大象传媒

I don't remember too much about what was happening to me after I was more or less blown up. I know my face and head were bleeding and my right ankle was hurting and so painful that I had to take my boot off and I found my foot covered in blood and I was badly shaken up and couldn't stop shivering.

My wounds were dressed at the Casualty Clearing Station, it was there I found out I had been hit in the ankle,in my arms, and in other parts of my body by bomb splinters.I was kept there overnight and then sent on to the hospital at Assisi, where I was given a complete check over given some medication which put me out for a couple of days.

I'm not sure how long I was in Assisi but the M.O that examined me said my ankle was not too good but other wounds were healing up after they took out a couple of pieces of metal from my left arm.

At this point I must digress and recount what happened to me a couple of years back. I suddenly developed a cyst on the back of my head which kept getting larger, this concerned me so I went to my doctor who examined it and recommended that I have it removed.

I went to my local hospital and under a local anaesthetic the surgeon did the job, I went back for my stitches to be removed about 2 weeks later and saw the surgeon who told be that the cyst was benign however had I ever been in an accident where I hurt my head? I couldn't remember immediately any such thing and I ask him why? He said when he removed the cysts and examined it there was a very small piece of metal inside the cyst, and then I remembered ! and told him that must have been what was left over from a wound I received during the war, which intrigued him immensely.

He must have told his other colleagues because when I went back for my final examination a couple of the doctors asked me about my experiences,and one them told me his father had been in Italy with the Canadian Army.

It had taken all these years for this sliver of metal to work its way out from where ever it was in my scalp.

Back to my main story...

The M.O told me I would not be returning to my unit at the moment as he didn't think my ankle would be in a fit state to walk on and would some time to heal and that I would be going to the base hospital in Naples. I can't say I was unhappy at that news as it seemed for the time being this was the end of my front line service.

One of my main worries was what my family would be thinking when they received the news of what happened and as soon as I was able I sent off a field service letter saying that I was alright and of course not to worry. They were worried sick until they got my letter.

The journey down to Naples was part by part by train and then ambulance. When I was admitted to the 92nd General my wounds were
redressed and again I think I was sedated as it wasn't until some days later that I really took stock of my surroundings and
managing to to hobble around on a crutch.

I eventually went before a medical board who decided that I was no longer fit for active duty and was downgraded from A1 to
B2.and would be reassigned to a new unit when I was fit enough to leave the hospital.

So I was really out of it! I didn't know what to think, I kept wondering what my pals were doing and were they wondering about me,and how they were coping up in the mountains in all that terrible conditions, and to tell the truth I felt at the time rather guilty at not going back even while I was pleased about it.

I don't know if anyone else who had the same experience as I, had that same feeling of; would it be shame? at being being, I suppose lucky enough to be out of it,all I know is that it was a strange feeling that I couldn't shake off for quite a while, in fact I think it finally went away on "VE Day" when I knew it was over for everyone.

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