September 1st 1943
(Germany invaded Poland, 1939 – Partridge shooting begins.
Go to anti-tank range, fire ten rounds on the Bofor. Good gun. Seven guns.September 2nd 1943
Gun drill and lectures on Bofors field gun. Tried out new ideas. Visit E.N concert at night. Very good show.
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| Bofors 37 mm anti-tank gun |
(Battle of Guillemont, 1916 – Great Britain and France at War with Germany, 1939.)
Field gun action and anti-tank. Detailed for twelve hours guard at Regimental Head Quarters. Pretty easy guard. Very cold at night.
September 4th 1943
Speech by Major says we may be having some leave soon. Afternoon off duties. Go down to Damascus. Have some good fun down baazars. Women with their hands and feet doing all kinds of things. Pictures and back to camp.
September 5th 1943
(11th after Trinity – Sunrise, 5.17 a.m. ; Sunset, 6.40 p.m.)
Go with pals to swimming pool at Mezze Oasis. Fresh water and very cold. Great. Good fun watching Indian troops.
September 6th 1943
Firing Bofors as field artillery. Brigardier and Turkish General looking. We put up a good show and destroy our objective gun clearing. Fire 38 rounds.
September 7th 1943
(Battle of the Marne began, 1914 – First Quarter., 12.33 p.m.)
Gun drill. Inspection by Medical Officer. War going okay for us these days. Hope it soon finishes and we get out of this country.
September 8th 1943
Hear rumours that we are joining (big smudge obliterating the next few words) and will soon be going on a new voyage. Hope it’s to Italy and not India.
September 9th 1943
Issued with new thick shirts and give a lot of our kit in, bedding etc. We keep two blankets and a ground sheet. Guard at night.
September 10th 1943
Pay day. I draw 3-00 out of my credits as we may be getting some leave soon. But I do not know where.
September 11th 1943
I get another two injections today making me about sixteen altogether. Not so dusty though as we get forty eight hours excused duties. Just the job.
September 12th 1943
(12th after Trinity – Battles of the Aisne began, 1914 ; Hindenburg Line began 1918; Havrincourt, 1918 – Sunrise, 5.28 a.m ; Sunset, 6.24 p.m.)
Arm a little stiff but I am feeling okay. We have to have our kits packed tomorrow as moving out at five o’clock on morning.
September 13th 1943
Reveille at five o’clock. Very cold, can hardly move with the packs we carry. Lorries move us through Syria to Palestine Haifa. Stay the night in Barracks. On guard for a couple of hours.
September 14th 1943
(Full Moon)
Go to Haifa and get on freight train. Twenty men to a coach. We travel all along the sea coast and stop at night at Gaza for food.
September 15th 1943
(185 German planes shot down in Great Britain, 1940.)
Sleep in coach and cross from Palestine to Egypt. Travel along the Suez Canal, great sight although I have seen it before. Arrive at camp in Alexandria.
September 16th 1943
We get a small tent between sixteen men, half sleep in the open. Morning, we straighten ourselves out and clean up, wash clothes etc.
September 17th 1943
(H.M.S. ‘Courageous’ sunk, 1939.)
Get ready again for our big move. I guess we say goodbye to our leave. We move with our Division – 8th Army Indian to embark.
September 18th 1943
(Battles of Doiran and Samaria began, 1918.)
Go down to docks at Alexandria in F.S.M.O and Hachets which nearly breaks our backs. We stay about three hours and an invasion barge takes us to our troop ship. Large liner. Monarch of Bermuda? Funny thing, it was two years today when we landed at port in Egypt. We get good bunks and also a good feed. Have a look around ship. Just the job.
September 19th 1943
(13th after Trinity – Sunrise, 5 .39 a.m ; Sunset, 6.8 p.m.)
Stay at anchor all day long. Tons of rumours going about as to our destination. Still taking troops on. I am detailed for Military Police on ship for voyage. Nice job.
September 20th 1943
(Menin Road Ridge, 1917.)
Set sail at twelve o’clock and leave Alexandria. Guess it’s the last time I will see the M.E.F. I am not sorry. Sea very calm and no-one is seasick. M.P duties going down okay.
September 21st 1943
(Last Quarter 7.6 a.m)
The best of my Military Police job is I have every night in bed. Duties during the day two hours on, four hours off. Food on the ship very good and we get plenty.
September 22nd 1943
I am speaking to a sailor bloke on duty and get the gen. Our destination is Taranto Italy. Better than going out Far East anyhow and also nearer home.
September 23rd 1943
(Autumn Equinox, 10 p.m.)
It’s great to see English money again and to have half crowns, two bobs, shillings and tenners, instead of bits of old paper. We change our Egyptian, Palestine and Syrian money to British Military currency.
September 24th 1943
We see the coastline of Italy and go through the bottleneck of the harbour, Colonel swinging bridge, Italians cheering us from the docks and streets.
September 25th 1943(Battle of Loos began, 1915.)This battle is highlighted in the diary. A possibility is that George Hickman’s father fought there during WW1
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| Walter Hickman during WW1 - He was George Hickman's father. |
September 26th 1943
(14th after Trinity - Battle of Thiepval Ridge, 1916; Polygon Wood, 1917 - Sunrise, 5.50 a.m. ; Sunset, 5.52 p.m)
We go on a little march and see a bit of the country. We stop at a vineyard and I get bunches of grapes. Do a bit of bobbiting?
September 27th 1943
(Hindenburg Ling stormed, 1918.)
We get some mail from home. I get eight or nine. Gun camp is filled with all kinds of Indian troops. Sikhs, Gurkas, Marathers, Punjab etc etc.
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| A very long engagement - back in England Gwen waited for George. |
(Battle of Kut, 1915; 3rd Battle of Ypres began, 1918.)
Weather is a lot like the English climate, cloudy and looks like rain. It will be great to see a little rain as its been months since the last we had in the H.E.F.
September 29th 1943
(Fall of Warsaw, 1939 - Michaelmas Day - Quarter Day - New Moon, 11.29 p.m.)
Rains in the night. As we have no tents we get soaked. Sun comes out in morning and we dry our clothes.
September 30th 1943
Go out with our section on map reading team. We stop at a village and an old lady gives me some wine. Great. We also get bunches of grapes off the girls who are picking them.
October 1st 1943
(Capture of Damascus, 1918 - Pheasant Shooting begins - Trout Fishing ends.)Go down to Taranto where things seem in a sorry state. No food and people lining up for water.
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| Italian refugees - Photo courtesy of Charles P Edwards |
October 2nd 1943
Swimming sport in harbour, water great. We swim both relay races and win 5 ? each out of Battery funds. I get info from Battery office at night, doing okay for mail from home. Colossal sea plane base here. Our planes are always going over to the front in ? saw sixty together.
October 3rd 1943
(15th after Trinity - British Summer Time normally ends - Sunrise, 6.2 a.m. ; Sunset, 5.35 p.m.)
Church parade, pouring with rain. No tents, we are still in the rain and everything is soaked. Have our first bread today. Great.
October 4th 1943
Lecture by Indian Office of Division on India and kinds of Indian soldiers. Very interesting. Get issued with our tents. I share one with Johnson. Okay I guess til the main one comes.
October 5th 1943
Parade in morning at nine o'clock, go down to Taranto, on leave til three o'clock in afternoon. The town seems to be settling down now and quite a few people about, and also shops open. But no food anywhere, plenty of wine, ice-cream. Go back to camp on a jeep.
October 6th 1943
(First Quarter., 8.10 p.m.)
Receive order for route march. Start at eight o'clock. Go through Taranto and six miles outside. Half hour rest and back to camp. Some twelve miles. Ok. Dismissed. Bunk with an Indian soldier.
October 7th 1943
(German Troops entered Rumania, 1940.)
Get flooded out of tents. Things in a proper old mess, some of the chaps have nothing dry to wear. Our tent is not so bad. Afternoon sun comes out and we dry out kits. I receive Gwen's air photo at teatime.
October 8th 1943
(Battle of Cambrai, 1918.)
Payday for those who want it, I have not drawed any for over a month as there is hardly anything to spend it on here. Bob Harding and I go down to Taranto again. Pictures at Canadian cinema.
October 9th 1943
(H.R.H Prince Edward born, 1935.)
Detailed for guard. Just the job as the rest of the blokes go on twenty five miles route march in battle order. Easy day for me, nothing to do but get ready for guard tonight. Still lucky - get 1st guard.
October 10th 1943
(16th after Trinity - Fall of Antwerp, 1914 ; Battle of La Bassee began, 1914 - Sunrise, 6.13 a.m ; Sunset, 5.21 p.m.)
Four hours picket. Swimming sports in afternoon. Sea plane crashes. Total wreck. Italian plane. Weather a lot like English climate with plenty of rain. Move into hut.
October 11th 1943
(Boer War began, 1899.)
Gerry (German) built hut, crowded but better than the tents. We get issued with Battle-dress. Pitching tents for guard, easy job. Go down to village for a drink of Veno.
October 12th 1943
(Battle of Messines began, 1914 - Michaelmas Law Sittings begin.)
Hear that our guns got bumped on boat, having a pretty easy time here. Go to bombed aerodrome outside St Georgio.
October 13th 1943
(Battle of Armentieres, 1914 - Full Moon, 1.23 p.m.)
Some of the guns arrive. 115. Move out. Go to the house for a wash, talk to woman of the house - very poor but very friendly.
October 14th 1943
(Battle of Courtrai began, 1918 - Trout Fishing ends.)
Remember last night that it was my birthday yesterday. Crikey what a birthday. Getting plenty of sleep in at this place.
October 15th 1943
(River Tay closed for Salmon Fishing.)
Digging and whatnot all day. Issued with Battle dress. I get a good fit. Go down to Taranto. An Italian takes us to his house. Gives us a good time.
October 16th 1943
Take a pile of washing up to the house. Old lady will do the lot for about a ? My turn for twenty four hours guard tonight. We all move down to new hut and all get together making a littler guard.
October 17th 1943
(17th after Trinity Battle of Selle began, 1918 - Sunrise, 6.25 a.m ; Sunset, 5.5 p.m.)
On picket at day time. Go up to house for washing and bit of Italian lingo from the chap. Harding and I go down to Taranto again and visit the Italian family and take them some bread. They certainly wolf it down. Say goodnight to them.
October 18th 1943
Get my mail. Plenty. Move up towards the front. Stop the night in a camp. Tom Brown and I are picked for guard on patrol - 2 on and 2 off. All the rest on guard or move on again. talk to an Italian at farm. Speaks English well as he has been in America.
October 19th 1943
(Eight Zeppelins destroyed after raid on England, 1917 ; 1st Battle of Ypres began, 1914.)
Move further up, twenty miles from the Gerry lines. Go through (blank space here) certainly took a bashing. Take up positions, plenty of activity about. Refugees streaming back into the town. People as we go through cheer and clap etc.
October 20th 1943
Great to see all our bombers and fighters going up to the front. Old Eighth (Army) still going strong! Our gun goes into dock? for adjustments. No guards. Food is very good here.
October 21st 1943
(Battle of Trafalgar, 1805 - Last Quarter., 1.42 a.m.)
Take up new position: - Two Gerry planes shot down nearby. Mosquitos very bad here, give us a proper doing, raise lumps like eggs. Sleeping in open. Weather pretty dry but very cold at night. Hell of a change from M.E.F.
October 22nd 1943
Pay day. I have to have thirty farthings pay because it was drawn from Paymaster. Didn't want it as I have only spent about five farthings in two weeks and I have two pounds on me. Moving gives us another doing. I wake up for my guard with one of my eyes bunged up.
October 23rd 1943
Gerry must have been getting a hell of a pasting this morning. Hundreds of our planes went over. Food here is great, best we have had all the time we have been abroad. Plenty of everything.
October 24th 1943
(18th after Trinity - Battle of Vittoria Veneto began, 1918 - Sunrise. 6.37 a.m ; Sunset, 4.50 p.m.)
Fire lorry up so that we can have somewhere to go at night for writing, reading etc. Get some mail from home and Gwen but still with M.E.F address. One or two warnings. Guards one and a half hours each night. Pretty easy.
October 25th 1943
Rest.
October 26th 1943
Go in morning to lecture by Sgt of R.A.F on Spitfire WK 9. Great plane. Hear that Bill D? got killed this morning while cleaning his Tommy Gun. Two bullets in stomach. Tough luck. Nice chap. Bury him in the afternoon.
October 27th 1943
(3rd Battle of Gaza, 1917.)
Hear that we are moving up to the front in a day or so's time. Being relieved by a Battery that was in Sicily.
October 28th 1943
(Italy invaded Greece, 1940.)
Plenty of air activity by our planes going to bomb Gerry. One or two warnings but nothing happens. Getting my kit ready for the move. Washing clothes etc.
October 29th 1943
(Battle of Gheluvelt, 1914 - New Moon, 1.59 a.m.)
Relieved and move out to T.H.Q. Join convoy and move off. Get to village twenty miles from frontline. Stop. Pit gun and tractor gets bogged in about three foot of mud. Hell of a job getting it out. Pouring with rain. An Italian takes me into his home. I dry off by the fire and sleep the night in his house.
October 30th 1943
Move out this morning. Still pouring with rain. Takes us twelve hours to do about thirty miles. Bridge all blown up, mines all over the roadside etc. Arrive at new position, go up a side lane. Just like a sea of mud. Sleep out in the open. British and Gerry shelling one another a couple of miles away. What a night.
October 31th 1943
(19th after Trinity - Sunrise, 6.50 a.m ; Sunset, 4.37 p.m.)
Not much doing, all day long guarding supplies etc. Interesting watching roads etc - tons of stuff going up. Still pouring with rain.
