大象传媒

TRIPOLI

On the 28th we crossed back into Libya and keeping close to the seashore, along the coast road in fact, we finally made camp some fifteen miles south east of Tripoli and where we expected to stay for the time being. During almost the whole of the next three weeks we occupied ourselves settling into our camp area which was on sand but among eucalyptus trees that formed part of quite a large plantation. Although being reclaimed desert and having a very low rainfall it was possible to exist by trapping water from the atmosphere at night. This I discovered by typing up an outstretched groundsheet between two trees one evening and on the following morning noticing that it contained about half a gallon of water. The same effect could be obtained by building a small pyramid of stones, round the foot of a tree. The cold night air condensed on the still warm stones thereby producing water for the ground covering its roots.

Apart from experimenting with the supply of water we reverted to almost endless marching drill, cleaning up our vehicles, reorganising stoves and making ourselves as comfortable as possible. The camp was very hot and humid and our canvas 鈥渃haquals鈥� were never more required than during this period. We would fill them with water, hang them up, in the shade if possible, and by some mysterious means, the contents would remain deliciously cool, which was incredible considering midday temperatures in the shade, of 117掳 were recorded.

At this time many of the lads contracted a mild form of dysentery which laid them low for a few days. The latrines were primitive, a box with a hole in the middle situated over a pit dug in the sand. However, some comedian had situated it on top of a hillock which meant an uphill crawl for those who were ill. However, once perched on top of the box, one was king of all one surveyed and everyone else could see that the 鈥渢oilet was engaged鈥�.

Not long after, we had settled into this camp, swimming parades were introduced daily from 1400 to 1600 hours and everybody that could be spared clambered into the available three ton trucks and made for the beaches. They were really delightful being sandy and the water was at just the right temperature to cool us down but not make us too cold. One of my command post officers was particularly good at swimming under water and several of us took up that facet of bathing but could not match his ability at the sport. It was all rather a touch of paradise for the common soldiery. And to see several hundred completely nude, supremely fit and suntanned men, frolicking in the water would have been a maiden鈥檚 delight!

But it wasn鈥檛 all play. Specialists classes were held in the mornings to keep us on our toes because there is so much to remember that only constant practice could keep us at a reasonably high level of efficiency. And of course, the same applied to our signallers, gunners and other trades. In between times, we had various inspections. Not the kind that had taken place back in the UK, but of a much more relaxed variety, although equally strict so far as essentials were concerned. Indeed all kit, both personal and military, had to be accounted for an could only be written off generally speaking, as a result of enemy action. I had a day as Battery Orderly Sergeant. It was very windy for a change and I seemed to spend most of the time trying to avoid the sand which was coming from all directions. At night, when on guard duty during our stay here the atmosphere could almost be called romantic, with absolutely brilliant stars, a huge moon and the air lovely and cool, compared with the heat of the day.

On June 17th we were told that we were to be inspected by His Majesty King George VI and so the day was devoted to washing and scrubbing everything in sight including ourselves.

Two days later, the 19th, saw us all up at 0430 hours and on parade whit long breaks until the King arrived in the afternoon. He looked tired and it was not surprising for there were thousands to be looked at along many miles of roadway. He was given three hearty cheers, all genuine, for he was held in high esteem by the army.

The following day I went to Tripoli and visited the church there and was able to sign the visitors book on the same page as King George VI, General Montgomery and other eminent military personnel. I found just enough room to add my signature. What exact denomination the church practised I do not know or whether that particular book still exists but it would be very nice to obtain a copy of the above page.

Over the next few days nothing much happened. A crowd of us went to see a film 鈥淧rice of the Yankees鈥� and a few days later 鈥淎 Yank at Eton鈥�. Swimming continued as the highlight of each day and there was a request, for the first time since the war began, for blood donors and to which everybody responded with the exception of one man on religious grounds. It was also at about this time that we began to get 鈥渄esert sores鈥�. These started as cuts that quickly turned poisonous and refused to heal. The poison or bug or whatever it was spread through the body and every nick and scrape went bad in turn. At that time there was no cure and most of us sported bandages proclaiming that we had contracted the dreaded disease. It did not stop us attending to our duties, it was just very inconvenient and the sore places did not heal until we left North Africa when, in most cases they literally disappeared over night.

I suppose a soldier, particularly in time of war, plays many parts and certainly I felt that I had been given an odd one when on June 30th 1943 I was detailed as 鈥淐lerk of the Court鈥� at a court martial. Not a particularly difficult task but an interesting change of occupation which consisted, so far as I can remember, mainly of marching in and out the various witnesses etc.

During early July a variety of 鈥渟chemes鈥� were arranged and classes held to ensure that everybody was on their toes and not losing familiarity with their particular job. A new sergeant鈥檚 mess was dug, which when completed was the excuse for a good old booze-up. That night I can remember sleeping on an ordinary wooden form and feeling awful the following morning. Not from the precarious sleeping pad, but from too much drink. The alcohol was a local concoction called Rhum which was about as strong as whiskey, but tasted awful! There was also a ration of beer and some gin, so you can see that there was enough alcohol available to provide the conditions for a very good evenings entertainment. In fact the beer and spirits allowance was really quite small so, on average I believe, it was issued once a month and the addition of the Rhum was necessary to ensure a suitable supply not only for our celebration but for those who wished to have a drink on other occasions.

Unlike soldiering in the UK we most lived on our allocation of army rations and the main intake of liquid was of course in the form of tea. There was no canteen or anything of that sort, but we did pop into Tripoli for a meal in a caf茅 when the opportunity arose. Indeed our first experience of Expresso coffee was in Tripoli but the mystery was where did the Italians get their milk and coffee from? I saw neither cows, goats or coffee plantations. Maybe it was all ersatz.

On Sunday July 11th four of us were sent to a rest camp for four days. It was outside Tripoli and by the sea. On the first day there I attended a concert and among the many celebrities taking part was Vivien Leigh, who impressed me by her long and elegant neck and most attractive appearance. At another concert given by REME, Will Fyffe was the main attraction. Otherwise, time was fully occupied with swimming, walks along the beach reading and cups of tea.

This short break passed all too quickly. We returned to the regiment three days of general duties and then everybody packed their belongings and equipment into their vehicles and the regiment drove off for fifteen days of exercises at Gasr Garion which is some fifty miles due south of Tripoli.

Part of our journey took us up some very winding roads with hairpin bends. Excellent feats of engineering accomplished by Italian engineers during the occupation of Libya by their country. On the way we passed near to some manmade caves said to be or to have been occupied by troglodytes.

The area in which we finally found ourselves was dry and completely barren being a hilly area, rocky and idea for the kind of manoeuvres needed for artillery. We went out every day practising all aspects of gunnery and considering the primitive conditions and hot weather quite enjoyed the fortnight. However, it was not so good for everybody. Eddie who was our signals sergeant at that time and who must have been in a different part of the area has memories of hot winds, black sand, scorpions in the bivouacs, the biggest and man biting ants he had ever seen and blood sucking flies. He and his signallers spent their time rock climbing armed with every bit of signalling equipment imaginable. On his return to Tripoli he had so many desert sores, duly bandaged up, that he looked like an ancient Egyptian mummy.

On August 7th we moved our camp to a new site several miles nearer to Tripoli where we were scattered over a pretty wide area with nothing but desert and no shade. We took the canvas tops off our vehicles together with their steel frames and pitched them like tents on the ground. On the 8th we spent the day being taken on a tour of various invasion craft, which seemed ominous. For the next three weeks we prepared for our forthcoming adventure, although we were hardly aware of doing so and when we knew that 鈥渟omething was on鈥� we had no idea where we were going except that it would be by ship. During this time I had a touch of dysentery from which I soon recovered. The sergeant鈥檚 mess entertained the officers of the battery during which a good time and a very late retirement was had by all of us who were present.

Our vehicles were then packed with their appropriate equipment and sent off in batches to be 鈥渨aterproofed鈥�, which meant that each vehicle鈥檚 engine was proofed against taking in water of it went rather low in the water on disembarking. Further entertainment was provided in the form of two films namely Ginger Rogers in 鈥淢ajor and Minor鈥� and Micky Rooney in 鈥淎ndy Hardy鈥檚 Daughter鈥�. We also saw a captured German propaganda film particularly of British troops after Dunkirk being marchaloff by German guards to the mournful strains of 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to hang out our washing on the Siegfried Line鈥�.

We next received an issue of anti-malaria tablets called 鈥淢epacrine鈥� which we had to take on several occasions. They upset most of us and some men were really badly affected for twelve hours or more after swallowing them. I happened to be in charge of the guard on one of these occasions and during the night both myself and all the sentries were double up with sickly stomachs. On that occasion it was probably the most inefficient guard in all Africa!

For whatever was in front of us we were next issued with 鈥淎rmy Drill Shirts鈥� that were collarless and everybody promptly took them to the many tailors in Tripoli who sewed on collars and pockets. The reason for the issue was that being much darker in shade they would blend more readily with a landscape that was not sandy in colour. Over the shirts we were given pullovers to wear. This was followed by a considerable amount of practise in the use of codes and whenever we had time to spare it was off to the beach for a swim.

On September 1st reveille was at 0530 hours and we were off by 0730 hours marching to our invasion Landing Ship Tank (LST) where all our guns and vehicles were already loaded and awaiting our arrival. Our quarters were pretty good, each man having a bunk to sleep on. The meals were of good quality too! The next day was spent sorting ourselves out. There was boat stations practise as would be expected and in the afternoon swimming in the sea from the lowered front end of the LST. Some of the lads tired out their 鈥淢ae Wests鈥� for the first time in water. Eddie did not and being only a modest swimmer suddenly discovered that he was a long way from the ship and with no change of getting back to it because of the direction of the current at that point. Very fortunately for him, one of our gun sergeants saw him in difficulties, dived in brought him back and pulled him safely on to the ship. Sadly in just over a week that same sergeant was killed in action on the beachhead.

The day following the news filtered through that 8th Army, which had recently completed the capture of Sicily, had crossed the Straits of Messina and had invaded the toe of Italy. This was all very exciting and it seemed obvious that we were bound for somewhere in the same direction. The day happened to be put to one side for resting, but a few of us decided to wash some clothes in the belief that we did not know when we would be able to do so again.

September 4th was another sunny day as would be expected in this part of the world but being a fair distance offshore the air was so much more clean and fresh and we were rid of all the sand and flies and our cuts and sores were beginning to heal. We were told that we would be joining the American 5th Army and much as we regretted no longer being part of the now famous 8th Army, there was on the other hand visions of US rations, etc and of course the experience of working with another army. That day we were allowed another swim in the afternoon, followed by a short discussion about our particular part in whatever was in front of us. The highlight of that evening was a delicious sandwich consisting of two slices of bread and butter, beetroot and pickles.

Our destination was disclosed to all the troops on the 5th. That afternoon we had a long session making and drinking tea. This, I will always remember because we could not find the usual cloth in which to put the tea, so I sacrificed a clean, but old sock for the purpose. The tea was delicious. Awakening on the 6th, we found the ship on the move. We were given more details of our destination and our address for letters henceforth would be 鈥淐MF鈥� or Central Mediterranean Forces. During the 7th and 8th we were continuously on the move. The sea was a typical beautiful Mediterranean blue and relatively calm, but those landing ships wit their flattish bottoms tended to roll somewhat but not to an unpleasant degree and the voyage was as good as a luxury cruise to us common solidery.

On the first day we saw in the distance the Cap Bon area of North Africa and then during the night our ship almost fell out of the convoy, presumably because of engine trouble. In the afternoon I was able to enjoy a long sleep on deck with nothing to disturb me but the ripple of the waves as we slid through the Mediterranean under a cloudless sky. On the second day, in the early morning we passed by Sicily, easily identified by Mt Etna. About midday we saw a small island north of Sicily, probably Ustica, washed more clothes in the afternoon and got ready for tomorrows landing. We had already been issued with maps, which we would need once on land and these had been closely examined to try and familiarise ourselves with our particular area. Over the ship鈥檚 wireless we received news that Italy had surrendered, but nobody was concerned about the Italians. It was the German reaction that was the unknown factor and it alerted them to the danger of an allied invasion. So, by the time we arrived, they had occupied all the coastal defences.

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