Sunday 1st November 1942 Asansol, Bengal.

In preparation for things to come, we continue with our intensive training again today. Reveille 04:30 hrs. We were woken by the char wallah with a mug of tea. First parade in running shorts. Thank goodness we were not expected to do P.T. We went for a two hour run through fields including paddy fields full of water, and various other terrain in the Asansol district. We also went through rivers and any other obstacles that Lt Cooke could find. We arrived back at camp covered in mud. I enjoyed the run but some of the chaps were grumbling, they enjoy a good grumble! If they had nothing to moan about, they would be most unhappy! When we arrived back in camp, the first thing we thought about was a shower. Not, I might add! a luxurious shower, with hot water and a shower head, in private, nothing so fine as that. Our shower was under a tap out in the open, with cold water, we get our pals to fill a bucket with water and throw it over us. Washed and refreshed, we went for breakfast. Porridge, with jam, if you want it. George Hedley calls porridge burgoo and jam pozzie he comes from Newcastle. Two of our cooks are Scots, they are not the worlds best cooks, but they certainly make good porridge. After that we had bacon and egg. A proper egg today not powdered and Tomatoes (tinned). After that we could have Marmalade or jam with toast. I do not like jam or Marmalade so I just have toast. And of course I nearly always have two mugs of tea with my breakfast. Whenever we have bread or toast with a meal, there is always a large tin of jam and a large tin of Marmalade on the table, and of course there is always salt and two types of sauce. We pay a weekly mess fee for them when we are in a settled camp. After breakfast we were on parade in full kit and rifle then there was two hours of weapon training, before going to work for the day. Being Sunday we can go on Church Parade before we go to work. Some chaps do go but most of us go straight to the work shop, I don't like hymn singing. We have quite a few big job's on at the moment. The gun fitters have got an AA gun stripped down in the work shop, and the old man wants it back in action, as soon as possible. Very often with this type of job, we work on it around the clock non-stop until the gun is back in action.

Monday 2nd November 1942

We were up very early this morning doing P.T, some of the older men were excused after breakfast and sent to the workshop, the rest of us went on another long distance run, through the paddy fields again. When we got back all muddied up and full of leaches, we spent an hour climbing on ropes and over other obstacles before going to work.

 

Tuesday 3rd November 1942 Asansol, Bengal.

Tough commando training including bayonet fighting, this is something none of us have done since we first did it when we joined the army. Mothers boy said I hope they don't expect me to stick a bayonet into anyone!! Geordie said "if it comes to a fight you may have to, otherwise the Jap will stick his into you very dam quick, make no mistake about that" Before going to work we had a lecture on security in India and how important it was not to trust anyone, because the Japanese have lots of spies here passing on information.

War News:- On the night of 1st Nov 1942, General Montgomery launched an offensive with tank support on a front fifteen miles west of El Alamein. Our infantry fought their way through mine-fields and barbed-wire etc, clearing a way for the armoured forces. Yesterday A tank battle raged all day at El Aqqaqir, in North Africa

Wednesday 4th November

The past three days have been spent much the same as Sunday 1st November, Training and work - more training! and more work! We have all been feeling rather tired in the evenings. The lads have not felt a bit like going out. There has been a lot of grumbling. Bill Kennedy has been on top form, lots more B'F'ins than usual, he's been in his element, I'm sure he has really enjoyed, his extra moaning!! Jack Casey has excelled himself thinking up excuses to get out of the training and I am sure Bert Gladdon is proud of his blisters! Dring and Morrel say they are too old for this type of lark. Tom Martin says he would rather do his commando training with a big fat woman!! Woody said he is "An has been Cornish Pasty, all he is fit for now is wrestling big fat women, when they are on the mat". Eric Taylor came out of hospital, but he still does not look very well. He is excused duties and the M.O. has told him to take some leave and go away for a while. Frank Jeffries one of the general duties men in our unit is not a very good letter writer and Arthur Woodcock writes all his letters, to his mother and sister in Armley, Leeds, where they have a laundry business. Frank has just received the latest Glen Miller records from home. They send him all the latest records I am pleased to say, we all enjoy listening to them. We think Arthur asks them to send the records for the benefit of all the lads in our unit.

War News, On the 3rd Nov 1942, the Eighth Army began the chasing Rommel's battered divisions towards Libya

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Thursday 5th November 1942 Asansol, Bengal.

We were up early this morning as usual, but the training was not quite as strenuous today. We did arms drill before breakfast, after we had a foot inspection. Some of the lads have bad blisters on their feet and some have leg ulcers, caused by leeches. They cannot be avoided when you walk through the water. Some times when we cross a river, with the water up to our necks, and our rifles held above our heads, we find dozens of them all over our bodies when we reach the other side. We have been told never to knock leeches off, when we find them on any part of our bodies, knocking them off leaves their heads embedded in your skin, and that is what causes the ulcers. The way to remove them is to burn them with a cigarette, this way they remove the suckers from your skin. The lads with blisters and ulcers were told to report sick, the rest of us were to report for work. We were not feeling so tired when we finished work this afternoon so Hugh and I decided to go into Asansol this evening. Hugh checked what was on the menu for the dinner in the camp tonight. It did not sound very good, Goats meat, tinned carrots, and potatoes. We decided to give it a miss and eat out. Missing the meal enabled us to go out early, George Jordan was on guard when we booked out about 16:15 hrs., Of course George had to have a go at us because we were going out and he was on guard. He said we have to bring him back a chicken leg! Leaving the camp we turned left out of the gate. On the left hand side of the road just before we came to the bazaar is a row of shops, unlike British shops, these do not have glass windows. Where the windows should be is open and you just walk in. When they close the shop in the evening they put shutters up or laid down on the floor and go to sleep leaving the place open. One of these shops is the barber's, and this was our first stop. We both had a hair cut and a scalp massage. The barber is a small chap with a well developed physique. He told us he is a weight lifter and he does his training in the back of the shop. He showed us his equipment, in addition to his lifting bars and weights etc. He also has parallel bars, chest expanders he has even got a wooden vaulting horse. The place is set up like a small gymnasium. As we came out of the shop Harry Coe went hurrying by, with a brief nod to us and Harry was gone, with a thin cane in his hand and an old topee (the first type we were issued with in Nottingham) on the back of his head. We have often seen Harry dashing up to Asansol like this, Hugh said he must have a bibie somewhere in Asansol., he's always on his lonesome!! Just past the barber's is a shop we have noticed previously. I don't know what they sell, but whenever we pass in the evenings there is always a number of men sitting on the floor playing Indian string instruments. To us they make a peculiar eerie tuneless noise, Paddy says they are strangling the cat again. At this point Shag Taylor and Ted Hampson caught up with us. Shag said did you see flash Harry go by? Ted said Harry was rushing to get away from the noise made by Ivy Benson's protégée (the Indian quartet!) During the rest of the journey to the bazaar, as usual being careful not to fall over the cows laying on the footpath, or treading in there dung. We are subjected to Ted's reminiscence about the band he played in before being called up. He played the trumpet in a London dance band. Eric (Shag) Taylor, told us he has arranged to take leave. One thing I will never forget about Asansol is the variety of smells, as you walk along the road. In some places it is the offensive smell of open sewers, then there's the stink of cow muck and urine, rather overpowering in the heat of the late afternoon. Then further along the road, the sweet smell of plants, Jasmine etc, drifting in the air. Passing the houses and shops you could smell the spicy odours of food cooking, passing the temples and shrines there is a smell of incense burning. In the bazaar there is a feast of smells, herbs and spices, garlic, curry, sweet meats and various other foods being cooked, mixed with the smell of burning joss sticks, wood burning, the fragrances of sweet sent essence, and of course some offensive pongs. All these odours seemed to hang in the warm still air. Like the drift of smoke from fires, it seemed to hang over the bazaar. I have always said, you feel as if you could paint the smells in this country!! Accompanying the pong's, is the Asansol noise, the incessant chatter of numerous languages all being spoken at the same time, the beat of the drums and the buzzing of millions of flies, the chirping of crickets and the various sounds of numerous other nocturnal insects in the evenings. Not to mention the squeaking of large rats as they scurry among the rubbish. When Hugh and I had finished our shopping, we went to the Indian institute to see a film. We finished the evening with a meal at Foo-Lee's Chinese restaurant all the food is cooked fresh at this place therefore having a full meal takes rather a long time. When we eventually finished the meal, it was rather late. So we returned to camp in a rickshaw. Back at camp, we reported in at the guardroom as usual. A message had been left for me, Russell Youngman and I have to leave our workshop at 05:00 hrs in the morning and take our vehicles to a HAA gun site at Pandy and help move them and their equipment to a site near Asansol. I have been given to understand this is a job that will keep us busy for a week or maybe longer. One consolation, we will not be doing commando training while working away.

War News, On the 4th Nov 1942, the Africa Korps are in full flight, leaving behind 13,000 prisoners and vast quantities of materials. (Very good news).

Friday 6th November 1942

Russell and I were wakened about 04:00 hrs. We had breakfast and left our camp at 05:00 hrs, arriving at the R.A. gun site, at Pandy 06:00 hrs. The distance from Asansol was 30 miles, it seemed a lot longer driving along a bullock track, they call a road. The Artillery on this site have been defending the airfield. They are moving to a site near to Asansol. The gunners told Russell and I, when they get there, they will be leaving their static gun's and are going to be equipped with mobile guns. We worked all day moving their equipment to the new site. without anything to eat and when we got back to Pandy just after 22:00 hrs no one had thought to make arrangements for us to have a meal or arranged for us to sleep. I went to the cookhouse and found Russell playing merry - hell with one of the bombardiers. He managed to get us a sandwich and a mug of tea. We then cleaned the back of one of the vehicles using the headlights of the other and made our beds  for the night.

Saturday 7th November 1942

Reveille 04:30 hrs, a snack not a proper breakfast, then on with the first job. We worked all day, no proper meals, it was 22:00 hrs when I arrived back at Pandy, rather tired. Russell was back before me and had managed to acquire two stretcher's for us to sleep on. He had made his own bed and mine in the back of his truck, he had also fixed a light up. Being tired I was soon in bed. Then there was a commotion outside, when we looked out, some of the gunners were dashing out of their tent and beating the ground with sticks. When we asked what was the matter!! It was only a snake!! - Back to bed and sleep.

War News:- 7th Nov Genoa in Italy suffered its heaviest air-raid when a large force of British bombers dropped high explosive and incendiary bombs.

Sunday 8th November 1942

We were woken up at 04:30 hrs this morning it was rather cold and dark. We scrambled in the dark to find our clothes and get dressed, breakfast was a blackout affair until we moved our trucks into position around the mess - tent and put the head lights on. Work started before dawn. There is no generator in this camp. That means no lights the men were loading the vehicles by the aid of headlights. Some of the R.A.'s were working with the aid of oil lamps hauling a gun out of its position. My first load was a reasonable light load, that did not take too long. Russell and I came back together we had missed tiffin, but managed a mug of tea and a sandwich while the gunners were loading our trucks. This time it was a rather heavy load, mainly ammunition, at 15:00 hrs the vehicles were loaded. Then we had to collect our work notes and instructions before proceeding on our journey to Asansol No 2 site at 16:00 hrs. With the vehicle springs nearly bent the wrong way. This journey was along roads never meant for heavy traffic, in fact never meant for anything except bullock carts. There are deep Pothole's every few yards along the track, some six inches deep. The journey had to be taken slowly and with great care. We were unable to take the shortest route 30 miles to the new site, owing to a considerable number of very weak bamboo bridges along that route. Therefore it had to be the long way round and even on the safer route there were bridges that did not look very safe. All the bridges have armed guards, Indian troops. The bridges near the airfield were guarded by Gurkha's. All the roads have barricades at strategic places, with armed guards stopping and checking all vehicles. Russell and I arrived at Asansol No 2 site just as it was going dark, having crawled along in some parts doing no more than 3 miles per hour. The R.A's unloaded our vehicles while Russell and I went to the cook house to get something to eat and a drink. At 21:00 hrs, we had eaten and the trucks had been unloaded, we started our journey back to Pandy. Russ and I were both tired, having been up since 04:30 hrs and on the go all day. We were both alone in our own vehicles, no one to talk to and keep us awake. This was against army regulations due to the Indian trouble there should be an armed guard in each vehicle. This did not bother me, I had my rifle and plenty of ammo, but it would have been nice to have someone to converse with. The night was very dark, no moon and our vehicles have got masks on the lights. I put my foot down as much as I could under the circumstances and having to be careful of cows on the road. They lay down anywhere and that goes for the Indians as well, they sleep anywhere. In fact we did see two of them asleep on the roadside. Another hazard out here due to the heat, we drive with all the windows open and you have to be careful of moths, mosquitoes, and other flying insects hitting you in the face. A bat did fly past my head and crashed into the back of the cab. That was quite unusual for a bat it looked to me like a baby. I don't know whether it was dead or just stunned, so I got out and put it on some stones as high as possible and left it. Being so tired, we decided to take a route that would cut five miles off our journey. This road we were taking in the dark was unfamiliar to us, we had only been along it once before in daylight. Therefore we had to be cautious. One wrong turn and we could end up miles out of our way. There were five bridges along this route, none of them looked very solid, two of them were not too bad and when we were on them, they were quite stable. The other three were long and only just wide enough for our vehicles. As you went on they seemed to go down a bit under our weight and going along they swayed slightly. Going on these bridges, I just hold my breath and hope for the best. One of the bridges was just around a bend in the road, you could not see it until you were right up to it and then it looked as if it was made out of match-sticks. The Indian guard, stopped us, saying " Nay bharu gharry, only chota gharry " meaning no large vehicles allowed on the bridge, only small vehicles. We were tired by now, not in any mood to go a long way around, and there was always the chance of getting lost. Russell started telling him, the officer sahib had said it was all right for us to go across. Just then we saw headlights approaching in the distance. Russell said to me "I'll keep him talking, you get across and I will follow" he then said to the guard "Here is the officer sahib coming, let us go and ask him" They walked to the bend in the road, I got in my vehicle and started off across the bridge, slowly, taking great care, it swayed quite a bit but I reached the other side OK and waited for Russell. There was a left hand bend at the other side and I had to pull up some way from the bridge, looking back from this angle, the bridge looked more like a toy made out of meccano parts. It was not long before Russell came along grinning all over his face. I don't know what he had told the guard but I could hear him at the far side of the bridge shouting something. The bridge was still standing, so we were not bothered and set off to the gun-site. By the time we got to the camp and had a mug of tea, made our beds, it was nearly 23:00 hrs and we had to be up again in another five and a half hours.

Monday 9th November 1942

We were up at 04:30 hrs, and followed much the same routine as yesterday. One thing I have found while working with the R.A's, they are not very well organised when it came to moving camp. This afternoon while I was waiting for them to make up their minds what load they were giving me, I found time to write my yesterdays journal. Finished work 23:00 hrs tonight.

War News, North Africa, Axis prisoners now total 20,000, and our troops have captured 400 tanks, 350 guns and thousands of vehicles. On the 8th Nov, after slight resistance Mersa Matruh, was captured by our troops

Tuesday 10th November 1942

Breakfast this morning bread and bully beef, followed by toast and jam and a mug of strong tea, certainly not to my liking. Russell said he would like a plate of ham and a dozen eggs and I am sure he could eat it, the weights he can lift. Myself I could go a plate of Jock Ferguson's porridge right now followed of course by ham and two eggs. Same routine again today, Pandy to Asansol and back. I am finding the best roads to take, with the various loads, and getting use to the bridges in this area. Finished work 23:00 hrs again tonight.

Wednesday 11th November 1942

Reveille 04:30 hrs, woke up still feeling tired, I'm getting a bit fed up with this job. We don't have much sleep and no proper meals. I will be glad to get back to our own camp, even Jock Ferguson's cooking will be better than we are getting here. (The lads back at the workshops will say "then it must be bad.") Even the Commando Training will be easy after the long hours we have worked here. At least we will get proper meals after the training. Russell is not at all happy about the food arrangements he is a big lad and need feeding. Tonight we finished work about 22:30 hrs.

War News, 10th Nov, Sidi Barrani captured.

Thursday 12th November 1942

Russell Youngman and I are still working on this removal job from early morning to late at night. I am sure if the R.A.'s had been organised we could have been finished by now. The men here have been talking about the rumours of the pending move further east, to the Burma border. Goodness knows how long it will take this lot to get there. It has taken them nearly seven days to move 30 miles. To the Burma border it must be a few hundred miles. Goodness knows how long it will take them to get there. We finished work at 22:30 hrs again tonight.

War News:- North Africa, the Halfaya Pass was captured yesterday and over 1,000 prisoners, were taken.

Friday 13th November 1942

We started work again before dawn, there is not an awful lot to move now and if the R.A.'s get a move on we should be finished today. But it took them ages to load my vehicle for the first trip. The R.A.'s have more than their fair share of moaners. They have some really good lads as well. Having talked to them I think a lot of their trouble is boredom, there's not been many air-raids, no enemy targets to fire at. All they do is clean the guns and practise. When they finish work, they have nothing to do, there are no amusements in camp. They have not even got lights only oil lamps and it goes dark early. We do not have lights in our basha (hut), only oil lamps, we do have electric lights in our workshops and bright light's in our recreation room, where we write, play darts, cards, or listen to the radio or gramophone. The lads listen to all the news broadcasts. Of course there are always discussions, at the moment it’s mainly about the war in North Africa where the Eight Army is doing so well.

War News:- North Africa two useful ports on the Mediterranean were won back by our forces, Sollum and Bardia.

Saturday 14th November 1942

We were woken at the usual time this morning and worked all day moving equipment between the two gun-sites. The job was finished about 20:00 hrs., Russ Youngman and I arrived back at our own camp in Asansol, late this evening. Most of the lads were already in bed. When I got to our basha, Paddy was on his charpoy, under his mossie net, reading by the aid of a oil lamp. We exchanged information and news. I told him what Russ and I had been doing, and he told me the camp news. They have been doing intensive training while we have been away, and from tomorrow we are going to attend lectures in jungle warfare. A number of the chaps are excused training because of blisters. The M.O. is concerned about them, because the blisters are not healing satisfactory in this climate. Two of the lads are in hospital with leg ulcers, we have been given to understand they were caused by the leeches picked up in the rivers etc, Seemingly they did not get the heads out, this cause the sores and they turned to ulcers. There is a rumour that one of the chaps Les Cocker might be sent back to England, because his ulcers will not heal. There is still no official news, of our unit moving.

War News:- Yesterday the Eight Army continued the pursuit of the fleeing Axis forces across Cyrenaica and reoccupied Tobruk

 

Sunday 15th November 1942 Asansol, Bengal.

Gun fire this morning 04:30 hrs. Dress this morning for first parade is battle order: Battle dress, boots and Puttee's, steel helmet, webbing, pouches, water bottle, small pack, gas mask and rifle. We were taken by road vehicles ten miles from the camp. There we were given a map and compass and told to make our own way back to camp across country. It was all right when we first started, but very soon it got hotter and hotter. Shirts were soon wet through with perspiration. Sweat was running down red faces. The first part of the walk was over rocky ground, through rivers and very rough fields. The moaners and groaners were not able to give vent to their feelings, while we were on the move. After about four miles we stopped for a few minutes rest, or was, it a rest! listening to the groaners. Long legged Lummie started grumbling about his webbing rubbing his shoulder raw. Bill Kennedy said he is a bloody, bloody well fed up with all this F'F'ing training, in fact he said he is a pig, pig, sick of it!! Every time he wrings his shirts out, they disintegrate through sweat and when he takes his socks off they stand up on their own!! - I said yes, and by the smell, they are capable of walking on their own. I asked Geoffrey Herne if he was feeling the heat. With a shrug of his shoulders he said not too bad, but he would not mind a shower. He has no signs of blisters we asked him when he is going to take his vest off? He said he will think about it when it gets a bit warmer. I must say Geoff's shirt was no where near as wet with sweat as the rest of us. Dennis Quinn is certainly perspiring freely it was running down his nose. Every time you look at Dennis he is either, taking his glasses off, and cleaning the lenses when  they steam up, or he is pushing them up when they slip down to the end of his nose. The next four miles of our walk was mainly through paddy fields or I should say balancing round the narrow paths that divide the paddy-fields (that is the earth wall that surrounds the paddy-fields). Now and again someone would let out a yell as he slipped into the muddy water. Bill Lloyd who is a right harum-scarum, does not mind getting muddied up, he walks through all the pools and takes short cuts across the paddy-field even his trousers above his puttee's are covered in mud. We eventually came out of the fields at the road, two miles from the camp. It should have been easy from there - we thought!! But along came Lt .Cooke in the Dodge driven by Tom Martin. We had to put on our gas masks and march back to camp - talk about hot!! - It was only supposed to be two miles - but it seemed to be a lot more. When we eventually arrived, we even had to wring our boots out, talk about sweat!! After a shower and a meal, we attended a lecture on jungle warfare. At one point, the officer was explaining how to approach an enemy position without being seen. This meant crawling through the jungle on hands and knees, at this point a chap, Woody call's "mothers boy" asked, "are there any leaches in the jungle" The lecturer said "yes millions, all sizes" Mothers boy said " please sir I don't want to go in the jungle" This caused a good laugh!! But really I think he meant it. He hates going through the water or into the rivers. When we are on a route march on rough ground or through the fields, and we come to water - he either tries to jump it, or walks all the way round. After the lecture, it was back to our own jobs in the workshops.

Monday 16th November 1942

War News North Africa:- Yesterday our troops captured Maturba along with one of the finest airfields in the area.

 

Tuesday 17th November 1942

 

Wednesday 18th November 1942 Asansol, Bengal.

Thursday 19th November 1942

 

Friday 20th November 1942

During the past five days, things have been much the same. Reveille early in the morning then doing various types of training. We are all much fitter and always ready for meals. I don't mind all the physical exercise we have been doing, but I don't like wearing a gas-mask, in fact the training period I most dislike is gas drill. During one period of training each day we attend lectures. Today’s lecture was on the defence of Brigade H.Q. Battle order, deployment, and tactics etc., The training programme for the next few days was put on the notice board today. The lectures to be given by the Infantry officer includes:- Patrolling in the jungle, living off the jungle, Japanese booby-traps, The Japanese soldier and his weapons, Japanese fighting tactics and the importance of camouflage. Every man's name appeared on daily orders today showing the role he has to play if we are involved in actual fighting. I am shown on the list as a Tommy Gunner, I do not know why I would sooner use my rifle or a Bren-Gun. Shag Taylor is away therefore when I have not been driving I have been working in the electrical workshop with Cpl. Parnell.

  

Saturday 21st to Monday 30th November 1942 Asansol, Bengal.

From the 21st to the 31st of November, we have been doing much the same as we have been doing for the past few weeks. Up early training and attending lectures on jungle warfare. Driver Les Cocker, gun fitter L/Cpl Jones and storeman James was sent to hospital in central India, and from there, we have been told they may be sent to England, because their illness will not respond to treatment out here. A number of new recruits have joined us, more in number than has left us. These men are to bring our unit up to establishment. The new boys, most have recently come out from the U.K. look very white when stood next to us, when we are all on parade. We seem to have been out here an awful long time!! In fact it is only eight months since we left home, but it seems twice as long.

War News:- The Eight Army occupied Benghazi yesterday. One of the gunners from H.Q told us  tonight that bad weather is hindering progress of  our tanks and supply vehicles.

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