大象传媒

Guardsman Tweedy, if my memory serves me right, had just recently joined my platoon on the outskirts of the city in Barracks (Wansbeck Kaserne) and it was obvious to me that in spite of the effort he put into it he was not cut out for the spit, polish etc that went with peacetime soldiering in this year Feb 1946 with the result that he went over the wall. Absent without leave and he had now been missing for 3 weeks.

The RSM sent for me once again (see 'The Firing Squad' and informed me that Tweedy had been arrested by Military Police in Naples where he was being held in prison for his return to his unit. I, along with a corporal and 2 Guardsmen, were given the task of escorting him back and given a transport warrant for our journey by rail.

The first stage was to Austria, a cold cold journey in a railway carriage with wooden seats and no windows as all the glass had been smashed during the war. This took 2 days. Here we stayed 2 days in an army transit camp near a town called Villach. This gave us the chance of some hot food, change of clothing and a shower.

The next 2 and half days we spent travelling south through sunny Italy to Naples. Food rations had been supplied to us by the camp at Villach. On arrival I decided to look for another tansmit camp before checking on Tweedy. By luck a GI came to our rescue and transported us in his jeep to the outskirts of the city overlooking The Bay of Naples and there was a lovely camp of approx 150 tents.

After handshakes and thanks to our GI Saviour, we managed to get checked in with food, shower, clothing and a tent to ourselves being supplied.

We spent a couple of days resting up in the sunshine until we found that our cash had run out. However one of my party, Guardsman T. said leave it to me and disappered with the blankets from our tent and returned some time later minus blankets but with a pocketful of lire --- numerous Italian civilians worked within the camp so I didn't ask any questions. He proceeded to do the same over the next 3 days. He seemed to have an endless supply of blankets.

The time had come to check on Tweedy. We found his prison, a dreadful looking place, not too far away and after checking with the Army Police the time of our train north Tweedy was brought to me, a sad looking man in manacles whose face lit up when he saw me.

I removed his manacles and we returned to the transit camp where Tweedy was issued with new clothing, boots etc - 2 of everything.

I told him that I would trust him but not to do anything silly or the manacles would have to go back on.

By the time we got to Rome on our return journey (where we had a 2 hour stay) cash had run out again so Guardsman T came to the rescue once again and 'flogged' Tweedy's spare clothing, boots etc to the Italians on the station. The cash we spent on food etc.

Taking the same route in reverse we arrived back in Hamburg after 20 days!

Tweedy had by now become one of us and a friend and it was sad to see him being locked up again in the Barrack Guardroom

The following day my Company Commander congratulated me and my party for a job well done in so short a time. Furthermore my leave pass had come through so my next journey would be home for a family reunion in Scotland.

But that's another story and I returned to Wansbeck and met my English wife to be.

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