Chapter 9a - On Active Service

CHAPTER 1X ON ACTIVE SERVICE - PART ONE

On leave I had to get a typhus injection. I had quite a bit of trouble getting this done. I told the clerk over the phone what I thought. His answer was to purme through to the Assitant Director of Medical Services.

I hardly realised what I was doing and pitched into him, a thing I would never dared to have done to a Colonel were I standing in front of him. My points were justified, anyway, he did not know my name or unit. This was little mitigation for the three days I visited and waited at the central Nottingham Medical Inspection room.

I had a grand leave and enjoyed myself so much that I never thought of going overseas. Everything was well under control. I broke the return journey by spending 36 hours with an Uncle and Aunt in Shotts, Lanarkshire. It was like peacetime again to travel around and really enjoy oneself.

On return to the Infantry Traing Centre at Perth, I was told I would be going in two days and merely hung around kicking my heels, waiting to be off. My posting was to a holding batallion at Langholm near Carlisle, where I expected to spend some six weeks before going overseas. Through a wrongly made warrant, I failed to arrive 'till ten o'clock at night, and had spent over half the day on stations including Dumfries, where I waited five hours and also made my last purchase in U.K.

To guide my travels, I spent two shillings and sixpence on a little pocket size Bartholomews World Atlas on Dumfries station. Years later, I happenaed to mention the Atlas at home. By a remarkable coincidence, my Father had carried the same Atlas with him during the First World War, then Bartholomews Shilling Atlas. Both are still in the family.

All hopes of bed were dashed away when I reported to the orderly Officer at Langholm. I was to proceed by motor convoy to Carlisle at 05:00 hours with a draft of fifty Highland Light Infantry, for the Middle East. That came as rather a sudden shock. Not on account of the subject matter, but the speed with which it had to be put into operation.

I sat at the desk with the Orderly Office, receiving papers and instructions, snatching a bite of food inbetween. Our conversation was interrupted every now and then by the telephone as the police reported the damage being by the draft in its drunken frenzy round Langholm. A party of seventy Regimental Police and NCO's were eventually sent out to recover the men, who then set about their own company lines.

By eleven I had signed for a fair stack of documents and was begining to consider my task finished when I was whisked away by a sergeant. What I had received before was nothing. I was simply overloaded with papers and documents of every description.

At one o'clock I was free to attend to my own personal kit. I tore off my service dress and got an old battledress out. Then I started to re-pack my gear systematically for the long trip. Some was to be carried in my hands, some was packed as 'not wanted on voyage'. I managed to finish this three o'clock, have a wash and shave, breakfast at three-thirty, and reported to the company lines at four o'clock.

Picture the task of sorting and checking three drafts, each fifty strong, at this hour of the morning. When the donkey work was completed, the adjutant arrived. He graciously called the roll. Draft number RPQOM became mine.

Once on the truck, we set off for Carlisle. One of the Highland Light Infantry soldiers looked at the steel deed box on my kit. My name and Regiment were stencilled on it. "What if I throw your box off the truck?" I said, "You're right, its my box; but only got the draft documents in it, so put it down." He did. We were getting the measure of each other.

At Carlisle,we got onto a special troop train for Newhaven. During the journey I was able to talk to a few of the draft and generally take stock of the situation. I had a draft of fifty privates, average age about 19. Two older privates had been promoted acting corporal for the purposes of the journey only. I had three prisoners under escort, each serving sentences for abscence without leave subsequent to their fourteen day embarkation leave. Rather a handful I thought.

A number of them jested defiance, but I firmly contained their jibes. I spoke to the three under close arrest. Close arrest was a bit of a farce. It involved two escorts for each prisoner - even to the toilet. I offerred them parole, if they gave me their undertaking to stay with me. They agreed. This worked.

We arrived in Newhaven at 5.30, when further documentation started. We were told that we were sailing in the morning, and must check our drafts onto the quay at 0400 hours, boarding ourselves at 0700 hrs.

The thought of this was enough for me. I had a quick dinner, took advantage of a bath, and was in bed by 9.30. I got up in the morning at 0300 hrs to deal with the timetable laid before us the previous evening.

There were only two points in which the orders were wrong. There was very little control exercised over the troops as they went onto the quay. It was, in point of fact, impossible to check them. Also,
the times were in practise an hour behind schedule.

The trip itself was grand. The weather Was fine. We were without a care. Our drafts were on board ship and could not escape.

I looked over the stern, imagining I might see something of the White Cliffs of Dover. But, either my mind is not sufficiently imaginative, or, there aren't any along that part of the coast. I was quite sorry when we approached Dieppe.

After dissembarkation, we were taken by truck to a transit camp. My first impression was that while at home, I had condemned the Americans reckless drivers, I found our fellows every bit as bad overseas. In the transit camp we had our sterling changed to francs. I got 2,000 in return for my ?4 sterling.

After our meal, we were told we were proceeding to Toulon by train leaving at 9 o'clock that night. Until then, our time was our own. A lot of us spent the afternoon examining the defences on the heights above the town. How any Canadian escaped alive after the valiant but futile landing in 1942 is an absolute mystery. How heavily the odds were against them.

At nine o'clock we began. entraining. The rolling stock was all Germanfhe officers were in an old second class coach with hedtian seats. The Other Ranks were in third class carriages with wooden seats. Lighting throughout the train was from a small number of shared parafin lamps. A shortage of windows was also evident. I was in a compartment with four RAF Regiment officers. We talked 'till twelve, and then tried to sleep.

No heating. Many windows missing. By two o'clock I admitted defeat. The cold was too much for me. I went to the end of the corridor, and tried to restore circulation. It was one of those bitter, crystal clear moonlit nights that would have been grand had I been warm enough to appreciate it.

At about nine in the morning we stopped at a small camp by the side of the line. We had a wash and a shave followed by a breakfast in a warm hut. At ten thirty we were off again, but feeling much warmer and happier. As we passed through stations, it was interesting to see the businass acumen spring to life. Much kit, cigarettes, and soap was, to use the Army expression, flogged to the Frenchmen. What amused me most was to see those railway wagons of such fame with their descriptmve words, "40 HOMMES or 8 CHEVEAUX".

We passed through some pleasant country. The weather was warm and sunny. Our travelling was a pleasure.

We had with us a party of several Guards subalterns. They had their batmen with them, the only servants on the train. One of them went down to the baggage van where some of my HLI party were doing escort duty, guarding the baggage.

After the Guards officer party had left, one of my HLI escorts spotted a cufflink on the waggon floor. He brought itmto me, thinking it might belong to iline of the guards officers.

I took it to the Guards officer's compartment and asked them. But I got nothing but their abuse and ridicule. I was ashamed. I went back to the baggage van to thank my HLI men. But I said the cuff links didn't belong to the Guards Officers.

In the evening we had another halt for a meal. But our spirits sank with the evening as we felt the cold beginning to strike in again. I waited in the compartment 'till everywhere was quiet and most of the officers were dozing. Then quickly and quietly, I picked up my blanket and great coat and sneaked down to the baggage wagon. I didn't want anyone to know of the officer who sank his pride for comfort.

The baggage wagon was the warmest place on the train. It was the only place where it was possible to lie out at full length. My HLI friends kindly made me very welcome. I had a good six hours sleep and then moved back just before daylight.

We all felt very tired when we got to Toulon. We enjoyed a hot breakfast at ten o'clock but spent most of the day on our beds recovering from the journey.

We were held to Toulon for five days. The mornings were occupied with work but we had the afternoons to ourselves. As neither the camp nor Toulon were particularly nive places, I spent several days climbing some hills by the camp from which one could look across the deep blue Mediteranean for miles. One of the hills hadseveral forts and caves, which, according to local stories, had been held throughout the war by the Maquis, the French ressistance.

As far as I could see in the villages, the ?starving people of Europe? were better off than ourselves. They seemed to have enough food. In their shop windows were, cameras, pipes, leather goods, scents, ornaments and other luxury goods people at home hadn't seen for years. Transport was in a terrible state. I never saw a civilian vehicle that was in roadworthy condition.

I brought three of the draft into France formally under close arrest. But, owing to the difficulties of maintdning anything but a paper guard, had released them. Some of the draft were tempted to try a few of the French wines. The ones sold in the camp were exceedingly cheap but very intoxicating. I?d found that out. Those in the local inns were not as cheap but of the much more dangerous
'houch'variety.

One unfortunate lad had rather too much one night, fell to arguing with one of the Regimental Police on the camp gate, and struck him.

The poor fellow Was charged. Next day he appeared before the Colonel. My role was to stand smartly to attention to the rear and side of the Colonel. I then had to speak for the man's character. Did my best with a few crisp sentences. But you can't do a lot
for someone you've only known for ten days. So, now we had four members of the draft under close arrest.

It was saturday lunch time I think, for the days meant little, that we embarqued onto the 'Empire Battleaxe', a liberty ship of some 7,500 tons. The officers were put six in quite comfortable cabins. We only got three meals a day, but were quite adequately fed. The Other Ranks were herded into crowwded troopdecks which were so warm at night that they got little sleep. Like us, they got three meals a day, but too small to satisfy them. Old sweats said that, by comparison, this was a good troopship. I pity soldiers sailing on a bad one.

Our second day out was rather rough. I found it a great thrill to stand on the stern, listening to the propeller threshing the water and feeling the whole ship vibrate as her bulk rose up, lifting the propeller out of the water. The spray, which was occaisionally whipped up over her low stern made it all the more thrilling.

The next day was much calmer. While I had enjoyed the rough weather, there were many not in a position to do so. The plight of the troopdecks was a sorry one. The fellows had not the sense to come up on deck, but lay on their bunks in a depressing atmosphere of sickness.

Our third morning out took us through the Straits of Messina. At seven o'clock in the_morning we were all on deck passing through a sea with hardly a ripple. We enjoyed the interesting coastline of Italy and Sicily.

Once more we thought of the people who had fought over that mass of precipitous rocky mountains and became more and more thankful for the end of the war.

By this time we were curious about our destination. There were only two possible ports, namely Alexandria and Port Said. Rumours 'on good authority' were heard for both. The third rumour that the Captain was waiting for a wireless message was, I think, the right one. In the meantime, we kept seeing the ship's daily news sheet recording riots in both Cairo and Alex.

Our curiosity also ran high as to what our postings would be. At first I was afraid I might be seconded from my own regiment to the HLI. Why had I been put in charge of this draft? Although my draft had made themselves unpopular on the journey, I did not altogether blame them. The way they were treated and the general organisation on the journey had been poor. As far as I personally was concerned, I found them obedient and easy to manage. In the bottom of my heart, I have to admit I would have been happy to have been posted
with them.

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.