Page 10 - ABA Salvoes 1999-2024

and equipment, and had to take turns at doing guard duty. Everything was in such short supply, including food, that it had to be watched or it disappeared. After about a fortnight we were told to leave the jeep, and were given a white scout car, a half-tracked armoured vehicle, and make our way very quickly up to Rimini on the north east coast of Italy. There we were to link up with the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, who had run into strong German resistance and had asked for Naval bombardment support. We drove up almost non-stop, and we each took a turn at the driving. I had only driven my father’s Morris for a few months before being called up, but I consoled myself with the fact that if we hit anything they would be worse off, as we were heavily armour- plated – unless it was a tank. We arrived at Rimini safely and contacted the Canadians, whom we found were right into the town. They told us that a warship had appeared off the coastline the previous day, and shortly afterwards the Germans had packed their bags and left, so our services were not required. They kindly shared their rations with us, and then we returned back south again to Naples, in a much more leisurely fashion, to report back to base. Later we were directed to pack up all our gear, make our way down to Naples docks, and wait for a small merchant ship to take us back to North Africa. We set sail from Naples harbour, and headed south for North Africa. Before we came into view of the coastline we ran into a swarm of locusts, which must have been blown off course. The sea was covered with them, and on deck they snapped and crackled underfoot. Our disembarkation point was Djidjelli, a small port on the east side of Algiers. Transport took us out to a small camp about 2 miles from the town, and we were given tents in which to live. The camp had been vacated by its previous occupants but in each tent they had left their beds, which consisted of pieces of wood driven into the ground and stretched across the top was Summerfield tracking – this was like reinforced wire netting which was put down on beaches to stop vehicles sinking into the soft sand. They made comfortable beds, and it was a comfort to get above ground level on which to rest. My rank had been upgraded from ordinary telegraphist to telegraphist at Naples, and we were told now to get into the Naval barracks at Algiers and take the exam for leading telegraphist.
When we got into the barracks, one of the petty officers told us that those who passed for the leading rank were to be sent out to the Far East to fight the Japs. I obtained sufficient marks in the exam to get the leading telegraphist grade, but I declined the offer with thanks and took the telegraphist-trained operator grade, which meant getting an additional star on the telegraphist’s badge, instead of two which it would have been for the leading tel’s grade. I preferred to go back home instead of
going out further east, even at the expense of promotion. My pal A J Godfrey passed the test for leading signalman, and sometime later he was instructed to get out to the local airport and catch a plane to take him further east. He was limited with his weight of luggage, and gave me his boot brushes to reduce his amount. These were very good brushes and are still in use more than forty years on. They have his name stamped on them so they have been good souvenirs. Sometime later we were directed to Algiers harbour and to get on a boat which was going to land us on the south of France. We found that we were to support the Fusilier Marines, which was a French regiment that had been made up from people who were previously on the French Navy boats that had been sunk by the Royal Navy, or scuttled to prevent them falling into German hands. While sailing across the Med towards southern France, we heard that some of the merchant seamen were threatening to go on strike, as they didn’t think that they were getting enough danger money. It must have been sorted out, because the operation carried on as planned, and we landed on France on 15 Aug 44. We landed on the coastline, near the town of Hyères, which was a few miles from Marseilles, and the landing initially was not opposed. We met with some resistance further inland but the French troops managed to cope. We had to march very fast, because we were throwing a loop round Marseilles as the French Foreign Legion had landed on the other side of Marseilles and we had to join up with them. They invited us to join with them in their meal at the rendezvous point but we declined with thanks. They were having baby octopus cooked in olive oil, which they seemed to regard as a great delicacy. Both the French forces turned south, and we entered the Marseilles area. Most of the Germans had fled from the town so it didn’t take long to clear the port area, and our ships were soon able to come in and berth. We spent the night in one of the dock offices, and the following day we were reunited with our white scout car. Our officer told us that our programme was now to head north up through France towards Paris and, if it was clear, then go west to a Channel port for home. About thirty miles south of Paris we were directed to stay in a big house that stood in its own grounds with a river flowing through, and on which it was possible to take a punt. We had a good rest there, and were able to write letters, do our washing and generally laze around. The Allies captured Paris on the 24/25 Aug 44, and when this was announced, we were able to proceed on our journey. After a couple of days in Paris we headed westwards to a channel port, crossed over, then travelled up to London to catch a train for Dundonald camp. The first train that we had got on was full of school kids going to school, and it was wonderful to listen to them talking away to one another in English. We had been overseas for about two years.
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