大象传媒

Chapter 16

Towards the end of June 1943 things were going very well in North Africa and badly for the Italians, invasion was feared, rumours began to drift through that we were going to move, at first we wouldn't believe it, assuming that the Italians would pack in before then. This caused a lot of talk regarding the best way of dodging it, we realised that we all couldn鈥檛 escape, all manner of ways were suggested. Eventually the order came through for the whole camp to move in two parties the first 250 to move on 25m July 1943, I was detailed for this party to take over the officers mess, so any plans I had made went to the wall, I was under orders and most disappointed, I was hoping to hide up and await events, but as they say "Orders is Orders". I diligently prepared to move, by now I had quite a respectable amount of kit and found it necessary to purchase a box for 125 Lira in which to carry it, in addition to a kitbag that Kit had sent me and a suitcase which I had purchased for a pound or so. It was arranged that the first party was to proceed fairly orderly, but had to cause delays if possible. Everything was laid on, on the afternoon of the 24th our heavy baggage was searched and packed, I sent my box on. The tin store was issued out, about this I had a good row because I was busy all day in the mess and when I went to draw my store it had been issued out, I lost quite a lot of stuff including condensed milk, 6 tins of butter and meat roll, all of which would have been extremely useful, however it was gone and couldn't get it back.

Orders were issued for us to move at 0700 hours on the 25th July 1943, in my usual silly way I was ready far too early, I made a cup of tea and had breakfast, it had been arranged for reveille to sound at 0530 hours, but that hour came and nothing happened, so we all laid about, soon everyone was saying whets happened there was no sign of an Italian in the quad, no movement whatsoever, the dormitories were just one buzz, we were of course hoping for a delay, every days delay meant a better chance of getting back, by 7 o'clock everyone was keyed up. At that time I was looking out of my window when I saw the RC Padre running into his quarter and then another fellow running as fast as he could go across the quad, face was as red as a beetroot, this fellow was Bungy Williams, I had never seen him move so very fast before so I knew something important had happened, then an Italian officer came in and told us that Mussolini had been sacked, in 2 minutes the quad was full of chattering officers, just like monkeys, I never heard such a noise. Would there be an Armistice was the first thoughts - the move was off for the day anyway - the war was to go on and we were under 24 hour notice to move.

The next few days of nothing else but rumours, prisoners were watching trains arriving and quickly the news would spread around camp - Train in! Train departed! An officer was at the station looking after our heavy baggage and he kept sending messages up - Station Master knows nothing about special trains! Etc, A blackboard was set up in the middle of the quad with the latest news relating to the move such as - No train expected today - Station Master knows nothing! In this state of unsettledness we lived for a couple of days when a General arrived, he was shocked to think that the first party had not left, he promptly returned to Naples or somewhere and got things moving, mind you we were quite happy about things, as was the Italian Commandant, he knew which side his bread was buttered and I still believe that he would have done nothing had not this blasted General arrived. Anyway on 30th July 1943 we got orders to move the following day and a 鈥楩red Carno鈥檚鈥� army it was that moved. Our heavy baggage had been taken down to the station, the rest we had to carry, some had nothing to carry their baggage in and one saw shirts sewn up at the bottom and kit put into the sleeves being tied around the neck, really one could not help laughing. The march to the station was about 2 miles; I was carrying a kitbag, suitcase, haversack, water bottle, a blanket, and a box with my food in it, a Red Cross parcel complete and unopened and my greatcoat. It was a test of strength, I soon realised that I was not as fit as I thought I was but somehow or other I managed it but it took me a long time to get over it. Afterwards I had a good laugh about it, it all looked so very funny 250 British officers struggling along the road loaded with baggage and about 100 Italian soldiers escorting them, by the time we station was reached they were in as bad a state as we were, the column was stretched out for a least a mile.

At the station we were counted and checked and the number did not come correct, so we were all shifted right away from the train and individual names called, this was done amid a lot of catcalls etc., we were told to be quiet as this was a very serious business. Eventually it was all correct; there was a sentry to each compartment, one to six officers and an Italian officer to each coach. It took a lot of settling in with all the baggage; in addition we were issued with another Red Cross parcel so we were all right for food. At each end of the train was tied a piddling little Red Cross flag, I am sure no one could have noticed it. Being July the weather was very hot and before the train started most of us had peeled off our clothing and had a drink of water, when I went to refill my bottle from the lavatory I found that there was a very limited supply. None of us knew where we were going, except that it was up North or how long it would take us. By 10 o'clock we were on the way, very shortly after we got our first shock, the officer in charge of our coach insisted on all windows being closed and blinds drawn and the sliding doors shut, soon the compartments became like ovens. I got more and more 'browned off* and we all had to keep drinking water, to make matters worse the sentries were posted inside the compartments so we couldn鈥檛 do anything but bear it. Eventually trouble brewed, we opened the windows, but the Italian officer kept looking out the side of the train and spotting the window open created a fuss, the damned little squirt, and as a last resort and to set an example he placed an officer in the next compartment to ours in irons. That rather shook us, so we complained to the OC train but got no satisfaction. Finally we booted the Italian sentry out of the compartment because in the heat he began to smell and while he was out of the compartment we smashed the window and cut the fastenings of the blind. This caused a helluva row but we just didn't care. At first we thought we were going through Naples, at least we started off in that direction, but for obvious reasons that had to be changed, thanks to the RAF. In consequence we changed direction at a junction of which I cannot remember the name. What I can remember is the cries for water "Aqua, Aqua" was the shout, but there was nothing doing.

All the afternoon we proceeded in the direction of Foggia, which meant going from one side of Italy to the other through the most awful smelling tunnels, we began to wish that we hadn't smashed the window. At dusk we arrived at Foggia, first thing we did was to make our sentry, who by now had been tamed, get out and fill our water bottles. We saw for the first time damage done by the RAF, it was pretty. Whilst we were there the RAF appeared again, quickly our train was shunted into a tunnel out of the way. I haven't said anything about feeding because for once we had plenty with our Red Cross parcels but nothing from the Italians except bread and a bit of cheese, no arrangements were made for a hot drink of any description and water was very hard to come by. During the night we got on the move again, I got to sleep but was far too cramped and hot to sleep for any length of time. The following morning we passed through Casserta a place not far out of Naples, where we should have arrived at about 3 o'clock in the afternoon. We were now proceeding northward at midday we arrived just outside Rome and saw the effects of the RAF visit a couple of days before, we were pleased that we were not there at the time. Only the railway and a nearby aerodrome was damaged but what damage. At each station at which we stopped there were cries of "Aqua! Aqua!鈥� sometimes we were successful, others not, no food was issued all that day, so we kept up a cry for it, rather as a nuisance than for requiring it. Speculation was rife as to where we going, at 12 midnight on 1st August 1943 we passed through Florenze and on the morning of 2nd August 1943 we arrived at Pircenzia more dead than alive, the lavatories were blocked and full, there was no water and we were not permitted to leave the carriages to urinate. In fact there was quite a scene in our carriage over urinating, an officer did it in a biscuit tin and put it in the corridor, the Italian officer put it back in again and in doing so knocked it over, so the officer who did it had to mop it up. After we had been at Pircenzia for an hour or so it was found out that we had been taken to the wrong station, in true Italian fashion. Then ensued a right royal row, our SBO, a captain in the RN absolutely refused to move unless something was done for us. Threatening that we would all leave the train and do a sit down strike, this got the OC train thinking, he sent for a doctor who arrived with a General. Soon all the windows were opened and certain officers of the Italian army got their balls chewed off, what is more we got supplied with water and given two rolls of bread but nothing to drink.

During the morning we moved off again in the same direction that we had come from, late that evening we arrived at Bologna, a station that we had passed the previous night. The organisation on arrival was much better, transport was arranged for our heavier baggage, but I carried my Red Cross parcels, suitcase and haversack, it was about 3 miles to camp I just about managed it. On arrival at the camp we were subjected to the usual search, I was far too browned off to worry about it at all and just sat down with Mick where we were and waited to the last, lucky for us the camp although a new one already had a few occupants who sent us out some tea to drink, whilst the others were all rushing through the search Mick and I sat and had a good meal. Whilst waiting we saw through the wire two officers of our Brigade who we did not know were captured. At 1 o'clock in the morning Mick and I were searched and passed into the camp, during the search Mick nearly 'dropped a brick' we were both bending down undoing our stuff, the Commandant, who spoke English was standing by us, when Mick not realising he spoke English, said to me "I wonder what the racket is here". I made faces at him and did everything I could to get him to shut up, but he gaily went on, saying whats the matter with you, fortunately the Commandant moved off, so with a packet of fags we were able to palm our way through getting quite a lot of food stuff in that otherwise we should not have done, the searchers were also very tired and browned off. So once more we were inside the wire again, we were allotted our beds for the night and after a wash we got down to it. One funny thing happened regarding escapes, whilst passing through Bologna, the night before 2 got off the train and by the time we reached camp were already in clink. That night I slept good and proper in Campo 19, but for how long.

The 2nd party from Padula did not arrive until a fortnight later, we kept saying lucky buggers they will get away with it, but eventually they did arrive, they had an even rougher time than we did because it was their intention to get away. Excitement apparently after we left, the Italians had a roll call at which a lot were absent, in their hideouts, but they were all rounded up after a lot of time and trouble. They were made to live in the quad behind barbed wire, they also had a much worse trip than we did, the Italians realising the plans that had been made they took all their boots away which was a drawback. In addition they were attacked from the air and had to spend a night in a field, only one got away.

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