Wilfred (Pip) Hill's Diary 1940/1941 - Extract 6 Bombay to Habbaniya

Wilfred Hill was known to his family and friends as Pip (from the children’s cartoon ‘Pip, Squeak and Wilfred’). He was born in Blackpool, Lancashire in 1922 but moved south with his parents and elder brother, Harry, at the age of 10. A few days after his 18th birthday he volunteered for the RAF. His diary begins the day he enlisted (4th Sept 1940) and covers the training period in England, the long and hazardous sea voyage to the Middle East and his first few weeks in Iraq.

These diary extracts were transcribed and submitted by Anne Hill, Wilfred’s widow, and Margaret Hill, his daughter. Editing has been kept to a minimum. Notes enclosed in square brackets are their added comments or queries.

Wednesday 24 Sept 1941
We docked at Ballard Pier. While waiting to disembark the girls working at the offices on the pier waved to us. These were the only girls, with one or two exceptions, we saw in Bombay. We went with two waits straight onto the Lancashire HMT. She was a big change from the old D4. Pukka mess decks etc. After dinner we got ready and went ashore. Stan and I were mess orderlies. We walked a little way then got in a horse cab which took us to the city and did us for the fare. We walked down the street and found a canteen for the forces and had some tea. After this we went into a park full of practice cricket nets. There was also a horse show, jumping etc. Stan got bowling in one of the nets. We came away, had a drink and bought some sandals, knives and sticks and then returned to the canteen. There was a very good singer who sang several songs. We got a cab and went a ride around then we had a milkshake and went for a walk. We caught another cab and then back to the ship. I slept under the table and had a good sleep.

Thursday 25 Sept
Up at 6.00am. Washed and got breakfast for our mess (68). Pushed off about 11.00am. There were two other ships with us. The whole trip was a bit rough, on me that is. The sea stayed a flat calm all the time. We had to get all meals and wash up. There was a parade for all ranks at 9.30am but we, as mess orderlies, stayed on the mess deck. I seemed to spend all the time washing up and getting meals. Freddie Morton arranged singsongs and a concert but they were not up to much. We had lifeboat drill and air raid alarms after the parade which we had to take part in, but apart from this there was no other bullshit. Lancashire is a big come down after the Windsor. We entered the Persian Gulf about 4pm on Sunday. There was a range of mountains on the starboard side, they looked lovely in the sunset. I stayed on deck watching them till they were gone. Monday, land could be seen on the port side and occasional rocks on the starboard, but Tuesday no land was in sight even when we dropped anchor for the pilot. Iraq seems very flat. Tuesday night was the night we came the 90 odd miles up the river to Basra. I spent a restless night on deck and had odd glimpses at the very active refineries, wells etc. There was a scare that night about the time we disembarked. The light went on at 3.00am but nothing happened.

Wednesday 1 Oct
Breakfast. Gave in the rest of the utensils and took our kit on deck. Disembarked about 10.00am. Got on lorries and were taken to RAF Basra (all of us). We were taken to the hangar, where we were to sleep and settled down. There is no work for us yet so we will have to hang about until then. They intend to send us to Habbaniya. In the evening R, S and I went to Margil and went to an open-air cinema and saw ‘Voice of the People’ and were nearly frozen. A man in a utility wagon took us back to camp.

Thursday 2 Oct
Nothing all day. R, S and I went to Ashar in the evening. Went round the bazaars. Ron ordered a bracelet and Stan a ring and Ron and I bought shorts. Stan bought slacks as well. We bought a melon and came home.

Friday 3 Oct
A parade today. Split us up afresh for Shila and Basra, different to last time at Wilmslow. They then took our particulars and we finished for the day. Ron and I went to the RAF cinema. Stan went and picked up his ring. We saw ‘Frontier Marshal’ after the NAAFI.

Saturday 4 Oct
Parade and a route march after the CO gave us a talk on what we were expected to do and what we might do. Ron, Stan and I went to Ashar. Walked about, went to the cabaret (a wash out), had something to eat and came home in a taxi.

Sunday 5 Oct
No parade. In the afternoon I went swimming with Stan. Very good. In the evening we all went to the pics. Saw ‘So This is London’.

Monday 6 Oct
Route march, swim and a bit of work clearing the rubbish out of the bottom part of the hangar. Ron, Stan and I went to see ‘The Great Dictator’ at the station cinema after swimming in the afternoon.

Tuesday 7 Oct
Instead of route march I helped shift some wood from the back of the hangar over to the cookhouse. Went for a swim before and after dinner. I can’t remember much of the interval between the beginning of the first full week and the second week in Basra. Nothing happened however. We slept in the hangar and had little to do. It was rotten dull until I found the swimming pool and then I seemed to spend most of the daytime in the water. I improved my swimming and learned to swim underwater. This I enjoy immensely. I have been to Ashar a few times, to Basra once and to Margil once in the evening to the cinema (the first night). Ashar has little to offer in the way of entertainment except the cinema but they always get the reels mixed so we can’t enjoy it. There are cabarets at the Oriental and Kit Kat but they are expensive (160 fils a bottle of beer, 64 in the NAAFI). Basra is something like Ashar but is out of bounds. I have been once. I think if this is to be my permanent station I will have to find my entertainment in the camp and let my money accumulate.

Thursday 9 Oct
Pay day 1100hrs. I got 8 dinars (£8). Swim morning and afternoon. There was a football match between us and Ashar, we lost (1-3). Stan went down to Basra after returning from the soccer. Ron and I saw ‘Rulers of the Sea’ in Ashar.

Saturday 11 Oct
Bathing pool empty today so we had rather a dull day. Route march. Read a book called ‘Ariel’ about the life of Shelley. Made my teeth ache with chewing gum so I went to bed early. Stan went out into Ashar.

Sunday 12 Oct
No parade. Had a swim before dinner. Lay on my bed until teatime. Had tea and went for a swim. Ron, Stan and I went to the station cinema at night and saw ‘King of the Turf’.

Monday 13 Oct
Route march today toward Ashar for a change. Back for a swim and then tiffin. I rested until 3.00pm. Had the afternoon tea and had another swim. Dinner. Packed my kit and took it over to the cinema then went into the NAAFI with Stan and had some lemonade. Ron came in later. About 8.10pm the lorry came to the cinema and we all got on and went down to the station at Margil. The train left at 9.20pm.

Tuesday 14 Oct
Woke up at 4.30am. We had stopped. The train guard was woken up and went outside. I went to sleep and when I awoke we were still in the same station but the sun was just rising. I did not sleep again. We have been gradually coming into more fertile country. From the train we have seen camels, horses, cows, buffalo, goats and sheep in ever-increasing numbers and crossed three rivers guarded by troops. The well-watered country is falling off to desert again. Breakfast was bread, cheese, salmon and lemons. We passed through all sorts of country, swampy and waterless but in all the journey the land was flat. A land for aerodromes. The land was rough with only small hillocks about Babylon but they seem to have been put there. Dinner was bully beef, bread and tea. I also got some apples at a station canteen. The land was very dry and at times we had to close the windows as the dust blew in. We arrived at Baghdad at 7.30pm and swapped all the kit into the RAF lorries waiting for us. The driver told us we had 57 miles of rough desert road to cover before we got to Habbaniya. After about 20 miles the lorry gave out. We were held up for about three quarters of an hour while it was put right. We did not know then that we were in a dangerous predicament. The Arabs about there are all anti-British and if a lorry is an hour late an armoured car is sent out to find it. We arrived about an hour late, were given a good meal and then we all went to kip about 01.00hrs. Awoke at normal reveille but went to sleep again. Up at 6.55am, too late for breakfast. Put kit away. SWO Ling came round. We went to have an FFI after sampling his character, then to the armoury. We went then to the office building and were allotted to the different squadrons. ARS, GES, ERS etc. Stan and I got into GES, General Engineering Squadron. Tiffin. Went a walk round the shops with Stan and an Irish friend of his. We had some lemonade. Back to the bungalow and got our bedding, afternoon tea, made up the diary. At 7.30pm I went to the station open-air cinema and saw ‘The Perfect Specimen’. A dust storm came up in the middle.

Thursday 16 Oct
Up 5.30am. Parade 6.10am. Did nothing at IRS. Bought camera in afternoon and took some snaps. After dinner bought album and snap pockets and fixed up snaps I had with me. Bed 9.30pm.

Friday 17 Oct
Up 5.25am. Did nothing all morning. Sleep after tiffin.

Sunday 21 Dec
It is now the 21 December 1941. We have now been in Habbaniya two and a half months. Nothing particular has happened here. In the outside world Japan and America have started fighting. Russia is now advancing. We are fighting in Libya. Up at 7.30am. Had breakfast, came back and a little later went for a bath and had a shave. Went to see Ins Reps US Armourers. Bought Christmas trimmings for billet. Tried unsuccessfully to get some 120 films. Went to tiffin.

[This is the last diary entry. Wilfred Hill remained in Iraq until 1946. His rank at demobilisation was Corporal. Our knowledge of the rest of his wartime experiences is based on his service record, the photographs he brought back and recollections of conversations with him before his early death in 1968.]

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