July 1942

This morning we moved about 3 kilo’s N.E. and formed a strong box of our regiment and two others but we have no armour or artillery support so I do not know what we shall do if we have to fight off an attack. Jerry has now reached Alamein and there is a terrific fight raging. Our air force is doing wonderful work, all day long I saw flight after flight of our heavy bombers escorted by fighters going over and pounding Jerry. Enquiry in House of Commons into the Libyan battle and at last we are hearing a lot of truths into our preparedness. There is even talk of “If Suez falls.” Well we have been bluffed long enough.

Jerry has made two terrific attacks on Alamein line and up till now we have been able to repulse both. Once he actually broke through but one of our columns cleaned him out. It seems we are fighting for time and Jerry against time. If we can only manage to hold out until we can organise our forces in the rear. Our air force continued there pounding at Jerry the whole day through. Flights of 18, 20, 28 bombers went over him right through the day.

I was awoken at 3 o’clock this morning by one of my fellows who was saying, “Corporal, Corporal the Germans are attacking us from the south with tanks and lorried infantry.” I listened and there was a terrific din going on in the direction he indicated. I assured him it was only an air attack and told him to go back to bed.
I was sent this afternoon by our company to reconnoitre the new position our company is to take up in the outer defences of Alexandria and so I spent the night with Australians a few miles out of Alexandria, this is the first time I have seen any sing of civilization for half a year. I could not believe my eyes for there were real green trees and some men in civilian dress. I even saw a woman today, also a tap, yes a real water tap that you just have to turn and water comes out. Nobody would be able to realise or appreciate what this means unless they were out in the desert for half a year cut off entirely from all signs of civilization.

This morning I met up with the rest of my company and were put in positions on the western defences of Alexandria among the chalk hills north of the saltpans. One good thing Jerry can’t bring his tanks through the saltpans. We were told we had to stand to all night. As if Jerry breaks our Alamein line then Alex is his first object but I made up my mind I was going to see the big city of Alex and so this afternoon, I with 3 of my fellows set out for the town which is 17 kilo’s away. I got a lift for a few miles in a Bren Carrier and completed the rest of the distance in an ambulance. Coming into Alex from the west is just like Cairo with its high dilapidated old mud buildings overlapping the road and one gets the impression that if you were to knock down one building the entire street would collapse. Poverty seems to predominate in every corner and due to the number of different colours of people it is apparently a very cosmopolitan city. I suppose due to the fact that it is a seaport, ancient Roman architecture is very outstanding in various quarters and if I remember my history properly I believe this was part of the Great Roman Empire around the year 1BC and was recaptured by the Arabs in 646AD. The city has been built up around two perfect natural harbours and is situated slightly west of the precious Egyptian Delta. The Delta is the fertile strip of Egypt, which is irrigated by canals led off from two branches of the Nile. In its run to the sea the Nile forks about 40 miles north of Cairo, one going to what is known as Rosetta Mouth and the other to the Damitta Mouth. These two mouths are probably about 90 miles apart and all the ground in-between them is very rich indeed being irrigated by thousands of these man made canals. In this area is the greater portion of the Egyptian population engaged in tilling the earth with camels and wooden ploughs and growing cotton, wheat, dates and maize. The Delta is the Egyptians only means of a livelihood and so therefore I think their feeling runs high towards the English because of our having brought the war practically into their beloved Delta, certainly it will be a great loss if the Germans break through our Alamein front and gain control of it.

Ordered to pack up again this morning and by 3 this afternoon we were once more on the move. Now I understand we are been used for internal defence against rebels and fifth columnists of which this place is overflowing. The fellows are all very sore about the whole business and just want to get back into action against the Germans with the Australians who are now all moving up into the line. We drove along the sea front to a place known as Sidi Bishr which is situated on the eastern side of Alexandria, this place I believe is our future home for a while but I suppose we shall probably move before long. Tonight a fellow pinched his officer’s bottle of whiskey and I helped him to drink it.

Spent the most of today resting and giving all our clothes a good wash. All this is too good to be true, you just turn a tap and water comes out, as much as you want. Well tomorrow I shall be on the move again. Was informed tonight that I will be going on escort duty tomorrow where and for what goodness knows.
Our Alamein front is not only holding but they have begun to push the Germans.

This morning we picked up 900 prisoners at Mex (Alex west) and put them on the train. We travelled right up the Delta and my it was lovely seeing all the green fields. At Benha the half of the train, which contained Italians was unhooked and sent off to some Italian P. of War camp, I stayed with the portion of the train the contained Germans. We passed through Cairo and once again I cold see the pyramids in the distance. We eventually came to a holt at Helwan and handed over our prisoners to an Indian guard. We spent the night at Abbassir, which is a British base camp some little way from the centre of Cairo and on the road to Helioplois. My, these base fireside soldiers live like lords but I was too tired to pay much attention so I curled up in a corner of the floor with my great coat and went to sleep.

Had a shower rather early this morning as the floor was too uncomfortable to stay on any longer and as I had a few hours to spare before my train left for Alexandria I decided to take a stroll through Cairo. I had a drink at some café-bar and then took a taxi back to Abbassir. Our train left Cairo mains at 12.30 and the trip back to Alex took about four hours. We changed at Alexandria for a train which took us on to Sidi Bishr and on detraining there were met with the news that we were to move right away for the front again but the order was later changed to 4 o’clock tomorrow morning to move. We are all quite pleased to be going back into action although we would have liked a few more days in Alexandria and I did so want to get my dear wife a present.

Left Sidi Bishr on time and hit out along the western desert road for El Alamein. We travelled most of the day and passed many Australians who were also moving up the line. We manoeuvred around and eventually formed a strong box as it grew dark tonight and were told to be ready to go in tomorrow morning at the first light of day. We are to attack Jerry with the New Zealanders and Australians. Last night it was Alexandria, the night before that Cairo and now tonight we suddenly find ourselves right in the front line again.

3 O’clock this morning found us amid the worst shelling I have yet been through. Jerry started plastering us with shells and I collected a bit of shrapnel but fortunately my tin hat saved me, consequently my tin hat has a terrific bash in it now. Our artillery opened up on Jerry at 5 o’clock this morning. The Australians are doing very well advancing along the coast against the Italians. This evening our O.C. called for volunteers to go out on a fighting patrol or what he called a very sticky job to clear a light depression in which Jerry has about six heavy guns that have been worrying us. I stepped forward and was very disgusted with some of my men as only two of them followed my example. Another platoon of our Company could not even get one man. I am now beginning to see the true colours of some of our ‘tough guys’, yellow I call it.
We set out for some point just on the edge of our mine field over looking a stretch of no mans land and prepared to sleep until half past twelve which is the time for our starting. Our artillery continued to shell Jerry right up until 11.30 tonight.

At 12.30 this morning we set out and wended our way through the narrow pass in the minefield but not before a sniper who was well concealed somewhere or other had taken two shots at me. Once clear of the minefield and in no mans land we formed up in a large diamond formation. We were a very strong body of men there being 20 men and 3 officers all armed with Tommy guns and hand grenades and capable of doing a lot of damage as a raiding party, more so with the fact of it been very dark. We started off keeping in our formation with every man by this time wide awake and his finger poised ready on the trigger, ready to fire at any provocation. We were going in to fight Jerry without knowing how strong he was or what he had, our orders were to kill, kill and do as much damage as we could so it was only natural some of the things that went through our minds such as, “I wonder what will happen” or “is this my last fight? I must keep my head.” Moving off on a bearing of 275 degrees we cut around to the north of the depression and from there we sent out a couple of scouts to try and determine their strength. They came back and reported five trucks so we were told to prepare to go in but Jerry’s listening post must of discovered our presence but not knowing how strong we were they did not want to fight for as we advanced over the ridge they scrambled into their trucks and rode off leaving behind two trucks and a lot of blankets. However we went right through the depression just to make sure of there been no Germans in hiding and then cut back far to our minefield, the entire process taking us 5 hours. We just got back to our lines and I was going to settle down to have a bit of a sleep when who should come looking for me but my cousin (M. Peck) who I have been trying to locate for many months now, so we settled down and finished a bottle of gin which I had been storing in my pack. Of course we had a lot to talk about and were very pleased to have met again.
This afternoon we moved to the edge of the minefield again and were ready again to go in but after an hour we moved back from where we had come from. Turned out afterwards that our B Company went out with guns and supported by tanks but found Jerry too strong and were forced to withdraw after leaving 3 tanks blown up. Jerry’s air force was very active today setting fire to 4 of our trucks but we managed to shoot one down.

Today was quite uneventful except for terrific artillery barrage that continued right through the entire day. At an order group tonight we were told that at first light tomorrow morning the Australians were going to attack from the coast in a S. Westerly direction and us with our 3 brigades were to push west from a point approximately 17 kilo’s south of the coast. Our orders are to consolidate and to push forward. I have come to the conclusion that to win this war we have to breed hatred. Hatred for Nazism and all it stands for and to kill and show no mercy whatsoever. We South Africans have never seen or rather known what it is to see your wife, mother and children butchered by devastating bombs like the English, Poles and other oppressed nations in Europe.

Jerry beat us to it this morning. He attacked the Australians just before the first light with 3 regiments of German infantry but the Australians held their ground and Jerry was forced to withdraw leaving behind 1,000 dead. The rest of the morning was quiet. I am writing now at 5pm and Jerry has been attacking us since midday and as I write now shells are falling all around me and we have gone through one air attack after another, even now there are 22 stukkas over me looking for their target and it will be coming at any minute. He is trying to drive a wedge onto us through the R.L.I and R.D.L.I but we are mowing his infantry down as the come in waves. If all goes well I shall try and write more before sundown which is about 8.15pm.
At 8 o’clock tonight I was sent through a terrific artillery barrage to try and get our transport as we are being sent in to reinforce the R.D.L.I sector of the line that has been thinned out through all day fighting. I could only advance about 5 yards at a time and then would have to fall flat on my face. I don’t think there was a sq foot of ground that was not covered with shells. Up till now (today) our company has suffered 2 killed, 4 wounded. We eventually pulled into the D.L.I. line under a scream of machine gun bullets at 2am. Jerry tried an old ruse today against the Australians. They sent forward a company of infantry with their hands up to surrender, the general idea been to come right up to our lines to give themselves up and as our men get up to take them prisoner they fall flat and there behind them is a couple of 88mm guns which in general cleans us up but the Aussies were not falling and instead of taking them prisoner they opened machine guns on them and mowed them down.

This morning as soon as it got light we could see Germans moving about the other side of the minefield so we spent our time picking them off with a rifle until an artillery 5.5 pounder spotted them and put a couple of shells right in between them blotting the whole lot out and so spoiling our fun. The rest of the day we could observe the enemy digging in front of us and our artillery was active all day and night. We had to send out a patrol tonight to see what Jerry had been digging this morning but were unable to see anything.

There was the usual shelling all morning and towards sunset our B company could be seen on our left advancing west across no mans land. German Anti Tank guns opened up against our advanced infantry. With that our artillery put up a terrific barrage over our heads to try and liquidate the enemy guns and they answered back with 88mm guns. Shrapnel and lead was flying in all directions and one piece of shrapnel sliced my great coat open at the shoulder but did not injure me in any way, just a nick. B Company gained their objective but the N.M.R. who were coming up on their left in their support were unable to advance, consequently at midnight tonight after a heavy pounding they were ordered to withdraw back across the minefield. I had to take out 8 of my men tonight on an all night patrol and listening post. Our Wellingtons brought daylight to Jerry’s lines all night tonight and dropped many bombs of very heavy calibre on them. Today’s score for German prisoners captured for today up till now stands at 3,000 and seven tanks knocked out by the Australians and our seventh armoured division has gone into action against a very strong German column in the south.

I was very astounded this morning to see a Hurricane chasing a Messerschmitt for all his worth and giving it to him with his cannons. Unfortunately the Hurricane was not fast enough to keep up with him and the messerschmitt was able to get away but not before smoke was pouring from him. He got out of sight before I was able to see if he was shot down or not. Towards dusk tonight we were bombed by our own kitty bombers with the result of one of our men being killed. I believe that is the 7th time this area has been bombed by our own planes and I have no need to mention the general feeling among us fellows. We have asked for an immediate enquiry and have promised to shoot down all planes that come over us. Our own as well as Jerry. It is very nice to have air support and plenty of it, as a matter of fact it is quite necessary but we get bombed by Germans, we get bombed by Italians and we get bombed by our own planes so therefore we would rather our planes stay away. As if our manpower is not weak enough without our own planes killing us. I am afraid we took a very poor view of it and have threatened to walk right out of the line if such a thing happens again. Mind, I can say this much, our bombs are fearful.
We were warned tonight to expect terrific shellfire at first light tomorrow as the Australians are making another attack.

Jerry counter attacked last night driving the Australians back so consequently they were unable to make their attack as prearranged. A column supplied by the 1st Scottish went out this morning to do the job that our B Company set out to do a few days ago. I watched them the whole day and could not help feeling very sorry for them. They were very exposed and they started off by being bombed by our own planes. We kept our promise of yesterday and opened every gun we had on the planes. Really, this is terrible when it comes to fighting your own men and if the bombs had of fallen on us we would of walked out of the line. That raid cast the Jocks six men dead, the rest of the day they were shelled by German 105mm guns and spandos machine guns. Towards the afternoon they were forced to withdraw back into the line again owing to the failure of the Australians to hold their objective. Not with standing the fact that the Australians were forced back they brought in 900 prisoners.

This morning 12 Germans came walking across no mans land with their hands up and a white flag to themselves up. They said they had had enough and that they were hungry and wanted water. I don’t blame them as this exposure to the sun all day is very trying to any mans nerves. From them we gained the knowledge that Jerry had evacuated the particular ridge 4 days ago, the ridge that we had two attempts to gain control of with our B company column and Jock columns. Evidently it was these 12 men that were doing all the damage. I had to take 8 of my men tonight and sit out in no mans land all night as a listening post in case Jerry makes any attempt to approach our forward positions. Actually it is a suicide job, our duty being to arise an alarm and then to withdraw to our own lines as best we can under fire. Our Wellingtons bombed and machine gunned Jerry the whole night through and at times the whole place was as broad as daylight being lit up with hundreds of flares. A sniper and a machine gun has a couple of goes at my listening post but we kept well down and their efforts were fruitless. These nights I spend in no mans land, long ugly nights filled with excitement and horrors will be blotches on my memory for as long as I live.

This morning we had to go out into no mans land to try and bring back the body of an officer who was killed yesterday and while out there we came across the body of one of our fellows who was killed the day previous so brought them both in. Our air force shot down five air craft today and apart from that we sent out a commando to an aerodrome at El Daba and they destroyed 43 planes so we shall not be troubled to any great extent by enemy aircraft for some time. The 2nd brigade on our left moved forward this afternoon to consolidate the ground that Jerry excavated the other day. Actually I think Jerry is hard pushed and now is our chance to take advantage of him and strike while he is trying to rest. The night is very quiet and we are thankful for it but the moon is getting bigger and brighter every night.

Today was very quiet indeed and it is reported that Jerry is digging in so that shows that his designs on Suez have come to a temperate stand still. We must push forward now and not wait to allow the enemy to pull up his reserves.
There is a native medical Corporal in this regiment who has wont the M.M. and in my estimation he deserves the U.C. as he is always on the spot with his little bag of first aid kit when required no matter how intense the fire or how dangerous the position. Every morning he come around and announces his presence with “Good morning gentlemen, how is everyone this morning?” His work is invaluable.

Ordered to pack up this morning and moved to a point S.E. of our Alamein box where the rest of our unit marshalled. (?) We were told we were going in support of the Indians and were to capture a shallow depression while the Indians on our left would do like wise. Their depression being slightly to the south of ours and if we are successful the 8th army offensive would start tomorrow morning. We set out at 7pm by trucks to within 3 miles of our objective and then formed up in extended order, my company on the right, A company on the left and B company in reserve, the rest of the trip to be done by foot. At 8 o’clock we were given a lot of run and our artillery started putting down a terrific creeping barrage as well as a dense smoke screen and we began to advance. The enemy machine gun fire was terrific but it is the first time I have known all our groups to work in co-operation with one another. As we advance so our artillery screen lifted and our Wellington bombers came into operation. At midnight tonight saw us in sight of our objective but the enemy machine gun barrage was too intense so we had to lay low.

By two o’clock this morning we started to push forward again and it shall always remain a miracle to me why we were all not mowed down like rats. It is terribly cold and all we have on is a shirt and shorts. We eventually dropped down into our depression at 4am but not before a Spando put a bullet right through one of our fellow’s mouth. By 8 o’clock this morning we consolidated the depression and got our selves well dug in.
The Indians today took 1000 prisoners but have also lost a lot of men while the New Zealanders who pushed through the Indians were counter attacked and forced to withdraw but I believe the Australians have surrounded the German 90th light division. Tonight I had to go out on patrol all night to give protection to engineers who are laying a minefield right around our position.
It is nearly 36 hours since I have had any sleep and I am darn tired. The flies here are the worst I have yet come across. At one time I looked at my bare legs and it was impossible to see a single bit of flesh and that is how they are on your face all the time, no matter how much you chase them with your hand and if you try and kill them they are just like rubber and bulge out again as soon as you have hit them and removed your hand.
Some German prisoners that we have taken today say they were from the Russian front and that the fighting in Russia was nothing compared to this.

Just before midday a column of trucks came over the horizon and one came right up to the minefield. A man got out of it and shouted across to us if we were Italians. They were evidently a German supply column that was lost. A Sgt Marshall and myself advanced right up to him before he realized we were English and when he did he made a dash for his truck and at the same time shouting to the driver to shoot. He let us have it and at the same time tried to turn his truck around and get away but I sprayed him with my Tommy gun and the Vickers machine guns opened up on the other trucks, preventing them from getting away. Our Two pounders opened up and blew two of the trucks to eternity. We then sent out a patrol and brought in 5 prisoners, the other four were dead.
This afternoon I had to go out with a party and bury them. It was a rotten job and a ghastly sight as two of them were burnt to cinder when the truck blew up and it was quite enough to make any man sick.
This evening I had to go out all night on a listening post in the mine field. We lay and listened all night to the whining of our shells going over our heads to Jerry and it just about makes you go mad after a while, it is like a dog crying.

The Indians on our left have been pushed back so that leaves us in a bad position with our flanks exposed and Germans on two sides of us. It was reported this morning that the enemy were digging in guns in a wadi in front of us so tonight I was sent out on a fighting patrol with sex men, my orders being to engage this working party and “liquidate” them. I set out at about 9.30 and did not fancy the job too much as the moon is nearly full and we can be seen too easy, nevertheless after groping for a thousand yards we came over a ridge and there, not 10 yards in front of us were 11 Italians. At this stage it was useless trying to withdraw as any movement on our point would be observed by them so the only alternative on our part was to storm them by surprise with the hopes of blotting them out quick and get away before anymore could come to their aid and so on a prearranged signal we let go with everything from 3 Bren guns, 2 Tommy’s and 2 rifles but as we turned to make our break there coming up at the back of us was what I estimated at about 150 Italians. They were advancing right on to us. Oh what to do, must I give up? Then a thought shot through my mind, my wife, my son, and so I decided to shoot it out at all costs. I immediately turned my Brens on them and what I had hoped for, happened. They took cover below the ridge. With that I was able to withdraw half of us a few hundred yards leaving the other half to cover the ridge and fire as soon as anybody popped their head up. Then the first half covered the ridge while the rest of us got back with them. From there it did not take us long to get going back to our lines. If ever I have had a close one that was it, but I am quite satisfied that our job which we set out to do was completed.
I have pains in my ears. I think I must be suffering from a shell explosion and if it is not better in the morning I shall go and see a doctor.

I went and saw a doctor this morning and before I knew where I was I was in an ambulance and on my way to the 12 field Amb. From there I was evacuated to the following F.A.’s 11th, 18th, 25th. 14th C.C.S, 14th F.A. From there I was evacuated to the 64th general (Alexandria) What a lot of red tape, I have been through all these hospitals, travelling the whole day as it is now 11.30pm and yet nothing has been done for me. If anybody had of told me this morning that I would be in Alexandria tonight I would of told them not to be mad. But well, here I am. Goodness knows where to from here.

This morning I was first evacuated to a ward and within an hour I was told to be ready to go. Was taken by transport to the station and from there I went by ambulance train to Cairo. I am now very nicely settled in, in the 5 S.A General (Helmeih) but still nobody has done anything for me. I was very sick when I left El Alamein but I am nearly better now so for my part they can stay away from me as long as they just leave me alone and let me rest, that is all I want. It seems strange sleeping in a bed and between sheets. Real white sheets. My heart just breaks when I think of the other poor fellows I left behind sleeping in a bit of a hole in the ground, their nerves just about torn to bits like condemned men waiting to die.

A doctor looked at me today but still has not done anything for me. There seems to be a lot of fellows leaving for the Union at the moment and I certainly wish I were one of them. All the B1 men in the base camps are been used to escort prisoners back home. Most of the men in this hospital are all base workers and have never been in the line, I suppose that is why they showed so much interest when we had an air raid alarm at about 9.30pm tonight and another at 11pm.

Today for the first time I was given something to take, not that it shall do any good for me. The heat is terrific here and we are made to sleep with nets over our beds at night to protect us against sand flies and yet in the line the flies swarm all over us and we have nothing to protect ourselves. The nights here are just as bad and I find it very hard to sleep, irrespective of the fact that I wear next to nothing. There was an air raid alert tonight but I think it was just an enemy plane on its way to Suez.

I am feeling a lot better today and I don’t think I can congratulate anybody but myself for it. There was a bioscope in hospital today and I rather enjoyed it, even if I have seen Snow White before. It is the first bioscope I have seen for some time. I just dosed off tonight when I was awakened by a number of terrific explosions and the sounds of guns been fired. For the moment I thought I was back in the front line. It was an air raid and out of everyone here I think the nurses stood up to it best although they too showed signs of being nervous. Really I was quite ashamed of my own sex the way they carried on but what can you expect when they have never been in a front line and just used to living in luxury at base camps. I got bored still of listening to the guns barking so turned over and went to sleep. After all this sort of thing is far from been a novelty to me.

I was speaking to some fellows this morning who have just arrived from the Union and last nights raid was their first taste of war. Were they excited or were they? They just could not stop talking about it even to going around picking up little bits of shrapnel from the bombs that were dropped. I could not but feel sorry for them as I know just how long it will take for that novelty to wear off and how they will wish to God they had never heard of the word W.A.R. It will not take long for them to become “Browned off”. They have still got something like 40and 50 planes dropping “dirt” on them as well as a few machine guns and heavy artillery guns throwing “gun fodder” at them to look forward to. They will come to earth suddenly with a sharp bang and realization when they see their pals next to them been mowed down. Pals who they have had so many good times with on the ship and in camps during their longs months of training now dead.
It was impossible to try and sleep tonight, the heat is so terrific. At just on midnight in desperation I went and had a cold shower but even the water in the pipes was boiling.

It must be nearly two weeks since I received any letters from home so it is only natural that I am beginning to get restless. Today for the first time I had my ears attended to yet that is the main reason why I am here. They seem to isolate you here and forget about you, I am not the only case as everyone is complaining. Some fellows have been here two weeks already and not seen a doctor yet. I wonder just how much longer I can stand this separation from my wife and son, I try hard not to fret but sometimes I must admit my feelings get the better of me.