Life in the Western Desert. What was it like for the men?

Discussion in 'North Africa & the Med' started by Volitans, Jan 10, 2023.

  1. Andreas

    Andreas Working on two books

    No, thanks for the tip!

    All the ebst

    Andreas
     
  2. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Dammit. Screwed up, was thinking of Joly when commenting about Zem Zem.
    Total brain misfire.
    Will add a note to my post.

    Joly absolutely essential reading.
     
    Chris C likes this.
  3. redtop

    redtop Well-Known Member

    Some Excerpts From my fathers Journals A Gunners View
    Serving with G Battery ( Mercers Troop[) 5 RHA From Alemain to El Algelia

    On arrival in N Africa by sea


    Move to the Front

    We drew our Guns, quads, soft trucks etc.and at the first

    concentration point dug a huge hole and buried our pith helmets, it had

    been a Court Martial offence not to wear them for the past 7 weeks!

    We then proceeded to Blanco out the brass polish and bullshit that had

    made our lives a bloody misery, the sun reflecting on brass or anything

    white shone like a beam. We then started to cross the Egyptian desert

    and made contact with the flies; animal skeletons and windspouts.We

    wore only shorts and shoes but carried our rifle everywhere even going

    for a tom tit.

    On the second day in the desert waiting for supplies to catch up we

    saw in the distance four snake like things on the horizon, winds pouts

    heading our way. They moved at tremendous speed and sucked up

    everything loose, groundsheets, blankets belts cooking utensils, all lost,

    then the next moment all quiet again.



    We saw many skeletons as we headed en-route across the Egyptian

    desert and the soft sands there. When you got stuck every man in the

    team worked like a Trojan to the drill that followed. Four steel stakes

    about 4 feet long, knock them into the sand at an angle, uncouple the

    limber and gun, run out the hawsers from under the Quad, hook onto the

    spikes, reverse and pull yourself onto firmer ground, then tow off the

    limber and gun, all this with your rifle on your back.

    INTO ACTION

    It took 12 days from landing to reach the Quator Depression, Bari

    Ridge and its soft sand. We dropped into a position recently vacated by

    the New Zealanders (Smashing chaps) to our extreme right were the

    Australians. We were shelled before we uncoupled our limbers and my

    friend Butch Revel was killed in two minutes of being in action. Our

    CO. Bill Norman went crackers, our GPO. Had put us in an observed

    position, we quickly moved to another area.

    In another shelling another 2 mates were badly hit as we refilled the

    Iimber.

    Intermittent fire, nearly caught a packet and Nobby Hall a

    Signaller bought it. He was walking 20 yards from me and just as all

    of us wore shorts and slippers (and your rifle, you never leave your

    rifle) he was hit below the thigh, he had been standing, a huge lump

    of his back was torn off, the Pardre arrived while Nobby was shouting

    "Barney, Barney some bastard's on my back Help me“There was

    Some terrific gunfire but the Padre without a helmet stayed by his side,

    Nobby was later buried near there.

    DESERT ROUTINE

    The water situation was acute (I gallon a day for 7 men) but we got

    used to it, we never wasted a drop. At night which was very cold we

    laid out our groundsheets over a depression to create condensation and

    collect a small amount of water at the bottom, you might get 1/2 a pint.

    We pissed in a bucket and that went into the radiator of the quad.
    We held this position for a month, of course no latrines were built, and

    we took a spade and army form blank, dug a hole, done what comes
    Naturally, and covered it up quickly before more flies came. Yes the

    officers too took up their different stances holding a spade, and we

    would sing “hi ho hi ho it's off to work they go “as they marched with

    their spades to do this job.

    During this time each gun crew of seven drew rations from the truck

    that brought it as near as possible, each took turns in cooking, there

    was very little fresh veg (plenty of cans with no labels and you took pot

    luck) but later we did get some sweet potatoes and other green veg.
    Of a night 3 on the gun (one up the spout laid on SOS line) three slept.

    The American 4 gallon can that the petrol arrived in was cut in half,

    the top half was put in the ground and a shovel of sand put in it, the

    bottom half, a piece of wire put through the sides and enough water for

    6 cups of tea, a drop of petrol in the half you put in the ground, put your

    other can on top, stand well back, throw the match, add your sugar and

    condensed milk and a smashing cup of tea in minutes. We had this drill

    to perfection when we were on the move.

    Some of the water was terrible and we had to put tablets in it (sea

    water I think and we had to take yellow peril) I must say we had some

    smashing Officers and not a bit snotty, one I was very fond of gave me

    the woollen socks he had sent to him by his mother he was killed in

    Italy later. Our GPO Benny Noble was a smashing bloke he was also

    killed in Normandy

    We had a short spell on what's called Jock columns. One gun one soft

    truck and one GPO. We would make a detour behind the enemy lines

    going down into the Quator Deppression.Get as near as possible and

    belt off as many rounds as possible on their convoys at about 1000

    yards and get out as quick as you can, and woe and betide if you get

    stuck in the soft sand as we once did. Again all procedure followed the

    drill. Every man could do the other man's job and all play a part. Dig

    out the sand and place iron tracks under the wheels then carry on as

    described earlier.

    And of course you then travel on a sun compass as there are no marks

    or trig points. A round disc on the front of the motor’s bonnet marked 360

    degrees. A centre point sticks up the sun throws a shadow across

    the angle you travel, and this is adjusted every five minutes for the

    movement of the earth.

    Now when there was a lull we had to clear the

    gun site of any paper and burn or bury it. I took great exception to

    this RHA bullshit especially as the Eight Army Journal we had just had

    Issued told us of the lovely time we were having, the merry chink of

    glasses in the bars, the entertainment, and the dancing girls and so on.

    Flies were everywhere, up your nose, the corners of your mouth your

    eyes, ears millions of them and as you done your business at night they

    still found you. Of course our letters were censored, you wrote on one

    side of the paper and having passed the censor it was photographed

    reduced in size and sent on. But once a month you had a green envelope

    that we could send home direct without censor.



    I directed one of mine to the Eighth Army Journal.

    ”What about the Officers’ who go and have a bath at Mena, What about us

    supposed to be having a high old time, what if our wives hear it and what

    about the echelon whallas getting all the troop comforts and what about us

    running round the gun site picking up paper the last of the RHA bullshit.

    We had left England the beginning of May it was now nearly Sept.

    we had had two days off in South Africa ,since then not a moments

    let up and believe me the chaps were very much on a knifes edge“

    and lo and behold the next day.

    ”Come and collect your troop comforts“, we got a 2lb bar of Cadbury

    Chocolate between 7 men, but two days later I did get a Balaclava.

    There was to be no more as we got to order "Prepare to move“.

    We moved to a place called Mena near the Pyramids. We had had no

    contact with anybody in the previous months. Here we were to rest

    bath and refit.


    Then physical training and drill order like rookies all on

    Montgomery's orders Keep fit and all that...…..
     
  4. Uncle Jack

    Uncle Jack Member

    I have now read this book
    R L Crimp was with 2 Rifle Brigade
    His diary full of descriptions of the life of an infantryman and the conditions from Cairo to Tunis.
    He was in the thick of several notable battles and gives vivid accounts

    Well worth reading

    Robin
     

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