Archive for the ‘Artillery’ Category
Tuesday, April 12th, 2011
One morning three bombs landed not twenty yards from the hole we were crouching in, covering us with filth, my tent was torn in three places by jagged pieces of bomb splinters. Forty yards from my tent a huge bomb tore a hole in the ground twenty feet deep and seventy feet wide. After dropping their bombs they fly low and machine-gun us because we have no planes to chase them-off - the sky is THEIRS.
Posted in 1941, April 1941, Artillery | No Comments »
Friday, April 1st, 2011
The Fusiliers had a most fearsome reputation. The unit was made up of hard, uncompromising men of little polish; they obeyed their own officers but treated anyone else in authority with contempt, particularly base depot personnel. They were the dourest fighters we were to meet in a long day's march and we were always glad to have them about.
Posted in 1941, April 1941, Artillery | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 19th, 2011
On the 19th January the first of the 4.5 Batteries went into action and did some very accurate shooting, so vindicating or justifying our 'fudging and improvisation'. On the same day Italian Savoyas strafed us and we managed to bring one down with rifle fire and one LMG. A newly arrived Hurricane, probably the only one in East Africa, brought down another. Although all a little bit "gung ho", the South Africans were all a very good crowd but so different from the Army types I had been used to. Discipline was there one assumed, but it wasn't too obvious.
Posted in 1941, Artillery, january 1941 | No Comments »
Saturday, January 15th, 2011
The garrison of Tobruk, believed to comprise one Italian division and certain ancillary troops, including 6,000 frontier guards, is still invested by our forces. There is also reason to believe that it has been reinforced by the two Blackshirt generals who retired from Bardia. If Tobruk falls, it is difficult to forecast where the Italians will make their next stand.
Posted in 1941, Artillery, january 1941 | No Comments »
Saturday, December 11th, 2010
08.30 direct shell burst on gun-fell flat on my side & passed out for half a minute-came to and saw my left arm jerking up and down- thought at first it had been blown off-heard someone say 'Gawd-the Captain's been killed'so managed to sit up and say 'no, you bugger, fire the gun'
Posted in 1940, Artillery, December 1940 | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010
All forward companies have completed very good defensive positions. In the interior there is plenty of room and the men are very comfortable when they have to sleep at their posts. On the exterior there is a diversity of camouflage varying from rubbish heaps to innocent looking fishing huts. Along the beach both at Dunwich and Southwold, also Walberswick, there is an imposing array of concrete anti-tank obstacles, which in some places pass right in front of the section post.
Posted in 1940, Artillery, July 1940 | No Comments »
