大象传媒

When it was time to return to our HQ we again had to fill up with fuel at Aleppo. Whilst there I again asked around about Queenie but still no one knew anything about where she was from or who her owner might be. I put her on the road but just the same as the first time she ran up and down by the side of the lorry. Where she had come from and why she picked our lorry remains a complete mystery to this day. Anyway, it was obvious that we would have to take her with us.

Queenie travelled with us right to Egypt through all the bad 鈥� and the few good 鈥� times. By then we knew we would be crossing the Mediterranean to Italy following the retreating German Army. We knew we would not be able to take Queenie with us, so what to do? After all the time she had been with us we couldn鈥檛 just dump her. She was healthy and we鈥檇 made sure she was well fed, as we had given her part of our rations. Fortunately a nurse came by and when she saw her she said she would very much like her. So we told the nurse Queenie鈥檚 story and said she could have her if she would look after her the same way we had done. So we left Queenie in the good, caring hands of the nurse.

Left in Command!
After we had put up our bridge to carry lorries across the river we had a rather quiet time just making sure everything was in order and running smoothly. We hadn鈥檛 been on the site more than two or three days when my officer set off with a driver in the Jeep. The next thing, we were visited by the military police who told me there had been an accident and my officer was in hospital. The driver had got away without injury but the Jeep was a write-off. That left me in charge of the camp and my only means of getting to Aleppo for rations was either a large heavy lorry or two motor bikes.
Three two-pier rafts linked together to form a pontoon to ferry a tank.
On my first trip to Allepo for supplies I took our smallest six-wheeled lorry. As we drove into the supply depot, the officer came over to us and asked what we wanted. I told him I鈥檇 gone for rations and N.A.A.F.I. supplies for my platoon. He then asked me how far away the platoon was and if I couldn鈥檛 have come in a smaller lorry. I told him the story of my officer and the Jeep. He said I ought to return to my Company HQ but I told him we had a job to do and couldn鈥檛 return until it was finished. The officer then realised the position I was in and he called for a sergeant and told him to let me have whatever supplies I needed. So we came away with a little more than I鈥檇 asked for. From then on each time I had to go back for more supplies I was always treated well.
At about this time an English soldier came to our camp. He wasn鈥檛 from our company or from the engineers but he could speak fluent Arabic. I never knew why he was sent to us but he did turn out to be useful a time or two.
I eventually got orders from HQ to move to another site near the Turkish border about fifty miles further up the River Euphrates. So we had to dismantle our bridge, pack up camp and move on again. When we got to the next site we could see an Arab village in the distance. After we had sorted out the camp I suggested to the lad who could speak Arabic that perhaps we should go to the village to pay our respects, which we did. When we arrived a villager directed us to the Chief鈥檚 hut. After the usual 鈥渟aleem鈥� (hands together and head bent, as if in prayer) then 鈥渟aleem allac coom鈥�, we entered the hut. The English lad spoke to the chief for a few minutes. Then as if by magic, coffee was brought in to us in small cups, which were so fine and delicate we were almost frightened to hold them for fear of breaking them.

The Fishing Trip
One day an officer from the Tank Company came to me and said could he borrow our boat for an hour. I said yes but no one but my driver could take control of it, as the boat was his sole responsibility. So my driver and two men from the Tank Company set off to go three or four hundred yards up stream. I carried on with my work until I heard a loud rumble like a great roll of thunder which came from the direction of the boat. My first thoughts as I ran up the river bank was 鈥淥h 鈥� my boat!鈥� which I expected to see gracefully sinking to the bottom of the river. Much to my relief the boat was still afloat and what I did see was unbelievable. The lads from the Tank Company had thrown explosives into the river which had stunned literally hundreds of fish of all shapes and sizes. The lads were collecting them up as fast as they could and taking them to their mates on the river bank. My only concern was the safety of the boat and as that was all right I returned to my job.
As soon as the boat came back and before it even got within a few yards of the bank I shouted to the driver to bring it in, moor up and get out! You must realise we were in the heat of the Middle East. In all the four years I was a sergeant there was only the odd occasion when I lost my rag. They had taken four loads of fish from the river and the boat was not only completely covered
in fish scales but the smell was horrible. I immediately went to see the officer and asked him to send two men to sort out the boat as I wanted it as clean as it had been before the fishing trip. As soon as he saw the state of it he sent two men over as requested. I told my men not to let them go until the boat as spotless and I had inspected it.
My Arab Friend
One day I was working by the side of the river when an Arab came walking by. I don鈥檛 know why but he looked as though he could have murdered me. As he passed me he muttered something at me. Although I couldn鈥檛 understand Arabic I did catch a couple of words which sounded something like 鈥榶acra bay...鈥�. Later I asked one of the lads who could speak Arabic if he could tell me what it meant. The lad asked me if it was 鈥榶acra bay tumac鈥�. I said yes and he told me that it meant 'may the house of your father fall down' and was the worst insult you could say to an Arab. Obviously, I had to trust the lad wasn't pulling my leg, but from then on I was on the lookout for my Arab friend. When he did come back I made sure I was working near the river and I made sure he had to walk between the river and me. As he passed me I turned away from him and gave him a gentle push with my back, just hard enough to tip him over the edge into the river. As he scrambled out I said 鈥淒on鈥檛 you dare to 鈥榶acra鈥� me again!鈥� He must have understood what I meant as he went away as fast as his legs could carry him.

One day we noticed the Arabs had erected a large tent in the distance. I asked the lad who could speak the language if he would mind going over to see what was happening. So off he went and when he came back he told me that I had to go over to them. I asked if he was coming with me but he said no as it was only me that they wished to see. So to be polite I went over to see what it was all about. When I got over to the tent I could hardly believe my eyes. Behind the tent were five or six big motor cars and standing guard were men in spotless white robes each with a gun.

An Arab Feast
One of the men directed me to go into the tent. Inside the tent the sand had been covered with rough sacking and there were five or six Arab chiefs standing around. Again they were dressed in white robes and I鈥檓 certain their turbans were held in place with gold bands. After the usual salams, the Arabs still remained standing. I suddenly realised I had to sit down first. When we were all sat down, as if by magic, four men came in carrying two large brass trays covered with chapatti which are like pancakes. Next came in two trays with curry and rice. The Arabs said prayers after which they again looked at me. As I was their guest, I knew I had to be the first to start the feast. I was not looking forward to it at all as I鈥檇 tasted the Indian lads chapattis and I did not find them at all nice. But I had to try. So I took a chapatti, broke off a small piece, folded it in half and used it to pick up a bit of curry and rice. The curry was so hot I thought my mouth was on fire. After that first mouthful I tried my hardest just to pick up the rice. The Arabs were tucking in as if they hadn鈥檛 eaten for ages. Luckily, there was plenty to drink otherwise I don鈥檛 think I would have managed.
At long last the feast was over and I was able to say my salams and leave. I was pleased to leave although it was an unforgettable experience.

Back to Company HQ in the Bekaa Valley
At last our work on the Turkish border was finished and we had our orders to return to our headquarters which were still in the Bekaa Valley, a few miles from the town of Baalbek. As we were driving back from the border to Baalbek we had to fill up with petrol at Aleppo again. We put the petrol in tins that had been left by the retreating Germans 鈥� and of course we called them 鈥淕erry鈥� cans.
For a Arab town Baalbek was a rather pleasant place. It had a lot of Roman ruins which included a row of six very tall columns complete with lintels. As we approached the town, the first thing which came into sight was the Roman columns.

When I had reported in and we had checked the vehicles and equipment, I made certain the men were all right before getting cleaned up myself and then looking for something to eat. As a meal was ready in the Sergeant鈥檚 mess tent, I went over to see what I could get. As soon as I walked in Sergeant Major York (鈥榊orkie鈥� to us) asked me where my rations were and had I given them to the cook. I told him to give me time to get cleaned up and I would hand them over. Then he said, 鈥漎ou lot go out on attachment and come back expecting us to feed you and never give up any of your rations.鈥� So, when the food was brought in, I passed my mug over and said I鈥檇 just have a cup of tea and I didn鈥檛 want a meal. After I鈥檇 had my tea I got up and walked out with all the other sergeants staring after me. I went to my tent and had a bite of something to eat on my own. After I鈥檇 a really good clean up and put on a clean set of clothes I was able to have a bit of a rest. When it was time for the evening meal I went to the mess tent with only about half the rations that I would have handed in and told Yorkie I would give them to the cook after he鈥檇 seen them. I then took them to the cook who asked me why I was handing them in anyway. He told me that all the time that the sergeants were on attachment Yorkie was getting rations for us, so he wasn鈥檛 doing badly out of us. I didn鈥檛 let on to Yorkie that I knew what he was up to but I did tell him that if he ever came to my bridge site he was to be sure to bring something to eat otherwise he would go hungry. Luckily he didn鈥檛 come to visit us very often.

Leave in Beirut
After a few days hanging around HQ I was asked if I would like to go for a week in Beirut which is on the Mediterranean coast. To get there you had to go over the Larger Lebanese Mountains, which were usually snow-covered but as the road had been cleared I was able to take a chance. We travelled though a town called Zahlah in the mountains and I was able to take a couple of photographs.
We stayed at the American University. During the war there were no students there and it was used as a rest place for soldiers. The University grounds extended down to the sea front. There was no sandy beach but just rocks forming a large bay. It made an ideal swimming pool and there were even diving boards.
The university had been badly neglected during the War, in fact the place needed a thorough clean both inside and out. When I went to the room that I had been allocated I was shocked. At least the sheets were freshly laundered but I had to do my best to clean up the rest of the place and try to get rid of the beetles. I then stripped the bed and shook the sheets to be certain I had not got any unwanted bedmates. I had to strip the bed every night I was there which was no fun. If I hadn鈥檛 I would have undoubtedly had a sleepless and very uncomfortable night.
Although the food was very good, after four days, strange as it may seem, I鈥檇 had enough and was ready to return to my company. I asked around the lads to see if anyone was going to Baalbek. I was in luck as two lads were going that very morning after breakfast and they were able to give me a lift. So after a short 鈥榟oliday鈥� it was good-bye to Beirut and the American University and back to my company.
We spent Christmas 1943 in the Bekaa Valley. We did the best we could but it was more or less the same as every other day. We all prayed for the day when we would spend Christmas back home with our families.

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