大象传媒

This account has been transcribed from a diary kept during the Second World War by Robert Gilbert Meadows and contributed to the People鈥檚 War by the 大象传媒 Learning Centre on behalf of Valerie Harvey, his daughter, with her permission.

Robert Gilbert Meadows joined the Royal Navy in 1916, and served therein until 1945. He was awarded the Mentioned in Despatches medal for his work as Chief Radio Officer on board HMS Princess Beatrix during its service in the Mediterranean campaign.

From Lofoten to Italy - Part 5
INVASION OF ITALY 1943-1944

August 18th

Augusta landed at 1600 for 2 hours recreational leave.
We spent our time ashore in an orgy of fruit picking - the fruit of victors? A couple of hundred yards from where we landed we came across a vineyard. Here we set at work in earnest and picked a good 40lbs of grapes!
After this attack we set forth again and a 录 of an hours walk later we came across hundreds of lemon and orange trees. Here we attacked once more and relieved the trees of half a sack of fruit. Once again we
lifted our load and after a short walk we came across a small farmstead. The farmer and his wife plus bambinos seemed quite friendly and for the gifts of some cigarettes, soap and chocolate provided us with a basket of fresh figs we sampled and found very tasty.
After bidding them adieu and after filling our sacks with some more lemons we struggled with our load back to the ship, well pleased with out booty!

August 19th

Left Augusta at 1000 in company with Prince Charles, Prince Leopold and escorted by BROCKLESBY, QUANTOCK - bound for Djijelli. Before we left we put our boats ashore.

August 20th

Arrived Djijelli at 1900 and embarked landing craft and crews.

August 21st

Left Djijelli at 0300 for Bizerta. Arrived Bizerta 1600 and later proceeded up harbour to refuel.

August 22nd

Left Bizerta at 1000 for Augusta.

August 23rd

Arrived Augusta 0700 and after picking up our own boats and filling up with fresh water we sailed for Tripoli. Prince Leopold remained at Augusta and Prince Charles proceeded to Malta for 7 days self refit.

August 24th

0730 - Arrived Triploi. Large concentration of invasion ships in the harbour, also a number of sunken ships presumably Italian.


September 6th

Embarked troops at 0800 and sailed from Tripoli round about noon, in company with numerous other assault ships which included HILARY (comdre Force N), Royal Ulsterman, Prince Leopold, Prince Charles, Devonshire
& Sabeski (Polish Ship). Everyone is aware now that we are off on another major job. As yet it is not general knowledge that our destination lies very close to Naples. It is apparent from the orders that the job will be on a very large scale and we shall have in the attack many U.S. ships & shall be supported by large numbers of both British & U.S. Naval ships - the more the merrier!

September 7th

At sea sailing north in the direction of Sicily. Passed Pantellaria during the 'dogs'. Weather good.

September 8th

At sea entering TYRRHENIAM Sea just after dawn. During the forenoon our escort was augmented with four cruisers. Throughout the day we proceeded in a northerly direction at a leisurely 5 陆 knots without
any sort of interference from either S/M's, surface craft or A/C and we can dimly discern an armada of landing craft proceeding in the same direction and
obviously the same intention.
During the evening we heard the great piece of news that Italy had chucked up the sponge and had agreed to Allied terms of unconditional surrender. Everybody on
board highly delighted with the news, although at the same time we all realise that there are still strong German forces in Italy to be disposed of.

September 9th

0200 - Laying in SALERNO BAY and troops left the ship. Soon after our arrival off the coast we were attacked by enemy A/C, but the bombs dropped all went wide.
Landings mostly successful, but in some places troops had fairly stiff opposition to overcome. From our position, some 2 miles off the coast, we can see plenty of gunfire and here and there large explosions.
Just before dawn we had another attack, but once again we escaped damage, although some smaller craft were not so lucky and we heard 3 were sunk but a stick of
bombs.
Before 0800, the Bay is the scene of great activity and large numbers of ships and other landing craft have arrived. After the return of our boats we got under weigh and after some delay in the forming up
with other SLI's we sailed for Bizerta.

September 10th

Arrived Bizerta. During the afternoon we had the pleasure of seeing part of the Italian Fleet sailing past the port on their way to internment at Malta.
Italian ships consisted of 2 Battleships, 5 Cruisers and half a dozen or so Destroyers. Leading this sorry procession were some units of our own fleet - the Battelships Valiant, Warspite and some escorting Destroyers.


September 11th

Proceeded up harbour to embark troops. PM embarked 400 Paratroops. Understand we are them to Taranto, the capture of which was reported yesterday. Left later in the evening for Taranto in company with Prince Charles, Prince Leopold, Royal Scotsman and Ulster Monarch. September 12th At sea. Most of the soldiers we are carrying are not paratroops but glider pilots. They took part in the landings on Sicily, but there things did not seem to go to plan for them. They told us that many of their gliders landed up in the sea. For this they blamed the Yankee towing planes who slipped them too soon because they came up against some light anti-aircraft flak.

September 13th

Arrived off Taranto at 1600. We were not allowed to enter the spacious harbour owing to the danger of mines. HMS Obedient is reported to have struck one a couple of days ago whilst entering harbour. Shortly
after our arrival enemy planes came over and dropped some bombs inshore. Disembarked troops into an Italian lighter and left at 2300 for Augusta.

September 14th

Arrived Augusta at 1900. Six Italian S/Ms
(submarines?) anchored in the harbour.

September 18th

0000. Left Augusta for Syracuse to embark troops. 1400. ArriVed Syracuse and embarked 720 troops, half of which were coloured, natives of Mauritius. Left Syracuse at 1800 for Taranto.

September 19th

0800. Arrived Taranto and disembarked troops during the forenoon.
1800. Sailed for Catania with General
Sir Brian Robertson and a couple of Brigadiers as passengers.

September 20th

0800. Arrived Catania. Quite a fair-sized port but it has ben badly knocked about by Allied bombing. Went ashore for the evening. Population seemed quite
friendly. Bought a bedspread.

September 24th

Embarked another 720 troops and sailed at 1800 in company with Prince Charles and Prince Albert - escort Exmoor, destination Taranto.

September 25th

Arrived Taranto 0830 and disembarked troops.
1600. Left TAranto on the return trip to CAtania.

September 26th

0700. Arrived Catania. Embarked 800 more troops during forenoon. Also embarked some landing craft and dropped an equivalent number of our own.
1600. Left Catania for Taranto in company with Prince Albert and escorted by destroyer Tetcott.

September 27th

0630. Arrived Taranto and disembarked troops. Leave given from 1300 to 1600. Went ashore to have a look around the town. Quite a large modern place with good buildings and wide streets, compares verey favourably with Algiers. Bought a coffee set for reasonable price of 200 lira (10 shillings). Left Taranto at 1730 for Brindisi.

September 28th

0800 Arrived Brindisi and anchored off port. Landing craft which we shipped at Catania left the ship
1600. Left for Catania. Prince Albert in company. Escort Tetcott.

September 29th

a.m. arrived Catania and after picking up our own landing craft we sailed for Augusta where we arrived a couple of hours later.

October 2nd

p.m. Left Augusta for Algiers escorted by Dulverton.

October 5th

Arrived Algiers.

October 16th

Left Algiers for Djijelli and Malta in company with Boxer and Bruiser.

October 17th

Arrived Djijelli and disembarked passengers and mail.

October 18th

1330. Left Djijelli for Bizerta. Same ships in company with escort destroyer Oakley.

October 19th

Arrived Bizerta 1830. Discharged canteen stores and mail. Left at noon for Tripoli.

October 20th

1430. Arrived Tripoli. Skipper returned to ship after spending some two weeks ashore in hospital with yellow jaundice.

October 22nd

Left Tripoli at 1300 with Boxer and Bruiser in company. Escort Oakley.

October 23rd

Arrived Malta at 0800. Entered harbour at 1000 and tied up in Dockyard Creek. Left Malta in company with Royal Ulsterman for Naples escorted by Laforcy and
Oakley.

Passed through Straits of Messina at dusk.
Discharged passengers and mail.

November 2nd
Arrived Naples Bay at 0830 and dropped anchor off Misida - a small suburb of Naples. Weather very clear and sunny and we had a fine view of Vesuvius from
which a large white plume of smoke arises and drifts across the Bay. Weighed anchor at 1730 and proceeded to Castellamaria - a popular pre-war holiday resort some 15 miles from the city of Naples and also three
miles from Pompeii.

November 6th

Visited the ruins of Pompeii. Our brief tour of this once-popular summer resort of the Neapolitans which met disaster when Vesuvius erupted. Our visit was very interesting and instructive especially as our guide could speak very fair English.

December 4th

Left Castellamaria at 1600 for Malta escorted by Paladin.

December 5th

Uneventful voyage although not a very pleasant one as sea rather rough. Arrived Malta shortly before noon and tied up in Dockyard Creek. Reason for this is to
take in stores.

December 8th

Left Malta shortly before noon for Naples. Paladin again acting as escort. Passed through Straits of Messina at dusk.

December 9th

Arrived off Naples a 0700 and dropped anchor outside breakwater.

January 7th

Left Naples 2330 escorted by Ilex for Djijelli

January 9th

Arrived Djijelli 0800 and embarked landing craft and crews. Left again for Naples at 1100, escort Inglefield.

January 10th

Arrived Naples and anchored off Pozzouli.

January 20th

Embarked 400 odd US Rangers for a job up the coast.

January 21st

Left Pozzouli at noon in company with Royal Ulsterman, Winchester Castle, Sobuski, Derbyshire, Ascania and one or two other troop transports for a landing deep in the enemy rear. This has all the appearance of a major landing and our own party are only a fraction of the number of ships engaged. The job of the US Rangers whom we are carrying is to land on the beaches near Porto Anzio and seize the port as quickly as possible and as intact as possible, so that we can quickly use it to land transport, tanks, etc. Porto Anzio is a small port some 25 miles south of Rome. Arrived off Porto Anzio at midnight and started to disembark troops. No opposition was encountered en route from Pozzouli.

January 22nd

Zero hour for landing 0200. At 0150 rocketships lying off the beach let off their rockets to clear the beaches. It is an amazing sight to see the effect of these rockets after they have exploded on the beaches. It seems impossible that anyone could remain alive. Soon after the troops landed we got back reports by W/T that the beach had been successfully taken with next to no opposition. Shortly after daybreak dozens of LST's, LCIs and other craft moved towards the port to discharge their cargoes of men and materials. This surprise landing well behind enemy lines should not only open up the way to Rome but also trap very large enemy forces opposing the advance of the 5th Army. Before we left on the return trip to Pozzouli at 1100 we had three air raid warnings but it seems our fighters dispersed the enemy planes before they could do any damage. Arrived Pozzouli at 1700.

January 27th

Left for Anzio at 0200 to pick up further batch of LCA's, escort Cleveland. Arrived off Anzio 0830. Enemy fighter bombers paid us several visits throughout the
forenoon but the bombs they emptied out fell wide of the ship. Left Anzio at noon and arrived at Naples at 2000.

January 30th

Left Naples for Malta for 10 days refitting. Escorts Bruiser and Boxer, Wheatland and Ferndale.

January 31st

Arrived Malta am and proceeded alongside for refit.

February 12th

Left Malta 1600 for Bizerta. No escorts this trip.

February 13th

Arrived Bizerta just before noon and later proceeded up to Ferryville.

May 12th

Left Bizerta for Djijelli - no escort.

May 13th

Arrived Djijelli 0700. Discharged five Leading Hands and received five Junior Ratings in exchange. Left for
Malta 1100.

May 14th

Arrived Malta for re-storing.

June 1st

Discharged landing craft. Sailed for Djijelli and 1500 escorted by Belvoir.

June 2nd

Arrived Djijelli 1445. Embarked rocket ALC's and left for Ajaccio at 1700.

June 3rd

Arrived Ajaccio 1400 and disembarked 5 ALC's. Left for Messina at 1600.

June 4th
Arived Messina 1500. Fair sized town and from seaward it doesn't seem to be too badly knocked about. Expected to see the place practically flattened. Disembarked the three remaining landing craft and then proceeded alongside for fresh water. Left at 2300 for Malta. June 5th Arrived Malta 0900 and tied up in Dockyard Creek in out old billet.

June 6th

D-Day! Great excitement over the news that at last the second front has opened and successful landings have been made on Normandy coasts.

June 20th

Left Malta for Djijelli at 0600.

June 21st

0800 arrived Djijelli and proceeded alongside to embark landing craft personnel and base staff. Left at 1400 for Messina.

June 22nd

Arrived Messina at 1700.

June 23rd

Left Messina 1700 for Taranto.

June 24th

Arrived Taranto 0700. Great surprise to hear from Charles stationed ashore here. Marvellous to see him again - the first meeting for over four years. The last occasion was at Weymouth where we were both sent to join our respective ships just before the outbreak of war. During our short stay in Taranto I was able to
meet Charles shore on a couple of occasions when he showed me round the town. We finished up by having our photos taken together. Charles also came on board the
P B and we had a swim over the ship's side. Just before we left for Barletta I discovered that Charles had
gone ashore without his 'breathing licence'. I just get it back to him somehow as he will be worried stiff over the loss.

July 19th

Left Taranto for Barletta at 0630 (small and
old-fashioned port about 40 miles north of Bari). Arrived Barletta 1900.

July 22nd

Embarked about 800 troops - pioneers including some Basutos and Indian troops. Sailed at 2200 for Ancona.

July 23rd

Arrived Ancona 1100. After disembarking military personnel sailed for Barletta 1400.

July 24th

Arrived Barletta 0300. During the afternoon embarked another 800 troops consisting of Pioneers - native troops and some Polish units. Sailed for Ancona at 2200 with Tenacious as escort.

July 25th

Arrived Ancona 1000 and after disembarking troops left once again for Barletta.

July 26th

Arrived Barletta 0200. pm embarked over 400 more troops consisting of British, Poles, and Italians (best cocktail so far!). Left for Ancona 2200 escort Whaddon.

July 27th

Arruved Ancona 1100 and discharged Army personnel and then left for Barletta at 1300.

July 28th

Arrived Barletta 0100. Left for Naples 0900. No escort.

July 29th

Arrived Naples 1300 and anchored in Bay. Never seen the Bay look so full of ships. Several of them appear to be Invasion ships - the shape of things to come?
Looks very much as though a landing on the south coast of France will be our next job.

July 30th to August 11th

Exercising French troops in landing craft. Troops embarked at Agropoli, a small town about 80 miles south of Naples.

August 12th

Final embarkation of French troops after which we sailed for Corsica. No doubt now that large scale landing is to take place in South of France.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.