大象传媒

Don鈥檚 War Diaries 鈥� 3. Algiers to Tunis January 鈥� February 1943

Don was lived all his life in Cambridge. Before the war he worked in the library of one of the Colleges, hence the references to Cambridge.
The move towards Tunis is going slower than planned and as they near Tunis enemy resistance strengthens鈥�

Friday 1 January 1943
Brigadier had all sergeants in officers鈥� mess of a drink. I had red wine got by Osbourne from French militia at Tistoum. Promised to get some for men. We bought a pig which worked out at about 2 mouthfuls each. Much bad feeling over rumours that Officers had taken four legs. Almost a revolution.

Wednesday 6 January
Great balls up this morning over orders to fire at aircraft. Poor old George Carr caught the whole lot and he is to go back to Brigade. I am sorry over this, as he will be missed by all. His humour was marvellous. Heard today poor old Ralph Silverman reported missing. What ill luck.

Friday 8 January
Another hard day. 21.00 before we finished. Terry O鈥機onnor of Skins and Glover out last night. O鈥機 made me a bit jumpy by not returning before 19.30 鈥� 3 hours late. There were many bumps during the night, presumably the enemy bumping Medjiz.

Sunday 10 January
A thoroughly miserable day- pouring rain most of the day. In the afternoon we were forced to spend over an hour, all hands on deck, to dig draining trenches around the tents and the truck as we were in danger of being flooded out. At 1 o鈥檆lock in the morning I was awakened by Blower asking me about a queer noise, he thought it was a rat. I struck a match and was amazed to see the mare, who with her colt shared our stable, standing at the foot of my bed looking at me. Symonds and I tried and eventually get her back into the stall but my efforts to put her halter on with a handful of oats as bait were without result. Eventually the CSM came on the scene and went up alongside her but directly he touched her she turned round and he had to make an undignified exit via the manger and partition. Eventually we called up S.D.man Du Qudan who soon fixed her by saying the correct thing. He told me a similar thing happened when they slept in a stable full of loose oxen. I nearly trod on his head poor chap when I made my futile attempts to fasten her up.

Tuesday 12 January
Pretty busy chiefly on Lt Page鈥檚 recommendation for me 鈥� maps (6) of area concerned. Much air activity and grand display of fireworks all around. A good number of Ju 88s about. One, after being peppered pretty hotly, had the neck to come back and drop 4 bombs (small) about a quarter of a mile from us. Terrible storm during the night, thunder and lightning and wind. I thought the roof of the barn was going once鈥�

Wednesday 13 January
Today I went with 鈥alker to LIR positions鈥�..We left LIR rather late, went to American positions only a fleeting visit however. Finally arrived in Medjiz el Bab. Place battered about a good bit. Road very bumpy. Bridge has been blown in the middle but has been well repaired by RE s. Found Jack and Chivers. They have a good billet in an evacuated house, apparently that of a printed by the name of Gaston Arnold. They had a good supply of cutlery and china and Jack was cooking a duck and a chicken in the kitchen. My visit here was to try to get some wood for boards and Ken had some already put by for me. Also some small stools we are greatly in need of. He prowled through the ruins of the neighbouring houses and got what we wanted and several 鈥渒nick knacks鈥�.

Friday January 16
Plenty of work. Moved p.m. moonlight thank heavens, via El Aroussa 鈥ot good bed place in barn. New place quite good. Managed to get small outhouse (charcoal, wood etc) for office. Up late last night cleaning it out. Jimmy looked like a sweep. However, very comfy. Farmer very good natured fellow. Celebrated the occasion in fact by nabbing one of his chickens which was ably roasted by Eynon. There are two colossal sows which have the liberty of the place and just roam around. They always turn up at mealtimes for scraps and amuse everyone by sitting down in the pools of black mud which are to be found in the farmyard.

Saturday 17 January
Day of hectic preparations for the big show. Made a successful job of a 3x1 enlargement of map and printed them off. Feathers! Date postponed.

Monday 19 January
Just as I was going to Communion Service a PoW was brought in by a para. Then I heard that the Innisks were being attacked and from then on we were right at it. The blower fixed in the office functioned well and we kept up a good running commentary. By evening the positions were still held by us. Learnt during the evening that poor Lloyd had been killed.

Tuesday 20 January
Up most of the night in office. This morning LIR put in attack and although made their objectives suffered heavy casualties. Heavy fighting all day. At night we had an alarm as enemy tanks started firing and running amok but really did no damage.

Friday 23 January
Good deal of work to do. An enlargement which kept me going up till 00.30. During the night shifts we have been doing Chalky White has been a regular visitor to our little office. He is a wizard at making tea and produces it in no time.

Saturday 24th January
Things still pretty quiet. This evening at 21.00 we were ordered to pack up and go to the C.P. Great tear round and of course it poured with rain. I didn鈥檛 go on the bike 鈥� road too bad. Arrived there about 00.00 Good farmhouse with good rooms. Lt. Room and myself found some excellent wine and liqueur of Thibar which we polished off and we all got down to it about 01.00.

Sunday 25th January
Set up shop in fine room. Got things organised, opened a tin, thought it was jam but turned out to be German chicken! Fine dinner on plates found there. Two RAF officers turned up. Decent fellows told us a lot of their doings. Artillery close by firing at intervals all day. Got to bed at midnight but was pulled out at 00.30 and had to return to our last place. Enemy firing with some accuracy quite close to us. Got in at 03.00.

Tuesday 27th January
Settled down in office once more and got cracking. About midday ordered to be ready to move to command post at 17.00. Much swearing, however got ready. Truck absolutely bulging on all sides.. Arrived at Wadi where command post established and commenced to try and erect tent. Terrible time but eventually got it up and settled down. Had a rum ration, which helped, and a bottle of beer for supper.

Wednesday 28th January
In tent after good night鈥檚 sleep. I urged about quarters and got permission to get material for a dug out, but happily R.E.s turned up and after much pow wow got them on to making one. They carved out the rock with a compressor plant and were well on by teatime. Meanwhile I was trying to function in the open air very unsuccessfully. For sleeping accommodation we got the tent over the top and all was well.

Thursday 29th January
R.E.s finished shelter by midday and we were operating quite happily after that. Had quite a few enemy shells in our direction, which kept us on the move. One seemed to pop just over us and shifted Jimmy and Harold quickly. Our dug out is a perfect palace 鈥� just like a bedroom. One of the sappers (Gol) told me he married a Cambridge girl named Williams who lived just opposite the Standard on Mill Road.

Saturday 31st January
We did not move back after all last night which was all to the good. A hard day producing our information sheets. Eventually received the order to move at 17.30. Hard job getting stuff out of the gully but did so in time. Eventually moved off and got half way over the plain when we stopped because of OP thinking it was necessary to stop because we were under observation of enemy O.P.s Eventually reached the farm of the brother of our late landlord and established office for the first time in our tent.

Sunday 1st February
Office well established now in farm. Number of French gunners in barn by us. Very decent fellows. Weather quite nice and dry and warm.

Monday 2nd February
Terry O鈥機onnor 1 Sgt Skins came up to see us for the first time. Gave him the enemy gun. He was glad to have it. Rattling the griff news our now. Much appreciated by all!

Friday 5th February
I am afraid I have bungled the dates up a bit and find it is Friday today instead of Thursday! Today Jerry attacked Djebel Mansour successfully which was a blow after our good news of yesterday. Stukas dive bombed a bit over the road, nothing near to us. Griff brought us a tiny tortoise, no bigger than one inch, in a box. We also have been finding lizards occasionally.

Saturday 6th February
Today I received four letters from Susan. We are making good friends with our French comrades. They are decent fellows. I particularly like Lucien Mangne of Clermont Ferrand. He swaps me a litre of wine for cigs 鈥� a mutual benefit.

Sunday February 7th
Went this afternoon with RL to 56 recce regiment and 5 Northants. Had a decent tea with him and heard of the early stages of the campaign. Recognised the Cpl at 5 Northants as one I used to know in Dorset. Sgt Wright now Bdg 1 Sgt. Bravo. He was worth it. This evening we had a service run by Gordon as we couldn鈥檛 get a Padre. Gordon and Appleby ran it very well with Room and Frewsdale there.

Tuesday 9th February
Our relations with Lucien have improved and we have a pretty regular supply of wine as long as the fags hold out. Made hectic attempts to get a bath this afternoon 鈥� filled up dixies etc but alas everything conspired to prevent me at the last stage. Mitchell made tea with it!

Wednesday 10th February
A drive this afternoon to get a bath. The above mentioned proceedings were gone through once more but fortunately successfully this time. After getting undressed and water poured into bath and vassals dismissed found water too hot! Absolute agony and skin went scarlet. However, when it was all over it was worth it. The best I have had since leaving home. Unfortunately had to miss the service arranged by a Captain of the 2nd London Irish Rifles.

Thursday 11th February
Great hiatus developing over issue of clothing. Eventually we have, after much belly aching, got Brigade HQ detached from Signals so we should stand a better chance of getting stuff. Had Fran莽ois Lopes, French Spanish chap to supper and stories of the Spanish war in which he took part.

Saturday 13th February
Pretty busy with alert still on. Rather stupid.. Everywhere horribly wet and slippy. Tent withstood the wind but only just. The rissoles of fish and biscuits Smudge made were quite good though rather indigestible. However, they made a change.

Sunday 14th February.
Received 2 pairs of woollen drawers and vest and socks today. Incredible! This afternoon took Fry鈥檚 bike down to A Ech to fetch compo for repairing duplicating machine. Lovely afternoon but bad road to A Ech Saw Robbo first time since鈥� also making rissoles! Got the stuff also box of chalk and Pickwick Papers and Vergil鈥檚鈥� for R.L. When I get back 鈥� incidentally left Fry鈥檚 bike for Cpl Elland to have ago at and brought my own back 鈥� the chalk had come out of its box and gone over everything! This evening Addison of 152 came up and we had a long talk. It turns out he is also an artist and knows Roland Hilda Hailston and all. Curious.

Monday 15th February.
Quiet day, but busy as usual. Summaries which are getting us a good name all over the place. Enemy attacked yesterday in south against the Americans and have gained ground. Kharkov taken by the Russians. Everyone very heartened by this news.

Thursday 18th February
Attack in the south claimed most of our attention. Difficult to get news. Latest news came from the 大象传媒! Pretty busy. Up until 03.00 doing a cursed gun layout.

Sunday 21st February
Busy today. Summaries etc. Gordon Farrington woke us up at 02.30 21/22 to inform us that our long awaited mail had arrived and that he had a son. I was glad for his sake that he had heard because I know he was getting anxious.

Monday 22nd February
Read the rest of my mail and glad to hear all wall 鈥� or more or less so. This afternoon got down to Division with some enemy equipment then went to Gendarmerie St Aroum(?) where I had to see Gendarmes 鈥� one insisted on shaking hands with me with gore all over them. His stooge, the guard of the PSW showed me a large number of Arabs in clink like so many sheep. Then went to see FSP. They have a good place still inhabited by an old lady and her granddaughter! Left there about 18.00 then back to Division where I got into an investigation of 2 SBs 756 Northhampton regiment. Left there about 21.30 and got along the road a little way when I ran into an accident on bridge. 7.2 howitzer(?) and tractor had gone over bridge and turned turtle. 2-3 killed several injured. We extricated one fellow injured. Got back at 22.30

Tuesday 23rd February
Pretty quiet sort of day, quite warm. A bit better than the rain we have had lately. L/Cpl Cole brought in an enemy auto rifle 鈥� had a good look at it, Capt Greydon came down for a service at 18.00 and had a very good one.

Wednesday 24th February
Busy today Sgt McAleer Skins captured 2 PoW single handed. RE got 3 PoW and Capt Lowry sent me up to document them. One (officer) arrived on a donkey with Arab suspect. PoW gave me his new parachutist badge for myself. He had a broken leg and must have had a pretty hellish ride from the hills. We have been looking for these chaps for a long time. I was able to document him quickly and got it through. Took him down to RAP for his leg to be dressed. Another of the party (19 years old) had a bullet through his abdomen, but in very good form. Doc thought it necessary to evacuate quickly to MDS(?) so arranged it with them by Acom. Eventually got down to Division with all documents. Third PoW died on way down. Good news of our own progress in the south. Eventually this evening the documents of the third PoW came in, handsome kid poor devil. How ghastly this bloody war is if you only stop to think. Skins had a successful sweep roping 8 more PoW in. I think we are getting in a better position than before. E/a more active on roads today. SC got gunned and blokes bathing had to run for it in the nude. Got eggs for tea. Ken Hayward gave me eggs for breakfast.

Thursday 25th February
Not much happened all day but about 20.20 there was all hell let loose just over the way from us and everybody was in a great flap and a period of stand to until visibility was sufficient to warrant standing down. Apparently enemy patrol infiltrated our boundaries.

Friday 26 February
Enemy attack this morning on 2nd London Irish rifles positions. Much confusion and little accurate information. The parachutists we captured were all young and looked a decent bunch. We got a good number in the end. I heard that the 7th Iniskillins are doing good work on the hill sides and everyone speaks well of them. By evening the attack down Medjez- El Aroussa road had been neutralised. Increased air activity all day 鈥� 2 ME.s claimed shot down. Got a damned great knife off one PoW, pen and two FL? Probably issue amazingly enough from a chap who appeared to be a staunch Catholic. Heard today that Ken Hayward was wounded during the attack last night, can鈥檛 get accurate details yet. Apparently he was hit in the head. Tom Osborne hit in leg and Conroy and Gibbs also wounded. Heard that CSM Slattery was wounded in first attack. At 03.15 (27th) I was summoned to appear before BM to identify PoW (special) and had only been in bed 1 hour. O鈥橞rien and Wilson brought him up. Boy was he a peach of a PoW and he certainly spilt a bibful. Eventually saw the back of them at 05.20!

Saturday 27th February
Battle still continuing, though slowing down. Boche not making progress and having a hell of a licking. 7th Iniskillins knocked out of this yesterday north of El Aroussa. Plenty of work going. Some enemy shelling near out farm. Dive bombing attacks, but not near.

Sunday 28th February
Things quieting down considerably though some activity north of EL Aroussa. Much work today up till midnight.

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