大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War website by Amy, a pupil from Teversham Primary School on behalf of Eric Latham and has been added to the site with his permission. Mr Latham fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

I was with the 100th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, 56 Division, when we invaded Italy. Our role was to defend the field guns positions from low flying air attacks. We could also become Anti-Tank if required. It was a long hard slog against stiff enemy resistance. At all times during our advances we dug holes (dugouts) about 2ft deep for two of us to sleep in with our small tents erected over us. My 鈥淏ivo鈥� mate was Alf Murphy, a short little guy with a Lancashire accent and a strong Tenor voice. The gun crew consisted of 1 Sergeant, 1 Bombardier, 6 Gunners and 1 Driver.
When we came to the Battle for Monte Cassino we were withdrawn to Naples where we boarded landing crafts and made a landing to the rear of Cassino to attack their supply routes. We landed at Anzio. During our stay here things got rougher than any other time with frequent shelling and mortar fire, so we all dug our dugouts deeper and cut down trees for timber to lay over them and then pile the earth on top. For some reason or another Alf and I didn鈥檛 make much progress so when the time came to bed down we slept in a rather shallow pit with nothing over us. Close by this pit there was a bramble bush of tangled branches. Two days previously I had washed a shirt, washing our clothes and getting them dry was always a problem so I thought it a good idea before I bed down to lay my damp shirt over the bramble bush spreading it out with the arms stretched out, went to sleep thinking it would be dry in the morning. During the night a shell exploded near to our shallow pit. We always had to be up on our feet manning the gun at dawn ready for action. Dawn was a good time for low flying air attacks. When I was on my feet I could see where the shell burst, it was dangerously close. The bramble bush was destroyed and my shirt was missing. Sometime later I found the remains of my shirt, only the parts of double thickness material survived, the collar with seams of the arms attached and the cuffs hanging on. When I held it up for our lads to see they all thought it was hilarious, Captain Baker came to see if we were OK, Sgt Fuller said 鈥淟atham show Capt Baker your shirt鈥�, he took one look and burst out laughing, saying good job you weren鈥檛 in it! It was good to have a laugh it helped to ease the tension. Throughout the day jokes were made about my shirt, like saying it had been well aired. Toward the end of the day I was getting very irate about our inadequate dugout and said I would work on it after dark. Sgt Fuller heard me complaining and he with a firm voice said 鈥淎lright, Alright Keep your shirt on鈥� meaning hold your temper, the lads burst out laughing, Sgt Fuller for that moment had forgotten the matter of the shirt and after realising why they were laughing he too had to laugh and I also which helped to change my mood. Alf and I did get our dugout sorted out.
Eventually we left Anzio, all guns, ammunition and equipment etc, were left in position ready for the relieving regiment to take-over. We went back to Naples before starting our journey to Egypt for rest, leave and to recuperate. Before we left Naples we were informed the take-over was easy but one gun position had a direct hit by a shell, killing some of the crew. The gun position was the one we had occupied!
So on to Egypt, buts that another story.

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