大象传媒

MISSING - PRESUMED P.O.W.

Gnr.R.H.ROPER D.C.M. (1918-1986)

57th LIGHT ANTI-AICRAFT REGT. ROYAL ARTILLERY (Jan 40-Jul 46)

Served in Syria,Western Desert,Italy and Greece

Sent in by Mrs M.Payne daughter of above

This account, in my father鈥檚 handwriting, was found after he died

Location 鈥� North Africa

In January 1942 our famous withdrawal from positions at El Agelia and Bengasi began. We on Bofor A.A. guns were out of action on a few days rest when the news came through and we were immediately put into action again.We defended the Barce Pass while a lot of soft- skinned vehicles got through. We then joined up with a column consisting of artillery and infantry to fight rearguards.We stopped at Fort de Marttino while Jerry caught up with us and our forward troops withdrew through our line. We then withdrew ourselves under cover of darkness that night (Feb.1st) and travelled down towards Giovanni Berta and turned right off the main road onto the Carmussa track leading to Matuba. We stopped,got into action and waited for daylight and also for Jerry to catch up with us.About lunchtime we saw him come flying down the track about a mile away and our artillery opened fire.He stopped and began to spread out, his infantry debussing and advancing,with tanks coming forward as well.

A lively battle took place but he was too big in strength for us, and as some of our 25 pdrs.were being overrun we were ordered to withdraw.We came up onto the track again where our column was lined up ready to get going.Our officer told us to stand fast and wait till all our column had passed us,then we were to start firing to defend the column as it went up the road.Well we did as we were bid and before we knew what was happening the column had disappeared over the horizon and our Bofor and us were fighting Jerry all on our own.Well his anti-tank guns and artillery got us in their sights and after dropping a few around us,he got two direct hits in the engine of the tractor therefore putting us out of action. Before we got knocked out we had accounted for at least three Jerry vehicles.

We were given the order to abandon the gun and run for it.Before we complied with this order we disabled the gun in the only way possible in the time available, as Jerry infantry was only a couple of hundred yards away.We took the breech out and distributed the parts to our lads, then we split up. The driver and I were wounded.The driver was badly wounded in the thigh and was helpless and so four of us stopped and attended to his wounds.We then put him on his greatcoat and carried him as best we could.Jerry was gaining on us,firing on us.We had to make a terrible decision there and then.We had to leave a very old friend,our driver, and carry on.It was a wrench to us but it had to be done.

We then headed in to the Wadis south of Derna and we lost our pursuers.We stopped for a breather and then went up to the top of the Wadi and saw Jerry鈥檚 column away to our right or the east and they were being shelled by our guns from somewhere.We had to keep low and we went down into the wadi again and travelled along it until it got dark and the moon came up.We then tried to head towards where our guns were firing during the afternoon.But all was quiet now, and we found ourselves wandering round in circles, so we went back into the wadi and stopped for the night.
Next morning we carried on and by this time we were very hungry having been without food since the previous lunchtime, but we got plenty of water in the hollow rocks.My leg was giving me hell by this time.We carried on and later found about six Arabs sitting around a little fire and making Arab tea.We were invited to sit down and have some tea, and believe me it was the best drink I鈥檇 ever had,we also had some of their bread which was very welcome.We enquired of these Arabs whether Jerry was in Derna yet, and they sent an Arab off to find out.While we waited one Arab went away and came back after a few minutes with a sandbag of Army biscuits
and filled us up with these.Then the other chap came back and told us that Jerry was in Derna and our forces were in Matuba.

We headed for Matuba, which lay across the Wadis towards the east.My leg was hurting a lot now and our progress was slow and I begged the lads to stop for the night and we did but I never slept as it was cold and my knee was painful. The next morning (4th Feb) I found I couldn鈥檛 move at all,my leg had stiffened up and I couldn鈥檛 stand,let alone walk. I had a talk with the other three lads and came to the decision that they should carry on and I said that I would contact an Arab or at worst make my way to Derna and give myself up to the Jerry to get medical attention. Well
I shall never forget seeing my three friends disappearing over the hill, but I stopped where I was for a while and I heard someone coming.It was the Arab who was with his friends of the day before.

He looked at me and saw I was in a helpless state so he picked me up as if I was nothing and carried me to his cave where the rest of his family was.They laid me on a bed of blankets and then had a look at my knee.They bathed it and then gave me some food and cigarettes.I stopped there in another cave in case Jerry or Itie decided to pay us a visit.I was helpless and these Arabs were being very kind feeding and supplying me with smokes so I decided to stop until I could walk again.

It took almost two months before I could hobble around and during that time I found out that I wasn鈥檛 far from Jerry and Ity airfields named Tetair. When I was able to walk I shifted to another cave, this time on top of the Wadi and luckily I could see Jerry鈥檚 airfield and watch his planes.I was getting restless now and I made enquiries as how my chances stood for getting out, but the Arabs told me it was impossible as even when they tried to walk around they were stopped,searched and had to show a pass.Also the Italians used to search the Wadis periodically, I used to see them myself but I was well out of the way.

All this time I used to get my meals regularly,Arab food of course,but it was a case of liking it or starve.Also I was never without a smoke for more than three days.I used to get a lot of Italian cigars and I was lucky to have my pipe with me and I broke them up to smoke them in it.About this time the shrapnel in my knee was beginning to prick , so I got it out with the aid of a jack-knife,I got two or three pieces out that way.I was also lice-ridden which almost sent me crazy several times.

The next thing I heard was that Tobruk had fallen into Jerry hands and a lot of our fellows were prisoners. It gave me shock because I had a hope of getting back to Tobruk.A few days later I heard through the Arabs that British fellows were now in a prison cage in Derna and four fellows had escaped into the Wadis. The next night the Arabs told me that they couldn鈥檛 go near these British chaps as they were running about openly.So I told them to wait till night, then take them some food and water and bring them to my cave.At about 1 o鈥檆lock in the morning these fellows came in and believe me, I had been talking pidgin Arabic for nearly six months so that I had forgotten for the moment how to speak English and I was greeting these chaps in Arabic.

Well I found that three of these fellows were South Africans and the other a Welshman. They had quite an exploit in escaping.We arranged to wait a week and then try to get out.The Arabs didn鈥檛 like me going with the other four chaps as I had spent six months with them and they reckoned I was a Senoussi.We waited nearly a week then one night an Arab came up jabbering something about a patrol,when he quietened down I understood that he had contacted a British patrol,presumably a L.R.D.G. Patrol.
So the next night we started out at 8.30 it was soon dark and we made our way through enemy lines, and then the Arab guides started up a hell of a pace which we could hardly keep up and my knee started playing up rough, which I had to have massaged every few miles by one of the South Africans.We stopped at about 2 o鈥檆lock in the morning for a sleep.Then we carried on at daybreak and travelled about five miles,stopped for a meal and a long rest then carried on getting to our destination about 4.30 in the afternoon. My feet were all blistered and I was very tired,the other chaps, although they were infantry, were fagged out.

A little later to our surprise there came a Major in British uniform.He introduced himself as Major Peniakoff and also with him was a chap in tattered shorts and shirt with a long beard,he was a Corporal.We then learnt that we had run into a very secret organisation of the British Army operating with the Libyan Arab Force.We stopped with these people for ten days and during this time another officer turned up.He was Capt.Chapman.Then a L.R.D.G.Patrol turned up and we were all to be taken back,they took photographs of us and were very interested in our story.

We started off the same day and we had orders to go down south about 6 or 7 hundred miles to Kuffra Oasis.This trip took us seven days. We went through the Great Sand Sea which is a really marvellous place,dead silent,white sand and rolling dunes. Some of these were razor- back dunes, a smooth slope up one side but sheer drops the other side.Most of this sand sea is very treacherous. We arrived at Kuffra Oasis in due course.This Oasis is a big place of palm trees(dates) and plenty of fresh water, with a fort and an aerodrome which was manned by the South African Air Force.

We had orders to go back to Cairo by plane but as luck would have it the plane crashed on the aerodrome, so the orders changed and we had to go on a Sudanese motor convoy down to Wadi Kalfa, on the River Nile and just inside the Sudanese border.We stopped in a transit camp there for a couple of days, then we got movement orders to travel on a river boat to Cairo,up the Nile as far as the Asswaan Dam and then by train. The trip up the Nile was very interesting.These boats are something like the Yankee show-boats.We arrived at Asswaan after two days and stopped a night on the boat , caught the train next midday and spent almost 2 days getting to Cairo.

As soon as we arrived in Cairo we were whisked away to G.H.Q.where we were congratulated and sent on to the Allied Interrogation Organisation at Mahdi Camp.
We were under interrogation for 2 days and gave in some valuable information.
Then we went to the Base Depot and were given new equipment and sent on 14 days leave and collected some back pay.
The date was now September 9th, seven months after I started my experience.
In November 1942 I heard that I had been awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.

Addendum

Not long ago I read 鈥淧opski鈥檚 Private Army鈥� by Vladimir Peniakoff and found the following about a party of refugees:- 鈥渙ne of them, a Londoner,had not come from the cage at all.He had been wounded in the knee during our withdrawal six months previously:unable to keep up with his companions,he had been looked after by Arabs.鈥� He described my father as a methodical lad who kept a diary.
I have his diaries and I intend to type up the contents shortly,to preserve them for future generations.
My father had told us about being missing for six months and being looked after by the Arabs, but I had no idea of the details until I read the above account and his diaries.

In February 1943 the Military Government located the Arabs and rewarded them.

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