大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by CSV/大象传媒 Radio Nottingham on behalf of Mrs Olive Cooper with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

So, back to the retreat. Troops, guns and tanks were going through Tobruk towards Bardia and we were still making bread. When asked when we were going to evacuate we were told to stay put. We were shelled, bombed and machine gunned by planes for days, but still the bread was baked! There were a lot of small caves in the desert and we moved into these to live during the day, as we were baking at night. Thus came the name of DESERT RATS. We had to work with the doors and windows shut at night because of the oven fires. The only light we had was oil in a milk tin with a piece of rag for a wick. This caused black smoke and made the eyes run. Then, when the fire ashes were drawn into the barrow this made the conditions very bad. But still the bread was issued to the troops.
On Easter Sunday, 1941,1 Tobruk became under siege. The Germans could not take the garrison of Tobruk so Rommel went round it and cut us off. The area still in British hands was 17 miles by 7 miles so we had Jerry all around three sides and the sea behind us. All we could do was to stay put as there was nowhere to run. We were told that it would only be a matter of days before we would be taken prisoners. The bread still came out, but, by now, the flour and dried yeast was getting very low so to the troops it was rationed and so was all the other food and water. Water was the main problem as all the plants had been put out of action and so water was cut down to one
pint per day. This included water for tea, cooking etc. So one had to save a drop of tea if you wanted to shave - that is if you had a razor blade. We were very lucky as we had to have water for the bread and when we had been on dough making we had to wash in the water which had been put in a tub to be used for the next dough. Then we went to the sea for a wash and to wash our clothes as they soon dried in the heat of the sun.
As the days turned into weeks things got worse. No ship could get into the harbour. The R.E. started to blow up the ships which had been sunk and, in time, a few ships did get in. When a supply ship got fired on we could see them from where we were and we would dodge the shells and go down to the docks to see if there was anything we could pinch. We often got tins of food. Mostly tinned stew and milk. Tea was in very short supply so after a brew up, it was put in the sun to dry to use again. Marmalade seemed to be plentiful, in 4 lbs. Tins, so we used this to sweeten the tea. This caused it to go black and with salty water it was not a great drink. Wood for the ovens was very short and we used all the wood from the bombed buildings and, when this was gone, we had a small tank and went round pulling the shacks down to get the wood. In a waddy, not far from the camp, was a dump with cars. Lorries etc. And Tom and I got an old Italian ambulance and we towed it near the coast with the tank. Four of used that to live in, but it got shelled after a while.
We could not get any supplies to make bread so we had to go on iron rations. These were large, thick biscuits and one tin of bully beef per day and, sometimes, we got a tin of pilchards. With it being so hot, when the bully was opened, the fat was runny and all you had left was a small piece of meat. We broke the biscuits with a stone and mixed it with the bully or the fish. Then the ships did get through and rations got better.
As we did not do any baking we were sent to the docks to fill tins with Petrol and then take them up to the front to the tanks. Then, July 28th came round - I was 21 years old - in the desert, up to my neck in flies, fleas, shells, bombs and shit and surrounded by Jerries. But still the Aussies 9th kept Jerry at bay. The flour started to come and we were able to do a little baking. The flour was full of weevils - these were small, red insects, but the bread was still acceptable, even if it was heavy due to salty water and little yeast.
Then, things became worse again. Jerry had more Panzer tanks and we were given petrol to set fire to everything should there be a breakthrough. Still we turned out bread when we had supplies. I had a deformed toe for years and I decided to go sick with it as I thought I may get sent back up to Alexandria. But, it did not work out. I was sent to the Field Hospital which was out in the desert. I was told to lie on a wooden table. An Indian doctor injected by foot to numb it and then he cut off my toe!. I was put on to a bed and told to stay until the next day. The hospital was all tents and very hot but the food was good so I decided to `swing' it for as long as I could. This would be about September 1941. Tom came up to bring my fags and, one day, he came up and said, "we are going out tomorrow, if a destroyer can get in, so, if you want to come with us - get off your B. A. And get back to camp" I still had my toe in bandages so they gave me a size 10 boot which I could get on, and I went back in our truck with Tom.

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