大象传媒

鈥淚 was a member of 鈥楤鈥� Company of the Natal Mounted Rifles and in October 1942 we were holding forward positions, facing the enemy, who were entrenched on a ridge to the south-west. About 1500 yards separated the two lines. Over several days there was a build-up of armaments in the area behind us. A big attack was being planned. On the 22nd October we were given the details of this attack which was to be on the following night.
On the night of 22nd I was picked for a patrol along with two other comrades whose names I cannot remember. Our task was to find out if anti-personnel mines were laid in the enemy鈥檚 minefield. I was very concerned about this duty, because, firstly, this was full moon and it was a clear brilliant night, and, secondly, we had knowledge of the following days plans, if we were unfortunately captured. We achieved our objective by crawling for hundreds of yards over hard stony ground. The gun emplacements were close by in the rising ground above us. However we were able to see the trip wires and mines in place and crawled away without detection. On reporting back we were informed that, at this late stage, not much could be done about the anti-personnel mines except to warn all concerned to take care. (In the event, these mines produced casualties in our ranks on the following night.)鈥�
鈥淎t 21:00 hours we silently moved through our minefield on premarked routes, and then spread out in a straight line facing the enemy. The Cape Corps drivers assigned to take charge of P.O.W.鈥檚 formed a second line behind us. We lay down on the hard ground awaiting the zero hour. I remember feeling very tense wondering what would happen in the next few hours, as the promised battle was about to commence.
At 21:40 hours, hundreds of guns behind us opened up an artillery barrage intent on softening up the enemy. The ground shook; the noise was frightening; and, the sky behind us was aglow with gun flashes. It was an awesome show of fire power. At 22:00 hours (Zero Hour) our long line of infantry moved forward as the artillery bombardment changed to a creeping barrage ahead of us.
The advance was going steadily according to plan, but then out there in no-man鈥檚-land something went awry and part of the creeping barrage descended on our own long line. We were forced to the ground as shells were bursting all around and shrapnel whistled in all directions. This was a most frightening time as the shelling was very heavy. This helpless situation seemed to continue for ages, but it was possibly only a period of five minutes or so. I was to learn later that many casualties had occurred in this period.
After passing through the enemy鈥檚 minefield we were called back into the minefield to adjust the line and wait for a coordinated final attack. We overran the emplacements on the ridge, rounded up prisoners, and took up defensive positions for a possible counter-attack. We now came under sustained shell fire, and a mortar crew just behind me suffered a direct hit. I was to learn that Ted Harrison had 鈥渃opped it鈥� in this incident. He had been a fellow student in my 1939 Matric class.
Although a counter-attack was not forthcoming, 鈥楤鈥� Company鈥檚 duties were not over for the night. In the early hours of the 24th October, 鈥楤鈥� Company was assigned to attack positions held by German paratroopers. Apparently this defence area was set back from the front line in a depression, and the Field Force Battalion on our left flank had suffered heavy casualties in attempting to capture the positions.
We passed back through the minefield on a cleared gap and moved left to join the F.F.B.鈥檚 positions. Here we were given an appraisal of the conditions ahead, and I remember that we were told to beware of injured and dead F.F.B. men in front and also of German snipers. Our Company Commander, Capt. Vic Paul, called for mortars to lay a smoke screen and we advanced as the dawn was approaching. In the charge, I remember having to negotiate a fence, and then there was a blinding explosion next to me. I must have passed out, because when I gathered my wits, I found I was lying about 15 paces in front of an enemy machine gun pit. Our platoon officer, Lt. Dennis Platt, was lying on my immediate left. At that moment he raised his body possibly with the intent of charging and he was shot through the head. I 鈥渇roze鈥� in my exposed position and I could clearly see the gunner pointing his spandau in my direction. It was a terrifying moment. Then I was aware of Jimmy Shrimpton closing in from the right and being shot as he jumed in among the Germans. I then rushed at the gun pit as other comrades converged from the left. The positions were taken and prisoners rounded up.
It was now dawn and I was guarding the group of prisoners from a stand-off position. One of the paratroopers decided to make a break, and with head down, he dashed to my left front. I shouted to him to halt, but he still continued. My Bren gun was set on single shot, and I fired from the hip well ahead of him. I was amazed to see him drop like a log, hit in the head by a single bullet. This action appeared to put paid to any further attempts at escaping.
Friendly tanks and support trucks, etc., started to come through the area. Suddenly a shot rang out near us. Apparently, a German soldier hiding in a hole had jumped up, and shot a driver of one of our vehicles and attempted to make his escape in the vehicle. We rushed across to the scene of action and, to our amazement, a whole company of German soldiers rose out of 鈥渄ug-in鈥� positions and surrendered to us. We were fortunate that they had elected to surrender, because they greatly outnumbered the weary survivors of our 鈥楤鈥� Company.鈥�

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