Life in the Army - Chapter 14 Montgomery's Left Hook

This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Roger Marsh of the ‘Action Desk — Sheffield’ Team on behalf of Arthur Ward and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

Refer to Chapter 1-- A4345544 -for links to other chapters.

LIFE IN THE ARMY

by
ARTHUR WARD

Refer to Chapter 1-- A4345544 -for links to other chapters.

Chapter 14 — ‘Montgomery’s Left Hook’

In our issue of rations we did sometimes have a change. For instance, I have noted in my diary for 1 week (although we were not in action at the time).

Example: ‘D’ Sub 4 days rations issued (7 men)

Sunday 2 tins sausages, 3 tins fruit.

Monday 1 Soya links, eggs, 1 tomatoes, 1 milk, bread, 3 fruit, porridge.

Tuesday 1 Soya links, eggs, 1 cheese, pilchards, 1 milk, 5 M&V (stew), jam.

Wednesday 1 margarine, 1 Soya links, 1 tomatoes, 1 cheese, 7 packet dates, 6 M&V, rice pudding.

Thursday 1 margarine, 1 Soya links, 1 tomatoes, 2 bully beef, fritters, rice pudding, 6 M&V, 1 kidney beans, 4 fruit.

Friday 1 Soya links, 2 Heinz beans, 1 cheese, 1 pilchard, 6 M&V, 4 fruit, sweet biscuits.

This was a time when supplies were able to get to us, but other times we had to rely on bully beef and hard biscuits.

Intersection football and sports league for Battery shield:

Left Section 1 v BHQ 1.
LS 3 v RS 0.
LS 2 v LSB 0.
RTS (‘A’) 2 v LS (‘A’) 1

I ran in the Battery cross county run and came in 4th (which was first man in ‘A’ Troop).

We were training for all sports and I ran 880 yards in 3 minutes. 100 yards in 13 seconds.

February 19, 1943
I sent a parcel home.

I played for the Regt. 11th RHA 1 v KRRC 2. (Kings Royal Rifle Corps)

This is Nessie's brother Bill Bell's company but I did not see him.

February 20, 1943
Packed up ready to leave at 08:00 hours. We loaded on to transporters and travelled west on the coast road.

We passed El Rzegh, Bale Martino, and down on to the axis road. We stopped at 17:30 hours for the night after travelling 98 miles.

February 22, 1943
Left at 07:30 hours via Barce and then went down a very steep escarpment which had a bridge blown in the middle of the pass. This was very scary, sat high up in the priest. These RASC drivers certainly know how to handle these massive trucks. Through the middle of the town of Barce and onto Barraca Driana and then another hair raising pass was waiting for us. 2 ME (German) fighters had crashed on this very steep hill.

We stopped for the night near Tocra, 105 miles.

February 23, 1943
Another early start and soon we were passing the docks at Benghazi.

This was the largest town so far seen since Cairo. The harbour showed much evidence of bombing, by both sides, and the railway station was flattened.

We saw some English nurses, the first English girls we had seen for a long time.

Then we passed a massive RAF and a USAF airfield.

We were held up just outside the town, about 5 miles, because a convoy in front was in our way on the only road.

This was at 12:45 hours, so we spent the rest of the day on maintenance.

The local 'wogs' visited us so we were able to buy some eggs and bread.

February 24, 1943
We had a parade at 09:00 hours, and Captain Drage gave us the news about how the war was progressing. More maintenance.

At 13:00 hours we were suddenly given the all clear to move off again.

We passed a Wog town called Ghemines where we saw the locals taking part in a football match and playing in bare feet!! with a full size leather ball!!!

We passed the local bazaar and a mosque. We passed through Magrum and stopped at 17:30 hours after travelling 40 miles.

The area for the last few days had been like a large oasis with palm trees and much more greenery than the usual scrub in the desert.

February 25, 1943
Left at 08:00 hours via Agedabia another very large village and then we were in the open desert again with the usual soft sand just off the main road.

February 26, 1943
We leaguered at 16:50 hours after another 50 miles.

February 27, 1943
Left at 09:00 hours to Mersa Brega, and then El Ageila. The original members were pleased to reach here again because this is the place they reached on their last 'swan' up the desert, where they had to turn round, and the Germans chased them for 1,000 miles back to El Alamein, killing and capturing a great number of men in the Regiment.

The sand here was very soft, so we had to keep on the road, also many mines were scattered about.

We passed Beirut where several tugs were sunk in the harbour.

We stayed the night near Misurata where we bartered with the wogs - their eggs for our hard biscuits or English Military money.

February 28, 1943
Monday. We passed a large RAF air field which had some very big troop transport planes on the ground.

Also built over the road (which was the only thing besides desert sand), was the Marble Arch. This was an arch built over the road (similar to Marble Arch in London) and was built by the Italian occupiers to mark the border between Cyrenaica and Tripolitania. It just looked like a folly stuck there, and could be seen for miles over the flat desert. A bit of a let down for a boundary, as there was nothing else in the desert, not even a fence.

We travelled on, and there was a bit more civilisation now at Zliten Horns and Glagen and just outside Tripoli we stopped for a "brew up".

We carried on for a while, but at dusk we had to stop for an air raid. There was high level bombing and visits from dreaded Stukas nearby.

We heard that 2 men had been killed about 14 miles from us.

The raid lasted for 25 minutes. There was a good barrage of Ack Ack fire from nearby Tripoli, and the air was filled with tracer bullets and Verey lights.

We carried on a short time and stopped at Azizia which we found out was 15 miles south of Tripoli.

March 04, 1943
Wednesday. More maintenance and 30 men were allowed a few hours leave in Tripoli.

March 05, 1943
We were able to visit a windmill where we were able to have a bath (bliss!!) and
wash our clothes. Another small air raid at dusk.

March 06, 1943
Maintenance and able to play a bit of football.

March 08, 1943
Pay Parade at 11:30 hours and I drew £4 in British Military money. This was a change for us as previously we had been struggling with Italian Lire and Egyptian Piastres so the authorities had finally issued us with money (all notes) which we understood.

13:00 hours, truck to Tripoli. We had a walk round the docks and harbour which had had a real pounding, saw the Spanish Moles, The Fox and Galleon Pillars - these had been built as "show off' pieces by the Italians. There were some really impressive buildings, so some of the 'Ities' must have been very rich. We had a walk in the Wog district (although out of bounds to troops). Here, the buildings were just the opposite, real hovels. We had a walk round bazaars owned by Italians, but things were much too dear for us.

I bumped into Ted Dolan (ex 70th ).

There were many ships sunk in the harbour, once again belonging to both sides.

We visited the Union Club where coffee and milk was 3d (approximately 1p) a mug. It also had a cinema, but we did not have much time. The truck took us back at 17:15 hours. At dusk, the town was evacuated and the civilians left town to be away from the nightly air raids.

March 09, 1943
Moved on (still on transporters) only about 15 miles to an Italian school area which was in the grounds of a farm.

March 10, 1943
Moved at 10:30 hours to a parking area where there was a mobile canteen but we left again at 03:00 hours and travelled through the night through the outskirts of Tripoli to Zvara where we were able to hear the latest war news on the wireless set.

Near this point we passed over the border into Tunisia.

At 05:30 hours the trailer part of our transporter had a puncture, and before the driver could stop, it burst into flames and left a trail of black smoke behind us. We were concerned about the priest above the burning tyre, as the tank was full of High Octane Petrol, which is easily ignited and burns more fiercely than ordinary petrol.

However we managed to put out the fire with sand and fire extinguishers and after the wheel was changed we were able to carry on.

At 06:45 hours we stopped for a quick 'brew up', then later we managed to catch up with the convoy.

This episode reminds me that in the desert where water was scarce, we washed our Khaki drill clothing by dropping them in a tin containing High Octane Petrol, this cleaned off all the stains (mostly caused by sweat) but after a time it rotted the clothing, possibly because it dried out fully in a few minutes. Not to be recommended!!!

March 11, 1943
We realised that by now we were getting very near to the front line so after a time out of action, our worries were starting again.

We stopped in an area where we were told we were 8 Km east of Medinine and that the enemy were well dug in the Mareth Line which was a large range of hills.

Our forward OP was in a range of hills called Edinburgh Castle where they were able to observe enemy movements.

We now changed our money from the British Military Pounds to the French Francs £1 = 200 francs.

March 12, 1943
We moved 5 miles further south.

March 13, 1943
A member of our subsection 'Ginger' Harding, who was our driver was charged with insubordination and he received a reprimand from Captain Drage (I think he answered back cheekily when given an order by an officer).

We moved at 13:30 hours, about 8 miles into a 'wadi' where the echelons and the rest of the Regt. had just arrived.

Driver Harding left our subsection and Dvr Morton came back after his spell in hospital.

We stayed in this position, and a mobile canteen came up and brought some very welcome mail. I received a letter from Al White (70th ) in the first army which I found out was not very far away from us.

March 15, 1943
Sunday at 12:30 hours, we moved 2 miles and our guns were put into action defensive positions overlooking the Mareth Line.

We laid the guns on SOS lines in case of any enemy counter attack.

It was thought that in this sector, we were facing Italian troops which was not so bad. It was organised that every night, every man had to be on guard duty where we had to watch out for a signal which would come from a verey light, and would be white, green, white. We never saw one and we never found out what it would have meant. Army organisation!!!

Jerry planes dropped flares every night but there was very little bombing.

March 16, 1943
Usual maintenance and guard duties. A large 'party' was arranged. The 2nd Armoured Brigade (which included us) penetrated 8 miles into the enemy lines and shelled a strong point. Our tanks attacked and tried to draw enemy armour out into the open. They would not be drawn but sent over a few shells which were a nuisance, but did very little damage.

We withdrew without loss, but our forward troops realised to our dismay that the Italian troops had been replaced by a ‘crack’ German Division.

March 19, 1943
The usual maintenance whilst we waited for orders for our next move. Flares and bombs were dropped near us at night. We were well dug in, in split trenches.

March 20, 1943
25 pounders and 4.5 guns were sending barrages over our heads during the night. We had to stand to at 05:30 hours every morning in case of counter attack.

The enemy were using the dreaded 'crackerjack’ bombs to scatter over a large area, then explode in the air so slit trenches did not give much protection. We also called these 'Butterfly Bombs’.

March 21, 1943
We were given a lecture by the CO, giving us details of the next big attack on the Mareth Line.

We were in 30 Corps and they were to attack, and the 1st Armoured Division would hopefully break through and chase Jerry via Gabes, Sfax to Tunis. 2nd Armoured Brigade were to be in the lead (that's us) followed by 7th Armoured Div.

Don Sub now is:
Sgt. Rodbard
L/Sgt. Pace
Bdr Ward
L/BDr Kelly
Gunners:
Pridmore
Stewart
Driver Morton.

At 21:15 hours, a big barrage started and we were strafed by fighter bombers.

Flares were dropped, which lit up the whole area and we felt very vulnerable from the enemy fighters.

The attack was said to be the best planned and most methodical in the war so far, planned by General Montgomery.

March 22, 1943
We moved to a defensive position in front of the position known as Edinburgh Castle, near Mimateur. More anti personnel bombs were dropped on us but no injuries.

March 23, 1943
We heard Churchill's speech on No. 19 wireless set, that the war in Africa was going well. We were pleased to see the RAF setting up an airfield about 2 miles away - this meant that we would have air protection from the Stukas.

March 24, 1943
We all had to do 3 hours guard duty each night. More flares and we were machine gunned by ME 110's. Some shrapnel fell in our priest but fortunately we were all in a slit trench.

March 25, 1943
Amazingly we all had orders to scrub our webbing (i.e. straps which held our haversacks, water bottles etc in place). Then prepare to the move.

L/Sgt. Pace was taken ill and the MO sent him to hospital with a fever. I had to take over as gun layer.

We moved at 16:30 hours very slowly so as not to disturb the dust (almost impossible) as we were under observation from enemy OP in the hills.

We loaded onto transporters at Medinine, then travelled back to Ben Garden and travelled all night, and off loaded from the transporters at 07:30 hours after a journey of 110 miles.

We were now back in a desert area, a change after all the shrubbery, trees and grass of the last few days.

We were following a track made by the New Zealanders and this attack was to be known as the famous ‘Montgomery Left Hook’ round the Mareth Line.

During the day, a very hot Khamsene wind sprang up. This was very uncomfortable, we were all sticky with sweat, covered in dust and parched as we had very little water.

At 12:30 hours we were able to stop for a few minutes and have a brew up.

As previously in the desert, we carried a square petrol tin which was cut in half, sand put in the bottom and petrol added, we lit it and a very well worn black kettle put on the top, then mashed a welcome mug of tea.

We moved off in a diamond formation. I was driving the priest, we all had to take turns due to long journey and the hazardous conditions; it was very tiring.

We leaguered at 07:30 hours after travelling 300 miles - most uncomfortable. We were just behind the New Zealand front line.

We had L/Bdr Chandler join the sub as replacement for Bob Pace.

March 26, 1943
Sunday. Reveille at 05:30 hours and we were in action during the day.

We were strafed by ME's and Focke Wolf planes, and small bombs were dropped. I fired 120 rounds with the Browning. We bedded down in slit trenches at 20:30 hours and I was on guard from 22:30 to 23:30 hours.

Pr-BR

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