them with haircuts.

We arrived at Bougie Monday morning 16th marched 3 miles full pack to concentration area slept under a tree, queer race of people the women do all the work and the men just walk around, you will also always find the men riding and the women walking, there clothes are all tatters like a lot of rags sewn together,
and barefooted some of the men wear boots or sandals but very rarely the women.

Left Bougie 2 o鈥檆lock Tuesday 17th by road I had to ride a bike and of course it poured with rain, Stopped by the roadside for the night a very cold night slept in the back of the lorry, continued journey 6.30 Wednesday the 18th passing through El Milia
Taboulous, and many Arab villages in the hills, arriving Port of Phelipperill at 2 o鈥檆lock and the guns went into action, a bit more about the Arabs the huts they live in are made of sticks and mud look very much like hay stacks and the whole family sleep on the floor together even the donkey..

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