大象传媒

In September and October 1942, I was sent on detachment with another sapper from the Royal Engineers to the Durham Light Infantry at El Alamein. Either the other sapper or I went out with a patrol of infantry every other night during the above period, and we had several narrow escapes. The sapper always walked to the left of the officer who was leading the patrol and his batman with tommy gun on his right. The sapper carried no arms except a bayonet, which he used to prod for mines. Sometimes we went up to the enemy mine field, when the sapper would have to take and disarm an enemy mine to see what type of mines were being used. Sometimes we had to try and capture an enemy prisoner to see who was in that part of the front, i.e. Germans or Italians, and what regiment. There were no landmarks in the desert, so we had to navigate by using the stars and a prismatic compass.

One night we went out, and had been following the plotted course 鈥� so many paces east and then so many paces south east etc. when in the distance we spotted what appeared to be some rows of 44 gallon drums. These were strewn al over the desert and had been used to bring up water in previous battles. However, we were mistaken, as the supposed barrels turned out to be a mixed German and Italian patrol, afterwards estimated at about fifty or sixty strong. We were fourteen strong, including the officer, myself, a sergeant, a corporal, and the rest privates. The officer and his batman went forward and I stayed with the sergeant. They were shot almost immediately and the sergeant took command. He told us all to get down, which we did and heavy firing followed. The sergeant then shouted 鈥淕et up and get at 鈥榚m boys鈥� but I had no arms apart from a bayonet, so I stayed down, as did a private next to me who had been shot through the hand and wrist.

The sergeant, who I think by this time had been hit, shouted 鈥淕et out of it, boys鈥� and the enemy shouted 鈥淪urrender鈥�. As far as I can remember, there was only the private next to me and I who got up and ran, being followed by tracer bullets. I had new patrol boots on and I couldn鈥檛 run well. It was like a bad dream. We found a slit trench and got into it, at which stage the enemy patrol started putting up flares, looking for survivors. They did not find us, and withdrew. I bandaged the private鈥檚 hand with my first field dressing and as soon as the coast was clear, decided to try and make our lines. Using the North Star as a guide, I found the outer mine field, but couldn鈥檛 find the gap, so I led the private, who was in some considerable pain, through our outer mine field, and to the inner one. I soon found the gap in this mine field. It was manned by the Cheshires, who held us down on the ground at gun point asking for the password. In all the confusion I had forgotten it, then I suddenly remembered it, it was 鈥渁ck-ack鈥�. They then let us through into our positions and the Private (I never knew his name) was taken to the Regimental Aid post. I never knew what happened to him as we were soon returned to our own unit.

The next morning at first light, a white bren gun carrier went out into No Man鈥檚 Land and found the rest of the patrol. There were no other survivors. The sergeant was found by the wire of the outer mine field with another private on his back, but both were dead. So, twelve good men died that night.

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