大象传媒

Eventually the powers that be reckoned that my unit was located south of Salerno, but this turned out to be only a detachment with a couple of tents in the mud. Anyway I went to a picture show in the town with a stout member who liked his food called Chadwick; after we had been there for about half an hour he collapsed but I managed to get him out to the vestibule where he passed out completely. I was left with him, and a whole lot of well meaning Italians with whom I was unable to communicate. So I made my way to the Town Major who organised an ambulance and we got him to an army hospital. The next day he returned to the detachment after being reprimanded by the hospital; his had been a severe case of constipation.
At last I got back to my unit proper. They were in Naples near the airport, billeted in some kind of home which had a nice chapel, kitchen, dormitories, a yard with a statue, and out-houses. Geordie Gregory had saved my home made bed (which had been with me during my travels), and there were also letters and a parcel from home; it was pleasant to be back with the lads again.
Our steeple-jack from Walsall 鈥淒ickie Dainty鈥� had been the main constructor of a bath house; which was two halves of a forty gallon steel barrel cut lengthwise, one half to heat the water, the other to actually bathe in. It was on the short side but a real luxury never the less.
The unit was at a bit of a loose end so we filled in the time in various ways; one was a trip to the top of Vesuvius. We scrambled up the side over the ashes to the crater. It reminded me as being a bit like the lime kilns back home where my father worked.
We met a guide who cracked open one of the fumerals and with an iron rod drew out molten lava forming it into ash trays round the coins we supplied. It was very hot and black underfoot, this was about two months before the eruptions.
Another outing was to the San Carlos Opera House to see Humphrey Bogart and some other American film stars, they were not very impressive but the Opera House was, especially as we were sat up in the nice boxes for free.
Christmas day came along and some of us formed teams and played a game of rugby under the direction of our armament officer, a red haired Irishman, Flying Officer Todd by name.
The unit had acquired and fattened a pig, which our cook and butcher killed and cooked for Christmas dinner, along with other goodies like white bread, a rare treat; and there must have been a fair bit to drink as some of the lads hoisted Flight Sergeant Tank Trap Taylor on their shoulder, who thought it was a huge joke, until they carried him outside and dumped him in the horse trough!
Typhus being rife in Naples we had to all line up for injections and were not supposed to mix with the populous, but we did get our washing done in exchange for a tin of bully beef by lowering it over the balcony to a house in the street below. We also went to see a film starring George Formby with Italian sub-titles and did not hear much of the dialogue as the locals talked through most of it, as well as eating nuts.
Amid rumours that we were bound for the Far East, we moved to the Transit Camp at Bella Vista, with a good view of Mt. Vesuvius which was becoming active again producing some spectacular displays at night, this was a prelude to the eruptions which took place shortly after we left in early 1944.
Having sadly handed in our trucks and weapons we moved down to the docks and boarded a troop ship which was anchored out in the Bay of Naples. Sailing after dark, we passed through the Straits of Messina the next morning, they now looked beautiful and peaceful in the morning light. As we sailed across the Mediterranean we ran into terrific gales in which we lost our barrage balloons. On going down the stairs to the galley it was like being in a very fast lift, I having once again volunteered to act as mess orderly.
We had lots of food as only a few of us were eating on our table, the hammocks were a blessing in the rough seas. Up on deck one could see half the length of the keel of the escorts at times as they ploughed through the mountainous waves.
Amid calmer weather we entered the harbour at Algiers where our C.O. Flt. Lt. Fairburn said farewell to us and explained that he was destined for other duties. Our unit now transferred to the P. & O. liner 鈥楽trathnaver鈥�, which sailed that evening into a glorious red sunset, towards the Straits of Gibraltar.
Sailing up through the Bay of Biscay we encountered more rough weather which shook up the crockery somewhat. We had a large floating dock in our convoy and the usual destroyer escort. Down below I had a winning streak in the solo school, but unfortunately for me the Cpl. who owed it had no money, and I never did see my winnings. Yet again I performed mess orderly duties.
We sailed up the Bristol Channel after a fast voyage, but due to the stormy weather we were stood off the Mersey for a day, on the way up to Liverpool. We passed a troop ship on its way out and we gave them a big cheer, when we came alongside an army band was playing us a welcome. We had another longish wait for customs before we disembarked, but they were not over zealous as I still retained my Italian revolver and the silk stockings for the girl in Carlisle and my sister. We now entrained for Blackpool where the landladies had been told to give us extra blankets as we were returning from a warm climate. (The Italian winter had been anything but warm.)
Our K.D.s were handed in, on the football ground, where I met a butcher from home called Colin Peat; he was in the R.A.F. Regiment. We were then sent home on leave to await postings.
During my leave my posting arrived and I was none to pleased to find it was to East Fortune Aerodrome six miles from home. I thought it would curtail my social activities, and besides one expects to be away from home whilst in the services. But the first morning there at breakfast I met up with two airmen from another servicing commando unit who had also returned from Italy which cheered me up no end and we caused a bit of a stir in the mess with our combined operation and R.A.F. badges on our Army uniforms. It was only then that it finally sank in that our former units were disbanded and it was back to the humdrum life of maintenance. The two I met were Joe Fletcher and Jock Martin. On re-establishing back into the R.A.F. proper we ended up with two greatcoats.
Fletch; as he became known and I were detailed to the maintenance hangar, carrying out major or 240 hour servicing and repairs on Beaufighters and Mosquitoes. There we met up with one Cpl. Nicholas (an ex brat as former apprentices were known), who hailed from South Wales; and had recently returned from Takoradi in West Africa, a staging post for aircraft on their way to the Middle East, after they had been assembled. We tended to be outcasts to those that had been in the hangar for some years; East Fortune was an Operational Training Unit.
As well an engine changes and maintenance, a lot of the work involved replacing cracked duralumin wing-panels, these had age hardened and cracked. The new panels had to be riveted on by hand. Two W.A.A.F.s who were working there were particularly good at the flush riveting that this required. Overhauling undercarriages and reinforcing the main spars of the wings where there was buckling due to heavy landings were other work carried out.
There was one amusing incident when one blonde rather snooty W.A.A.F. engine mechanic was up on steps by the engine leaning over the wing, and of course in a boiler suit, when a small Geordie Cpl. mistaking her for one of the lads went up the steps in a jovial sort of way and with one finger poked her in the bottom saying: 鈥淲hoose that for centre!鈥� She turning round was practically speechless, but did manage to get out 鈥淭hat鈥檚 not funny鈥� in a broad Yorkshire accent.
One outstanding repair on a Mosquito stands out in my mind. This was carried out by a Dehavilland鈥檚 team. After setting the aeroplane in the rigging position, (that is as if it were flying) and on trestles, then marking the fuselage about 4ft. in front of the fin, removing controls etc. in that area, the team using a wood saw proceeded to cut the damaged tail off; then splice and glue a new cannibalised tail on.
The Mosquito was a wooden aircraft and the fuselage consisted of an inner and outer layer of plywood with longerons, wooden slats running fore and aft which were packed with balsa in between.
We looked after an Australian squadron of Lancasters that had been diverted to us after a raid. When they took off the following morning they threw their machines about like Spitfires.
We did some aircraft guard rounds during the dispersals at night time, as some prisoners of war had escaped in Cumberland as it was then known. They made off with a plane which they flew down south, where they landed and unsuccessfully tried to refuel. There was a P.O.W. camp near us on which our Czeck. test pilot carried out a low level dummy shoot up, when I went on an air test with him in a Beaufighter.
The living huts were well dispersed from the main cook-house, wash-house and toilets and everyone had a bicycle, there being nothing at the site of the huts. Fletcher being of the regular peace time air force was able to use his influence to let us move into an Officer鈥檚 hut. These had separate rooms and their own coal fires which was very nice.
Nicky Nicholas, Joe Fletcher and I had a great time round the pubs such as the Crown in East Linton and the George in Haddington; especially when the latter鈥檚 uncle stayed there, he was a Captain on a ship which plied the Russian convoy routes. We really let our hair down. One time his sister and brother-in-law came to a service dance and Fletch. who was well under the influence decided to go to the hangar and get a small aircraft towing tractor to take them home to East Linton about four miles away, but was stopped by the M.T. section as he drove past. As he was a long time away I went to look for him and found him in our hangar in the dark trying to start the Bristol Aircraft C.O. fitter鈥檚 motorbike and side car to no avail. We ended up taking them home on the crossbar of our bicycles!
We also went to a Chirn , (鈥楬arvest Home鈥�) at the Knowe鈥檚 Farm, where my Uncle and Aunt lived. We saw them in the barn where it was held; we had a great night.
June 1944 was the time of the Normandy 鈥楧鈥� Day landings. That morning the B.B.C. coverage was broadcast over the Hangar Tannoy system. Some days previously our aircraft were painted with wide black and white bands on the inner wing and mid-fuselage. Also some of our airmen were posted to Haverfordwest. We were all on over-time and weekend working at this time.
I went to Loughor, near Swansea on leave with Nicky Nicholas just before Christmas. We went out with his parents to the local pubs and to the Miner鈥檚 Club at Gorseinon, where the singing was up to the usual high standard of Wales, and because I was a Scot we also had to sing Loch Lomond. Nicky鈥檚 brother who was in the Army arrived home. He had a very rough time during the Ardennes Offensive when the Germans broke through on the American front. That was December 1944.
The winter was very severe that January; and I with others, was detailed for duty watch at the control tower with the Duty Pilot. The runway was covered in snow and we were called out in the night to spend most of the watch in the arduous task of shovelling sand salt on same, so I was pretty tired when I went back the billet to get some sleep. Only to be woken up around midday, to be told that I was posted to Aldergrove in Northern Ireland and to go round the different sections and get cleared, as I would be leaving at 8p.m., with two other airmen namely 鈥楳ac鈥� MacDonald and 鈥楽ammy鈥� Samuels.
We took the train, arriving at Stranraer on the west coast of Scotland. The next morning boarding the boat to Larne, thence Belfast and arriving at Aldergrove in the afternoon. The following morning, doing the rounds to be taken on the strength during which we were questioned on our ground defence knowledge. To the question: 鈥淲hat is the difference between a 3 and a 7 second fuse in a hand grenade?鈥� Mac answered: 鈥�4 seconds.鈥� Of course, the answer this person was looking for was the colour code. I do not think he was sure whether Mac was taking the mickey or not. Anyway the outcome was that Sammy and Mac were sent off straight away on a ground defence course.
At this time a lot of Irish songs were popular such as: 鈥淭he Isle of Innisfree鈥� and 鈥淚f you ever go to Ireland will you kiss my old mother for me.鈥�
Myself, I had arrived in time to go on another salt and sand shovelling detail as the runways were under snow and had to be made serviceable, all of the M.T. vehicles were also being used to run up and down to consolidate the snow.
Aldergrove turned out to be a heavy conversion unit for crews to be trained on Liberators for Coastal Command on anti-submarine work over the Atlantic. The planes sported a large Leigh Light under the wing. I was now put to work on servicing Liberators and ran into some difficulty as the inspection panels were held on with cross headed screws and we did not seem to have any suitable screwdrivers (my first encounter with such screws). The old hangars where we worked were very cold as the doors were permanently open. Round about March time I got moved down to the large heated hangars on the other side of the airfield, where Short Bros. of Belfast had been assembling their Stirling bombers. I now went to work on servicing and carrying out modifications on Airspeed Oxfords. Our Halifaxes were also serviced in this hangar.

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