大象传媒

Bert鈥檚 War.
Peter B Rushbrook

When my father died, he left a small Green box of photos and other war mementos, and from these I鈥檝e collated some details of his war. [I have tried to convert his place names to those on my Encyclopaedia map.]

Bert 鈥淪peedy鈥� Rushbrook of Hyde Lane, Danbury, Essex, joined the RAF at Uxbridge recruiting centre 12th August 1940. Basic training at Bridgenorth and the Melksham., Lancs. 15th November 1940 posted to Weston , Lancs. for Fitter Armours course until 17th March 1941, 14 days leave, then to Harwell prior to departing overseas 26th June 1941.
The ship called at Freetown, Durban and Aden en-route to Suez Port Taufig, arriving 24th August 1941.
Dad was posted to 57 Recovery and Salvage Unit at Shaklufa [Ash Shallufah] and the collection of photos are good. The men lived in tents which were set into hole.
Dad listed his mates as; - Ted (who came from Watford and works in the printing department of the Daily Herald, and what he don鈥檛 know is not worth knowing); Wal; Denis Hunt; Tilly 鈥� John Tilston (as mischievous as a lad of fifteen! but one of the best);
Bugs Holliday; Stanley(6ft 3ins); and Dasher.
There was an Aussie team at the same place. Dad told me once that when they wanted to dismantle parts of a Jerry plane, they tied each part to a ball of string to ensure it went back together in the right order. There is a photo of Dad in a 鈥楤ush Hat鈥�, noted on the back 鈥淲e won this in a bit of a scramble at a boxing match. It came from Australia where they think they are tough, but we won over this time鈥�
Two photos marked Christmas day 1941 look like a boozy football match. There are photos showing the wrecks of a Wimpy and a Wellington Bomber in the sand.
There was leave to Cairo, (I think about 80 to 100 miles north), from where Dad visited the Pyramids; Cairo Zoo; Alexandria; Ismalia and the Suez Canal (a good sunset shot of that); and Memphis.
They were on the move before the end of 1942, via Benghazi and Christmas day 1942 south of Tobruk (one bottle of beer between four!)

Dad made some entries in a pocket Diary over the next two years, which I鈥檝e copied, and added important dates.
War dairy 鈥� Not Dads
Sept 1940 = Italians attacked Egypt, but were pushed back into Libya.
Feb 1941 = Rommel and Africa Korps sent to Libya.
Dec 1941 = British forces advanced to Benghazi, Libya.
Jan 1942 = British forces driven back towards Egypt.
June 1942 = Rommel, captured Tobruk and advanced to El Alamein.
Sept 1942 = Battle of El Alemein.
Nov 1942 = Rommel retreating.

Dairy entries for 1943 .

1 Jan = In the desert 60 miles east of Tobruk and 20 west of Bardia. [Bardiyah]
Plenty of flies, fleas, dust, stones and dammed cold at nights.

3 Jan = Went to blow up a kite in salt lake near Bardia. Only one bomb went off without the desired effect. Plenty of ducks and mosquitoes. Horrible ride over twenty miles of desert. Tried to buy stuff from 'senosse' but they only wanted tea and sugar, not money.

6 Jan = Demolishing aircraft in lake again. found two sea mines and a Wallet containing 50PT note two Italian notes. Tried to shoot some wild ducks, no luck.

9 Jan = Feel (firethy??) awful vomiting after each meal and feel terribly cold.

10 Jan = Still feeling cold and bad.

11 Jan = Feeling rotten.

12 Jan = Letter and snaps from Tots. All airmen鈥檚 tents searched for stolen property, every one feeling a bit nigly about it.

13 Jan = Feeling a lot better, ate three meals, mostly bully beef as usual.

21 Jan = Left Gambet midday. [Kambut]
Took Axis bypass around Tobruk, camped for 1 hr just on (Derne? Darnah) road, at 4.30 am in morning. Very cold.

22 Jan = Camped on roadside at 5,30AM after travelling all night.
Up at 9AM, packed up, went for a scrounge around until 2.30PM. Started away again. Found a German toilet (site?) in a tree in a wadi. Plenty of fresh plants and small stunted trees.

23 Jan = Camped west (Bari?). Came down Barraca Pass. Through Bengazhi.

24 Jan = Arrived at Sidi El (Megrisum?) 3PM. [Al Maqrun]

13 Feb = Packed up tents and kit. Same sort of system!

15 Feb = Started 9AM. Plenty of mud and water. Passed Agedabia (Ajdabiya) at noon.

16 Feb = Started 8(AM?) Nice weather. Plenty plant life.
Passed EL AGHFEILA 9AM. Passed under Marble Arch at 10.45.
Camped at night 1 mile from Med. country covered with flowers. Smelled lovely in evening.

17 Feb = Started 8.30AM. Passed SIRTE 16.30 [Surt]

[23/24 Feb] = These entries are made much later that the date.
Terrible news from home.

[25 Feb] Had a row with Adjt over a letter which I wanted censored, so that I could send it quickly. He wanted to delay it for 48 hours. Will remember that for a long time.

March = Rommel recalled to Germany.

9 Mar = Arrived at 462 Sqdn, 30 miles west of Misurata (Misratah). Sleeping (7?) in a small ridge tent!

10 Mar = Food much better than other unit. Water vary scarce. Helped to load some bombs for Jerry, first time Incendiaries!

18 Mar = Ted and Robbie arrived at this unit.

29 Mar = Very hot day.

30 Mar = Rainstorm, flooded everywhere about 1 inches. Flooded tent.

20 Apr = Unlucky day.
Nine of my mates, and three others went up with a Halifax.

21 Apr = Funeral at Miscrato. Hearse = High Loader.

24 Apr = Start of 14 days Quarantine due to outbreak of Typhus.

25 Apr = Rigid F.F.I. Ordered to wear as little clothing as possible. Evening, back and arms very sunburned.

26 Apr = Plenty of sunburn blisters on back and arms. These are the first I've had out here.

1 May = Sunburn just better but still peeling on arms and legs.

13th May = Germans and Italians surrendered in north Africa.

13 May = Complete Shutdown. Went by lorry to Liptis Magna (close to "Homs") to see 2000-year-old Roman ruins. Only had had two hours there, would have liked to spend a month on the place.
There are 15 photos of those ruins, including one with Dad looking down a hole.

20 May = (Pulled?) down Airmen鈥檚 tents and pack kits on lorry.

21 May = Got up 4AM. Left camp at 6.30AM.

22 May = Got up at 5AM. (Teargia?), Beurat, Sirte Nufilis. Camped 30 miles west Marble Arch.

23 May = Got up 04.30. Started on road at 06.00 hrs. Passed under Marble Arch 07.30 hrs. El Aghebia, Agedabia, Magrum. Broke down twice, arrived at roadside camp at 10.30PM.

24 May = Left at 7.30. Passed through Ghanines, El Megrum [Al Muqrun] and arrived at camp , 22 miles west of Benghazi at 9.30. Plenty of work, good wash and flat out on bed.

26 May = Went for a swim, first time since leaving Shallufa, (Terefih?)

28 May = Sent home letter Card No 8, Everything begins to look a bit brighter. Also sent Green letter No 7.

30 May = Have been getting more letter cards than I expected, also containing a much pleasanter outlook for the future.

3 June = Sent home Green Envelope No 10, hoping its cleared up a lot of misunderstanding.

July 1943 = Allied troops landed in Sicily.

9 Aug = Black Grapes fairly plentyful, 4-5d (old penny) per pounds 4 (???) per Kilogram.

Sept 1943 = British 8th Army crossed Straits of Messina and US 5th Army landed at Salerno

1 Oct = Moved to Site 7 near BG (Terria)
A night time photo a big electric storm, lightning averaged 100 flashes every 2 录 minutes for about 4 hours, very little thunder.

Oct 1943 = Allied troops held a line across Italy just north of Naples

27 Dec = Left Terria and (arrived?) for El Adem.

31 Dec = Arrived outside camp at El Adem.

Entries for 1944 are entered upside down in same book.

1 Jan = Moved into El Adem.

5 Jan = Arrived at Almaga. [Almaza Airport] Went to Cairo in evening.

6 Jan = Almaga, Cairo at night.

7 Jan = Almaga, Hilio in afternoon.

8 Jan = Almaga, Cairo in afternoon.

9 Jan = Almaga, Cairo in afternoon, spent most of time in 'Music for All'.

10 Jan = Almaga.

11 Jan = Arrived in Camp near Amriya

15 Feb = M.V.Sobieshe. Polish boat.

16 Feb = Met up with storm = Seasick.

17 Feb = Left Alex. Still. Ate Dinner and tea, ran into storm seasick, felt bad

18 Feb = Still felt bad, better in Evening.

19 Feb = Passed Syracuse, thought I saw Etna.

20 Feb = Saw (Messina Straights?) and Stromboli.

21 Feb = Arrived at Naples early in morning. Saw I. of Capri at 5AM.

24 Feb = went up Mt Vesuvius by Electric train 3/6.
Went to "Cinema Roma". Andy Harvey "Double Life"

26 Feb = Plenty of rain.

27 Feb = Went to Cinema "Roma" (26th) saw V.D. film. Compulsory.

28 Feb = Visited Pompei. Bought carved seashell and book of snaps.

28 Feb = Visited Herculaneum. "Cinema Roma" saw "The Immortal Sergeant"

1 Mar = Raining hard. Packed up, moved off. (to Foggia)

7 Apr = Arrived at site near Cerignora from Foggia.

May 1944 =Monte Cassino. Americans entered Rome.

26 Sept = Told I am posted UK.

27 Sept = Posted UK. Cleared from 462 Squadron // At last!

28 Sept = Left 462 Sqdn at 10.30AM by road to Naples. Arrived 2.30PM. at work in kitchen in less than (two ??)

30 Sept = On guard at Hospital near "CLIMATELA"

1 Oct = Visited Naples, like all other town, nothing to see and roads all uphill and down.

2 Oct = Visited Pompei for second time.

4 Oct = Visited Herculaneum.

6 Oct = Travelled up Mt Vesuvius by train and walked to edge of crater, 3 miles circumference! 1-mile diameter! (660ft?) deep.
Took 1 hours to climb cone and came down in 12 minutes. Great fun, but rather dangerous.

7 Oct = Visited Vesuvius for second morning running.

12 Oct = Left BDD at 5.30AM. Stepped aboard HMT CAPETOWN CASTLE at 8.30AM

13 Oct 1 = Pulled out of berth at 8.30AM, set sail at 10.30AM.

15 Oct = Passed Algeria at 5PM.

16 Oct = Saw coast of Spain in distance.

17 Oct = Passed Gib at 1.30AM. Runway and towns light up.

20 Oct = Seen land, hoped it was blighty.

21 Oct = Pulled into Liverpool Docks 2.30PM.

22 Oct = Layed at quayside all Day.

25 Oct = 9AM put kitbag on train, prepaid.
5PM, pay parade on South pier. (Blackpool, I presume)

26 Oct = Paraded on (near?) Central Pier, Blackpool at 8AM, got aboard train at 9AM. Left at 9.30AM, arr London 5PM, arrived Chelmsford 7PM, Home 7.30PM.

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