蜜芽传媒

Lucky number 13 all part of a Gunners war - Part 3
People in story: Cross R.A.F (Gunner)
Location of story: Scilly, Italy
Background to story: 41 Troop Royal Artillery
Total time covered by diary July 1943 to September 1943
Ronald Arthur Francis Cross known as Roy Cross 1906 -1970
Transcribed from original incomplete war diary in December 2005 by Adrian Dowding

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Sicilian Days Good and Bad

Note by AD
At this time Roy and others seem to have been tasked to work on the landing beaches checking and organising the unloading and transfer supplies. Although not at the front line this area was constantly targeted by enemy aircraft so remaining there was no picnic either.

Wednesday 14th July 1943

Four days after we landed- Still alive- after going through days of horror and slavery- followed by nights of terror.
Living on an open beach exposed and at the mercy of the German dive bombers- being machine gunned from the air continuously- but still alive and unhurt 鈥擳hanks to him alone.

Friday 16th July 1943
Conditions I am now living under

Living on am open beach - no cover- no protection except a hole in the sand which at every concussion caves in- but the bombing is not so bad now- we have a little air cover. Thousands of lorries and hundreds of guns are now pouring off the ships now standing about a half a mile off shore.
The one country road, with a soft chalky surface, is being churned up as the tanks, Bren-carriers and guns rumble over it. The air is thick with dense flour like dust 鈥� everything is shrouded in it. We breath it, eat it, it clings to the seat and runs in milky runnels down one鈥檚 face- my hair is white with it and I have the appearance of working in a flourmill.
We sleep eat and live mostly in a slit trench these days. The blisters on my hands are now healing but look rather sceptic, but what are a few blisters when one must dig to survive. The sun is scorching from day break to dusk- millions of flies are always with us- encouraged by the smell of the dead buried in the sand. Ants and scorpions are continuously busy over the shallow graves, stray dogs sometimes scratch at the ground in search of meat. The moon is full and hostile aircraft come over every night bombing the beaches and the ships setting on fire thousands of gallons of petrol and tons of ammunition. The air is thick with shrapnel as th guns bark defiance.- Hour after hour it goes on.

Sunday evening 17th July 1943
Sitting on the iron jetty, around me swarm l.C.Ts and L.C.Is dawksetc bringing across the blue water in this little bay the lorries, rations petrol etc. All must be unloaded before dark as jerry will be over bombing us as sure as anything and check, check, check the job goes on feeding the troops at the front with all they need.

During a short break I got away and climbed up to an old stone farmhouse over looking the bay and it was very pleasant indeed. A cool wind blowing off the Mediterranean, as I lookdown I see green fields that run down right to the waters edge. In the distance, cliffs and trees with a background of mountains. The little bay is very busy with ships about 1 mile out and small craft moving all the time back and forth.

The white dust still covers everything and we curse the road and the traffic that cause it. We must be close to the road to do our job, as are our slit trenches for cover when needed. The trenches are now in an orchard of once green almond trees now all white.

A little village about two miles away Casabile, now out of bounds to troops it is rumoured that some Indian troops began raping and looting. I understand that conditions are pretty bad after the bombing and shelling we gave them before we invaded. All the women and children are living in caves because jerry is still bombing every night. Half of them are mad with shock and fright. The Italians have told all sorts of stories about us and the people are scared of anything in kaki.

Monday evening 19th July 1943
Off duty and back at the old stone farmhouse over looking the bay. We debate were next for us after Scilly will we be kept together or sent back to our units. Some of the 30,000 captured Italian prisoners are voluntarily helping to unload the ships under the supervision of the Indians. They all look very dejected and miserable about the whole thing as they move slowly in grey lines carrying their loads of destruction and death. They I know only want one thing鈥擯eace鈥攚ho doesn鈥檛?

Wednesday evening 21st July 1943
Weather getting hotter every day, this makes the work in the open very unpleasant. Most of the waiting ships now unloaded and others now using the docks at Augusta and Syracuse. We hear heavy fighting still going on around Catania.

Friday 23rd July 1943
As a lull on our beach we drew cards to see who would go on a trip to Syracuse and I lost so had to stay behind with the heat and the flies. On the return of the others I learn the town was totally destroyed and looted with rubble and blocked streets everywhere. They had air raids on the town during their visit so I had not missed much.

Saturday 24rd July 1943

Things I hate about this country
1.The nightly bombing
2.The intense heat
3. Mosquitoes at night
4.trying to sleep in the dust
5.Watching for paratroops
6.The smell of the dead
7. Having no bread for the last 15 days
8. The millions of insects in the sand and grass 鈥� also the snakes

Things I like about this country

1.Being alive after the last 15 Days
2. Ice cold well water
3. The coolness of the morning before sunrise
4. The Rowntrees chocolate in the Compo rations
5. News of the downfall of Mussolini

Sunday 25th July 1943
Large convoy arrived, much again to unload and check, this is reinforcements for the Eighth Army at Catania, the beach again a swirling mass of dust.

Monday 26th July 1943
So one dictator is knocked out- The 鈥渕illion bayonet merchant鈥� handed his resignation to King Emanuel yesterday. The question is will the Italian People, having got rid of one tyrant, accept the honourable terms offered to them by the allies. Not an easy thing for them to do with jerry still inside Italy. Time alone will see, much speculation going around on the beaches.

Wednesday 28th July 1943
The number of Italian prisoners now captured on Scilly is now 65,000 whole companies are giving them selves up after shooting their German officers.
It is raining for the first time since we arrived, as I write this in the little wood. The Argyles moved up to the front line today. Things not going so well in Catania, jerry has reinforcements and is well dug in. His planes come over here at night with engines switched off, can鈥檛 get much peace once he is over.

Thursday 29th July
It鈥檚 Lucy鈥檚 birthday today, I think of what she is doing, my thoughts travel more and more in that direction these days. Then the homesickness sets in and I am very miserable. There is nothing to take your mind of the job in hand, we are living worse than animals in the earth, with the bombing the order of the day is to snatch what little sleep you can.
Louise bach yr yw fi yn
Eich chari chwi

Friday 30th July 1943
Mr Churchill some months ago he could promise nothing but sweat, blood and toil. Plenty out this way but you forgot the FLIES!!

I don鈥檛 know why, but lately I am subject to fits of melancholia, for no apparent reason I feel ever so miserable and depressed. The slightest little going wrong thing brings on fits of self-pity and I could cry like a little girl. It may be a reaction to the excessive bombing we have gone through. Or it may be this country but I have never felt so run down in my life before as I have in the past week.

Note by AD Edited version of long Moan
Complains suffered by many Dysentery and Malaria.
Rations now cut down to bully beef, sardines and biscuits. No bread tinned, potatoes, meat puddings or sweets. Cigarettes cut down from 7 per man per day to 25 per fortnight and quality much worse V鈥檚 not players. Thanks Montgomery and Alexander for so rewarding us for our magnificent work so far.

Tuesday August 3rd 1943
Town of Avola.
Bomb-racked, torn and destroyed. Starvation everywhere- A woman鈥檚 body can be bought for the price of a tin of bully beef. Such was the picture presented to me this afternoon when I visited this little town.
Begging food and Cigarettes, the few inhabitants continue to live in the rubble of their homes. Yes the army feeds them but they have to wait for the food to arrive. As we occupy more and more villages the number needing food grows. In the mean time they are hungry and the two professions are begging and prostitution. I found in the main street a hairdressing salon run by an Austrian and his wife. They were only too pleased to see me; I was their first customer for 3 weeks.
Poor Avola hoping, existing, praying for the days when again stomachs will cease to feel the gnawing pangs of real hunger.

Thursday 4th August 1943
And so now the beaches are no longer required first red then Amber beaches are closed down I return to my troop tomorrow. Strange that just 26 days have gone since we started this hazardous job. But now the ships all gone and the jobs done so what next?

Saturday 7th August 1943
Now been back with the troop for three days, air raids practically nil, but we must stay prepared.
Rumours of next invasion are rife we can expect to be a part of that.

Sunday 8th August 1943
When to church for the first time this morning since we landed 30 days ago. About a couple of dozen of us lined up to worship God each side in an old stable invested with ants and millions of flies. The lesson was a typical army one 鈥渙n Temptation鈥�. The majority of army churches warn against wine women and song. The service lasted about an hour with the usual hymns Fight the good fight and Onward Christian soldiers, etc. Guess the Germans are doing just the same.

Monday 9th August 1943
Monotonous days with nothing much to break the army routine.

Wednesday 11th August 1943
A meeting of the checkers was held last night, if when the next operation takes place would we like a rest and a change from this job? And we all said we would, trouble is nobody else will volunteer to work on the beaches. A suggestion of one weeks home leave is now being made in the House of Commons for men who have been in the ME (or MF?) for 2 years and over, after this operation.

Thursday 12th August 1943
鈥淣ot Quite鈥�
Much excitement last night the order came through, reveille 5am ready to move off to Catania, plains at 7am. We were all up long before sunrise packing kit, pulling down cook house and Naffi. Tearing up latrines and clearing up the area, loading up the trucks with pots, pans, rations etc. All ready to move off 5 mins to 7. 鈥� 7 o鈥檆lock ORDER CANCELLED鈥�

Friday 13th August 1943
Orders to move again came through, so we are on the move again.

Sunday 15th August 1943
Here I am again, in another wood dug in as usual. Travelled all day yesterday from Casabile through Syracuse, Lentini, Augusta and now we are in a place called Bicoco, or MasterBianco and now the troop is together things are being tightened up for us all nicely. So much prestige has been lost by our officers during the time we were in action that I think they can feel what the ordinary rank and file feel about them, and it is not at all complimentary. So to assert themselves once again, now that we are comparatively safe we all hope to enjoy plenty of Parades, many inspections, tons of Fatigues and the usual nonsense to be found under the guise of discipline. We are told to expect three weeks of this treatment to form a new force to take part in the next invasion. Such is the appreciation shown for doing a good and very dangerous job. So are the workings of the inept controlling events today.

Tuesday 17th August 1943
War in Sicily finished at 6 pm
Today being the 39th day we were first told that this would be a three day job! Then Montgomery was supposed to have said it would take 80 days to finish the island off. So we are still bombing Italy鈥檚 airfields 2 miles away. Troop is standing by at 30 mins notice for immediate departure, and rumours are rife as usual in the army.

Friday 20th August 1943
鈥淢ountain Idyll鈥�
Towering mountains above and around here where I am writing this is a crystal clear mountain stream babbling over the white rocks and stones, with spangled sunshine breaking through the bright green foliage overhanging this ravine. At the foot of one of the largest mountains miles away from the war and its horrors, this place is just as nature made it untouched by the hand of man, splendid and aloof to the things of today in all its rugged grandeur. People here are poor in riches but have one of the most beautiful places in the world to live.

Saturday 21st August 1943
鈥淏耻肠苍补谤谤测鈥�
A small village about 6 miles from here where I went this afternoon, another place untouched by the war many of the houses are old and medieval. There is a large Catholic Sainta Maria chuch dominating the centre of the village. The people are rather shy of the troops but polite and friendly when approached, fair in business and obliging.

Sunday Evening 22nd August 1943
鈥淐ow bells鈥�
Sitting in my favourite spot on the side of a mountain, I鈥檓 destined to live on for a little while as the sun once more sinks into a glorious red blaze. The cows in the valley are being bought home, to me up here they look like little mechanical toys and the tinkling of the brass bells is a tiny sound drifting up with much shouting of their driver a small Sicilian boy as he shepherds them into stone building for the night. One of our minor problems these days are matches which we cannot get for love nor money, and any one with a working lighter is the most popular man around, we try allsorts of things to keep our pipes and cigarettes alight!

Tuesday 24th august 1943
While the opportunity was available I reported sick as I needed my top denture repaired, I travelled 18 miles to a Canadian divisions dental centre. After many hours and along wait in large queues I finally got them repaired.

Saturday 28th August 1943
Much speculation about when we about to embark as rumours abound about peace between Italy and the allies, suggestions offered are Sardinia, Crete, Corsica and last but not least Italy. Being cut off from general news of the war, should the war suddenly stop situated as we are in the mountains we shouldn鈥檛 here for some time. Our chief concerns these days are have the rations arrived, what are we on tomorrow and are we moving soon? Nobody knows the answers to these questions so we just parade, work eat and sleep, without any interference from Gerry 鈥� wish that would last for the duration鈥�.

Monday 30th August 1943
Hopes are dampened when nothing heard over the radio of pending peace with Italy. Wave after wave of heavy bombers stream across the Sicilian skies over and back day after day something will crack soon!

鈥淐丑补苍驳别鈥�
Time is fast approaching when I shall have to leave this wonderful countryside I have learnt to love from the peace and quietness of these vast mountains with the cool mountain water flowing past in the little ravine, the trees, the grass the lowing of cattle the warm afternoons spent in the natural pool in the glade, the cool evenings on the mountainside and the wonderful grandeur of the mountain scenery. Soon only too soon, this will all be just a memory, as the army thrusts us back into the vortex of war with its blood, noise and horror. As I sit up here for the last time looking down on the little stone farmsteads, I wonder, I just hope and pray in my heart that all the world will soon know the wonderful blessing of peace.

Thursday 2nd September 1943

Early this morning we were up and away, loaded into lorries and made our way to Catania, then the same afternoon embarked upon LCT鈥檚 bound that night for Italian shores. So ended my stay of 54 days in Sicily.

Roy鈥檚 Following Diary, his First time in Italy covering the 鈥淭he Initial Invasion of Italy鈥�, has sadly been lost, I can only assume he was not injured as he does not speak of it in the next extracts we have in our position.

Continues see Part 4--------------------------------------

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