大象传媒

My father was Sapper 5626585 Arthur Stanley Casley from Lympstone, near Exmouth in Devon. His call up papers show that he was to report to The Officer Commanding, Infantry Training Centre, Devon Regiment, Town Barracks, Exeter, between the hours of 0900 and 1200 on 16th May 1940. This call up came just 10 weeks after his marriage to my mother Violet. I don't know how, but he ended up serving with the Oxford and Bucks Regiment.

My father never spoke of the war and whenever the subject was raised he was always guarded in his replies and never gave us any details, changing the subject as soon as he could. I managed to find out some detail from my mother, who served at RAF Valley as a cook (Sgt W/59153), and also pieced together some of his experiences through old photographs which are retained by my sister Pamela and myself.

The only experience I knew of for sure from the war was the occasional relapses of Malaria Dad used to suffer, and of the nightmares he used to endure on a regular basis. From what we have learned, Dad served in India, Iraq, Saudi Arabia (where I believe he was guarding the oil fields), then later in North Africa with the 8th Army, Sicily, Italy, then finally, following illness, in the Operation PLUTO (Pipe laying under the ocean.)

All these experiences my father sadly took to his grave, however, after his death, my wife Yvonne and I were going through some of his papers when we came across a small green address book. Yvonne opened it page by page using a nail file to separate the delicate pages, only to find it was a diary of some of Dad's experiences in the war, written by him in mainly pencil, obviously as things happened.

I'm sure that the keeping of such a diary was not really allowed in case they were taken prisoner, hence the reason we have always since referred to it as Dad's Secret Diary. There are also some names at the end of the diary and a few interesting other entries that follow at the end.

Excerpts from this diary make fascinating reading and really make the history of the war personal to us and some extracts are listed below...

On first Page: 7 Platoon, a Coy, O.B.L.I. pai force (Info on this would be appreciated)
Further pages read...

22/8/42 Left Clyde 22/8/42 "Arizona" "Zanthia"
Sat - Dep Wickham 7pm
Sun - Arr Clyde Docks (Greenock)
3pm on board (Foot)Sail by 4pm
Mon - PT and Lifeboat drill
Tues - PT and Lifeboat drill
Weds - PT and Lifeboat drill
Thurs - PT and Lifeboat drill

30th April 1943 Friday -
Went up front for first time

2nd May - Took up position in front line for defence with the 8th Army

4th September - 5th Army American
boarded LCI bound for unknown destination for a certain operation
5th September - Left Tripoli bound for Sicily.
7th September - Left Sicily to invade west coast of Italy 35 miles South of Naples.
10th Sepember - Landed 4am on Italian beaches, pushed forward.
11th September - Made attack (stood down) resist enemy tanks, forced to withdraw.
12th September - enemy counter attacks (repulsed)
13th September - enemy beaten back, bag? captured. Advance continues. We go back as reserve battalion. Casualties light, 10 killed, 50 wounded.
14th September - Still in reserve.
15th September - Enemy under attack with bombs, fierce fighting, but attack repulsed.
16th September - another enemy attack repulsed.
17th September - Attack again driven off. Enemy left behind one tiger tank left burning.
18th September - Jerry pulls out giving it up as a bad job.
19th September - Transported to North Front Salerno. Fairly quiet. Enemy finally withdraws, 5 days.
24th September - Taken ill with Malaria, admitted to hospital.

1st October - evacuated by air to Sicily
6th October - Sent to Coy (Depot)
7th October - To be discharged but retained with desert sores - found septic.
10th October - Wrote AG to Little maid and Mum (Writers note - Little Maid was how Dad referred to my mother Violet)
11th October - Wrote ALC to Little Maid and Mum
12th October - Wrote Green envelope to Little Maid
13th October - Wrote to ? and Dad.
14th October - Rained nearly all day
15th October - Wrote Green Envelope to Little Maid.
16th October - Routine as usual
17th October - Went to morning service, still at Coy Depot

27th October - Again taken ill, Malaria Relapse (all this) hospital. Temp 104.4
28th October - Injection 1 hr
29th October - Bad attack, shivering, another injection.

Descriptions of treatment until..

9th November - Boarded American Hospital Ship for Evacuation
11th November - Landed at Enfilliville N Africa proceded to 100th Gen HQs
19th November - Evacuated by train to 96th Gen HQs Algiers.
21st November - Arrived at Algiers
27th - 3rd - Relapse

Entries then to 4th May describe various relapses (up to 8) and body temperatures regularly up to 104F until...

4th May - (1944) Had Medical Board. Degraded temporary B-1
9th May - Going to Coy Depot
29th May - Discharged from Coy Depot, arrived at I.R.T.D (Writer's note - What was this??)
18th June - Still at I.R.T.D. Waiting to go on course. Equipment Refresher.
24th August - Sailed from Algiers on 'Ville Dorainne'
27th August - Disembarked Taranto, Italy
3rd Sept - Left Taranto by train
5th Sept - Arrived at Casserta, moved eventually to IRTD
13th Sept - Moved to (Baine? Baino?) reallocation centre.

This is the end of the diary as far as dated events are concerned but other pages are interesting. Many are dedicated to a 'language directory' which Dad compiled in each of the countries in which he served. Commonly used words in French, Italian, Arabic, and Indian are included. It is interesting to note the important words that were needed by him which included 'Friend' 'Understand' 'hot' 'cold' and of course 'tea'!

The book also contains Dad's list of what appears to be what to take with him when he sailed from Clyde, the list is dated 12th April 1943 and reads:
1 Razor sharpener (glass)
1 Mirror (7 in)
1 Book (New Testament)
1 Tin powder
1 watch (wristlet)
1 cig lighter
1 suite? Denams?
1 pr Gym knicks
1 PT vest
Box containing soap
Envelopes and paper
1 boy line?? (poss ? tins)
1 Belt
Letters
Rifle cover
1 Holdall (civilian)
2 Tins Andrews Liver Salts
1 Ball string
1 torch
1 knee bandage
1 ankle bandage
6 brushes
1 bottle Winter green
1 bottle TCP
1 bottle Meth spirits
2 forks
1 knife
1 pair braces (army)

Some of the names collected in Dad's diary are as follows:
Miss M E TOWNSON
44 North Walk
Pinelds?
Capetown
S.AFRICA

Mr D HASH
The Bungalows
Chillesford Lodge
Orford
Suffolk

L/S MURTAGH
828256
59th Field Battery
18th Field Regiment RA
East Croydon, Surrey

Dad's Release book is stamped on release 13th February 1946 from Aldershot.

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