some just refused to budge after about a quarter <strong>of</strong> a mile. The farmer dashed up and down <strong>the</strong> line <strong>of</strong> mules, flogging each in turn. Then a German observation post must have spotted us, and <strong>the</strong>ir artillery put down about twenty shells. The mules did not turn a hair, but <strong>the</strong> farmer set <strong>of</strong>f back home as fast as h<strong>is</strong> legs could carry him. Eventually, we got seven mules to our destina‐ tion, and I take my hat <strong>of</strong>f to <strong>the</strong>m, for <strong>the</strong>y had to carry <strong>the</strong> loads taken from <strong>the</strong> defectors, as well as <strong>the</strong>ir own. Having reached our destina‐ tion and fired <strong>of</strong>f all our shells, <strong>the</strong>re was <strong>the</strong> question <strong>of</strong> what to do with <strong>the</strong> mules. I would have liked to have kept <strong>the</strong>m, for <strong>the</strong>y were certain to prove useful in <strong>the</strong> future, but we had no food for <strong>the</strong>m and <strong>the</strong>y were a v<strong>is</strong>ible target, so we pointed <strong>the</strong>m in <strong>the</strong> right direction home, slapped <strong>the</strong>ir bottoms and <strong>the</strong>y ran out <strong>of</strong> sight like thoroughbreds. The Germans made <strong>the</strong>ir first big stand at <strong>the</strong> river Minterno, which flowed between steep hills. Of course, <strong>the</strong> bridge across <strong>the</strong> river was blown and <strong>the</strong>y were well dug in on <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r side. Our troops were dug in on <strong>the</strong> slopes op‐ posite. By th<strong>is</strong> time, bridges having been erected, I had all my carriers, which were sited behind a small village, just over <strong>the</strong> crest <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> hills. ‘D’ Company was <strong>the</strong> most forward <strong>of</strong> our companies, dug in on a spur, and it was my job, every night, to take hot food to <strong>the</strong>m – contain‐ ers full <strong>of</strong> stew, rice pudding, and scalding tea – which necessitated <strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong> three carriers. There was a narrow track that ran round <strong>the</strong> village down a hill and <strong>the</strong>n up on to <strong>the</strong> spur. The first three nights we had no problem – <strong>the</strong> moon was shining and our Artillery bombarded <strong>the</strong> German positions, inter‐alia, to drown <strong>the</strong> sound our carriers made. On <strong>the</strong> fourth, I had just set <strong>of</strong>f, driving <strong>the</strong> first carrier myself, when <strong>the</strong> moon went in. I proceeded very carefully but, just as I had nearly reached <strong>the</strong> bottom <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> hill, <strong>the</strong> carrier sli<strong>the</strong>red to <strong>the</strong> right on meet‐ ing s<strong>of</strong>ter ground and ended up half on <strong>the</strong> track and half in a field three feet below <strong>the</strong> track. There was nothing to do but unload it and get 46 <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r carriers to pull it out. They could not get past my carrier anyway, as, though half in <strong>the</strong> field, it was still blocking <strong>the</strong> narrow track. We toiled for hours – two towropes snapped – but we could not get <strong>the</strong> carrier back on <strong>the</strong> road. By using all <strong>the</strong> manpower available, we were able at last to lever it out and haul it <strong>of</strong>f <strong>the</strong> track completely and into <strong>the</strong> field. When <strong>the</strong> two carriers arrived eventually with <strong>the</strong> food at ‘D’ Company, we were met with extravagant oaths for being so late! Having got back to my carrier, we proceeded to cover it over with soil, because, o<strong>the</strong>rw<strong>is</strong>e, when daylight came, <strong>the</strong> Germans, who from <strong>the</strong>ir position in <strong>the</strong> hills m<strong>is</strong>sed nothing, would have blasted it and <strong>the</strong> village. It took us all nearly until dawn, and we all had bl<strong>is</strong>ters from con‐ stant use <strong>of</strong> our rough handled shovels. Just before leaving, we saw a curious sight. Into <strong>the</strong> field where <strong>the</strong> carrier was buried strolled, I should think, all <strong>the</strong> inhabitants <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> village, men, women and children <strong>of</strong> all ages, who <strong>the</strong>n proceeded to defecate while <strong>the</strong>y chatted hap‐ pily with each o<strong>the</strong>r. When I got back to <strong>the</strong> village, I asked <strong>the</strong> head man, who had learned Engl<strong>is</strong>h while building American underground railways, why <strong>the</strong> villagers were not using <strong>the</strong>ir own toilets. He laughed, ‘In England’, he said, ‘you have horses and <strong>the</strong>refore manure. In Italy here we have no horses and <strong>the</strong>refore no ma‐ nure, so we ourselves have to fertil<strong>is</strong>e <strong>the</strong> fields, a different one every morning, ‐‐ and you should see our crops!’ Some time afterwards, when <strong>the</strong> platoon was in <strong>the</strong> town <strong>of</strong> Minterno itself, an <strong>of</strong>ficer came up in a jeep and asked to see <strong>the</strong> Colonel. He said h<strong>is</strong> name was Len Hobbs, Jack Hobbs’s son, and he had found Hedley Verity’s grave at Caserta. Hedley had been taken pr<strong>is</strong>oner and evacuated to <strong>the</strong> hospital at Caserta, where he was making such good progress that he was walking around and helping o<strong>the</strong>rs in <strong>the</strong> ward. Then <strong>the</strong> Italian doctors found he had gangrene in h<strong>is</strong> chest. They had to operate on him without anaes<strong>the</strong>tic, because <strong>the</strong> Germans had taken all <strong>the</strong> supplies with <strong>the</strong>m in <strong>the</strong>ir retreat. He had died <strong>of</strong> shock.
CROSSWORD SOLUTION Number 4—November 2003 Congratulations to winner Revan Tranter, (1942‐52) Berkeley, California Correct answers shown opposite: PRIZE CROSSWORD Number 5 Clues on next page. Compiled by Alan Bridgewater (1933-40) 47 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 S A M U E L S T O D D A R D L N Y H U I E S A W H O R S E T I T B I T N A I R T N 11 R O C K I 12 N G H O R S E 13 F M S F A R E E F F R I A R A G E T U 18 H N O O H E L L M U T H C L O T F A 22 E K D P E T E R F J U D S O N M P G C R 26 H P O S S U M H A R R O W E R T O O T O L R G E O M E T R Y W I L S O N 9 10 14 15 16 17 19 20 21 23 24 25 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 10 11 13 17 18 21 22 8 12 19 20 23 24 25 26 9 14 15 16
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