Short Story re Sicily, "An Officer's Reminiscences" Part 1

COMBINED OPERATIONS IN SICILY AND ITALY

Reminiscences of a Canadian LCM Flotilla Engineer Officer

Canadian Al Kirby "at a certain base in Roseneath, Scotland, 1943"
Photo credit - the memory project

The following excerpt is found in COMBINED OPERATIONS by Londoner Clayton Marks. The name of the Engineer Officer is not attached to the story:

Part 1 - Settling in at 'HMS Saunders'

"Hey boys, here's the best buzz that I've sprouted in weeks!" called 'Eppus' Murphy to the boys in the mess at a certain base in Roseneath, Scotland, early in the month of March, 1943. These same boys, Canadian Sailors who had been in Combined Operations for well over a year, were not impressed with this sudden announcement. Buzzes become just another form of relaxation and conversation. But then there is always the chance that some one of the multitudinous buzzes might be the 'goods'.

And thus did the first inklings of movements that couldn't be even guessed at by the best 'buzzers' get through the 'grape-vine' to the boys of the 80th Canadian LCM Flotilla. It was exactly two weeks after this occurrence that the last of the ships carrying our Flotilla left the rain-soaked, mist enshrouded hills of Scotland for what was to prove the most exciting trip of our Naval experience. There were some ships in convoy, and others steamed out at a good speed and so did their voyage 'solo'. How perfectly easy this all sounds now, but well do we all remember the frantic scurrying about in those last days of preparation; picking up stores of one kind here, of another kind in another place miles away and checking to see that all the Ratings were properly outfitted for the tropics, etc. Any casual reader who is not acquainted with the heterogeneous accounting system of the Navy would think such storing a simple job. Whew, how wrong! Naval stores loom large in the list of nightmare subjects of all Officers sooner or later. But I suppose that since articles are often 'lost' in spite of this red tape, it is fully justified. But far more difficult still is the task of 'desk' Officers to compute the quantities of such stores required for operations which are to take place months in the future. To them must go high praise, for though mistakes in kind and quantity were made, yet the bulk of the material was found to be highly essential.

I shall long remember the happy and boisterous reunion of the Officers and men from the four ships on which we had taken passage. The Flotilla Officer, one other Officer and the major portion of the Flotilla were first to arrive in the Suez Canal area. Only a few days later our ship cast anchor in that great harbour. We had been separated for six weeks during which time each party had experienced anxious moments in submarine-infested waters in the Atlantic and around the Cape. Also several South African ports had been visited for a few days, days that were well spent 'doing the town'. Our first land base in the Middle East presented a grim exterior. Tents, tents, sand, tents, sand and more sand met the eye beyond an unimposing but sturdy 'HMS Saunders' sign-board. Imagine the extreme change of environment from a ship's decks to a barren waste of sand! And though it was only the beginning of May, the heat was most oppressing. So with sadly dejected spirits the boys dumped their micks and kit bags off the trucks at the Quartermaster's tent.

The Officer of the Day assigned the tents and messes and we, satisfied that all was in good order, walked over to the 'Wardroom' tent. Here we were greatly surprised to find a very commodious and comfortable arrangement of several large marquees adjoining each other. The bar was good and long, a feature which is always noted with satisfaction. And surprise of surprises, they had a fair stock of Canadian beer on ice! Gee what a treat after expecting a dim and dreary wardroom. The meals too, were excellent.

"Canadians in Combined Operations at HMS Saunders, WW2"

Photo Credit - Combined Operations by C. Marks

Very happy are the memories of that wardroom, for in it we met the other Officers of our Flotilla and other Flotillas as their ships came into the harbour a dozen or so miles distant. There were bull-sessions late into the night during this period as each one gave an account of some particularly interesting occurrence of his trip out from the UK. Dave*, one of our Officers in charge of a goodly number of Ratings, spent ninety days on the trip, while others of us had arrived in five or six weeks. His particular ship had unfortunately encountered engine trouble and several times they were floating with both engines stopped in the middle of nowhere with probably unknown numbers of enemy subs lurking in the same waters. However, some providence brought them into port safely at last. There was great rejoicing on their arrival, for we had begun to fear that if they did arrive, it would be too late for our first operations.

The above account would lead one to think that this camp, because of its location in a sandy area, would be a rest centre for the whole Flotilla. On the contrary a great deal of hard work was done here, for we had brought our boats to a small lake a short distance away from the camp and each day boats' crews and maintenance staff worked from 0700 till noon and often again in the afternoon. If the afternoons were too hot we adopted tropical hours and did some work in the cool of the evening. I say cool, but I suppose that there was no evening when the perspiration wouldn't roll off one's brow even when standing still. But everyone threw their heart and soul into the job for they all knew that great things would be expected of them and their boats. Previous operations had taught the Officers and men that boats and boat equipment are essentially the heart of the force and if they are not in perfect condition much of the 'punch' is lacking on 'D' day.

But all work and no play makes even a toughened Combined Ops Rating a dull boy, so play there always is even in isolated desert bases. We had several challenge baseball games between the Ratings and the Officers. These events were as good as a comedy show any day! I don't think that our score ever amounted to a third of that of our opponents. We were out-pitched, out-run and out-fielded (and out-winded) every time but the opportunity for jibs and loud boos at our miss-plays were fully used. We enjoyed these quips as much as the boys and at times were able to hand back our fair share. It was at one of these games that I acquired a nick name which has stayed with me to this day. I was coaxing along a fair growth of quite red hair on that portion of my anatomy where beards are usually grown. Someone shouted "strike Ginger" just at the wrong time. I struck alright, at the air, amid the loud boos from the gallery! So now when we are at a party or in a friendly gathering I have to answer to the name 'Ginger'. Oh well, I guess I deserve it for not being able to grow a real beard.

Swimming, football and softball also kept the boys out of mischief during their free.hours. Then in the evening a local open-air cinema was always well attended. These open-air theatres are very unattractive looking in the daytime, but in the evening when twilight is settling over the hot sand and a new moon is threatening to pop over the horizon at any moment, a quiet restfulness settles over one and it is impossible to keep from dreaming of romantic nights in far-off Canada. The shows were ones that we had seen several times before, but it did not matter, the atmosphere of the place was a call in itself.

Nearly every weekend it would be necessary for one or two Officers of the Flotilla to go to the HQ at Cairo to receive orders and discuss plans for the immediate future of the Flotilla. With the large number of Flotilla present in the camp it meant that there was a party of several Officers proceeding on this duty each Saturday morning. At one time or another we were all able to visit the greatest sight in Egypt, the Pyramids and Sphinx, during time-off from the weekend conferences. I shall always remember my first ride on a camel and how surprised I was at the seemingly terrific height they rose to when getting off their knees. I was too busy keeping my seat on the camel to fully appreciate the grandeur of the Pyramids. No one who has not had the privilege of visiting them can realize their tremendous size. I am glad that as an engineer I am only responsible for the operation of insignificant diesel engines and don't have to attempt engineering feats of the magnitude of these ancient structures.

But I am missing the key-note of existence in this part of the world, the Egyptian people. In the services we have little opportunity to get acquainted with other than the man of the street in Egypt. And do we ever get acquainted with him! I have never been fleeced out of so much money in all my life. Looking back on it one could well say, in the manner of Churchill, "Never in the history of the world have so many been stripped of their money in such a short time by so few!" If I remember correctly, it cost me about the equivalent of ten dollars to see the Pyramids alone! And then there were other sights and a fake perfume shop, the owner of which quite easily extracted two pounds ten for perfume oil which was supposed to be sent by the next post to my girlfriend in Canada. At the time of writing, several months later, I still haven't been informed by said girlfriend of the arrival of the perfume. Boy, are fools and their money easily parted in that ancient land!

Andy, one of our Officers, was just calling to mind last evening the marvelous times he spent in one canal city. He had been sent there with some Ratings to supervise additions and alterations to some of the landing craft. His billet was right beside the Wrens' Quarters! These girls are doing a marvelous job miles from home and probably the most highly regarded part of it is their 'devotion to duty', brightening the lives of Sailors also far from home. He reports some highly enjoyable evenings at shows and dances in the company of these Sailors of the fairer sex.

"Enjoyable evenings at shows" Photo Credit - The WRENS

And speaking of Wrens, we were greatly surprised at the large numbers of them that are stationed in the Middle East. They have replaced men in many branches of port duty and are doing a real job for their country. Their role in the war effort isn't an easy one and so more praise to them when they undertake to do their part far from home.

After preparing the craft and getting them into 'State A', i.e. ready for operation, some bright soul decided that craft were craft and so there should be no difficulty in them attempting to sail a couple of hundred miles along the African coast to a large seaport. Of course in a snug office it can hardly be expected that one could visualize what would actually happen on such a passage. This passage was a 160 mile stretch in the Mediterranean, but water is water and given a weather of force 7 or 8 the waves can become so large that they look like young mountains to 50 foot landing craft. It cured me once and for all of a smug complacency about the seaworthiness of our boats. They stood the trip 'tis true, but I must admit that some of the Ratings and nearly all the Officers had a decidedly greenish tinge about the gills before port was finally reached. Confession is said to be good for the soul and here I will admit that for one reason or another sufficient excuse was found for considerable celebration when the final day came for loading the craft on Merchant ships for the operation. Duty had inhibited latent desires for a real 'bender', and this very inhibition resulted, as is always the case, in the boys having a very 'buoyant' evening! Many times in these succeeding weeks have we commented on what we term "the battle of Alex". In fact it should be here recorded that we so out-classed a Yank friend at Mary's house that we had to prop him against a tree (or was it a lamp post?) for several hours while we finished our escapades.

The next noon we sailed for the invasion of Sicily...

Part 2 to follow.

*Dave Rodgers, an Officer linked to a Navy hammock, a significant Naval artifact stored now at Esquimalt Navy Museum, and one seen and mentioned in Short Story re Sicily, The Long Way 'Round Part 2

Dave Rodgers' name can be seen on the fold of the hammock, under the Comb. Ops' insignia.

E. Murphy's name can be seen in the right hand column below:

Please link to Short Story re Sicily, "Monkey Mishap" (concerning Ephus P. Murphy)

Unattributed Photos by GH