大象传媒

At about 8am on 14th June 1944 we arrived at Pozzuoli and after disembarking and unloading all the trucks carriers and kit, we had breakfast in an assembly area. We moved out to a new battalion area about ten miles from Capua. For the next six days we had a fairly easy time, we did some PT and arms drill and were inoculated again. The Commanding Officer spoke to us and gave us the number of casualties in the battalion during the eleven months of fighting in Sicily and Italy. There were 27 officers and 590 other ranks either killed, wounded, missing or taken prisoner by the enemy. Some afternoons we were allowed out on pass to visit Capua or Naples, and one afternoon I had a look around the old ruins of Ponpei. On Wednesday 21st June 1944 we left camp for the beach at Mondragone where we arrived at 10.30am. For the next four days we had a real rest, bathing in the sea, washing our clothes, reading and writing letters or just lolling about in the sun. I went into Mondragone to visit my Italian friends Manie and Adolfo Gravano and their daughter Antonette, who had been so kind to me when we were billeted with them. We went back to our camp outside Capua on Saturday and stayed there until 27th June 1944. We had a very severe thunderstorm one night and a few of the bivvy tents were flooded. The one 鈥淰on鈥� Griffiths and I shared was OK, because it was pitched higher up on a slope.

On 28th June 1944 we boarded a train at the railhead and moved off at 10am bound for Tarranto passing en route through Naples and Salerno. On the train were 30 men to each wagon and we arrived at Tarranto early on 29th June 1944 and moved into a real ARMY camp just outside the town. In this camp we had a test of elementary training during the tree days we were there. I was glad our stay at this camp was a short one as the food was very poor and not very plentiful. On Monday 3rd July 1944 the 46th Division took over the camp and we moved down to the docks and boarded the troopship Staffordshire. The ship pulled out from Tarranto at 3pm on 4th July 1944. In the morning I was watching Italian dock-workers unloading military and other goods. Some New Zealand troops and South African ex prisoners of war came aboard just before we sailed. I was on amoury guard that night. Early the next morning we passed the coast of Sicily and I could see Mount Etna in the distance. The sea was very calm and I lay on deck and read a book called 鈥淒eath in Estasy鈥�. As darkness fell a huge full moon came up and it shone on the sea like silver. In the afternoon of the 6th July 1944 we passed the coast of North Africa and it looked very desolate and bare. I started to read another book called 鈥淪hanghi Sanctuary鈥�. Von Griffin was Orderly Corporal that day and we had to do an hour鈥檚 stand to at the life boat stations. On 7th July 1944 our escort fired its guns to test them and we packed up some of our small kit ready to move as soon as we reached port. We arrived at Alexandria on the morning of 8th July 1944 and disembarked. Then we had a train journey of about 40 miles to a camp near Burg-El-Arab that was miles from any civilisation, but it did have two canteens and an open air cinema. The sandstorms here were terrible as strong hot winds blew every day. The sand got into everything and made our eyes very sore. I hadn鈥檛 any cash left on the day we arrived, so I borrowed 50 pasatas from Cpl. Gilb Mullins and went to the canteen with Cyril Withers and 鈥淧op鈥� Comer. We bought a nice supper and two bottles of beer each. We stayed at this camp until the 13th July 1944 and the Brigadier came and spoke to us about future training.

At 11am on Monday 14th July 1944 we left Burg-El-Arab by train and passed through several decent stations. The general countryside was pleasant and fertile, unlike the desert wastes we had just left. We arrived at Nathanya in Palestine early on the 15th July 1944. The New camp was semi-hutted and very comfortable, and we stayed until 26th August 1944 during which time we did very intensive training. We had field firing of our mortars, rifle and Bren gun firing on the ranges at Rishom, a signal course and assault boat landings. On the leisure side we had trips into Tel-Aviv, Haifa and Jerusalem. On our admin days we saw plenty of good film shows. I usually went with my pals Lofty Burgess and 鈥淧op鈥� Comer and we had some lovely times in Tel-Aviv. One afternoon when we were in Tel-Aviv, Lofty found a shop that sold tropical fish and we went to look around. It really made Lofty鈥檚 day as he used to breed tropical fish before he was called into the ARMY. I must say 鈥淧op鈥� Comer and myself were quite impressed too. We always enjoyed our visits to Tel-Aviv with its lovely shops and buildings, super cinemas and good supply of fruit and sweets. We had such lovely meals in the Bodega Caf茅 with lovely iced drinks with the food. We always went to the Bodega Caf茅 and the people were all so friendly.

We left Nathanya at 9.30am on Sunday 27th August 1944 and after passing the Sea of Gallalee we arrived at one of our previous camps. Only an advance party left Nathanya that day and I was one of them. Early the next morning I got up and made tea for all the lads in my hut and they had it in bed. Captain Drew, who was with us tried to get us some money that day, but was unable to do so. Only a few chaps who had a little money left went into Damascus in the evening. On Tuesday 29th August 1944 Lofty and Abdul Randall and myself went for a climb up the mountains of Jebal Mazar and we enjoyed the climb, the air was very bracing and cool up there. We got back to the camp at lunchtime and in the evening we went along to the camp cinema to see the Marx Brothers in 鈥淎t The Circus鈥�. Two days later the Yorks and Lancs left their camp and we moved all our stores and kit to the old camp at Masaloome, where we were a year before. I had to get prepared for RASC guard duty but apart from that I had a quiet day.

The following day was not an easy one, we were erecting large tents all morning and in the afternoon the remainder of the battalion arrived. Sgt. Major Cainey was dashing about like a blue arsed fly, his arms and legs flying in all directions, just like the sails of a windmill. Although it was a bit exasperating for us at times, we couldnt help seeing the funny side of it all. After another busy day of tent pitching and preparing messrooms, we settled down to normal ARMY routine again and some intensive training periods. I took over platoon stores from Cyril Withers on the 15th September 1944 and the next day I packed up my small kit ready to go to Beyrouth for five days鈥� leave. The leave party left Jebel Mazar at 12am and we arrived at Beyrouth at 3.30pm. I had a wash and made my bed down and then went out into town. Beyrouth is a lovely place to spend a leave and I enjoyed every minute of it. The weather was perfect and the sea was calm and warm. The shops were filled with everything you could wish for, there were lovely continental style cafes with music, flowers and palm trees everywhere. There were several super cinemas, one I remember had a sliding roof to open when it was dark, to keep it cool. Then there were the bazaars and markets with all kinds of fruits and spices, silks, filigree silver trinkets and many other items of interest. After getting back from my leave we carried on with normal training until 8th October 1944 then we packed up all kit ready to move on the 9th October 1944.

The Carrier Platoon left camp, and drove the carriers to the railway station in Damascus where they were put onto ramps and secured. We left Damascus at 7pm and arrived at Haifa at 10.30am on 10th October 1944, here we had to change over to railway trucks of a wider gauge. After we had secured our carriers on the other train we were allowed out into Haifa for four hours in the afternoon. The train left Haifa at 9pm and travelled all through the night. We unloaded the carriers from the train at El-Masdal on Wednesday 11th October 1944 and moved to a camp area about five miles from the station. We only stayed at this camp for a few days and then moved on to the Gaza area. Our camp here was a tented one with large indian tents. We had huts for mess rooms and ablutions and the canteen was in a big double size tent. I went on leave again on 23rd October 1944, this time I went with Danny Cary and we had a smashing time.

Battalion and Divisional training was very intensive while we were at Gaza. We did route marches, field firing, OPT training for officers, four and five day exercises, night exercises and compass marches by night. Our Platoon had a long carry march with all our kit over low mountains at Beit-Lid on 18th November 1944. On our admin days we were still allowed out on pass to Tel-Aviv, Haifa or Jerusalem. We started a Brigade exercise on 25th November 1944, revellie was at 4.30am and we left camp at 6.30am. It poured with rain all that day and when we pulled into a camp area that evening we had to sleep on our transports. We moved on again the next day and arrived at a camp area near Tripoli. On Monday 27th November 1944 we climbed all day up the mountain tracks in our carriers and took up imaginary defensive positions in reserve to the Cameronians and the Essex regiment. We were now quite high up in the mountains. On day two of the exercise we remained in our positions and the Essex regiment 鈥渓ost鈥� a position on a hill. Mock enemy planes flew over battalion HQ and the C Company area. On day three of the exercise I went with A Company on advance guard but we were not called on to attack. The mock enemy withdrew rapidly towards the sea and the Cameronains and Essex regiment took the remaining hill near the sea after dark; that ended the exercise. I went into Tripoli the following afternoon and went to see 鈥淧aris After Dark鈥� at one of the cinemas. We started on our way back to our camp at Gaza on 1st December 1944 and arrived at Beyrouth at 12.30am. We stayed the night in the NO. 3 RSP. I made my bed down and then went into town with Cyril Withers and 鈥淏uzzey鈥� Pearce. The Battalion was up early on 2nd December 1944 and we got back to our camp at Gaza at 6pm. We took part in several exercises during December and plenty of sports events. There was a Battalion rifle and Bren firing competition at the Rishon ranges on 14th December 1944.

We had a lovely Christmas in this camp with plenty to eat and drink and a supply of free fags. The Battalion had a Christmas Service in the morning, held in the camp cinema. In the evening the lads in all the companies got together and we had a good old sing song with more beer and Mitz Paz and any other kind of drink they had bought previously. Everyone had a lively and very happy time.

On Monday 15th January 1945 I was asked to stand by to move with a small party of drivers. We had a clothing exchange and a pay parade and in the evening I went to the camp cinema with my mate 鈥淟ofty鈥� Burgess to see 鈥淛ourney for Margaret鈥�. I left Gaza with the party of drivers at 6am on Monday 16th January 1945 and arrived at Haifa at about 2pm where we boarded the SS Bergensfjord. Once on board we handed in our Palestine money for exchange. We pulled out to sea early on 17th January 1945 and the ship rolled heavily for the first few hours, several of the lads were seasick. I met a very nice chap on board, he was one of the Cameronian drivers, he was well educated and a very good and interesting talker. He was very fond of music and spoke fluently about travel and holidays spent before the War. The Bergensfjord passed through the boom of Tarranto harbour at 2.5pm and anchored off shore on Saturday 20th January 1945. We stayed on board overnight, once again I was in Italy and memories began to flood back. We disembarked at 10am on the Sunday morning and went to 鈥淴鈥� transit camp where we had dinner. We marched to the railway station and got aboard a train that moved out at 4.30pm. During the night we passed through heavy sleet and snow storms and we stopped for a meal at Barletta. During Tuesday we passed through several well-known places, Tous Benevento and Villa Litterno and stopped at Minterno to have our dinner. After travelling all night, we finally arrived at Arezzo station at 7pm on Wednesday 24th January 1945. After a meal we travelled by road to our final halt on this journey.

In the little town of Bastardo our billets were quite good and apart from a few guards or fatigues, we had a cushy time. Some times in the evenings we would visit a local wine shop or go to the local 鈥淒anza鈥�. They were always very lively with music and dancing all through the night. I couldn鈥檛 dance but I did love to shuffle around the floor, which was always crowded with either an Italian Senioreta, or if none were available, you just had to dance around with one or other of your mates. The music, the wine and the happy laughter was, to me, the symbol of the Italy I knew. The Italians were a happy, music loving people, not a people of War. On Saturday 10th February 1945 we loaded 15cwt trucks ready to be taken into Faligno, and in the afternoon I took a carrier out to get some eggs from a farmer. In the evening we all left by truck for the 17th Brigade vehicle area HQ where we stayed the night. Then all the drivers and myself ferried all the 17th Brigade trucks, lorries and carriers to a transport compound at Falingno on Sunday. We stopped for a break at the NAAFI at Perugia and arrived back at our billets in Bastardo at 4.20pm. On Tuesday 13th February 1945 we ferried our own Brigade trucks and carriers to the same transport compound at Faligno. We had to make two journeys of it as we only had 13 drivers available. On the evening of 14th February 1945 I went into Perugia to the casa of the local barber with a few of the lads and had a few drinks. Our kitbag and other small kit had to be loaded on the transports the next day ready for another move. On Friday 16th February 1945 we left Bastardo at 9am and picked up the Brigade convoy at Faligno. We passed through Terni during the day and pulled in for the night just outside Rome. We left Rome in the morning and travelled all day, passing though Cassino and camping the night at a rest area near Capua. I saw a film show in Capua thatnight, the film was 鈥淧rincess O鈥橰ourke鈥�. On Sunday 18th February 1945 we left Capua and at about 6pm we arrived at the Salerno rest camp. I went to the camp cinema to see 鈥淜iss The Bride Goodbye鈥�. On Tuesday 20th February 1945 the Battalion arrived from Palestine in the morning and I returned to my platoon again. We had some more unloading to do that day and in the evening I went to see 鈥淭wo Thousand Women鈥� at the cinema. I was mess orderly the next day and we did a little PT and gun cleaning and again in the evening I went to the cimena with Lofty to see 鈥淭his Happy Breed鈥�. We had a hill climbing route march the next morning with a foot inspection after dinner at 2pm and in the evening it was off the cinema with Lofty to see 鈥淭his Is The Life鈥�.

You may wonder why we went to the cinema so often in this camp, the reason was that the whole battalion was confined to camp for the duration of our stay at Salerno for security reasons. It was to keep the Germans, or any of their agents guessing where our next move was to be. This applied to the whole of the Fifth Division who had come all the way from Palestine to Italy again. We were not going to fight again in Italy.

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