大象传媒

While in the desert in 1942 with the 8th Army, serving in the RAMC, I requested that I might take my first class nursing examination to increase my pay. This I did, the exam being taken by Colonel Beamish, of the RAMC, who was in transit with us at the time. We moved forward, Tripoli was captured, and became the headquarters for a unit called the Occupied Enemy Territory Administration, of which the Colonel was the commanding officer. We had moved on towards Tunis, and while I was on detachment with the 11th Hussars, and had been with them two days, I was recalled to my unit to report to Colonel Beamish. On arrival I went to his office - he told me he had a special assignment for me.

About 180 miles south of Tripoli there was a very small village into which the Germans had placed 3,000 Jewish people, men, women and children. Many of them were gradually dying of typhus. I was to go and sort the matter out. I told the Colonel I was not a doctor, to which he replied, "I took you for your first class nursing exam, so you will go !" I was taken in a three ton lorry, together with all the equipment I needed, and set off to this tiny village named Jiardo. The driver took the lorry back to Tripoli and I was left there alone. I found the Jewish people in a camp on a steep hill. On making an inspection of the camp I was horrified at what I found.

The place was filthy, dead and dying were lying in huts together. I set to work to clear up and bury the dead. I placed a wire fence across the camp, dividng it into two, and moved everyone to one side to be disinfected. We had a steam disinfector, a mobile shower, and a treatment tent, through which all the people passed to the disinfected side of the camp. All the mattresses were burnt, and replaced with clean ones from Tripoli, together with fresh blankets. I heated the iron bedsteads until they were red hot and then cooled them. I then asked the Colonel to send food rations and other items. Water was restricted to two hours a day, as the well dried up after two hours pumping.

I divided the families according to their home towns. They came from all over Libya, from Mersa Matru to Benghazi, through to Sfax and Sousse in Tunisia. All spoke Italian. I organised 12 Jewish lads into a workforce, and six ladies as nurses. I found some teachers among them and organised a school for the children.

I needed help urgently, and applied to the Colonel, who sent me an Italian doctor who was a prisoner of war, and who was a great help. The first day when no one died, we had a celebration - I had been there for one month.

Altogether I was there for three months. At the end of that time I was able to get the people back to their home towns. The empty camp was set on fire, and I returned to my unit.

Cpl Ken Woodcock 7384292 RAMC

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