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Don and his group have arrived in Italy, at a concentration area not far from Reggio. The motor cyclists make their own way and have time to observe the local women ( Don is particularly observant with his artist's eye) and partake of some local specialities…

Friday 24th September (Continued)
Reggio was less damaged than I had imagined and apart from dock area one had to look for damage. We had a wash and breakfast after which I dressed Capt. Nightingale’s hand — blood poisoning — and Major Wilson gave me some advice and some BW6q3 for him. We pulled out of concentration area about 10.30 and knocked along very quickly by coast route through Scilla Baganara, Palmi Rosarno. The route was hilly but the road good.
The costume of the women interested me considerably. The skirt was very full and pleated, below calf length of a dark material or white lined with blue. The blouse was waist length and tight fitting on the shoulders, gathered tightly under the breasts and then free. The headdress was generally a white cloth. There was no evidence that they wore corsets. The apples we bought were a great improvement of Sicily or Africa. We pulled off the road between Rosarno and Mileto into a wood — really a dust bowl — dust over everywhere, about 14.30.
Continued about 15.15 via Mileto, and climbed up Vilo Velentia. I kicked myself that my camera was not available as right down below on the sea was a white hospital ship in a calm blue sea and the setting sun with two chevrons cut into the sea , one going to and from the ships by small boats invisible to the naked eye. It was magnificent. The coast had several landing craft still beached and the coastal defences looked very weak consisting only of a maze of barbed wire and an occasional machine gun post. They had been heavily bombed. Through Pizzo about 18.00 as the light was now fading very fast. Shortly afterwards we came to the river Amato over which the bridges were blown, and we had to make a hellish diversion across it. Thank heavens the CMP control advised us not to attempt Catanzaro (our district) that night and we pulled in, about 5 miles from Marcellinara. We had dinner about 20.30 and after dressing Capt Nightingale and several of the chaps got down to it at 23.00 We had covered 94 miles from Reggio.

Saturday 25th September
Breakfasted and resumed our journey at 08.30. Through Marcellinana when I first saw a change in the women’s costume. They wear a pleated red petticoat over which is worn a black embroidered overskirt, generally pulled up at the back and tied as a bustle. The black bodice is tight with frilled sleeves with pieces of brilliant embroidery from the shoulders. A white blouse is generally worn under it. The hair is worn parted in the centre without exception (always black) and more often than not without a head cloth. Black footless stockings cover the legs in some cases but not all, and nearly all are barefoot. I took a photo or two of one woman.
I got ahead of the column after running down the hills with hairpin bends and murderous …and with Sgt Woller and L/Cpl Rowe we arrived in Tiriolo to be told by CMP that the column would be delayed for one and a half hours, so we found an excellent ice cream and wine shop). There we sat and regaled ourselves on most excellent ice cream and some splendid vermouth.

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