大象传媒

4 to 21 August 1944

For the first ten days at Sienna I was officers servant to Lieutenant A. C. Clowes who after that period went to hospital after which I became officers mess waiter. On the 18th we had a company dinner to which all the R. A. S. C. drivers who had been with us since Cassio were invited. Also members of "A" Pretoria Regiment who with their Shermans had followed us up hills which it was thought were impossible for tanks to reach and beer and wine flowed pretty freely and here I left 4 Platoon which I had been in since October 1943 and went to Company Headquarters.
22 August 1944
Today orders came through that we were to relieve the 85th U. S. division who were in positions on the banks of the River Arno round the town of Empoli and after two days traveling we finally took over on the night of the 25 August and Nos. 1, 3 and 4 Companies were on the river bank, whilst No. 2 Company were guarding the railway line. For the next five days things were fairly quiet and on the night of 30 August things began to happen.
30 August 1944
At 9.30 p.m. sixty members of the Company were ordered to form a fighting patrol led by Captain Quilter with the object of crossing the Arno and causing as much trouble as possible before withdrawing back to our normal positions and armed with Bren Guns and Tommy Guns we left our positions and took up a position about twenty yards from the river bank whilst Corporal Burgess went forward and swam across the river reccying for a place to cross. He returned at about a quarter to ten and at ten o'clock just as the moon came up we went for a night bathe and as George Booth led his section into the river a Spandau opened up from the opposite bank and wounding him and Leather and Dolly Gray. Somehow or another we got across and after sorting out the Spandau we proceeded up the road half the patrol on one side and half on the other. We went along for about a mile without encountering anything until we heard something coming up the road, so we all dispersed in the ditch to wait and see what it was. It turned out to be a horse and cart with the German rations driven by four Jerries, and as it got opposite half the Company opened up killing the lot outright. By now the alarm had been raised and on turning the corner of the road we saw about a Company of Germans proceeding towards us so Captain Quilter decided a ought to turn back and after about a half a mile were fired upon, and discovered about twenty Germans barring the approach to the river so we were caught between two fires, and the only thing left for us to do was charge, which we did, and the sight of sixty Guardsmen charging across the twenty yards of open ground with everything firing was certainly an awesome sight, and evidently the Jerries thought so too because they more or less packed in, but as we had no time for prisoners the lot went west and it was a race to see who got across the river first. On reaching the other side we proceeded to the No. 3 Company headquarters and we had a roll call and found we had seven wounded not including the three already mentioned and one man killed and after having a drink of tea went back to our positions rather wet and cold.
31 August 1944
Today the Brigade were ordered to cross the river and occupy the high ground on the other side, and at 2.30 p.m. No. 4 Platoon went across and reported over the wireless that all was clear and the rest of the Battalion followed at 3 p.m. The river was about Breast high and orders were given for weapons to be kept as dry as possible but the first thought we had on entering the water was for cigarettes and matches held in the air whilst rifles and Bren guns were submerged under the water. We stayed in these positions for three days to enable the Engineers to build a bridge and as soon as it was completed we were off again.

8 September 1944

After a quiet advance we arrived today at a small town named Monsummano and here we were billeted in an old farm house where we had wonderful dinners of chickens and various other fowls, also eggs for breakfast each morning. Things were very quiet here and one night we had a picture show in Battalion Headquarters and to a casual observer it would have seemed a funny war to see front line troops going to the cinema, but the reason was the Germans had broken contact and we couldn't advance owing to the fact the bridge across the Arno had been washed away by the swiftly rising river after three days of torrential rain.

10 September 1944

Today it was decided to go forward and occupy the town of Montecattini which Nos. 1 and 4 Companies did whilst we relieved No. 3 Company at Montecattini Alto and here we had a wonderful reception by the civilians quite a few of whom could speak perfect English. We stayed here approximately ten days and although we were forward troops we had a wonderful time, the highlights being a drill parade under shellfire and a Company dance held in the village hall and altogether we had a pretty good time. On 17 September I was sent on four days leave to Montecattini Teme which was only a couple of miles away and here I spent a quiet time and had an enjoyable leave.

21 September 1944

I rejoined the Company about 6.30 p.m. and I learnt that the 362 Infantry Division who had been opposing us had been relieved during my absence by the 16th SS Division and as this was one of the German crack divisions we knew the going would be harder than it had been.

22 September 1944

The company received orders today to attack and occupy the small village of Serra which was known to be occupied by a small but fairly strong force of S.S. troops and it was with some misgivings that we left at 8 p.m. and after an all night march occupied the high ground overlooking the village at 3 a.m. At 3.15 a.m. it was discovered the wireless had broken down (later I learned purposely) and George Head and myself had to go back three miles to No. 1 Company's position to report that the company had arrived, and no one was more glad than I when we arrived back at Company Headquarters about quarter to five because walking all that way through unknown country at that unearthly hour was no cure for nerves especially so with S.S. troops in the vicinity. At dawn we moved down on the village whilst three tanks of the Pretoria regiment moved up to the village by a track, and apparently this manoeuvre took all the enemy by surprise, and what opposition there was, was soon dealt with, and all together we took 21 prisoners and killed four and from one of the prisoners a Sergeant Major I got a gold wristlet watch. at about 9 a.m. the enemy started to shell Serra very heavily and wounded three of the Pretoria regiment, and blowing the Commanding Officers Jeep up who had arrived at half past eight, but on the shelling starting he hopped a carrier and went back to battalion headquarters. For the next four days we were subject to terrific shelling about 900 shells falling in and around Serra but being in houses we suffered no casualties and on the morning of 27th after one terrific bombardment lasting for half an hour we were at last left in peace and on 28th we were relieved by elements of the American 1st Armoured Division and we went back to Montecattini Terne for a brief rest.

30 September 1944

At 4.30 a.m. this morning after a hurried preparation we boarded the Troop Carrying Vehicles and proceeded on a long journey through Prato and Montepianno and finally arrived at Castiglione at 3 p.m. and by now the weather had broken completely and on our arrival there was a heavy mist and drizzle and it looked as though we were due for another winter in the hills reminiscent of the winter of 1944 for we were in the middle of the Appenines also in the highly boosted Gothic Line and at last light moved up to form a base behind 1st Scots Guards on Mount Palazzo, who during the night were surrounded by troop of the 36 S.S. Panzer Grenadiers and suffered eighty casualties killed and wounded after six successive counter attacks by the fanatical Germans.

1 October 1944

Just after breakfast today we packed our kit up and moved off again this time to the other side of the valley on to the Bucciani ridge and No.2 Company were in reserve and the remainder of the Battalion were meeting very heavy opposition so we were stood to for the remainder of the day, but the position was eased tremendously by the efforts to gain the top of the ridge and round about midday a troop of P.R. were successful and their 76.1 m.m. guns reeked considerable losses among the S.S. boys, but about 4 o'clock in thick mist and rain they tried to infiltrate between No. 3 and No. 1 Companies but this was remedied and by last light things had quietened down considerably. The following day after a quiet night a recce patrol reported a withdrawal of the Germans and that day we moved up to the left of No. 4 Company whilst the Grenadiers who had arrived at last went through us and the Jocks went back to Castiglione for a rest and reorganisation and the total of German casualties caused by the Jocks and ourselves were in the vicinity of 250.
Our next objective which I forgot to mention earlier was to clear all the high ground to the East and West of Route 6620 and attempt to force a break through to Bologna with the 34 US Division on our right and the 11 SA Armoured Brigade on our left.

4 October 1944

Today considerable German movement was seen and infantry marching back along the road were rudely interrupted by accurate fire from the 25 pounders of the 166 Newfoundland Field Regiment, and the following day the Grenadiers occupied Lagaro and Ripoli without opposition.

7 October 1944

Owing to the unseen swift withdrawal of the enemy we received orders today to advance and occupy the Confienti ridge and after a two hours march through very rough country we completed the job encountering only one spandau post, and we stayed here for two days in continual rain, when on the 9 October we moved forward another two miles on to the right flank of the 11 South Africa Armoured Brigade who had captured Mount Stanco but immediately being counter attacked four times being driven off and we were to protect their right flank in case of a major attack and on the night of 12 October the attack on Mount Stanco was carried out by 12 S A mold Brigade and we were told 120 prisoners were taken and the following day we were relieved by the F F R and we proceeded back to Castiglione for a short rest.

19 October 1944

After a brief rest at Castiglione we relieved elements of the 34 U S Division in the small village of Barbiere and for the next week we were occupied in evacuating the civilians from the front line areas, and all the time we were under direct observation from Mount Sole and consequently during daytime we were wearing civilian suits over our uniforms and on 26 October we relieved No. 3 Company in Gardaletta with two platoons on Mount Yemini and one platoon and Company Headquarters in the village itself. During this time various conferences had been taking place planning the attack on Sole and we were all wandering when it was going to take place because although we had only seen it from a distance we knew that it was going to be another Monte Camino effort but owing to five days torrential rain which destroyed the various bridges and roads on 31 October a postponement of a month took place and on 2 November we were relieved by the Grenadiers and we went back to Prato for a rest and refitting.

10 November 1944

After spending eight days at Prato during which time I was able to visit Florence for the first time and enjoy the first film since we were at Meta in March, at nine o'clock in the morning we boarded the trucks and left for another spell in the line and after a walk of nearly four miles along the main Bologna railway which had been converted into a road owing to the fact the road was under observation from Mount Sole, and we finally relieved the Scots Guards in La Quercia with two platoons and Company Headquarters in the village and one platoon about half a mile up a track leading to San Martino. This track was to become the main axis in the forthcoming battle for Mount Sole and although it was well out in No Man's Land already ammunition dumps were being built and sappers clearing up the mines, and one night when visiting the forward platoon with the company Commander we were following a mule train up when we met a jeep train coming down and for a while complete chaos reigned made worse by a German patrol visiting the spot, and after ten minutes brawl during which two Italians were wounded things quietened down, but I didn't fancy the job of going up there again. After ten days in the village we were relieved by the N.M.R. acting as Infantry and we moved over to the left in the Gardaletto area but still in houses, and although shelled pretty heavily we had no casualties. On 22 November we were relieved by the I L H / K.R. and went back to a small village called Menzuno which although out of the line was within artillery range and still under observation.

29 November 1944

Back in the line again today in the La Quercia area relieving the Grenadiers but this time up the hill 429 and 431 living in dug outs and after a days hard work we finally made the one we had taken over quite inhabitable and safe and two days later we were told that the attack would take place on the night of 6 / 7 December and on 3 December we were relieved by the Scots Guards and we went back to a small village called Puzzola on the railway line two miles south of La Quercia for a short rest and for the briefing. On our arrival back here we were informed that the attack had been postponed for 72 hours and everyone breathed a sigh of relief although these various postponements were beginning to have rather a slight effect on the mentality of the troops. During our stay here we first came in contact with "artificial moonlight" created by an American searchlight unit, which was to prove itself very useful in the weeks to come. On 8 December following a visit by the 5th Army Commander General Mark Clark the attack was postponed indefinitely and on 9 December we relieved the Scots Guards in La Quercia area and we were able to get back to our own dug out again on Pt. 429 staying here for a further ten days during which activity was confined to fairly active patrolling, and the 16SS Division was relieved by a Division just as bad if not worse the 4 Paratroop Division who had held up the 8th Army for so long at Cassino. On 21 December we were relieved by the Sots Guards and we went back to Castiglione with the prospects of spending Christmas out of the line.

21 to 28 December 1944

On arrival at Castiglione I was sent to work in the Officers Mess and I had a nice easy time until 23 December when Mr. Clowes returned from hospital and asked me to be his servant so I took him over until he could get someone else and on 24 December the bombshell fell when we were put on an hours notice to move and our visions of Christmas dinner out of the line began to grow dim, this move was on account of a very heavy counter attack on the F. F. R. , but early on Christmas day things were back to normal and preparations for the Christmas dinner began to take place, and it took place in the cinema and considering the rush of things we celebrated in fine style. after dinner we went back up to the mess and after serving the officers we began to celebrate until well past midnight although all the time my thoughts were miles away in Blighty with my dear wife. On Boxing Day we had a quiet day until night when the Italian of the house invited all his neighbours and hired an Italian band and things began to hum properly and at midnight we were invited by the officers and from then until early morning we forgot there was a war on.

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