Stories

We would very often do two trips a day to Abassia and collect such things as the army's stable meat, tinned bully beef, tinned M. and V. - meat and vegetables, baked beans, sometimes fresh vegetables and sometimes a load of huge oranges from Palestine. On a rare occasion we would go to the markets and collect a load of fish. We used to hate that job as the smell of fish took a hell of a lot of getting rid of. We also periodically had to collect a load of ice. The blocks of ice would be about 4 inches square and about three feet long. We had to deliver these to the different cookhouses and clubs and canteens in camp. Outside the tent we had a ceramic type vase or urn which helped to keep

the water a bit cooler for drinking. After we got the ice we would go over to the canteen and cadge some to put in the um to really cool the water. This worked O.K. for a while until one day on ice duty one of the wogs working in the ice making department lifted his long skirt and let a long stream go into the ice making plant, needless to say we never again added ice to our drinking water.

Alexandria

On Monday the 15th March we left for Alexandria and there we loaded up with Red Cross goods. The wogs unloaded the truck onto the hospital ship, then onto the Mouslata Barracks where we stayed the night. Went into Alexandria on leave but didn't see much as there was a pretty heavy blackout. Loaded up next morning with barbed wire for Maadi Camp.

28th March 1943. Went to Toura; there are two huge caves there, they are supposed to be half a mile deep and they are cut out of solid rock: supposed to be bomb proof. One was very heavily guarded and according to rumours it is full of gas shells. On another trip we went to the abattoirs to collect meat for the prisoner of war camps. A great experience, the wogs cut slices of meat off the carcases as they were being loaded on to the trucks and stuffed it into their shirts. They were continually watching every opportunity to get a little more mongeray (food). It was pretty scary seeing a knife thrust over your shoulder and a lump of meat disappearing over your shoulder.

On arriving back at camp one afternoon from Abassia I stopped the truck outside the tent and all hell broke loose inside the tent. Enquiring what the matter was, there was a bloody snake in the tent somewhere - everything was being thrown out of the tent, one of the boys emptied his kitbag out and there was the snake about three feet long. They chased it over the sand and killed the blessed thing.

We used to sleep on stretchers and periodically we would wake up covered in red spots, bitten by bed bugs . The only way to kill them was to cover the bed with petrol. On one occasion a recently arrived reinforcement who hadn't experienced bed bugs complained about being bitten and asked us what to do. He followed our instructions and said what do I do now. One of the old hands said throw a match on it, which he duly did. After he realized what he had done he said: "what am I going to sleep on tonight?".

I often used to walk over to the mess with a chap from the next tent. One day he asked: "Where do you come from Bob?" "Napier" I said; "So do I" was the reply, "What Street?" "Nelson Crescent", reply: "So do I", "What number in Nelson Crescent?" "71" and his reply was: "I live in 82". A strange coincidence.

Stuck in the sand

On another occasion I was driving a dual wheeled Leyland with instructions not to drive it on soft sand, as dual wheeled vehicles are useless on sand. This day I had to pick a Colonel up with a load of troops and take them out for exercises. After a few miles out on the tar sealed road the colonel. who had just arrived from N.Z., ordered me to go across the sand a few hundred yards away. I refused and tried to explain why but after quite an argument and being threatened with, I was told that if I didn't do as I was told he would put me on charge for refusing to obey a superior Officer. I said "O.K., if you insist but you will be sorry as we won't get 20 feet into the sand and you will have to get the troops to push us out." I didn't get more than the twenty feet in the sand and the Leyland dug itself into the sand right up to its diff. I didn't get charged, but I had great pleasure in telling the Colonel I told you so.

18th May 1943. The D.R (Dispatch Rider) came over about 2:30 and told us to be ready at 3:30 for a trip to Suez. There were ten trucks in the convoy and we went to Tewfik which is the port for Suez. We loaded honey for the N.Z. club in Cairo, don't know what the other trucks loaded. Stayed in Suez that night. Left at one o'clock and unloaded at the Club in Cairo at six olclock - about a five hour trip from Suez.

On the 22nd May we did another trip to Suez; this time we crossed the Canal on a pontoon bridge and went on to the breakwater at the entrance to the Canal. Collected a load of butter and oysters for the N.Z. Club. Crossed back over the Canal and back to the Club and Camp.

25th May. Left for Port Said at about 8:30, went through Old Helipolis and waited at the treaty bridge while the ships went through the Sweet Water Canal. The centre of the bridge turns around to let the shipping pass through. Just past there we saw an Obelisk on our right in the distance. We followed the Sweet Water canal for miles; most of the countryside around here is cultivated but the last ten miles or so is through the desert. Before you get to the Suez Canal this way you pass the N.Z. Hospital no 2 at Kantara. The road goes perfectly straight along side the canal for thirty miles, the Suez on one side and the Sweet Water on the other side. There are only two small bends in the entire thirty miles, and it is straight for as far as you can see. At Port Said we crossed the Canal on a combined road/rail bridge. Went straight onto the wharf and loaded Patriot Parcels. From what we saw of Port Said it appears to be a much cleaner town than anywhere else in Egypt. Left Port Said at about 8 p.m. at night and drove back to Maadi in the dark - arrived back in Camp at three in the morning. Travelled 275 miles - a nineteen hour day.

The North African campaign

Monday 31st May. Watched a lot of the boys coming back from the North African campaign, most of the trucks were flying all sorts of flags: mostly German and Italian. 1st June 1943. Hundreds of trucks arrived back today from North Africa. Made three trips to Abassia today carting potatoes. Went over to try and see Alan Gray; Alf Walters; Warrick Oliver: all from Napier. Only saw Warrick: the other two are going home. Also saw Ben Burns. Got a new spare driver today: Stan, a nice bloke. A lot of the blokes have gone out to Mena today which is in the area near the pyramids. I think Maadi is full to overflowing with the division being back from North Africa, also - the nineth reinforcements arrived today.

Divisional Petrol Company

7th July. Told I would be going over to base training, leaving the 17th Gen. Transport. Am now in Divisional Petrol Company. Went to see Stan and met him at the Y.M.C. Hut, he was going to see his cobber in the Petrol Co., he is a cook.

10th July Tom Hardigan (the cook) came over and asked me if I would take on the job of driving the cook truck: no guard duty, no fatigues, and no bull ring. Sounds O.K. to me. Later the quartermaster sergeant came around with Tom; later Sam Birkett the captain also came around and I agreed to take the job on. I am now in no 2 platoon Petrol Company. Went to bed early as we are leaving for Alexandria at 6 o-clock in the morning. Got up at 4 o-clock and after breakfast cleaned up and loaded up for Alexandria. Stopped four times on the way up and arrived at Alex. at 11:50. Helped the boys unload the Cook house. Went up to the N.A.A.F. I. and Y.M.C.A. at night. The Mediterranean Sea looks good.

15th July. After breakfast helped the cooks clean up and later on I peeled enough potatoes for about sixty blokes and also cut up some beans for dinner. A real change to have something fresh and not out of a tin. Went for a walk with Tom after tea with one of the other cooks. It is quite nice along the beach but a lot colder than Cairo.

One of the cooks is a real character. He has been just about everything in civvy street, a chef, a farmer, a butcher. I don't think he could have been a very good cook. Went on leave to Alex. and Tom took me up to Sister Street, what a filthy place with all the bints, damned glad to get out. We spent about three weeks in Alex. and the company had leave after the African campaign. One day about ten of us took our dixies (tin plates) out and sat round on the sand to eat our dinner. One of the lads said: "Look at that lizard in the middle", it looked strange for a lizard until one of the others said that isn't a lizard, it is a bloody Asp. I have never seen anybody move as quickly as those 10 Kiwis did. The Asp disappeared under the cookhouse and was never seen again.

31st July 1943. We left Alex. today and headed for Fayoum; it is in the middle of the desert and a lot of the division is already here doing a bit of marches and drill. I think they are trying to keep everyone fit for what lies ahead.

On the 16th August we left to pick up reinforcements from Suez and took them to Maadi Gamp. From Fayoum we shifted to a camp at Mena on the 2nd September . On the following day the 8th Army landed in Italy. Did the usual routine things for the next couple of weeks, and on the 30th September we shifted to Berkle El Arab. It looks as if we are getting ready to be shipped out somewhere. Got a third injection for typhus. Issued with Battle Dress blankets, winter underwear, leather gloves, scarf, jerkin jacket, two pairs of socks, balaclava, mosquito net and malaria tablets. The advanced guard left today so we must be going somewhere soon.

Berkle El Arab where we are camped is near the sea and we have had several swims in the Mediterranean sea. Got Soppie to drop me over to the Ammunition company lines to see Bill. Soppie is our 2nd Lieutenant; a good bloke - just one of the boys. Didn't see Bill as he has already shifted out. George our crazy cook left to join the advanced guard as their cook but came back next day and said he saw Bill embarking.

On the 22nd we were given ten minutes to get ready to leave for Suez. We stayed at Mena the night. We were warned to watch out for the wogs as they get into the lines at night and pinch anything they can, especially rifles. We were ordered to check all arms before we went to bed and sleep on the ground outside the doors of the truck. We checked our rifles to make sure they were in the cab before going to sleep. I slept on the sand outside one door and Tom the corporal cook slept on the sand outside the other door. During the night we heard several rifle shots as the guards were patrolling the area. However next morning one rifle and one tommy gun had gone together with several rifles from some of the other trucks. The rifles were there when we went to sleep but they certainly weren’t there when we woke up. A group of drivers in a tent not far from us came back from leave in Cairo; they were pretty drunk and went to bed in their tent and when they woke up in the morning found that the wogs had taken their tent: poles and all. Hard to believe I know, but true.

Suez

Left the following day for Suez car park and spent a couple of days just mucking about, just waiting for something to happen. Took the truck down to the wharf and weighed it and just waited and waited. Got paid in B.M.A (British Military Authority) money. On the 30th November embarked, sleeping on the deck. Had to go down the hold to get two burners from-the truck. Pulled out and waited in the stream till morning. Left Tewfik at about 6:30 and entered the Canal; stayed there the night. The crew seem very decent and gave us a great dinner, pork chops, green peas, potato, also plum pudding. Best meal since I left home. Next day one of the crew gave us a cup of tea in bed - we are on a fuss. Pulled out at 6:30. Passeid six or seven ships in the canal stopped at Khantara, waited for several ships to come through, went on to Port Said and stayed the night.

Back to Sea

2nd November. Left Port Said and headed straight out to sea. About twelve ships in convoy, plus two destroyers. Slept in the crews kitchen, life boats went over the side today. Land in sight, a lot more ships in convoy now - about forty, most have joined us from Alexandria, also another three or four destroyers joined the convoy. We are being fed well by the ships crew, apple tart and trifle for supper. Land close at hand - passed Derna in North Africa at 11 o-clock, followed close to land; passed Benghazi later and headed North West. Heavy sea running and getting colder. We are supposed to be heading for Agusta in Sicily according to the crew. The convoy looks great with all the ships in line. We are in the middle and see ships in all directions as far as the eye can see. On the 7th November the convoy split up - some going to Agusta and the rest to Saracuse. We anchored in Saracuse Harbour at about three o-clock. Can see Mount Etna in the distance, it is covered in snow. Before we got to Saracuse we were supposed to be in a total black out for obvious reasons . The night was very dark with no moon, when one of the drivers who was sleeping on deck lit a match, it showed up the outline of the ship and there was a yell from all on board, put that bloody light out. We didn't want to be a target for a submarine. Before the convoy split up the ani-aircraft guns had a practice shoot, also the beaufer guns had a shoot, quite spectacular. Heading in a Northerly direction now and getting into very dangerous waters. The coast of Albania on the right hand side.

The alarm sounded at 8:45pm. Got quite a fright, we had to put our life jackets on but the all clear sounded about a quarter hour later. Told we were heading for Bari. Pulled onto wharf at l1pm. Went on leave to Bari town at night.