大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by a volunteer from Lincolnshire CSV Action Desk on behalf of Norman Elsdon and has been added to the site with his permission. Mr Elsdon fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

Salerno and Beyond

On the morning of the 26th September, we anchored off Salerno beaches and for the first time we felt the roll of the sea. Quite a few had to rush to the side of the boat. Although I felt uncomfortable, I was not seasick and it was not long before we were driving down the ramp on to firm sand. By this time, militarily, things were well in hand, loudspeakers and military police guiding the traffic on to the roads. Our squadron moved on and leaguered for a time in a field. On the way we passed tanks which had been knocked out in the initial invasion a few days before. After living in the North African deserts, it was marvellous being able to eat Italian fruit and tomatoes to our hearts鈥� content. Another move and we spent about a day I believe in another field where we were able to sample the local walnuts.

Our next move was through Salerno and beyond. We went up a precipitous zigzag road to a most delightful village, Ravello. Apart form its beauty, I remember little except that we spent one night sleeping in the streets and that the church bells rang almost continuously. We then retraced our steps down to the cost road. One recollection is of the driver of our armoured car having a tendency to confuse the clutch with the brake which made the bends in the road down from Ravello rather alarming. Along the coast road we had to go and check up on a bridge destroyed by the retreating German army. In the evening we returned in the dark with some difficulty up the tortuous road to Ravello 鈥� no lights permitted - where we bedded down on the side of the village street with the bells ringing in our ears. Our stay at Ravello was not very log and we soon moved down to the coast road. My chronicle of events hereabouts will be rather patchy 鈥� after all these happenings were, or at least they seem, rather a long time ago.

The next recollection is of bivvying for the bight on the promenade at Minora. I remember we found a staircase in a building across the street where we were able to cook our meal and also preserve a blackout. One feature of our journeying at this time was caused through having an inexperienced driver who never seemed to find the brake until the last second; on many of the bends we were heading for sheer drops into space. However, we pulled through safely. Before we started patrolling in the plain before Naples, I recall a long zigzag ride down from the pass through which we had had to wind our way. Our first reminder that we were back in the war was a notice 鈥淜eep Spaced Out 鈥� Road Under Shellfire鈥�, but we ran into no shells at this stage.

Up to the capture of Naples, I just have a series of hazy recollections. Our first patrol ended up by two of our cars being bogged down when trying to negotiate a narrow, muddy track. So we bedded down in a one-room stone house along with the family living there. Hardly an inch of spare floor space by the time we all had our beds down. When I went on guard, I well recall the torrential rain, the lightning and the gale which made it almost impossible to climb on the car to get at something I wanted. Then there was the old fellow who said he was going to keep guard for us. I think he stayed around for half an hour or so before he decided that, after all, his best position was in bed! In the morning we were towed out, rejoined our squadron and we pushed on. Going through Pompeii, I saw a fellow with whom I came abroad from my old regiment in the tank behind me.

Torre Annunziata was one place I recall; we stayed in its shell-shattered square for one night, then on again the following morning. On another patrol we were at one village whilst our Troop Leader was at one nearby. He radioed to tell us to join him. So away we went 鈥� two armoured cars. Suddenly, the car in front stopped and, as quickly as possible, reversed back to us. He said an anti-tank gun had just fired at him. However, when we reported the fact over the air, the Troop Leader said we had to join up with him so, with ears that were wide open listening for the gun to fire, we set off again. Nothing happened. Either it had been imagination on the part of the crew or partisans had done a job of work. When we reached the village there was great excitement; Italians dashing around with rifles, one party on a roof with a machine fun, another party brought in a couple of prisoners. Nothing exciting happened to us and in the evening we moved back to the squadron. On our way back, we passed an avenue of trees, on each of which was fixed an explosive which the enemy hadn鈥檛 had time to set off. We slept the night in a building, which was fortunate as we had a good downpour of rain.

The following day we set out again to guard a section of the road. Everything seemed quiet, so we set-to to brew up, have a wash, etc. Suddenly a burst of machine-gun fire whistled overhead so we dived into the car ready for further activity. It turned out that a German armoured car had come on patrol but had returned again seeing another of our cars. This was the time when Naples fell. I recall one incident of an angry mob dragging a scared Fascist along to where we were. Also there was the night we slept on the footpath when our car broke its steering and it very obligingly rained during the night. We had to rise early before the civvies flocked around us again. After a day in repairs, we rejoined our troop.

Prior to Naples was a street patrol we did because some Fascists were said to be causing trouble and in the evening we leaguered on the dock side of this particular town. Another memory is of a square on the outskirts of Naples where the raid came down in sheets and we kept dry as best we could be closing down the flap of the car. We did not stay in Naples but carried on north, through towns and villages of cheering people, who gave us flowers, eggs; they even wanted to give us hens. We went through a streets in which there were fragments of Americans hit by mortars and covered by blankets; where there was a German car knocked out, complete with crew. In one village where we had gone to examine some bridges there was a mob of people so excited and clamorous we could barely make any headway. We had a night sleeping on the roadside, the infantry marching by to push on during the night. The American troops were first class. The patrols would go ahead to give a by-road and a village the 鈥榦nce over鈥�. One humorous incident was when the first car accidentally fired his gun and back dashed the leading scout car to report that he had been fired upon!

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