大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Jabulani Chwaula from WM CSV Action Desk on behalf of Reginald Wallis Longland and has been added to the site with his permission. Reginald Wallis Longland fully understands the sites terms and conditions.

I was Working in Tyseley and at the age of 18, I volunteered for the army and went to the invasion of North Africa, Algers, Tunisia and Sicily-Italy.

I was very nervous.

In Sicily there were no rations but mostly Biscuits. We got free cigarettes but they were awful, so we used to exchange them with the locals for eggs and other foods. But the locals cottoned on and didn鈥檛 want to do it anymore.

One of the things the regular soldiers used to say was, 鈥渨hat now Babies鈥� and the Italians called me 鈥淏ambinos鈥�.

I got malaria in Italy and was taken to hospital. It was rumoured that the division was going home. I got moved to another hospital then recuperation.

I heard the division was moved to the coast and I pleaded with the doctor to be released.

I got a lift to the coast to catch the boat with the division, thinking I was going home, ended up in Egypt.

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