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This story was submitted to the People`s War site by Alan Magson of Age Concern Bradford and District, on behalf of Irene Mason, (widow of Constantine Mason) and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site`s terms and conditions.

These are the notes made by Sgt. Constantine Mason, ( formerly Majczyk) Durham Light Infantry, whilst it captivity in the Mediterranean area held by Italian forces.
They were written on blank pages of his 1943 hymn book.
Also written in the pages are the following names and addresses of his comrades of the time, which might have been actually written by those persons.

Sgt. Joseph E. Smith
144, Church Lane,
Mosston
Manchester 10.

John Moss, Trooper,
78 Ashford Ct.
Ashford Road
NW2 ( Cricklewood)

Sgt. Pilot Roy Osborne

Edward McDonald
34 Edinburgh Street
Listerhills,
Bradford

Doug. Aitchison
Margaret Street
Shannon
New Zealand

Jimmy Skinner
Seaham Harbour
Co. Durham

Samuel Phillips
173 Hanson Street
Wellington
New Zealand

Phil. Rendall
74 Holystone Crescent
High Heaton
Newcastle on Tyne

Jim Ward
Builder
17 Campbell Street
Kalgoorlie
Western Australia

Frank Murray
19 George Potts Street
South Shields
Co. Durham

J. Woods
Station Road
Yawa Flat
Wellington
New Zealand

C.J. Pepper
P.O. Kalamundi
Western Australia

R.W. Moore
C/0 11 Huntingtree Avenue
Sandringham
Auckland
New Zealand

A. Richmond
6 Bowden Street
Rockhampton
Queensland
Australia

James Paterson
鈥� Waralee鈥�
Coolup
Western Australia

1st. date of capture June 28th
Escaped 28th.
11 days of freedom more or less. Captured 3 times during that time. Managed to escape, caught for the last time approx. 10-15 miles beyond El Darbur. Distance covered on foot; including detours estimated by myself 250 鈥�200 miles. Hard luck !
Benghazi Prison Camp, entered after a period at Mersa Matruh.
At Mersa work and food with Italians was pretty bad. Finally worked for Jerry who treated me pretty well.
Gradually built up my strength again with the good food Jerry gave us, hoping and watching for a chance to escape.
Refused to unload ammunition for Axis forces, consequently we were sent to Benghazi approx. July 20th. Food very bad.
Italians shoot into camp at night, several injured.
Risked being shot for a few cactus pears. Very hungry, they taste terrible but John and I ate them.
Feeling pretty weak now every time we stand up we get dizzy. No chances of escape. Two men attempted it last night, were caught and tied to the Pen gates with their heels off the ground. Bad show.
23 days have passed and we are told that we are leaving for Italy. The chances of getting away seem nil. One slender hope is left us, the Navy. We will see what happens in the following few days. So far I had suffered only a few small minor injuries.
Left Benghazi August 15th. Packed like animals, but it is only to be expected. The smell is terrible and the guards vulgar and insulting. Many men are already suffering from Dysentery which proved fatal to so many.
Rations for 48 hours, biscuits, the loaf being as big as an ordinary halfpenny roll in England. So we sailed that following morning from Libya and its deserts whose hardships we had gladly endured and which for so long had been our theatre of war.
In this land of arid heat and thirst we had fought, sweated and toiled, thirsted and then periods of quiet when we had a few moments, forgotten all of this and dreamed of home.
Everybody who has been a soldier and has tasted action know all this. Everybody knows a soldier`s dream !
Well I had mine and to me it was precious. All of this was in my mind.
When, completely without any warning the first torpedoes struck us.
A direct hit on the hold in which we were. The second struck the engine-room. All of my time in the desert I had been through L.M.G. fire, low and high level bombing and A-T and artillery fire, mortars and now finally a torpedo struck with terrible and terrific force.
The scene was indescribable to the ordinary mind.
Again my phenomenal luck held. John & I were hurled completely across the hold. We had been standing at the hold. I personally did not lose consciousness, but I remember no feeling of pain. Then I began to realise what was going on around me. The sudden noise of sea rushing into the hold, then moans and screams of mortally wounded and dying men. I felt myself for wounds. On trying to move my leg and feet I realised that I had not wholly escaped. Across the lower part of my body were heaped 4 or five dead men. With some difficulty I managed to release myself and examine my injuries. All this time the sea in the hold was rising and the heavy iron girders were being tossed about, crushing what men were still alive into pulp. I wondered how I had escaped all this and what of John. On looking around I found John just regaining consciousness. I dragged myself over to him and for a moment we lay and watched the panic of men fighting to gain the deck above.
It angered me to see it. Only a fragment of the ladder was left. The ship, a new one! Seemed to be destined for Davy Jones famous locker.
We lay there, John & I . The numbness was passing and we were both beginning to feel the pain of our wounds. I had lost some blood by this time. My right foot I found had split with the force of the explosion. Both our feet, heels and ankles had been badly fractured. Whether it was the sudden thought of Irene at home or whether it was the will to live I do not know. Perhaps it was fear, I do not know. I gave John a cig and asked if he thought he could crawl to the ladder and we would try and get up somehow. So we dragged ourselves over the wreck of once fine looking men. With appealing eyes the implored us to help them, we tried, but what could we do? Their injuries were beyond any repair. Finally we reached the ladder. Around this we were trampled upon by men still struggling to gain the deck. The water had now reached to almost the level of the upper hold.
One chap spotted us and with his help we finally gained the foot of the ladder. We managed to ascend this by pulling ourselves up with our arms and pushing with our knees. On reaching the top we threw ourselves over on to the deck.
It was here that I first met Sgt. T Law, a man who frequently descended into this hold and brought up wounded men. I met him later while recovering in hospital.
So by this you will know that the boat did not sink. We limped into Greece. At Kilos we were roughly attended to and sent by stages across Greece, Tripolis, Patras . Poverty everywhere. Finally to Bari (Italy) and then Bergamo. Here we get the attention of British M.O.`s but it is too late. Our feet have mended badly.
This part of Italy is vastly different to the southern people. The hospital is good and the food as well. Our next step will be P.O.W life and then some days these things will be just casual memories.

The following is a transcription of a 鈥� Routine Order 鈥� from Lieut-Colonel J.E.S. Percy M.C.
Commanding 9th Bn. The Durham Light Infantry, dated Thursday 4th, June 1942 a copy of which Sgt. Mason kept.

鈥�
1.CONGRATULATORY

The following message has been received from H.M. The King and will be conveyed to all ranks;-

鈥� In the first phase of the new battle in LIBYA the EIGHT ARMY with brilliant unfailing support of the R.A.F. has received a resounding success. Please convey my warmest congratulations to all ranks of three services who have taken part. They have fought magnificently and have proved themselves equal to every test and ordeal of the war. They have cause to look forward, as I do, to whatever battle may lie ahead and I wish them GOD`S BLESSING in faithful discharge of their duty 鈥�

The following message has been received from Sir Claude Auchinleck, Commander in Chief, Middle East Forces and will be conveyed to all ranks :-

鈥� Well done EIGHT ARMY. Stick it, hang on to him. Don`t let him get away. Give him no rest. Good Luck to you all鈥�.

The Following message was received from Major-General H. RAMSDEN, C.M, D.S.O., M.C., Commander, 50th Division:-

鈥� Convey to all ranks sincere praise for magnificent work during the last eight days. It is a great credit to both the Division and the Empire. Both Army and Corps Commanders delighted鈥�.

THIS TO BE READ TO ALL RANKS

B.E.F. 鈥淪gd鈥� C.E.RONSON
Adjutant,9th Bn., The Durham Light Infantry.

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