大象传媒

On 27th October 1943 in the late afternoon we left Bovino. It was a terrible journey again, pouring with rain all the time, winding up the mountain roads in our open carriers. We arrived at Volterara just after dark. After a quick recci our platoon found a big farm building that was nearly full of wood faggots. At one end was a rough stone fireplace, so we moved most of the wood out to make room for ourselves. We got a good fire going to dry out our clothes and to cook on. We left the next day and passed through Gildone and Telsi. We caught up with the Rifle companies at 11.15am. After we had a bit to eat, I went out with Wenty to see if we could buy any eggs or bread from the civilians, but we only got five eggs and two loaves of bread. We were luckier the following afternoon, we got six eggs each and five small loaves of black bread in exchange for an old pair of boots. We also got some salt and three tins of sardines. We were given a big glass of Vino at each farm we called at. When we got back, we had to pack hurriedly. We were told that we were being temporarily split up to act as kit carriers for the Rifle companies. Our Mortars and carriers could not be used in this very hilly area. 鈥淧opeye鈥� Strange and myself were attached to G platoon HQ A Company, and we joined them at about 10pm on the evening of Friday, 29th October 1943. We boarded TCV鈥檚 and were driven to a concentration area.
It poured with rain all that night and was quite cold. I think it was about 2.30am on the morning of 30th October 1943 when we finally managed to cram ourselves into an old cow shed and snatch a couple of hours sleep. It was a tight squeeze, as the whole platoon had to get into this small cow shed. Some chaps fell asleep sitting up and 鈥淧opeye鈥� and myself curled up on a heap of dried cow dung. They woke us at 5am and after a quick shave and wash in a mess tin and a bit of breakfast, we set off on foot to go into the attack on Canta Lupo with A Company. It was a day of intermittent rain and steady climbing. Now and again we had to drop down or take cover from enemy Spandau fire. At one place near a village that had to be taken, we had to crouch down, one man at a time, and make a rapid dash of about 150 yards over open ground. A sniper in the village gave us a nasty time until he was finally silenced. 鈥淧opeye鈥� made me laugh, every time a bullet from the sniper hit a tree or just missed us, he poked his tongue out and made a rude gesture with his fingers.

In the afternoon of the same day we lost our way. Lt. Beckley, who was in charge of the platoon, took a wrong path and we finished up on the wrong hill. We should have finished up on a hill just forward and a little to the right of the one we were on. No 8 Platoon got their objective OK, but the Germans resisted strongly for this position and counter attacked after dark. They captured one section led by Cpl. White. One young lad was killed in the raid and Cpl. White was wounded and taken prisoner with the remainder of his section. It was a very cold and wet night, and all we had to cover ourselves with was a gas cape, no ground sheet or overcoat. I felt like a block of watery ice, and was glad to do a couple of hours guard duty with 鈥淧opeye鈥�. We kept on the move to keep warm, and of course we had to keep our eyes and ears alert in case the Germans made an attack on our position. By the time we had done our two hours guard, the rain had stopped and we were a little warmer. We woke the next two chaps for guard and then got down in our slit trench. I did get a couple of hours sleep until the cold woke me up again. It would not have been so bad if we had eaten a good hot meal or a stew and a nice cup of tea, but all we had in platoon HQ was two tins of bully and a few biscuits between ten of us. Lt. Beckley was good enough to give 鈥淧opeye鈥� and myself a swig of water from his water bottle when ours was finished. No rations or anything else came up that night.

Early the following morning, Sunday 31st October 1943 we moved to the hill that we should have reached the previous evening. We had a very light breakfast of one thin rasher of canned bacon and a few dry biscuits. I still had a loaf of the black bread in my pack, which I had carried from Voltorara. I cut a slice for everyone in Platoon HQ and it was nicer than the hard biscuits. Rations came up at about mid day, but we didn鈥檛 eat any. We got ready to move into Cantalupo as the enemy had moved out late in the night. As we were about to move, orders came through to say that only the platoon cooks and carrying party, that was Popeye and myself, were to go ahead into Cantalupo. We were to prepare a meal and sleeping arrangements in a temporary billet that had been found for us. The remainder of the platoon took a long route around and cleared the road of any mines. Then the transport moved into Cantalupo.

Sadly Sgt. Larkin and Pt. Booth were both killed that afternoon when they trod on a mine in a wood. It was just before the platoon reached the road. It was sheer bad luck, as this patch of mines had already been discovered, but had only been marked with mine warnings on the opposite side of the wood to the one they entered. Meanwhile the cook, another lad from the platoon, Popeye and myself went down into Cantalupo. It was pouring with rain again, so we were very glad to get into the billet. Two old Italian ladies still lived in the house, but they made two large rooms vacant for the platoon to use. They lit a fire for us in one room and gave us a bowl of potatoes and a few small onions. We peeled the potatoes and onions and the cook decided to make a nice hot stew. We only had Bully Beef and dry biscuits and a little flour, but we cut up the Bully and put it all in a large cooking pan with the potatoes, onions and some dumplings made from the flour. We even broke up and added some of the hard biscuits and a few tomatoes, which one of the ladies gave us. I did smell good when it was cooking. The Italians offered us some sheets and blankets, but we declined and explained that we would have to sleep fully clothed and with our boots on in case of an emergency. We had hoped our own blankets and great coats would arrive that night, but they did not.

It was after 7pm before the platoon got in and told us the terrible news about Sgt. Larkin and Pt. Booth. They were all very tired and shocked by what had happened. They were wet and hungry too, so a nice hot stew in front of a lovely warm fire and plenty of hot tea helped to revive their spirits a bit. It was their first meal since early morning. We all got our heads down after that. It was quite warm even without blankets as the fire had warmed the rooms up very well, and we were in the dry. The next morning, we cleaned our rifles and other weapons, and cleaned ourselves up a bit too. The blankets and great coats arrived that morning along with the rations. There were seven fags for each man.

The Germans threw a few shells over into the road and village but did very little damage. We stayed in Cantalupo for two more days, and I watched our Royal Artillery shell enemy positions and transport at St Angelo which was in a valley just below us. The 17th brigade had to take an objective in Pesci. It was easy to see the barrage go down from our billet. On Thursday 4th November 1943 the platoon was sent to stop, or try to stop, the Germans blowing up a bridge on the road to Isernia. But after a very hectic night, in which we nearly got ourselves blown up, we retired to a house overlooking the road. The bridge blew up just as we were making our way down a narrow wooded track towards it. After the terrific explosion, huge lumps of concrete, steel and earth came crashing down into the trees and onto the track. Shortly after this, we heard a motorcycle start up and some heavy trucks move rapidly towards Isernia. In the morning, we made a recci onto the road to see what damage had been done to the bridge. It had not been completely destroyed and our RE鈥檚 could build a Bailey bridge in its place, but the Germans had destroyed a water reservoir. We climbed back up the hill and Smuger tried to contact Battalion HQ on the 38 set, but with no success. Our own RA, mistaking us for enemy troops, started to shell us. I dived to earth behind a large bolder, cutting my nose as I did so. We had to remain like this for about five minutes, and it was very uncomfortable. With the radio out of action, we had no means of letting them know who we were. As soon as the shelling ceased, we beat it into the woods and made our way down onto the road. At about midday, the remainder of the Company and the Battalion moved up.

After a heavy barrage by the Royal Artillery, we moved forward into San Madalino where we stayed for two days before Popeye and myself rejoined our own platoon.

We had a large NAFFI issue of fags, soap, chocolate, matches and razor blades while we were in this village, and it was very welcome as we were getting short of most of these items. Some patrols from A Company went out each night and one of these patrols led by A Company Commander Major Woolnough reached Isernia on Sunday 7th November 1943. They found that it had been evacuated by the Germans. On Monday 8th November 1943 the battalion moved into Isernia, and after a recci for billets, we started to sort ourselves out a bit. We shared the first billet we were given with the carrier platoon. It was a large school that had been badly damaged in the bombing. The carrier platoon had three rooms on the second floor and we had what was left of the top floor. As soon as we got in we set to work clearing up the plaster, broken glass, bricks, tiles and bits of wood. It took us several hours to get rid of all this rubbish. We found some boxes and old doors and made beds with them. Wenty found an old charcoal fire and some charcoal in the cellar, and lit it in our room to give a little warmth and to help dry things out a bit. It was still raining outside and all the windows were smashed. Some of the wooden shutters were still in place and others were on the floor, so we fixed them up. We closed all the shutters on the windy side to stop the rain blowing in. Ernie and Wenty peeled some spuds and put them in a dixie on the charcoal fire, they did help out our dinner of Bully and biscuits. It didn鈥檛 fatten us, but it did help to fill. I went downstairs to clean our guns and helped to unload our carriers. The bombs were in a lousy state, all the carrying cases were broken and some of them were partly filled with rainwater. After drying them, we cleaned and oiled the bombs and repaired the cases as well as we could. After this we helped the carrier platoon to clear one of their rooms. It was full of school desks, so after much sweating, swearing and sagging at the knees, we deposited them into a badly damaged room. Some had to go out of the windows and the broken wood was used later for the cookhouse fires. During a lull in the rain, we dug a deep trench and built ourselves a three-seater loo. What a cracking job it was, complete with every modern inconvenience. We got wet when it rained as the roof leaked, the seats were middlin draughty and often wet, but apart from that it was a masterpiece.

It was decided that we should share the guard duty with the carrier platoon, three men and two NCO鈥檚 from each platoon. It meant that we should have a night or two free from guards. It rained heavens hard all the first night, and by 11pm water had started to drip down into our room from the damaged roof above. First I heard one chap get up and shift his bed after using a few choice words when he trod in a puddle on the floor, then I moved my bed a bit and Ern started to laugh. Soon everyone was up and moving their beds, it must have been after 1am before we all got settled down again. The carrier platoon were more fortunate as they were on the floor below us. As it was still raining the next day, we had to find some other billets. Our detachment was given the only undamaged room in a house near the school and the remainder of the platoon split up in their detachments and put into any dry spots that could be found. They started to do company cooking again, and as the cookhouse was just opposite our billet we began to get more to eat. We had proper mealtimes and more variety. We still used to boil up a few potatoes ourselves for supper and have them with Bully, cheese or whatever we saved from our meals during the day.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.