- Contributed by听
- ageconcernnewcastle
- People in story:听
- Mary Lambert
- Location of story:听
- Italy
- Background to story:听
- Army
- Article ID:听
- A2553563
- Contributed on:听
- 23 April 2004
Serving in Italy during World War II during 1994-46 was not exactly a holiday. I was a code, a cipher officer stationed in Caserta 17 miles north of Naples, working in the Palace of Caserta which was the headquarter of all the services fighting in Italy, Allied Forces Headquarters (AFHQ).
Transport to and from anywhere was no problem at all. Request transport and it was granted.
My best friend of the moment was stationed in Florence, so how to get there?
I was driven in a 15cwt van to an American airfield. The journey up to Florence was quite an adventure. The German Army had retreated past Rome so we were quite safe except for the aftermath of hostilities. I had left muddy roads, muddy fields and it had been raining the night before. So what happened? The 15cwt got bogged down with no sign of help at all, right out in the country late at night. There was nothing for it but to bed down in the truck for the night amongst furniture the driver was delivering elsewhere. No beds but two chairs were very handy. We did manage to cat-nap to the sound of a very busy mouse rummaging about.
We were made aware of our predicament next morning as there was no solution as to how to get extricated from the sea of mud. I got out of the truck on hearing engines. There were two huge, and I mean enormous, pan technicians slowly grinding their way towards me. Being very brave and desperate I flagged them down. 鈥淐ould somebody help us get our truck out of the quagmire, please?鈥 I asked. 鈥淪orry ma鈥檃m this is the United States mail going north and we are not allowed to stop for anything鈥 said the driver leaning out of his window.
The escorting jeep came whizzing round the huge vans. 鈥淲hat鈥檚 going on, why have you stopped?鈥 I stated my predicament in the saddest voice I could muster, telling him my problem. It worked.
鈥淲e are going that way, jump into my jeep ma鈥檃m鈥, said the young lieutenant. So there I was, in a jeep, joining the convoy to escort the United States mail up central Italy, during the war!
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