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Lucky number 13 all part of a Gunners war - Part 1
People in story: Cross R.A.F (Gunner)
Location of story: Hastings, Brookwood, Woolwich, South Africa, Egypt
Background to story: 41 Troop Royal Artillery
Total time covered by this chapter of diary September 1940 to November 1940
Ronald Arthur Francis Cross known as Roy Cross 1906 -1970
Transcribed from original incomplete war diary in December 2005 by Adrian Dowding
Note by AD
I write up these exerts from Roy’s war diary so they will not be lost forever, also in the hope that they will be read. He was a great old guy and friend of our family from 1962 till his death in 1970. The Diary was left with my late mother when Roy’s wife Lucy died in 1973, as sadly they had no children.
I am not in contact any of their relatives even if they are still alive now.
Roy did not keep his diary continuously. I have edited as lightly as possible were sections were repeated or were handwriting is no longer legible. Roy then aged 34 had married Louise (Lucy) in August 1940 during is period of active service.
This is the first account we have from Roy’s war diaries of is service life he may have kept an earlier diary.
Perhaps due some health problem, pre-war training as a chiropodist or his age Roy was initially placed in various medical supporting rolls. Later in other supporting rolls during the landings in Sicily. Although not at the front line these areas were still vital, also hazardous as was his prolonged work on the beaches in Sicily enemy aircraft constantly attacked them. The Diary provides an interesting insight into his world, its hazards, nastiness and thoughts at the time.

The second part of my Army career
Tuesday 3rd September 1940
Sitting in a railway carriage at Hastings station waiting for the second part of my army career to begin. After seven days leave and four day of matrimony with my new wife. Both Lucy and Mother were very brave about it all. God knows what the future holds!

Wednesday 4th September 1940
I arrived at Brookwood eight thirty last night several others returning from leave. Drew two blackest from stores and slept on a stone floor in hut 13. Different from sleeping with Lucy at home. After breakfast and usual PTs morning spent just hanging about. I have that miserable after leave depression.
In the afternoon arrived at Waterloo station. Weather very hot, charring full pack and enemy bombing all along the line we travelled. Air raid In progress as I get to Woolwich. The barracks are gloomy and prison like straight out of the 17th century.

Thursday 5th September 1940
As I expected being in the London area we experienced heavy bombing last night. Thousands of of bombs dropping around us all night long. Landmines and incendiaries made the night hideous with the crashes and flame. The air raid shelters have here at Woolwich are veritable death traps, being just ancient stables build over fifty years ago. We try to sleep on dirty blanket on a brick floor.

Earlier in the evening I had spent some time sitting on a seat overlooking the Thames, on this quite summers evening watching the little tugs and heavy barges on the water. Not far from me on another seat a soldier and is wife play with a little girl, the scene is almost normal until you glance up and see the hundreds of barrage balloons slowly going higher and higher which was a sign of the nights trouble to come.
I heard on the radio in a little pub a speech by Mr Churchill in which he spoke of the heavy fighting in the middle east. I am on draft for there , What a pitiful waste if life , time and money. The sirens started to wail just am I got back to the barracks.

Friday 6th September 1940
Drew tropical kit this morning, strange and queer looking stuff, some looks rather formidable, very large pack for blankets and greatcoat. Stockings “hose-tops”, dixies, topee etc. Went over the river to Silvertown in the afternoon then back to the shelter/stable for the night.

Saturday 7th September 1940
Had air raids last night some of the heaviest, where I was yesterday in Silvertown it is all just a vast area of blackened devastation, a scorching black hell of cinders. They are still digging out bodies from beneath the rubble. Jerry has been very thorough and bombing now a speciality. We are now confined to barracks owing to raids and only allowed out on a special pass. They do not want troops the crowd the civilian shelters.

Sunday 8th September 1940
Yet another night of heavy raids hundreds of planes and bombs. This morning it as if the whole of London is on fire. The air for miles around is full of grey smoke and sulphur flumes. At present it is raining and this is does more good that all the fire engines in London.

Note -- later added by Roy
During my six weeks I was spend a Woolwich waiting to go abroad we had the impression that the Arsenal was one of the main targets but only the barracks via the Sgts mess received a 1,000 pound landmine, it fortunately did not go off and was defused by the brave bomb disposal Engineers.
During the 9th September to the 16th September we passed though one of the most critical periods of the war. The invasion of Britain was pending. We in Woolwich were constantly on anti-invasion stunts. I must admit that I was very worried about those back home in the south as no letters wee coming through. The phones were not working and the railways torn up.
According to German Radio Monday the 16th Sept was the date set for the invasion. We were all on tenterhooks but nothing happened except one of the biggest storms of the year blew up in the channel in the night of the 15th/16th. Whether this was an act of providence is a matter of debate.
I spent must of my time at Woolwich Scheming an paying for passes to get out at night so I could spent them in substantial brick built shelters, instead of the old stables. Waiting and waiting to go , the orders to move id not come till 5th October.

Friday 5th October 1940
Drew 10 shillings pay paraded and moved off at 4.30 pm, travelled through the night to Liverpool. Here Embarked on the 22,000ton small luxury liner the “Monarch of Bermuda”. After waiting all day Sunday we cast off. Strangely enough of the of the 3,000 berths on the ship I was given number 13.

Note added by Roy
The number 13 was to follow me right through the war most of the changes or important things happened to me happened on the thirteenth.

Tuesday 8th October 1940
On the liner the “Monarch of Bermuda” out in the Atlantic, sea sickness is very prevalent, grey water is rough, wind biting as we pitch and roll along . The troops are bringing up even thing but their socks. None but a few ever mention food and nothing to do but lifeboat drill.

Thursday 10th October 1940
Nothing much is happening on our little world but people are getting used to the motion of the ship. We have other ships with us now, two destroyers and planes overhead to keep a eye on us.

Saturday 12th October 1940
Sun shining and the sea now calm. We are now doing 12 knots , more ships have joined us and one more ship added to our escort. A raider was beaten of this afternoon, we are now 1,000 miles from England.
Sunday 13th October 1940
We have just passed the Azores. Surprised there was no church parade today. Read on the British marine news that Hastings and other SE coastal towns had been Bombed.

Friday 18th October 1940
After 12 days at sea we have just sighted the coast of Africa. We learn that we are about to enter the port of Seria Leone. Some troops did disembark here.

Saturday 19th October 1940
Now anchored in Freetown harbour, dozens of other boats waiting to join conveys to go round the cape or returning to England. This part of the West African coast is very bad far Malaria. This morning a strange white mist hung over the town, which I am told used to be called “The white mans shroud”.
The water is alive with small trading boats all selling things at High prices. There is much haggling and baskets on ropes going up and down the side of the ship.

Sunday 19th October 1940
We pulled out of Freeetown this morning at 7:30, now on the way to Capetown, 4,000 miles away, this may be the must dangerous part of the journey as we are told that Italian submarines are operating in these waters. There is also the possibility of of Italian aircraft operating from the coast.

Wednesday 24th October 1940
All the troops on board now given various tasks , it helps to break the monotony of the ocean travel.
So I have been given the job of looking after the people in the ships “Sick Bay” which is run by the RAMC. Quite a good job really with plenty of drinks wit ice and egg flip with 3 star brandy for the patients and me. Two of us share a large cabin close to the sick bay with fans, our own shower and wash basins etc. We recline in mahogany bunks like first class passengers , what a stroke of luck!

Monday 27th October 1940
At 8.30 this morning we had our first sight of Table Mountain it was just a smudge of blue in the distance. As we gradually drew nearer it began to tower over us, until it dwarfed our little liner as we slipped past the many other ships into port. All around us are the intense mountain colours, the reds blues, greens and browns that blend together. In the distance we can see the stark whiteness of Capetown. Very slowly we approach the docks to find our berth the rails are lined with men topees on the backs of their heads. As we dock there is the ear splitting cheer of 3,000 men. They have just seen the first women they have seen for twenty days.

At 6 pm we were allowed to go ashore. As I stepped ashore I realised that my dream of visiting Africa had been fulfilled. My only regret was that Lucy was not thee with me to share the experience. The great outstanding feature of Capetown is its wonderful greenness, with the wide palm lined roads, its modern American style shops and its public buildings, gardens and recreation grounds, all blazing with tropical flowers. Dark and light green shrubs and trees can be seen everywhere we went. Crowds thronged the shopping centres and pavements, seemed all very cosmopolitan. one could easily distinguish among the white people, the usually broad, tall and sun-bronzed South African Dutch Boers. There were also many of French and Greek decent. As well as these, the many native Africans, all now mingling with the Egyptians, Jews, New Zealand and Australian troops.

Traffic on the roads was plentiful with many high powered American cars, ever make was to be seen, and as it grew dusk it was as though the clock has suddenly been turned back two years, powerful lights lit the streets, neon coloured advertisements flashed. Shops switched their lights on lighting up the pavements and glaring headlamps dazzled one at street corners. After months of velvet blackout this all seemed most irregular to us just ashore. Several of the shops bought a lump to my throat that reminded me how far I was away from home, when I saw those homely household names, Lipton’s, Hepworths, Reid-Austins and other well-known firms. As I wondered around I found a wonderful restaurant, ‘The Del-a- Monte’ with an artificial sky. Made several small per chases, a pipe, some African tobacco with only cost 3d oz and was quite good to smoke. I was glad that things were so cheap because money aboard the Bermuda apparently was short and we were only paid 10 shillings per man. Eventually found my way back to the ship about 11 o’clock at night but I was pleased to be learning something about the wonderful hospitality of the South African people.

Tuesday 28th October
We were again allowed ashore today, I went with two friends this time and the three of us were lorried to the town where we took tea and played games at the YMCA. After tea on the veranda we decided to strolled around and see what else there was to see. We wandered aimlessly about for about an hour and found ourselves in front of the government buildings, when three very inviting ladies approached us and invited us in for tea. In spite of the fact we had already had that meal it didn’t take long to thank them and accept their invitation. We found ourselves escorted into the electric lift to the top of these buildings where there was a large room with a long table loaded with tea caked and fruit of every description, there were about a couple of dozen fellows about in uniform and a couple dozen girls and it wasn’t long till we were made to feel welcome, so we tucked into our second tea. The South African folk all seemed keen to know how England was faring under the blitz and were most concerned at the stories they heard. especially from the Londoners. After tea we were given packets of cigarettes and fruit, and told we had been the guests of the Union when we took our leave. We continued on our wanderings hardly had we left our hostesses then we were accosted by an RSM of the South African Rifles who insisted us accompanying him to his club at the castle barracks, for what he called a drink.

So full of buns tea and fruit, away we went in search of further adventures. Of course it must be remembered we were in rank only gunners and in those early days we felt our inferiority more so than later on in the war. So we didn’t bargain for what lay in store next as we followed our host into the officer’s mess of the castle barracks. Where we were immediately introduced to Lieutenants, Captains, and two Majors, who threw aside all rank for the occasion. We were their guests for the evening. With whisky gin and beer thrust upon us we were forbidden to pay anything, everything was on the house, including the cigars we smoked. A very pleasant evening was spent 5,000 miles from home and passed too quickly. Later we returned to the ship by walking to the docks and was shocked to see someone I knew from back home, small World.

Wednesday 29th October
Sailed 8.30 this morning everybody is very sorry to leave these people who have during our short stay in their beautiful city made us so very welcome. So we are now once again making our way around the cape making way for our unknown destination.

Sunday 3rd November
We are now crossing the Indian Ocean; the water is calm as a millpond not a ripple to be seen. The water is deep indigo blue with the sun blazing down. Here on deck however it is cool with the breeze the ship creates as it ploughs its way through the glassy surface. Its very pleasant here sitting on deck watching the pink and green flying fish shooting away from our sides, schools of them leap in the sun. Capetown is now thousands of miles away. I have resumed my hospital job but in spite of all these new and novel experiences my heart is still back there in rainy drizzle old England.

Sunday 10th November
Now we are nearing our journeys end and about to enter the danger and war zone. We expect to run the gauntlet of the red sea where we shall be exposed to Italian shore batteries. One of our draft fell overboard this morning ’Hinedson’???

Tuesday 12th November 1940
We hung about off the coast of Arabia this afternoon getting rid of time that we might tonight steal past the Itie long range guns. I am writing this at 11 pm, so far nothing unusual has happened. The gates of the Red Sea are only 12 miles wide and one side is enemy territory. There are ten ships now in our convoy with two escorting destroyers. Rather cheeky the way we are slipping up the red sea especially when we know these waters are infested with subs and sharks (a nasty thought).
Continues see Part 2--------------------------------------

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