RASC Letter

[Donnie]

I was sent a letter today in which my 90 year old great uncle recalls his wartime experiences with the RASC ( transport coy) through north africa and italy. It is very detailed listing most places he stoped with his unit on the advance. Is anyone interested in reading this? it would mean me typing it up......which is very time consuming but i will happily do it if people are interested in hearing his story......

Many thanks, Donnie

[Ron Goldstein]

Originally Posted by Donnie

I was sent a letter today in which my 90 year old great uncle recalls his wartime experiences with the RASC ( transport coy) through north africa and italy. It is very detailed listing most places he stoped with his unit on the advance. Is anyone interested in reading this? it would mean me typing it up......which is very time consuming but i will happily do it if people are interested in hearing his story......

Many thanks, Donnie

Now come on Donnie...... you will only have to do it once and then it is recorded for posterity !

I , for one, promise to read it

Cheers

Ron

ps

Just spotted that this is my 500th post.............................. cor !

[Rich Payne]

Absolutely Donnie, the small details are the things which are now so hard to pin down.

Get typing that man !

[Donnie]

ok will do my friends.....the first page will be up tonight....

Donnie

[Donnie]

Part 1

My meory at the age of 89 years of age isnt what it used to be, but i will try to narrate some of my experiences. The Italian theatre of war wasnt on my mind when we embarked at Alexandria, we just didnt know where we were bound for, i forget how long it took us not very long i expect, but eventually we arrived at Augusta Syracuse Sicily only then did we realise that Italy was our destination. I was in the Royal Army Service Corps and at that time had a Chevolet lorry, by the time we got there our combat troops had cleared the way for us to proceed without hinderance to Regis Calabria, infact the only enemy we encountered on our way through Sicily were the swarms or mosquitos that no doubt were attracted by the grapes on the vines and the olive trees, we were given some protection by the mosquito nets we were issued. On arriving at Messina, this i do remember! we were given the sad news that some of our Militia in gliders towed by American Pilots had been cast adrift when their aircraft had come under fire. Its sad but these things do happen in war. I forget how long we were waiting for a ship to take us across the straights of messina to Italy but when it did come it wasnt long before we found ourselves in Brindise. We were not far behind our combat troops, if my memory serves me correctly it wasnt the Italian forces we had to contend with, they had been taken care of in the Middle East where they capitulated in there thousands and taken prisoner, no i think it was the Germans who were putting up the resistance.

Right......thats it for part 1....dont want to make the paragraph to heavy for reading...hope this is interesting..more to follow

Donnie

[Slipdigit]

Whatcha waiting on Donnie, get jumping! Of course we want to read it!

[Donnie]

Part 2

We did a few jobs while we were in Brindise but it wasnt long before we were on the move again this time to Naples, we were there for about nine months, i should add that before we got to Naples our Company for a short period of time was stationed in the small villiage of Nola at the foot of Mount Versuvius, it was from there that we finnaly moved to Naples and as our work involved moving all kinds of foodstuffs, ammunition ect for all the different units that were in the area, Bailey Bridges to replace those that had been destroyed to hinder our advancement. Our lorries were all kept at the dockside and we were billited adjacent to them, whilst stationed here we came under a horrendous amount of fire as they used to come over and bomb the port, but then again it was nothing compared to what our loved ones were getting back home. I think it was about this time our troops were being held up at that monastry at Cassino and it took a long time for it to fall, when it did it cleared the way for our troops to press on to Rome. It was about then that our Coy was ordered to move on towards Rome and as we went through Cassino the sight was horrific and one could only feel sadness for the men who had lost their lives. There is one place in Italy that i shall always remember, i dont know whether it was before we got to Naples of when we ledt Naples for Rome, The name of the place was Foggia and it was an aerodrome used by the Americans and they used to fly to Brize Norton every night 12 miles from where i lived. It may seem silly to most people but after being away from my family for 3 years i really wondered if i could stow away and get a few days with them, it was only a dream and never came to fruition.

Right...lots more to come....Donnie

[Donnie]

Part 3

Well we eventually came to Rome, our company was disbanded and i was attached to Headquarters Allied Armies Italy, they gave me a a chevolet truck and my job was too ( as i had mastered a few words of the Italian language) go out to the country side and buy fresh vegetables for the officers mess, this i was pleased at as it gave me lots of freedom. It was during one of these foraging excurtions that i found myself in Anzio only about 12 miles from Rome, that was where a landing party had overcome fierce resistance from the Germans, burnt out Tanks, Lorries and other war material was scattered over miles of the land.
I found out that farmers and peasants who had the goods werent interested in money it had become less valuable during the war, so i got permission to barter with what they wanted.....flour was one thing and petrol was another. That worked out well. Time seemed to be passing quite rapidly, i had been overseas for 4 years and the war was still being fought in Northern Italy. As i was only on detachment to AAI and was still with the Transport Coy when they were ordered to move i had to go with them. This time to a place called Sienna, its a place where they have a annual horse race and sadly to say i wanst there when there was one on. I wasnt in Siennna long before i was called in to see the the C.O. and he told me i was going home under the Python Ruling which meant that nobody should have to serve over 4 and a half years overseas which i had done. So once again i had to see Naples before embarking there on my trip home, the difference this time was that we went through the Mediteranian Sea stopping off at Valetta Malta. The up to the Mersey in Liverpool where after being on the ship for two days we were allowed to make our own way home, a little different to the severn weeks it took us in August 1940 to get to the Middle East. While we were there we swopped one theatre of war for another. I hope this has been of help.....Eddie

Well that concludes my great uncles war in Italy.....sadly in does not mention his time in North Africa, and i feel he is now to frail to write another letter....i will see what happens. I hope you enjoyed reading it...i will post some pics of the man himself.

Donnie

[Donnie]

here are some pics of Eddie


Donnie

[Donnie]

Donnie