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I was posted to 23rd Vehicle Company and commenced work immediately. The unit was living under canvass at the time. The ground was quite hard, and a lot of scraping was done to make it more amenable to ones individual contours. Ones kit bag was the pillow, and of course the Mosquito net absolutely essential.
Permanent mud huts were being built with electric fans installed, it was agreat day when I moved into one of these, accommodating 12 men. The size of the whole complex was amazing, comparing in total size, with the size of Plymouth surrounded by a wire fence protected on the outside by a minefield, and the whole including three or four entrances guarded by Indian Infantry Regiments. A railway system existed inside base with camels used for occasional shunting. Huge vehicle parks of damaged vehicles stretched as far as the eye could see, all in the blazing heat of 120 degrees plus, in mid summer. No 1 Base workshops were an integral part of a strategic plan to supply arms and materials to the Russian war effort via the back door, across the Ural mountains.
I have attempted to preserve a copy of the 'Basrah Times' a daily publication in English, copies of which were delivered daily to Base workshops. My copy has become so delicate with time, but it so adequately described what P.A.I Force was about that I have decided to copy it.
Extract from BASRAH TIMES, Thursday August 24th 1944.
As each great Russian drive bites deeper into the fortress of Hitler's tyranny, there are men far from the battle front.
British, American, Indian,Polish and Russian, men at office desks, in long cabins, at the wheels of river craft, perched high on telephone poles in the blazing sun or crouching together for warmth in dug outs high in the mountain passes, who can pause for a moment in their labours and say, " I too, had a share in that", their task is " Aid to Russia", three words that spell not only great victories in the field, but one of the greatest supply achievements in the history of warfare. Official figures just released by GHQ Persia- Iraq Command, show that over three and three quarter million tons of Aid to Russia, material has been delivered to the Russians through Persia- Iraq command- nearly 50 per cent of the total given by Britain, Canada and the United States of America.
Some idea of the colossal task in ensuring the delivery of these arms and ammunitions can be obtained from the fact that from initial deliveries by PAI force of 25,000 tons from Sept to Dec 1941, the tonnage has risen to approximately one and three quarter million tons in the first half of this year, made up of tanks, guns, aeroplanes, trucks, food, ammunition, petrol and oil.
The story behind this Aid to Russia is one of individual effort and courage by the troops, of gigantic feats of engineering and ingenuity, and of the triumph over extreme climatic conditions, huge distances and many other difficulties.
PAI force really began, although not under that title, in May 1941 when the progress of the war in Europe and North Africa were far from favourable to the Allied cause and subversive elements in Iraq, backed by Nazi money and promises, organized a rising led by the notorious Rashid Ali.
Fulfilling her treaty obligations and in protection of the guaranteed independence of Iraq, Britain rushed up re-inforcements and quelled the rising. Then came the threat of a German advance from the North and the force was further augmented. The menace from the North receeded, but at the same time the armies of Russia were in desperate need of supplies, and their Allies rushed to their rescue.
Soon a great route sprang up on the roads and railways between the Persian Gulf and the Russo-Persian frontier. It was a long and difficult trail, involving one of the greatest and swiftest pioneering achievments of all time. Ports, railways and roads were re planned and re built. Tanks, ammunition, trucks, food and basic materials such as steel and rubber from the British Empire and from America began to pour into the Persian Gulf Ports and while they were being unloaded engineers worked feverishly to enlarge and improve the port facilities. With this port expansion came the growth of road and rail facilities. In the first 15 months some 375,000 tons of help were delivered,In the last three months of 1942 the average monthly total was 40,000 tons. By July 1943 this figure had soared to more than 150,000 tons, by December to nearly 250,000 and by July of this year to 300,000.
Since the formation of the American Persian Gulf Command, Aid to Russia has been a divided responsibility between the British and Americans. Inland Water Transport for instance has been run entirely by the British, while aeroplane assembly has been an American affair, but British and American troops in many parts of Persia are working side by side for their Russian Allies.
First port to be used for unloading these precious cargoes for the Red Army was Bandar Shahpur then the only port equipped to pass loads from ship to railway. It began with a modest 15,000 tons a month. Today it thinks nothing of 70,000 tons per month.
Next Khorramshah was pressed into service. At first it started from practically nothing with very inadequate road and rail services.
Now it is the most important port in the Aid to Russia business designed to handle 180,000 tons a month. One month it actually reached the amazing figure of 190,000 tons.
Basrah has been used primarily to bring food and supplies to the British and Indian forces in the command but even so its average has been about 30,000 tons a month of " Aid to Russia" traffic.
Vast figures appear in the list of war materials sent to the Russians. Aviation fuel alone amounted to 43,000,000 gallons.
M.T petrol used in convoying Aid to Russia amounted to over 80,000,000 gallons. one transport column alone lifted 275 convoy loads and in the space of seven months 4,000,000 light tins were supplied for aviation spirit.
In addition over 4,500 planes were assembled, mostly by Americans and flown to Russia by Russian pilots and from the beginning of June 1943 to the end of June this year, 13,204 vehicles were assembled at British Army installations.
Inland Water Transport with lighters and barges at harbours and on rivers, had up to the end of June lifted a total of 1,025,000 tons, a monthly average of 46,000 tons and a daily average of 1,500 tons. Their best performance was nearly 80,000 tons in one month.
With brilliant technicians behind it and with the skilled men to carry out their ideas the mechanical side of the business went smoothly, but nature had to be reckoned with too. From the intense humid heat of the Persian Gulf, with shade temperatures often over 120 fahrenhite men convoying these sinews of war to the U.S.S.R frequently found themselves within 3 days faced with Arctic conditions, and had to keep their engines alive in a temperature of 40 degrees below, not to mention themselves.In the early days they suffered great privations, and it was not long before the authorities started to organize recognised staging points with hot baths and showers etc, canteens and small townships built up where the weary travellers could rest. Mobile cinemas also visited these halting places.
So, when they stop to think, and in years to come when they llok back, the troops in Persia and Iraq will have nothing to reproach themselves with, neither will they cavil against the fate which sent then here.
Their endeavours have already written a mighty chapter in the history of the war, a chapter of hardships endured, of pioneering feats achieved and of unremitting toil in comparative obscurity, that this horrible disease of Nazism may be stamped out.End of Extract.
Ir wasan't all work and no play by any means. Every weekend transport was laid on to Basrah and whilst there was precious little to do there it provided some relief to get away from the confines of the desert fortress syndrome. To be able to relax in the cool atmosphere by the Y.M.C.A was well worth the trip.
Within the base was a swimmimg pool which was not a great attraction as the water was too hot and not very clean.An open air cinema showed films on most evenings and visits from ENSA parties, some South African, were always well appreciated. The canteen was well patronised and beer ( in cans) was available on a ration basis, purchase being by coupons, plus cash, amounting to no more than two cans per day. Iced soft drinks were served and tombola played until 10pm daily. Coupons could be saved for special occasions, like Xmas etc. Sports meetings were held rarely, but novelty events like Donkey Derbies were very popular.

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