大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War Site by Margaret Walsh of The Royal Star and Garter Home on behalf of Lucy De Burgh and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

On my way to Italy we stayed in Algeria. There was an earthquake and a plague of locusts. We had to get the locusts out of the garden. The Arabs shouted, "Arhh....get rid of the locusts!" I went into the garden with my mess tin, which I banged with scissors. It was the noise that drove the locusts away.

Then we went to Italy by troop ship. I was in a POW detention centre near Naples, where I was interpreting the German prisoners' conversations. We drove up to Rome - it was horrifying to see the state of the country in the Cassino area. All the trees had been blasted black, from the guns I suppose. The people were struggling to rebuild their lives.

We went through the mountains to get to Rome. I was in a similar occupation in Rome. At one point I went to Naples to AFHQ where I was billeted in a French family. They had a very bad-tempered Sardinian maid and the employers had regular shouting matches with her. They also had two large boxer dogs which came into my room in the morning and raced round and round without permission. One day when I was returning to the house she threw something at me. I didn't know what it was.

Later, in Rome, I was billeted in a hotel. The allies had taken over a lot of hotels. We were picked up daily to go to our work by military transport.

In Rome I had a slightly different job. I was PA to the Colonel in Charge of the Unit. I had to do correspondence and deal with various clients. Sometimes we went on tours to thank people individually who had helped the allies. Sometimes they had open meetings when the Alexander certificates were handed out to distinguished helpers.

When in Rome we had an audience with the Pope of the time. It was amazing to see St. Peter's Square on New Year's Eve filled with 150,000 people.

Later we went to Austria where there were more helpers. On our way to Austria the car broke down in the snow, but we eventually got to Vienna where the headquarters of the allies was in the Palace of Schonbrunn.

On one occasion, when we were going to Pontremoli, we got caught in the snow and had to walk through the snow to get there on time. The CO did not want to disappoint them.

On another occasion a friend of mine, who was a rather intrepid man, thought he'd gave me a present to please me. He brought me a landmine! I didn't know what to do with it.

When the Commander came round to inspect our rooms he became enraged and said, "If you don't get rid of this before I come round again I'll have you court martialled!" Naturally I was rather worried. I managed to get it into my kit bag.

Next morning I went out early before anyone was about and fortunately the guards didn't challenge me. They just looked curiously at me and I started off.

A friend, who usually went on early morning walks caught up with me. She said, "You seem to be carrying something rather heavy. What is it?" I said, "Well actually it is a landmine!" She said, "O really - do let me help you with it." So we dragged it along until we found somewhere we thought we could safely deposit it without endangering anyone. There was a lane leading near to a village. So we dragged it there and dumped it in a ditch. Then we continued our walk as if nothing had happened!

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