大象传媒

Memories 3d

1944

In November, my Diary and all my personal papers were stolen on the morning after I reached the Artillery barracks in Woolwich. So 鈥� no dates in my Memories from June to November..
At Rome, it was goodbye to the 67th Field Regiment, as I was suddenly posted to Assisi, to join an experimental Mortar Ranging Unit, trying out a new 4-pen recorder that had been invented by a couple of civilian boffins in England. The Front Line had moved up Italy, to just South of Florence, and after practising with the new equipment we strung out microphones there, and watched the boffins playing with their toy 鈥� a sort of portable seismograph. Our infantry protection was provided by gurkhas, who gave me the heeby jeebies by their habit of materialising out of thin air when we were on night duty, and saying 鈥淥K Johnny?鈥� Presumably, if you answered 鈥淛awhol鈥�, you would literally lose your head.
As suddenly as I joined the MR Unit, I had to leave it 鈥� ordered to report to a War Office Selection Board (WOSB), way down South in Pompeii. This meant a four day train journey, along tracks that had been massively mashed up by Gerry in retreat, and were still being repaired. We travelled in cattle trucks, and raised money by flogging our rations to Eyeties who hung about along the tracks, then drawing new supplies from army quartermasters at every major station 鈥� naughty, naughty. Meals were cooked on a fire on the floor of our carriage 鈥� near Orvieto we lost a pot of hearty corned beef stew when the floor burned through.
The WOSB was daunting, particularly as I was the only candidate who was not a sergeant or higher in rank to undergo the three days of mental, physical and psychological tests. In the Word Association test, I said 鈥淗arry James鈥� when the trickcyclist said 鈥淓nvy鈥�.

鈥淲hy did you say Harry James?

鈥淏ecause he鈥檚 Betty Grable鈥檚 husband鈥�

鈥淥h yes 鈥攈m hm - very amusing鈥�

On the fourth morning, we all packed our bags, polished our boots, and gathered in the Assembly Hall to await the Board鈥檚 life-altering decision - 鈥淵es鈥� or 鈥淣o鈥�.

鈥淵es鈥漨eant a posting to an Officer Cadet Training Unit (OCTU), probably in Britain.

鈥淣o鈥漨eant an immediate RTU (Return to Unit), that is, straight back into the fighting.

A stomach-churning half an hour 鈥� worse than sitting in my dugout when Anzio Annie was firing.

The first name on the alphabetical list, was, as usual, 鈥淏ate鈥� and got a YES. How utterly fantastic, how sweet the schadenfraude, to hear Sergeant-Majors getting RTUs.

The WOSB organised a series of painfully slow transits to Naples, then it was off to England on the 鈥淩eina del Pacifico鈥� 鈥� an old cruise liner, infested with vermin from having transported enemy Prisoners of War. Two weeks of very welcome 鈥淧rivilege Leave鈥� with Mum and Dad in Solihull (I think), then to Woolwich barracks, where the writing case and my greatcoat (with a shrapnel hole in the shoulder from Banana Ridge) disappeared. The barrack Sergeant got the greatcoat back for a 鈥渇inder鈥檚 fee鈥� of ten bob, but the ransom for the writing case was too high, more鈥檚 the pity.

2
November 13

To Pre-OCTU camp at Wrotham in Kent, a sort of concentration camp on the top of the North Downs, three miles from the nearest bus stop. Basic training in foot drill, small arms, gun drill, map reading, driving and maintaining vehicles, and so on and so forth. The rationale of putting a trained gunner/driver/signaller/RA surveyor, with two campaigns under his belt, through all this rigmarole is difficult to understand; the food is lousy and rain or snow falls almost every day, so it is unhappy bunny time.

December 11

RSM announces that we are all going to OCTU in India, with Embarkation Leave starting on December 22.

December 22

To Birmingham, to be met by father-to-be Gerry. Lunch at Kunzle鈥檚, then with Gerry to Solihull.

December 23 to 26

Happy interlude enlivened by pretty Nancie Carter, daughter of Dad鈥檚 friends. Christmas-card scenery, distant brass band playing carols, gathering holly, parties, Mum鈥檚 (rationed) Christmas dinner 鈥� Oh, to be in England 鈥� a blessed long way from Anzio.

December 27

Moving men arrive at 1030 hours. Car won鈥檛 start even after many turns of the starting handle, so moving men push till the engine fires, and we start a slow drive down icy roads to London.

December 28

To Kingston with Mum for lunch at Zeeta鈥檚. Bought 鈥渘atty blue pyjamas鈥�. To the new house at Teddington 鈥� most of the furniture already in.

December 29

By trolley, tube and train to Great Malvern, to celebrate the New Year with my new friend Nancie, and her friends at a hostel there..

December 31

Dinner at the Westminster with Nancie and her gang, then all up the Beacon to see the New Year in under a brilliant full moon, with the lights of Malvern twinkling below us..

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