Foreword - From Desert to Danube

THE

ARGYLL

Who never got back to the Regiment.

1944 - 1948

Events written down as they occurred.

DUNCAN

LEITCH

TORRANCE

BBC WW2 People's War Edition

This 48,000 word illustrated account is developed through seventeen chapters spread over 130 pages. Where possible, each chapter has been reproduced in one section of the website.

The longer chapters are spread across two sections.

FOREWORD

This account is in the words I wrote in 1945, 46 and 47. It is the English of that time used by a youth of nineteen or twenty years of age.

Much of it', was typed in Benghazi on an old
Italian Oliveti typewriter that was in the care of the 'CEP' - The Custodian of Enemy Property.

How far should I edit it? At the moment it has the flavour of its time. It portrays feelings accurately. So I have restricted myself to a few explanations.

How much should the English be changed to meet our changed sensitivities? Thus there are words in the text that would not be used to-day.

I mean no offence. I apologise for them. But it might be worse to censor them. They are part of the time, the atmosphere. Remember that W.O.G. stands for Westernised
Oriental Gentleman. Egyptians advertising in the 'Situations Wanted' column of The'Egyptian Mail', often described themselves as W.O.G.

Proud of some things I did, ashamed of others.

Be dishonest and cowardly to change it now.

Can't even recall it all; but that's what I wrote down then, as it happened.

It's the story of a common man, by a common man.

I hope you enjoy it.

A typed copy of this story is also held at the Imperial War Museum.

Duncan Torrance

22nd February 2005

CONTENTS

Foreword

Cahapter 1 The Raw Recruit

Chapter 2 The First Scheme

Chapter 3 War Office Selection Board

Chapter 4 A fully Trained Soldier

Chapter 5 Pre - O.C.T.U.

Chapter 6 Life in Morecambe

Chapter 7 A 2/Lieut is born
Chapter 8 On foot in the Highlands

Chapter 9 On active service

Chapter 10 ?Bury me out in the Desert In the heat of the Lybian sun.?
Chapter 11 Deeper into the Desert
Chapter 12 Winding up
Chapter 13 A Life on the Ocean Wave

Chapter 14 A base wallah
Chapter 15 Back to exhumations and crosses

Chapter 16 A new cemetery

Chapter 17 The deep mid-winter

Afterword

Appendices

See next section for Chapter 1 THE RAW RECRUIT

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