大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Nadine from the People's War team on behalf of Robert Salmond and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

I was part of the 46 squadron detachment on the escarpment above Tobruk, close to the "Tobruk By-pass". Five Beaufighters, five Bedford 5 tonners and forty Bods. We were there for six months, which included XMAS 1943. It was an extremely spartan existance. Living in a hole-in-the-ground usually is.

The "Tobruk By-pass" was probably built by the Italians round the port of Tobruk circa 20/06/42 - 20/10/1942. During the siege in 1941 from 10th April until the 10th December, there was a garrison strength of 22,000 variable, made up of the Australian 9th Division, 1st Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, the 3rd Armoured Brigade (RHA) and Anti-aircraft Regiment.

Supplies were brought in from Alexandria by the Navy A-Lighters, mainly on moonless nights. (Information from undercover army signaler, can now be revealed as Frank Spy Anderson).

46 Squadron were equipped as Nightfighters. The pilots and Navigator may have been given an extra ration of carrots, but I can tell you, now that it is sixty years ago, there was a bit more to it, and I had a first hand experience.

In a Beaufighter there is floor-space behind the pilot, the Navigator sits with his equipment, just behind on the left, connected by headphones to each other and ground link. This day, I occupied this passenger-space along with Inter-com headphones. On the practice, on the first sortie, this plane was to be the pursuit aircraft. The "enemy" had taken off five minutes previously. From "take-off" all instructions were heard from ground, viz:- Level off at 7000, speed alternates, degrees starboard/port, weather and wind and cloud formations. This verbal barrage went on continuously. Now we were flying in cloud, nil visibility.
Ground Radar/Communication tell us we are two miles behind the "enemy", eighty miles from base, nearly out of range, the Navigator and the aircraft's equipment will now take over, to hunt the "enemy". All this action is being engendered on a Monitor, depicting two dots on the screen, the instructions from Ground Control moving the Pursuit aircraft red dot nearer to the black dot (enemy) duplicated on the Navigators monitor.

Flying in cloud, the navigator keeps up a barrage of instructions to the Pilot, rise to elevation, 12 degrees starboard, increase speed, throttle back, be prepared, the enemy is straight ahead, and at the cloud break --- there he is --- dead ahead. FIRE! A sure hit. That's nightfighting.

We disengage and change roles. Complete the second practice and disengage, to recce the shipping in the Med, shoot up a practice buoy and turn for base. On approach at 3000 ft, the camp layout is easily recognized, even though it is only a tented area.

The next thing I hear is very frightening. The pilot is warning the navigator, that he is going to shoot up Bou Amoud, great fun! The navigator reminds the pilot that there is a passenger on board. To no avail. I am not going to like this. The pilot pushes the stick forward, opens the throttles, I am going over the pilot's head, the engines are scream-scream-screaming, the ground is coming up at a tremendous gut-wrenching rate, about to smash into the ground, I'm barely conscious. Closing the throttle, the beaufighter seems to stop in mid-air, the stick gets pulled back, the throttles slammed open, I'm on my knees, paralyzed, head gone, stomach in my head, where is the sting? Where is my head? That is not nightfighting. But I have learned a lot!

In 1997 I revisited Tobruk, not Bou Amoud, the Township. In the company of ex Desert Rats on the invitation from Colonel Gaddafi the Libyan leader, who treated us most royally. I might tell you about that time, sometime.

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