大象传媒

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Landing in Italy - Bay of Salerno - Saturday September 26th 1943

Soon after landing the Navy put a smoke screen around our convoy. Jerry was trying to shell us, but the good old Navy was there; it was lovely to see them shelling Jerry from the Bay; they are up in the hills, but we're gradually shifting them. There is still no darn change in the weather, am browned off already; we had an alert and there was one big scramble for the guns. All the chaps grabbed for their steel helmets and dashed up the beach; I stopped where I was on top of the kilt. Everything was OK though, it must have been a false alert.

I first set foot on Italian ground at precisely 3.40 in the afternoon after being two days afloat; we sailed from North Africa, the crossing being quite uneventful. Slept on the sand that night, but moved off in the morning to join the Company Next day, the Company moved off, leaving three sections. That night the rain came down in bucketfuls, I got wet through, and there were no dry clothes. I was soaked, the bed was soaked, was I fed up. Next day we moved off again, but only a few miles, am still out in the open, but thank God there is no rain.

After three days the whole three sections move off the a school, thank goodness there is now a roof over our heads. The palce is only a little village, has been bombed, but the people are quite friendly; the children helped all they could. Rained cats and dogs again that night, thank goodness we鈥檙e in billets. Rain again the next night. Two sections move off to join the rest, leaving an officer, one section and me.

That evening I had a good wash down in a large biscuit tin, the only setback it being in the dark. Directly after bath I had a narrow escape from part of the ceiling falling in, just where I had been bathing; I think God must have been looking over me.
Off on the move again next morning, but that was the day I managed to send my first letter off to you, and up till had not heard from you for 4 weeks and 2 days. This time we move off to join the rest of the Company, and luckily have a roof over our heads again. I thought I鈥檇 have a good night鈥檚 rest, had only been in bed a few minutes when orders came through to pack up, we were on the move again. Gee, what would I do for a nice feather bed.

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