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I am writing this in memory of my dad, Cecil George Frederick Morris 1919-2004

Cpl C.G.F.Morris 916913 R.A.F M.T Section

This is a copy of his notes of some happier times during his time in the war.

Reported toUxbridge on March 3rd 1940. Then posted to Morecombe for square bashing on the 8th March 1940 also trainee as an Airframe Fitter here.

Left Morecombe August 10th 1940 posted to 54[Spitfire] squadron, serve here all through the Battle of Britain [Hornchurch]

After the battle went to Catterick for reforming of the squadron. Returned to Hornchurch February 1940

Then a few short breaks at Martlesham Heath and Rochford.

Posted overseas November 1941. Arrived in Bombay January 1942 after a short break here, posted to R.A.F Shaibah [nr Basra Iraq], where I spent several months building vehicles and aircraft to be ferried to Russia, during this time I re-mustered to Motor transport fitter [my civilian trade] at Habbaniyah Iraq.

I returned to Shaibah in June 1942. From there I was posted to 138 M.U. Tehran [Persia now Iraq] until May 1943.

Then posted to Cairo from there to Castel Benito on convoy driving duties. I arrived at Castel Benito 113 M.U. July 1943

Crossed to Italy and landed at Taranto when Italy was invaded, then went to Brindisi with 113 M.U. which then became 110.M.U. stayed at Brindisi until November 1944.

Here are some of the lighter moments of my time in Italy.

It was usual every evening for five or six vehicles to take the Italian workers home to their villages, the drivers of these vehicles stayed overnight in a town called Leece, their billet was a disused cigarette factory. It was not unusual for some of the workers to invite us back to their village for a drink, returning to Leece this night on a single roadway we encountered the local carrier with his horse and cart.
We stopped, the horse stopped nose to bonnet, the carrier asleep on his seat, and we turned the horse and cart around and sent it on its way back to Leece.
We returned to our billet and wondered how far the horse had got, so we went back to see how far it had gone. We found it parked in front of a very large house which had a big drive, the driver still asleep, obviously the carrier stopped at this house every day.
We put it back on the road, woke the driver, gave him a rollicking for being asleep, sent him on still going the wrong way, it must have been gone midnight by then.

Regarding the football match, our original goal keeper was posted a few days before the game, so we were all worried about having no goal keeper, in the early hours of the morning of the match, a chap arrived at our billet, he said ha was an M.T driver, he had been travelling all night from Naples 113 M.U., then said he was a goalie, been posted to play for us, I cannot remember his name, but he said he had been on Blackpool’s books, and what a marvellous keeper he was, somebody must have pulled some strings to get him there.
Also in the team were, Tony Kerr, Cpl Anton, Jock Hunter and Jock Bottomley [Capt].
Needless to say the two gallon vino can was there, but we were not hooligans, we did behave ourselves.

We were called out with a Coles crane, near a village about 20 miles from the camp, to load a crashed aircraft, going through a village in the narrow street which had a fiesta going on at the time, there were strings of flags across the road attached to ropes through upstairs windows, unfortunately the jib of the crane caught the rope holding the flags, which was tied to somebody’s bed, and their bed was pulled through the window, luckily nobody was in bed at the time, we stopped, unhooked the rope, and carried on our way, no more was heard of this incident.

Several of us used to meet, including, Bill McGee, Arthur Agar [Johnny] Jock Humble, for a drink in Brindisi at a little corner café, to sit with the locals drinking vino rosso and eating monkey nuts. There were no glasses to be had, so we drank out of round cigarette tins which originally held 50 fags. These tins were stained black from the vino. One measure of vino rosso four lira, [I penny] vino bianco 6 lira [11/2 pence].
It’s a wonder we all lived to tell the tale.

Christmas 1943 Brindisi

On Christmas Eve we decided we would not go without a drink on Christmas day, so on our visit to the local taverna, we took a 2 gallon petrol can, and had it filled with vino to take back to camp. [I think we did wash it out first]
Where we disembarked from the ferry, there was a large monument guarded by an Italian soldier, somebody must have upset him because he started firing his rifle, some of us ran, some dived into the ditch, we were the ones that went into the ditch, but the can of vino went in first, us on top! The lads in the M.T billet didn’t remember much about Christmas!

It was usual after a night out in Brindisi to catch the ferry back across the harbour, this was an ordinary rowing boat designed to carry 12 people, usually the last boat at night had anything up to 30 people, standing room only, the ferryman standing up to row as well.
All the boats in the harbour should have carried navigation lights; this ferry only has a candle in a jam jar.
One night in thick fog when we were crossing the harbour, suddenly crossing our bows, was a large naval vessel entering the harbour, somebody waved the candle in the jam jar, we all shouted, the ferryman put his oars into reverse and it missed us by inches, if we has rocked the boat it would have sunk, as the sided were only inches from the water.

We were spending a weekend in Leecee, and going on the lorry Sunday lunchtime to a village, and on the way back hit a bollard on a level crossing and overturned the lorry, I believe there were 13 on board including them Sgt, all we were thrown out, nobody was hurt the lorry was wrecked, Bill McGee and I went out and towed the wreck back to Brindisi, the vehicle was put in a shed for a few weeks, then replaced, nothing was said.

The vehicles that were used to take the Italian workers home has gate side that slotted in, one vehicle was going round a bend, luckily not very fast, the side gave way and some fell out on the road, again nobody hurt.
The Italians refused to travel in these vehicles again after that. I had the job of changing all vehicle bodies to all steel sides after that.

Returned to England in November 1944
Posted to Moreton-in-Marsh January 1945 went on detachment to Enstone and Honeybourne where I was in charge of the M.T workshops.
Returned to Moreton-in-Marsh in July 1945, posted to North Luffenham November 1945, where I was in charge of the station workshops, until April 4th 1946 when I was demobbed.

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