The Blog that might have been – 70 years on

Lots of love: a letter from Glasgow, nearly 4 months in transit

Posted on May 30, 1941 by felicityh54

Letter from Billie Laird

Billie Laird was the young lady who invited Dad and his friend Graham Watts to her family home in Glasgow on New Year’s Eve, 1940. ‘The boys’ saw quite a bit of the Laird’s in the following days. Dad’s letter of May 5 to his mother mentions receiving a letter from Mrs Laird written on Jan 29, but his diary only mentions one from Billie – which is actually in the collection. Billie’s was written on Jan 14, in response to the one he mentions having written to her, in his diary on Jan 10:

Helped by Capt Miller got to wharf and rang Mrs Laird and Billie. Promised to see Billie that night – got sick. Bloody sick at tea time – vomited blood. Couldn’t get ashore – wrote Billie a note.

Less than a month before that, Dad had become engaged to Shirley Balfour, a nurse who worked in an Edinburgh hospital. The letter to his mother of 1st May explained why he hadn’t seen Shirley while he was in Scotland in the New Year:

…until we actually got there we didn’t know we were going to Glasgow and when I rang Leith Hospital they told me she was out. I intended ringing again that night but somehow or other didn’t do so and when I got there next morning found that that night – New Year’s night – was her night off and that she’d gone home and would not be back till the next night and by that time we were standing by to go aboard ship and once aboard all leave was off and although I went AWL a couple of times it would have been impossible to get through to Edinburgh. I spoke to her for about twenty minutes over the phone (the ships phone) and when questioned by the Chief Officer told him I was a signalman and it was a military call.

It is obvious from Billie’s remarks that Dad had told the Laird’s about Shirley, but that wasn’t going to stop Billie carrying a torch for him. I don’t know whether this little card arrived in the same mail:

Text of the letter from Billie:

39 Beaufort St

Newlands

Glasgow

14.1.41

My dear Max

Here I am as soon as your letter arrived, I am answering in hope of catching you. Your letter arrived yesterday, last night I sat down and wrote you two long letters but destroyed both, if I had sent them I am afraid you might have thought it was Shirley writing. In fact I felt kind of like her when I was sitting writing you (confession).

Max it was simply delightful to hear your voice on the phone. I can’t tell you how happy I was. I think I tried to tell you so on the phone. Did I succeed in letting you know?

I am very sorry you did not get to see me, we had such a grand time together. I was very anxious to see you, everyone in the family felt the same way so they tell me, but I think I had a very special wish to see you.

Molly – the lady (whose) house you were at on New Year’s Eve, was over seeing us this morning at least when I went home for lunch Mother & Molly were sitting chatting and no sign of lunch. Well Max, Molly was saying she thought they were two very nice boys. (one up, Max) and was sorry she had not seen you again.

On Saturday afternoon I went over town with Betty. I had your brooch in my coat and had my eyes glinted for an Aussie. I told Betty if I saw an Aussie with your colours that I would speak to him about your battalion. Betty was horrified that I would speak to a strange soldier and was very disappointed when we saw none as she wanted to test me. She didn’t know how anxious I was for word of you.

When there was no word from you on Tuesday my face was like a fiddle but it wasn’t long until I was beaming again. We have some men in the office just now and when I kept dashing to the phone on Tuesday they teased me no end. One boy went out to a call box and phoned me. When he came on he said ‘Billie by dear, I managed through to phone you when I can see you’. I recognised his voice and entered into the joke but I went for him when he came in.

The weather is a great deal better and all the popes are thawed – what a blessing. Margaret says to tell you she was asking for you both and hopes you will come back some day and that we all meet.

By the way how did you do when you went to keep Graham company, how many nurses? Or were you just keeping Graham company? I hope it is the latter but couldn’t blame you if it was the first as there are so many pretty nurses. (But!! remember that you’ve got to come back to Scotland).

Well Max, you two boys were the first strange soldiers I had taken home and I am afraid the last. I guess you are wondering why I say that. I have a good reason “I got too fond of you” now isn’t that a good reason. I have enough now to worry about without getting fond of any more so I am asking no more. I son’t know what induced me to ask you but somehow I liked you and well it came natural.

Mother & Dad were out last night at the pictures and saw ‘New Moon’. They enjoyed it very well. I had just finished writing your first letter when a visitor came in so I had to go and make the supper then had to get Hazel off to bed and between one thing and another I went to bed in bad humour and to crown it all had a nightmare.

One of my aunts phoned Dad to tell him Sam our cousin is home on leave and asked if we would be going down to wee him. He was in the Scots Greys before war broke out and hasn’t been home for two years. I am wondering if he will see a change in me. I expect I will see a change in him.

Mother was saying she wishes she could have had another game of ‘500’ with you as she enjoyed the other one so much. I guess if we could have had our wishes you would never have sailed. I am glad Graham is better although I am sure he won’t be too pleased losing his nursey – or is it nursey’s?

Well Max I will have to go on my way rejoicing. Thanks again for your lovely letter, hope maybe someday we will hear from you, meantime I will keep writing hopping you get some of my letters.

Cheerio just now

Your Aye

Billie xxx

A cousin who was in the Scots Greys

Although the Carrier platoon had not been with the rest of the battalion at the time, it’s an amazing coincidence that when the bulk of the unit arrived in Palestine after its long journey from Mersa Matruh, they were, according to The Footsoldiers, “ ‘fostered’ by the Scots Greys.

Posted in Letters to/ from others, Uncategorized | Tagged Billie Laird, Glasgow, Scots Greys | Leave a comment

Parcels arriving : there must be a move on

Posted on May 22, 1941 by felicityh54

TX 1004

Pte Max Hickman

2/33rd Battalion

AIF Abroad

22nd May 1941

Dear Mother

The last two days the arrival of numerous letters and a choice parcel have added to the glory of our environment. Beginning with a long newsy letter from May written on Good Friday but in spite of the 3/- stamp on it, apparently held up somewhere, arrived yesterday morning. Your parcel of gastronomical luxuries yesterday afternoon, and four letters this morning. Yours of the 4th of May, youngsters of the seventh and two from Mrs Toomey written about the middle of April. I’ve certainly been in luck. Thanks a lot for the parcel Mother – you sure know my weaknesses but until we get to some more or less settled possy I’d rather you didn’t send them because you see we’re still tourists and the postal authorities usually deliver parcels when there’s a move on and as it’s impossible to take them with us, we have to consume them straight away or leave them which would be most criminal.

Your letter of the 4th contained some very surprising news. I must have missed a letter because this one contains the first mention I’ve had of anything being amiss with young Trevor. May mentioned inner letter that he was going floundering with Laurie – did he have an accident of some sort? Anyway I suppose all the questions that are running through my mind will be answered when the other letter and the next arrive. I’m surprised to hear that the Reynolds left things in a mess although on reflection they’re an irresponsible couple without any regard for other people’s things. It’s a pity dad hadn’t known because Mick would be a good tenant.. I remember him telling me that he’s undertaken to do the other place up if the owner would supply the materials. If the market’s any good at all I’d fix it up and sell it. It’s been a bad bargain right through. Property’s no good with bad tenants – it looks as though Hitler’s in the position of a land lord with a lot of houses and mostly bad tenants.

Youngster seems to be having a bad trot. It’s no good her studying her boss at the cost of her own health. She’s too conscientious – she worked like a slave for Orbell and how did he treat her – after all the relations of employer and employed are a matter of mental satisfaction not of self denial. She should leave work and keep a couple of sets of the Jervis books on a definite honorarium, something that would keep her busy two days a week and as she seems very wrapped up in her home it would be better for all concerned.

I’m glad Anne is liking school – May’s letter was full of humorous incidents of her antics and doings – it should do her the world of good too. May mentioned in her letter that she was enclosing some snaps but must have forgotten to put them in because they never made the grade.

Mrs Toomey sent me quite a nice letter and some late newspaper cuttings – which reminds me of something I’ve been going to ask you to send – the Tasmanian Casualty lists. The old crowd – the show I went away with and several units in which there were a number of Tasmanians – were in the Greek turn out and I’d like to know how those I knew got on. Mc Donnell’s brother was over there but being McDonnells of course it’s too much trouble to write to each other.

I saw Vern Enslow (?) the other day. He’s up here with an artillery crowd. He’s been rather unlucky, he was with us at Ingleburn and stayed behind for some promotion course and in so doing missed the greatest experience of a lifetime – the trip to England. On top of that he had to come away with a batch of reinforcements and suffered the usual fate of reinforcements by being reduced from sergeant to corporal on arrival here. However he seemed quite happy – said he’s had a night out at the canteen with Ac Hallam.

There’s some German & Italian prisoners here and the other day one of the chaps on guard asked a German who could speak English if he wanted a message sent to Germany. The prisoner jumped at the chance but was somewhat annoyed when our bloke told him he’d deliver it personally as he expected to be in Berlin in a fortnight.

Passing through the lines the other day we walked past the RAP – regimental aid post – and found that someone had substituted an I for the A.

This camp has been one of the best holidays I’ve ever had – the last fortnight of it anyway – glorious sunshine, plenty of swimming and for those of us attached to the machine gunners very little work although the infantrymen have been doing a power of digging which is not a very commendable occupation in temperatures that have been as high as 138. However on Tuesday morning we were having a cup of tea – the billy had been boiled at the instigation of the Major of the Machine Gun Battalion who in the course of the tete a tete informed us that we had to dig a dug-out. As the country is practically solid rock just the prospect was in no wise pleasing and when he left it was some time before anyone spoke. Then one of the MG chaps picked up the Major’s cup and at the suggestion of one of his mates tried to read the story but all he could find he said was a bloody lot of trouble.

Well mother I’ll close now so cheerio for the present. My best regards to the boys and love to you and Dad.

Max.

Re-fuelling a Wellington bomber in the canal area – painting by Harold Herbert from Active Service (AWM 1941)

Diary May 14 – 22

Wednesday 14th

Walked over to B company lines. Swim in afternoon. Write to May,. Snow Lewis told me that OHA have bought Werndee

Thursday

Dawn attack by bombers – searchlights & tracer bullets. Did some washing – wrote to Skinny J.

Friday 16th

Breakfast discussion on reforestation of pines – should be a good proposition in Tasmania – 2nd grade sandy soil grow 600 to the acre – worth 10 pound each in ten years. Went for swim in afternoon.

Saturday

Wrote to Mother – went for swim – passed through platoon lines. Ray excels himself with tales of how busy we are – must keep up the pretext of being kept at it so told them we’d been out on fighting patrol all night. Talk to Ac Hallam – three letters from England and Scotland – all want to marry him. In the evening MG’s boil the billy …..cup of tea. Some tell some more tall stories – fish & snakes

Sunday 18th May

Glorious summers day.Breakfast in bed. Went for swim in morning. Met Vern …now in 2/6 Battery. Wrote to Youngster in afternoon. Early to bed. Lice pretty lively.

Monday 19th

Another beautiful day. Washing & put blankets out to air. Swim in the afternoon. Tea and biscuits as guests – Leo & Ned. News of dispute between Hitler & Musso, guard asks German prisoner if we wanted message sent home – prisoner jumped at chance – then guard told him he’d deliver it personally because we expected to be in Berlin in a fortnight.

Tuesday 20th

Cleaned up pit – stacked ammo in corner – Walked to jetty – about 2 miles – and carried timber up – borrowed hammer, new nails from engineers – made two beds – put in shelf – much more convenient – roomier. Wrote Mrs Toomey – went for swim in afternoon – when diving Raymond stopped diving board and I went a hell of a …..

Wednesday

Letter from May written 11th April, parcel from Mother – very nice – tin of fruit & cream, chocs figs etc – looks like holiday is over – instructions to dig trenches – solid stone – Sam reads the Major’s cup and foresees trouble – going to make a nuisance of himself. Swim after tea – water perfect.

Thursday 22nd May

Received four letters – Mother, youngster, Mrs T (2) – wrote to Mother. Prepare to break camp – no instructions regards RR & self with MG’s – may be attached to 13 Platoon 33rd (or 38th?) but hope not – went for swim – walked down to carriers & had sing song. Letter from Billie Laird. Salved from sea (?)

Tasmanian casualties in ‘the Greek show’

According to http://www.ww2australia.gov.au, about 39 per cent of the Australian troops in Greece on 6 April 1941 were either killed, wounded or became prisoners of war. Many of the troops evacuated from Greece were taken to Crete, where there was again huge loss of both civilian and army personnel lives in 10 days of intense fighting from May 20.

Casualty lists were printed on page 1 of newspapers such as the Launceston Examiner, as they came to hand from Army Headquarters. On Friday May 16 this article appeared : http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/52416948

As well as the casualty lists, this article included the following statement:

An assurance was given today by the Minister for the Army (Mr Spender) that as soon as he received reliable information about casualties in the Greek campaign,it would be issued without delay to the public. “Nobody” he said “is more anxious than I am, that casualty lists in Greece should be published as soon as possible. It must be recognised however that accuracy is essential in these reports and anyone with a knowledge of the Grecian campaign must realise this type of investigation is a colossal job”

Prospects for Pines in Tasmania

I’m surprised given his interest in all things building related, that Dad appears to have been unaware that there had been experimental plantings of softwoods including pines in Tasmania for several decades. When the Forestry Dept was created in 1921 there were plans for large plantings in the west and north-west, with proponents claiming they could replace mining as the mainstay of local economies. But it wasn’t until much later – after the Forestry Commission replaced the Forestry Dept in 1947 – that pine plantations really expanded in many parts of the state. (source : http://cdn.forestrytasmania.com.au/assets/0000/1006/elliott.pdf)

Building shelves and beds, and digging through stone

I don’t have a photo of beds or shelves in a dugout – though I have certainly read about how ‘homely’ troops tried to make them – but this one of British troops gives some idea of the stone that dad speaks of digging through.

Photo is from the Imperial War Museum – item no. NA 1326

Meanwhile, the rest of the battalion… (from The Footsoldiers)

Although his diary mentions attacks by bombers, Dad seems to be blissfully unaware of the activities of the rest of the Battalion, described in the Footsoldiers:

Throughout 20-22 May, our battalion conducted a series of company counter-attack exercises…in preparation for any counter-attacks that might be called for in battle….During these days the artillery carried out firing rehearsals with live ammunition, both my day and night….The days were long and hard, made tougher by the night watches and sentry duty. The frequent night raids by Italian aircraft, which dropped flares then bombs on our positions, didn’t do anything in the way of calming our nerves, nor did the morning and night stand go’s. All were anxious to get into action….. In May we heard that the Germans were dropping parachutists and landing troops on the island of Crete, and we knew that many of our old mates in the 6th Division were having a bad time….

Posted in escapades, relaxation, fun and games, organisation, parcels, The course of the war, Uncategorized, unit and personal diaries | Tagged Ac Hallam, Anne Fisher, digging trenches, Greek campaign casualties, Ivy Drysdale, Pine plantations | Leave a comment

Digging for Victory…with troops from all parts of the Empire

Posted on May 17, 1941 by felicityh54

TX 1004

Pte Max Hickman

2/33rd Battalion

AIF

Abroad 17 . 5 . 41

Dear Mother

I suppose you know at home that the air mail service has been somewhat dislocated and it may be some time before it is restored to normal working or an alternative route decided on however I am continuing to write airmail in case they get things working sooner than expected. Of course we have had no mail ourselves this week and don’t expect any till towards the end of next. There’s no doubt about it the chaps would do anything to get their letters – If the mail was dropped in steel containers in enemy held territory and the men made aware of it, the positions would fall like lightning. In spite of meagre rations letters are far more sought after than parcels and late newspapers are at a premium.

Having no letters to which to reply there is little news of which we can write beyond the fact that we are all fit and well and getting the maximum pleasure and enjoyment possible in our present circumstances. I remember reading at one time quite a number of controversial letters in the paper regarding the origin and meaning of the word diggers but I fancy it was only a debate instanced by the press itself because anybody who has had anything at all to do with the AIF must know the answer. There is no doubt in any of our minds at least why we’re called diggers. If the slogan “Dig for Victory” has any significance at all then we’ll walk it in – we had quite a foretaste of it in England where we moved thousands of tons of chalk and other subterranean formations and since coming east have literally undermined the place. To the observers eye we must appear more as an archaeological research expedition than an army but the picks and shovels they give us to use would be more in keeping with a Sunday School picnic at the beach.

Within the area we now occupy are troops from all parts of the Empire – English, Scotch, South Africans, Indians, ourselves and the Enzeds. Though of course they both understand and understand English the South Africans – possibly as a means of maintaining their individuality – speak the rather severe product of Dutch and Kaffir languages known as Africaans. The Indians are an interesting group – one day passing through their camp on the way for a swim we saw them massaging each others’ backs with their feet and toes – one man standing on the other’s back and working his heels and toes around the muscles and joints of the other’s shoulders. Further on a party was practising fencing with sticks – whilst the experienced fencer may have found little to commend it we were both interested and amused. There’s a story told that a Ghurka was captured by the Ities who committed the worst crime in the calendar by shaving his beard off and then letting him return to his mates. That night a party set out to avenge the insult and returned with the dripping heads of five of Musso’s conscripts. The thick long hair of these Indians must make wonderful camping grounds for fleas and bugs – a barber would starve to death in their army.

Snow Lewis – a cousin of Arndell Lewis – told me the other day that the OHA have bought Wendee – Sir Elliott Lewis’s place on Augusta Road. He didn’t know the price but said Arndell had considered it highly satisfactory. The OHA certainly must be coining some sugar to buy that. I wonder what they’ll use it for. The land’s certainly worth thousands but the house will need a power of money spent on it to make it useful for any purpose at all. It would of course make an ideal Tourist Hotel – maybe that’s their idea – a Temperance Hotel.

Well Mother as I said before, news is damned scarce so I guess I’ll have to close. So with love to you and dad and regards to the boys I’ll say Cheerio for the present.

All the best

Max

Dig for Victory

This was actually a slogan connected to a campaign underway in the UK, to encourage people to grow their own vege’s thereby reducing the pressure on farms to provide the food required for the troops. Victory gardens were planted in backyards and on rooftops, with the occasional vacant lot “commandeered for the war effort!” and put to use as a wheat field or pumpkin patch. During World War II, sections of lawn in Hyde Park were ploughed for plots to promote the movement. Picture from Wikipedia: INF396_Food_Production_Dig_for_Victory_Artist_Peter_Fraser.jpg

Gurkhas and others

Gurkhas come from Nepal and are not usually bearded, or long haired. It is more likely that the story shared here relates to Sikh soldiers whose religion forbids shaving beards or the hair on the head. This photo of Sikh soldiers of the Indian Army in World War II comes from Wikipedia.

Werndee

Werndee is a very distinctive home built for the former state Premier and Governor, Sir Elliott Lewis in 1903. It survives, though not on the 2 acres of land it originally occupied in Augusta Rd, Lenah Valley (the address is now in Mortimer Avenue). On the death of Sir Elliott’s widow in January 1941 Werndee was sold by his sons Arndell and Hubert to the Old Hobartians Association (OHA) and used as a hostel for boys attending Hobart High School (Dad’s old school). It is now a private hotel – not so different from the use Dad imagined!

Arndell Lewis

Arndell was the cousin of Snow and Dick Lewis – members of the 2/33 Bn. He was the elder son of Sir Elliott and Lady Lewis (see above). A lawyer and respected amateur geologist, he served in the First Field Artillery Brigade in World War I and was awarded the Military Cross. He was elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly in 1932 as a National party member for Denison. He lost his seat in 1934 but regained it in 1937. In May 1941 he resigned to give priority to his military duties. It was a family tradition to serve in the artillery as his father and grandfather had done, and after WWI Lewis had remained with the 6th Australian Field Artillery Brigade, commanding it as lieutenant-colonel in 1933-38. Ill health prevented his service beyond Tasmania in World War II but he was district manpower officer for Tasmania in 1939-40 and joined the Hobart Covering Force in May 1941. In 1942-43 he commanded the 6th Garrison Battalion. He died of a heart attack in December 1943. (Information derived from the Australian Dictionary of Biography)

Posted in Africa, organisation, The course of the war, Uncategorized | Tagged airmail, Arndell Lewis, Dig for Victory, Diggers, Gurkhas, Werndee | Leave a comment

Different pictures in diary and letter; and a dramatic blitz on bugs

Posted on May 13, 1941 by felicityh54

(Salvation Army paper with the admonitions:

Remember the loved ones far away and write them a message of cheer today – at the top and PLEASE WROTE ON BOTH SIDES at the bottom)

TX 1004

Pte Max Hickman

2/33rd Battalion AIF Abroad

13th May 1941

Dear Mother

Your very cheery and interesting letter of the 21st April came up today along with one from youngster written on then 20th which also made good reading – earlier in the week I had three boat mail letters written about the middle of March – one from you and two from May and they too were very newsy and interesting. I am not surprised that young Geoff Hodgman is over here although I haven’t seen him in fact I’ve seen very few Tasmanians apart from those in the unit. I suppose he’s in the eighth battery and just where they are now I’ve no idea – nearly all the chaps I seem to meet are Queenslanders – the 25th and 26th Battalions are around here somewhere I believe – they’re both entirely Queensland battalions now – I’m on loan to a machine gun battalion at present and they’re nearly all Queenslanders too – a fine crowd of fellows.

Your proposed trip to Queensland certainly sounds interesting Mother. I hope you and Dad will be able to make it. It’s rather a proposition having no one you can depend on to look after things but if there’s a way out at all, don’t miss it because it’ll do you both the world of good.

I’m glad you got the little souvenirs from Durban and liked them. It’s a pity some of the other things didn’t make the grade too however we can’t be worried about them now. That letter that the lass at Durban wrote certainly contained some news didn’t it – she knew a lot more about us than we do. I suppose for that matter you also know more about us than we do. The only news we get is from the Australian papers and by the time we get them the news is old. Every day now new rumours are floating about where they originate goodness knows but they certainly come from somewhere. I remember when we were on the Nea Hellas coming out two of the mess orderlies decided to start a rumour. From a very modest beginning at the midday mess it assumed colossal proportions by tea time and was even made the subject of bets and spirited arguments and I suppose the other rumours start and grow in the same way so now when a rumour floats in we hold a sort of Grand Council to debate its feasibility before accepting the whole or part of the story or dismissing the lot entirely. The best papers we get are the Truth, Man and The Bulletin.

Last night under cover of dark the mate and I scrounged nearly a gallon of water and decided to lairize a bit and have a bath in half of it and to use the other half for making tea or coffee. There’s a primus here and in various ways we’ve acquired a quantity of tea and sugar and tinned milk and one chap had some coffee and milk sent in a parcel. To the first of these events – having a bath – we applied the term ‘Lairizing in Libya’ and to the second having coffee and herrings for supper we named Luxury in Libya. Whilest bathing in our quart of water in which we subsequently washed our shirts, shorts, towel and sox to save sending them to the laundry, Ray related the story of the most embarrassing occasion of his young life when he was taken to hospital with measles and had to submit to the indignity of being undressed by a nurse.

It’s really amusing to contrast our present position with that of six months ago when we were in barracks in England where it was a heinous crime not to shave and where Battalion and company parades were held with monotonous regularity and if one chose not to see an officer twenty or thirty yards away he’d hear the RSM bellow – “Learn to salute soldier or else” – the ‘or else’ had quite a definite meaning too or the more gentle but no less authoritative voice of the adjutant requiring you to take your hand out of your pocket, not to lean on that wall or to do that button up or something – one needed about fifteen pairs of eyes to keep out of trouble. Then too the spit and polish of the barrack room itself where there was a place for everything and everything had to be in its place or you copped extra guards or piquets – at one stage I looked like becoming a permanent guards-man – so much has the scene changed that today we clean our boots if we’ve got nugget to clean them – in fact one of my boots is at present done up with string. There’s no doubt that the barrack room training was good experience for the man in the street especially as England judges the troops by ceremonial turnout and we would put on guards and shows equal to the permanent Tommy units.

Well Mother writeable news is damned scarce so I’m afraid I’ll have to cut this epistle short with love to you, Dad, May & Anne and best regards to Laurie and the boys.

Max

PS Will you send me some of those blue air mail tickets to put on the envelopes.

Diary – May 6 – 13

Assuming Dad’s diary records the realities of his experience, it’s not surprising he searched for alternative topics for his letters! His writing also reduces dramatically in size, in the middle of this week :

Tuesday 6th May

Sandstorm all day accompanied by hot winds like the fringe of a bush fire. Cleaned guns and stayed in pit all day – wrote to Mother and youngster – Tucker light on – crook tea (bad water)

Wednesday 7th May

Early picket 4-6. Cleaned gun pit, organised blitz on bugs. RR & self get 70 – Went for swim in afternoon – walked back weak for want of tucker – Meals crook again – 20 lbs of meat to do 105 men two meals – wish some parcels would come. Early night picket – quite a lot of Jerry planes moving East – searchlights unable to pick them up.

Thursday 8th May

Three letters – one from Mother, two from May all very interesting – written middle of March – another go at bugs – hundreds of them. Went down 7th Div Engineers camp – had a yarn with some of them – said they had been christened Benghazi Greyhounds because of speed with which they left Benghazi – got a couple of petrol tins.

Friday 9th May

Another sandstorm. Members 2/2 Machine Guns attached to C Coy 23rd Batt for administration purposes. Tucker still light on. Caveman existence – living in small concrete cell, killing bugs & sucking cigarettes, discussing any and every topic short of the war of which we have absolutely no news – crawling out into the sandstorm and hellfire heat to get a few spoonfuls of stew and sand and a drop of tea & sand then crawling back till its time to crawl out again – What a bad b. a man must have been to deserve this punishment. Rumour has it that we’ll be here eight months – rather fancy our dust will be part of the sandstorm by that time.

Saturday 10th

Cleaned guns and pit. Went for swim. Received two letters – Youngster 20th April, Mother 21st. Had a bottle of Resch’s from Machine Gunners – tried to write to Mother – stumped for news.

Sunday 11th May [size of script reduced considerably – see photo]

Very pleasant day. Sleep in till 9am. Breakfast in bed – lie back and smoked, read Truth. The Army getting more like home every day. Wrote Mother, went for swim – lovely drop of water. Read Hells doorway (?) & to bed.

Monday 12th

Definite blitz on bugs. Splashed petrol on walls & floor – shifted all our gear and applied a match. The whole dump ablaze – burned hair – arms & legs – dived out of small hole. Blitz a definite success – celebrated with a bottle of Pilsener. Some Jerry planes over – ac ac busy. Swim in afternoon. Early to bed.

Tuesday 13th May

Breakfast in bed – cheese & onion sandwich & tea. Sand storm – stayed in pit all day.

Blitz on Bugs

Illustration from the article Battle of the Plagues (AWM publication Active Service 1941)

Reminiscing many years later about the events of May 12th, Dad wrote :

We took up defensive positions in dug-outs and pill-boxes. A Queensland chap named Ray Ross and I were assigned to a concrete pill box overlooking a wide valley. The pill box was constructed in such a way as to merge with the landscape. It was about two metres square or perhaps a little more than that and had a small barred window in the front that provided a wide field of fire. There was a Vickers machine gun and somewhat more than twenty thousand rounds of ammunition. Whilst there was room for Ray and me and the gun and ammunition, there wasn’t room for the thousands of fleas and bugs that had taken up residence in the pores of the concrete. Fleas and bugs were partiuclarly prevalent at Mersa Matruh. A member of the forces wrote a poem entitled ‘My Flea-Bound Dug-out in Matruh’.

I decided to do something about it. I went to an engineer’s depot and obtained a tin of petrol. Back at the pill box we shook our blankets and clothing and other gear well and removed them from the pill box, then carried the boxes of ammo out along a narrow trench that was the entrance to the Pill box. I then spread the petrol generously around the floor and walls. Then we moved to the entrance and lit a match. In an instant the place was a mass of flames. Ray crawled out along the trench and I followed him. We waited for some time hoping that the ammo would not explode and when satisfied that it was safe to return, did so. From then on we had no trouble with fleas or bugs. In fact, the only damage sustained by our ill starred action was the singe-ing of the hair on our arms and legs.

Posted in Camps and Barracks, escapades, relaxation, fun and games, organisation, Uncategorized, unit and personal diaries | Tagged blitz on bugs, dugouts, mail, news, pill boxes, poor rations, Ray Ross, rumours, sandstorm, scrounging | Leave a comment

Could St John predict war’s end? Or maybe Einstein or Pythagoras?

Posted on May 5, 1941 by felicityh54

TX 1004

Pte Max Hickman

2/33rd Battalion

AIF Abroad

5th May 1941

Dear Mother

Though still in the same area as when I last wrote you, we – that is the party to which I am for the present attached – have taken up a new position with a much more pleasant outlook than we previously enjoyed. In fact we command the best outlook I’ve had in any camp we’ve occupied. The blue Mediterranean stretching as far as the eye can see with miles of beautiful beaches encompassing it whilst in the immediate foreground palms and other tropical vegetation delight the eyes. Already we have had a swim in the crystal clear waters – not far from here is a spot that we’re told was the rendezvous of Antony and Cleopatra and in our own day has some claim to fame because Teddy Windsor and his bride spent a honeymoon there. Under other circumstances the place would have the atmosphere of a tropic island. The weather too is delightful – a dry warm heat by day though somewhat cool by night and so far without any of the sandstorms that attended us at other camps.

It is just twelve months today since we sailed out of Sydney Harbour and as I stood guard at dawn this morning my thoughts and I think the thoughts of the other chaps too were of that dawn that broke as they pulled up the hook and began the most eventful voyage of our lives. The other day one of the chaps got out his testament and read aloud the whole book of revelations in the hope that there would be amongst us someone with the superhuman brain power to determine when the war would end. He might just as well have tried to achieve his objective through the medium of Einstein’s theory of relativity or some other of those vague ideas that even their inventors can’t explain. Anyhow the result was negligible and another bright youth is now pinning his faith to an astronomer’s guess that the war will end on the 21st December – I don’t think he said which December.

I had a very nice letter today from the people who showed us the good time in Glasgow at the New Year. It was written on the 29th January and has taken over three months to get here so that’s how things are with the English mail and explains why I’ve had so few letters from Shirley. Mrs Laird expressed the hope that we will go to Glasgow again either before the stoush is finished or afterwards. She said if she’d had her way we’d never have left Glasgow and assured us that we or any of out friends will always be welcome which is nice to know.

A boat mail from May written the eleventh of January came in on Friday. Though of course that is a long time ago she sounds quite happy and said that Anne was very well. She spoke of building a shack at Blackmans Bay. I should think she would do better to buy one already built because petrol rationing is certain to affect this branch of the market and so many people always accept the present as a permanent condition of affairs.

I don’t know whether I mentioned before that McDonnell has been AWL again. Just before we left one of our camps he and two other chaps went through to the place where dad was in hospital. They had about twenty pounds between them – one of them runs the two up and has always got a roll and when next morning they hadn’t returned all sorts of rumours as to the punishment they would receive were floating about. They got back late that night and when the CSM paraded them to the orderly room next day the OC had been called to a conference and as we broke camp next day the charge lapsed. There’s no doubt about that B he’s got more luck than any ten men.

Well Mother I’m afraid my letters home will be very scanty from now on. There will probably be no news other than the happenings among ourselves. But I will write as often as I can.

For the present, cheerio. My love to you, dad, May & Anne & regards to Laurie and the boys.

Censoring of outgoing mail

Despite being detached to another Bn (2/2 Machine Gun Mn – see diary entry below), the censor of this letter is still an officer of the 2/33 – Graham Barclay.

Letters scanty from now on?

I assume Dad was anticipating being more engaged in action, sometime soon. The siege of Tobruk had begun, and according to Bill Crooks in The Footsoldiers, parties were occasionally sent down to the wharf area to provide anti-aircraft cover for the landing of casualties brought out of Tobruk by the Australian destroyers. Later in May – the 2/32nd Battalion that had been with us since England was loaded aboard destroyers and taken up to Tobruk.

McDonnell’s AWL : the luck of the Irish!?

Dad’s diary (previous blog entry) indicates he was also planning to go AWL to Alexandria (‘the place where dad was in hospital’) – but fate intervened! Despite his melancholic reports of being fined etc for his own escapades, these were clearly more numerous than his record would suggest.

Dugouts in Libya

Trenches in Libya – from Wikipedia – also see AWM photo 020483

A much more pleasant location : Diary 27 April – 5 May

Sunday 27th April

Dig trenches – church parade in dust storm – gave two letters (Mother and Youngster) – to Padre – more digging. 1 o’clock mess – Mr Copp told us we are going back to Mersa Matruh at 3pm – the close of another short camp except for bugs & fleas an enjoyable few days – went back to dug out – ate puddings & tinned fruit out of parcels and drank the beer we’d hoarded. Orders to move cancelled – had a bath in 1/2 pint of water – saved enough water to make coffee – Luxury in Libya.

Monday 28th

Dig trenches – load belts for Vickers – wrote letter to May & Jack Chandler – on patrol in the evening

Tuesday 29th

Put barbed wire in trenches – dug trenches – cleaned guns – had a feed out of some new parcels of Bob Cole’s – Tomato soup, plum pudding & peaches – got another parcel of tobacco from youngster and a calendar from Tim, Bill & Peter (‘Twelve Happy Months’) Wrote to Mae Menzie & Mick Mason. Lost fountain pen – gawd knows where I’ll be able to get another one. received letters from Mother, Youngster, Mick Mason and Jack Chandler – wrote to Youngster and Shirley.

Wednesday 30th

fatigue at Battalion Hqrs – hardest day’s work since I left home – dug pit for ammo dump – Hot as hell and dry as buggery – no water drunk all day – finished job early and went for a swim in Musso’s lake – delightful crystal clear water – water pleasantly warm – walked back to dugout at 6pm. Beach has some claim to fame because Teddy Windsor & Wally Simpson had one of their honeymoons here. Borrowed clippers from Lieut Copp and cut Ross’s hair – to a succession of abuse and squeals – achieved a fair presentation of the 39 steps. Ray cut my hair but was unable to take full revenge because of the difficulty of finding the hair.

Thurs 1st May 1941

Went for swim with Mick Patton – passed through Indian Labour Battn camp – massage each others backs with their feet – wrote to mother. Bob Cole reads the book of Revelations from a Testament sent by a friend in the hope of working out when the war will end. It’s like trying to work it out by Pythagoras’ theory.

Friday 2nd

S 11(? or SH?) rumour that Russia & Turkey have mobilised & German troops have occupied Finland – also that the Jerries are on our ….here – German convoy supposed to be sent – Later denied by Lieut Mills – Filled sandbags, made tea with rusty water out of old kerosene tin and tea with ratshit in it – cooling & refreshing – organised blitz on bugs – school day reminiscences – Woodes (?) chopped down the flagpole – Listening post guard – Heavy dew – cold as blazes.

Saturday 3rd

Bridge all day – read short story – Air raid – quite homely to hear the whirr and whiz again

Sunday

recondition tunnels till 10.30 – Ned Turner came up and told us to report to Hqr Company – took our packs and blankets in carrier. Had a feed at Hqr Comp. – best feed for fortnight and then sent with Ray Ross on loan to 2/2nd Machine Guns – parcel from mother (another balaclava). Four MG’s – Stan Wallen, Sam Barber, Eric (?) Boyd, P…Porter – sleep on 12,000 rounds ammo. New post commands fine view of Mersa Matruh and Mediterranean.

Monday 5th

Twelve months today since we sailed from Sydney. The most eventful year of our lives. Cleaned Vickers and parts. Received nice letter from Billie Laird – answered same – walked down to Battalion Hqrs – had a bottle of beer and returned

Luxury in Libya

Maybe he is starting to understand why the Bedouin are so frugal in their use of water??

Calendar from Tim, Bill and Peter

The ‘senders’ were the family dogs!

Posted in Africa, The course of the war, Uncategorized, unit and personal diaries | Tagged AWL, Blackmans Bay, Jim McDonnell, Mersa Matruh, Mrs Laird, predictions, swimming | Leave a comment

Vindication for some, vengeance for others

Posted on May 1, 1941 by felicityh54

TX 1004

Private M Hickman

2/33rd Battalion

AIF

Abroad

1st May 41

Dear Mother

I’ve had four letters this week – all very newsy and interesting and all written around Easter – Youngsters on the 10th, yours on the 13th, Mick Mason on the 14th and Jack on the 16th. I was very pleased to find in youngsters letter that she has had quite a number of letters lately, which fact vindicates both the postal authorities and myself. As a matter of fact a chap in the same dugout got a parcel the other day that made us all realise what a job the post office have – it was addressed with his name & number Hqr Company Abroad. No battalion, regiment or unit mentioned so what a job they must have had locating him.

I’m glad you got the Durban mail too because it seemed as though it would never get home. You want to know why I didn’t see Shirley during the New Year. Well when we left Colchester in fact until we actually got there we didn’t know we were going to Glasgow and when I rang Leith Hospital they told me she was out. I intended ringing again that night but somehow or other didn’t do so and when I got there next morning found that that night – New Year’s night – was her night off and that she’d gone home and would not be back till the next night and by that time we were standing by to go aboard ship and once aboard all leave was off and although I went AWL a couple of times it would have been impossible to get through to Edinburgh. I spoke to her for about twenty minutes over the phone (the ships phone) and when questioned by the Chief Officer told him I was a signalman and it was a military call.

Our Christmas at Colchester was quite a memorable occasion. I was on outpost guard and got back to Barracks just before dinner and while we waited for the Bugler to sound the ‘Come and Get It’ the officers (some of them still showing evidence of the previous night’s dissipation) exchanged greetings with the Colonel. The mess room – a huge barn-like place – was gaily decorated with mistletoe, streamers and bunting and made a fine sight. As we took our seats at the long trestle tables we were issued with a bottle of beer per man of Youngers Ale, 2 pkts of cigarettes and a cake of Cadburys chocolate. The Padre said a few words and we went to work on lentil soup, roast pork (done to a turn) with apple sauce and vegetables followed by an excellent plum pudding with brandy sauce. In the midst of the proceedings the Colonel who is known to all the Brigade as Hamburger Bill (“Our CO came over from Palestine, where he’d been teaching the Jews how to drill, They asked him his name and religion, he said just call me Hamburger Bill“- as goes the Battalion song) anyway he came into the mess dressed as the proprietor of a Hamburger stall – his stout figure and grissly moustache suited the part perfectly. He was accompanied by the MO dressed as a cook’s offsider and carrying under his arm a rolling pin as a symbol of his office. The trump is very popular with the chaps and the rafters echoed with cheers. To make the scene complete drifts of snow came through the windows. As you may well guess we spent the afternoon sleeping off the effects of our over indulgence.

Jack wrote as he always does, a very cheerful letter though there still runs through them an unexpressed but no less keen note of disappointment at not being able to get away. I’m afraid my letters only aggravate his feelings in this direction. It’s a pity really because he’s such a bonzer fellow and if he got a crack of the whip would make a fine officer – even then he’d have to get his commission before he left – only the crawlers get anything here.

Mick must have turned down that job with the military because he told me Frank had loaned him to do some fixing work.

And now Mother to get back to the present and ourselves. I’m afraid there is little of interest I can write you because as you know from the Military standpoint ‘nothing ever happens’ and in spite of a very tangled outlook we’re quite a happy family. You remember me telling you about the chap who got a parcel of hair oil and other lairizing things – well the day before yesterday the same chap used his ration of water to wash his shirt and when he’d finished it found he’d washed the clean shirt. Poor Mick he’s having a bad trot lately but his luck will turn.

Last night another chap and I decided on some mutual hair cutting and borrowed clippers and scissors from an officer. I cut his hair first. Unlike most of us his vanity refused to have his hair shaved off when we first got here and he was fast assuming the appearance of a poet, his thick black hair curling over his ears and round his neck, so I went to work on him. The only excuse I can offer for the mingled torrent of abuse, whistles and squeals that rent the air for half an hour and for the fact that the finished job was quite a good presentation of the thirty nine steps no matter its value as a haircut – is the fact that both the clippers and scissors were blunt. When I’d finished the job he set about cutting mine with a look of hopeful vengeance in his eye – however he was cheated of his revenge because of the difficulty of finding any hair to pull or cut.

Yesterday morning we were taken away for a fatigue job. It was near the beach and the RQM who had charge said if we finished before it was time to return we could have a swim – so we worked like hell under conditions closely approximating that venue of the damned and by half past three had finished the job and set out for the beach and spent a most enjoyable hour in Musso’s Lake – beautiful clear blue water and wonderful stretches of sand.

The weather the last few days has been perfect – a dry clear heat of about 100 and no dust storms to spoil it.

I’m afraid that’s about all I can write at the moment Mother so hoping this letter finds you, dad, May and Anne and the boys as happy and well as it leaves me I’ll say cheerio. Love to all.

Max

PS I got the Calendar from the boys – you might thank them for me. Unfortunately I have very little space in which to carry personal stuff so may have to leave it here when we make our next move.

Fun and Games in Glasgow : making a vital phone call

Although Dad often complains of getting fines black marks on his record, while others escape punishment, he clearly got away with plenty as well – a signalman making a military call, indeed!!

‘The Trump’ – Lieut-Colonel R W Bierwirth

Photo – from The Footsoldiers.

Bierwirth is second from left – clearly a big man, and from Dad’s description above, a leader who had a great relationship with his men.
Jack Chandler

No doubt Dad was right in his assessment of Jack’s potential as an officer, but he never did manage to get away. His work at the Ashley Boys Home at Deloraine was considered essential. By 1944 he was Acting Superintendent. More on the Home and its residents can be found at http://www.findandconnect.gov.au/ref/tas/biogs/TE00031b.htm

Mersa Matruh and Musso’s lake

Mersa Matruh is an Egyptian seaport 240km west of Alexandria which has been an important trading centre since the days of the Roman Empire.

The 2/33 was moved there to bolster the defences along the Libyan frontier against an expected German attack: Tobruk was already under siege.

From The Footsoldiers : watercolour by H Herbert.

From The Footsoldiers: Since 1939 this pleasant little sea coast town , used as a resort since Cleopatra’s day, had been put into a state of defence by General Wavell [Commander in Chief of the Empire’s forces in the Middle East]. The defensive ‘box’ as it was called had had continuous occupants who had erected the massive wire entanglements, the anti-tank ditches, the trenches, posts and dugouts. The defences stretched in an arc around the town, port and railway, and out into the desert. The ‘box’ was some twenty miles form west to east, and ran out into the desert to the south to a depth of nine miles.

From The Footsoldiers: a small part of the defensive ‘box’ surrounding the town – despite arriving in April 1941, there was still plenty of digging for the men of the 2/33 to do!

According to Wikipedia – The city is known for its white soft sands and calm transparent waters; the bay is protected from the high seas by a series of rocks forming a natural breakwater, with a small opening to allow access for light vessels. During World War II, the British Army‘s Baggush Box was located to the east. …..Mersa Matruh was the terminus for a single-track railway, which passed through El Alamein.

Photo (current view): easy to see why this is – and always was – a tourist destination! Musso’s Lake is of course the Mediterranean Sea.

amazing-albums.blogspot.com

Posted in Africa, Britain, escapades, relaxation, fun and games, Hierarchy, Posts and telegraph, Uncategorized | Tagged AWL, Bierwirth, Christmas, haircuts, Jack Chandler, mail, Mersa Matruh, swimming | Leave a comment

Cakes, chocolates and other delicacies…with disastrous after effects

Posted on April 26, 1941 by felicityh54

TX 1004

Pte Max Hickman

2/33rd Battalion

AIF

26th April 1941

Dear Mother

Since I wrote you last Sunday many amazing things have happened, not least of which has been the delivery of multitudes of parcels. Late on Sunday evening after I had posted or at least handed in my letters to responsible officers for posting I was told to call at the Battalion Post Office and take delivery of a number of parcels addressed to me. Having practically given up all hope of them imagine my surprise at receiving eleven in a bunch including an absolutely marvellous cake from Youngster – the best I ever tasted – awarded highest honours by all the chaps and in the last few days they’ve become conscious of cake. There were several tins of chocolates from you and youngster and a tin from Anne with love to Uncle Max, a hundred tins of Craven A from Bill and quite a healthy supply of safety and wax matches. In one of your parcels Mother there were six packets of PK’s – very welcome indeed. In another parcel there were two pair of socks with greetings from Aunt_____. I couldn’t decipher the name but they’re damn good socks just the same – you might thank whoever sent them for me will you.

Every night this week by the light of a small lantern when we’ve got back from the various manoeuvres and stunts that occupy most of our time we’ve had a feast of the pooled resources of the tent – cakes, puddings, tinned fruit, chocolates and other luxuries. Unfortunately for our training the feasting has had rather disastrous effects on our systems – Our digestive organs having become very unreceptive to delicacies, the shock of so many good things has acted in divers ways.

I have just finished reading the letters that came in today. Two of them just about bowled me – yours of the sixth of April and Youngsters of the seventh of April. To think that you’re still not getting my letters knocks me clean and clever. I don’t think I’ve missed a week since we arrived in Palestine that I haven’t written to both you and youngster – I don’t write as often to May because I haven’t the time and as she is close to home is in a better position than youngster to get any news there may be. The censoring officer was here when I read the letters and I asked him what the position is and he told me that since we got to Palestine he’s not had to cut one word out of my letters so what the hell’s happening to them Gawd only knows because with the exception of a couple of small parcels they were all sent airmail. Most of the chaps have been getting replies to their Durban letters and Palestine mail for weeks.

I’m sorry you didn’t get the letter about Shirley, Mother but as May got one and you the photo you’ll have a fair idea of her. As you’ll see from the photo she’s short and dark, unlike most Scotch people, but very broad in her speech – in fact over the phone you can only catch a word here and there and need a strong imagination to piece the rest together. Her people live in one of the shire’s – I don’t know which one – and her brother is a chemist in London. When we left England she was at Leith Hospital. The address is Leith Hospital, 10 Mill Lane Edinburgh 6. English mail takes longer to get here than Australian mail took to get to England and the last letter I had from her was written in January. I’m glad you’re going to write to her, Mother and that Youngster and Mrs Morley will write too. I’m sure she’ll be delighted to hear from each of you.

So Reg Hickman has qualified as a pilot and gone into the air force – lucky cow. There’s no doubt about it that’s the best game of the lot. Although I certainly can’t complain I’m with a fine crowd of chaps, have seen half the world and had some wonderful experiences.

In the course of manoeuvres early this week we came upon a canteen in the midst of a number of Australian camps and to our joyful surprise found they actually had Australian beer in stock and I think the officers were as surprised as we were or perhaps it was their own thirst that caused them to give us a break in which to partake of some of the cherished products of Aussie – Carlton Special, Resch’s Pilsner and Waverly Ale – so far I haven’t had any Cascade but after other beers any Australian beer is champagne. We were all very tired at the time but a few drinks changed the picture completely and we marched back to camp to the strains of joyful singing and despite the lateness of the hour the mood continued long after we got to our tents and melodies of wide and varied range rent the air. It’s absolutely amazing the effect of a little drop of the doins (?) on the temper of the troops.

And now Mother I’ll say cheerio for the present. Love to you, dad, May and Anne and regards to Laurie and the boys.

Very best love Mother

Max

Damn Good Socks

Photo from the Tasmanian Wool Centre at Ross

War Diary April 18 – 26

..Effects of luxuries in parcels described somewhat more dramatically than in his letter (see 21/22/ April)

– Platoon splits up, moves to trench outposts, start digging

Friday 18

Nothing special – got two boat mail letters from Mother and Jack Chandler – interesting and cheerful – McDonnell, McGoldrick, Tom Brereton go to Alex [Alexandria – AWL apparently, from next entry]

Saturday

War equipment parade all our gear examined by OC – very attentive to detail – pay parade in afternoon – make and mend and write letters (mother, youngster & JC & Mrs Toomey) – AWL’s return 9pm.

Sunday 20th April

attend RC church parade 7am intending to go through and go to Alex with Graham Watts. Made attend company parade at 10 o’clock. Wattsie given fatigue duty – had to cancel idea of trip – dug trench for petrol tins – twelve months today since we left Hobart in Zealandia – several parcels arrive – woollens, cigarettes, chocolates and cakes (mother, youngster, —(?), Mrs Toomey)

Monday

Went out on stunt – recalled during morning – prepare to break camp – diarrhoea – tom tits and vomiting – unable to eat luxuries in parcels – rather ironical after waiting so long for them – sent two boxes chocolates and 100 tins of Craven A in carrier and trying to take cake with me – put in a bad night.

Tuesday

Went on sick parade – weak as a kitten – temp – given some dope – return during day. Carriers leave – only drivers and Barclay go – take packs etc with them (6am) – standing by all day. 5pm leave in bus for station – had a couple of drinks at canteen with Stan Forsythe – slept in open – no blankets but slept well – Ned Turner, Leo Earea & Charlie Henders sleep in latrine pit

Wednesday

Early reveille. Tea and sandwich for breakfast. two up game – Fletcher as usual breaks school. Entrain at 11.20 – on the way 11.30 – about 1pm sighted tremendous convoy of trucks – stopped for water about 5pm – bought some slabs mungaree (Egyptian bread) – battle staged in carriage – banana and orange skins & soft boiled eggs – sing song – arrived Mersa Matruh about 10pm – had some tea and turned in.

Thursday

Settling in during morning. News that this platoon will take over machine gun posts- Platoon split up – maybe temporary, maybe permanent – I go to B company with Ray Ross, Cole, Fletcher, Mick Patton and Woodlock. Tucker light on – open Christmas cake sent by Youngster – beautiful cake – appreciated by all. Move out to outposts – dugouts and underground trenches – plenty of fleas and bugs – strike first turn on Vickers – sleep in pits, plenty of company.

Friday 25th April

Stand to 5.30 – 6.30 – good breakfast – 9 o’clock parade – have some of nuts & chocs sent by Youngster – received three letters – two from mother and one from Youngster – both said they’ve had no letters. Received two parcels from Mother & Youngster – air raid & Ac Ac fire a few miles away on guard at night – another raid during the night.

Saturday 26th

Camouflaged gun pits – dug now – dug out for Bluey Marshall’s section – wrote to Mother and Youngster. R Ross and B Cole get parcels from home – Mick Patton gets a bottle of hair oil and tie pin – Mick has shaved his head – not much chance of lairizing here – hundreds of miles from civilization – got a couple of bottles Youngers Ale from artillery truck – very nice.

In the pits

Machine Gunners

Photo from Active Service (AWM Christmas Book for 1941)

Posted in Africa, gambling and drinking, organisation, parcels, Posts and telegraph, Uncategorized | Tagged Australian beer, cake, chocolate, Craven A, Leith Hospital, PK, Reg Hickman, socks, tobacco | Leave a comment

Wags and wits and desert manoeuvres

Posted on April 19, 1941 by felicityh54

TX 1004

Pte Max Hickman

2/33rd Battalion

AIF

Abroad

19th April 1941

Dear Mother

I received your very welcome letter of the 31st March yesterday. I’m glad my Palestine letters are getting home but surprised to know that the letters, cables and souvenirs I posted at Durban haven’t yet made the grade. Of course I suppose there isn’t much mail carried between South Africa and Australia. Very sorry to hear that May has had some more bad luck with a sprained wrist and fluid in the joints. She certainly has more than her share of trouble. Anyway I hope she’s well again now.

You asked me in your letter if Dick Schultz and Ken Jenkins are still with us – we haven’t been in the same unit since early in July last year, but lately I have seen quite a lot of them. They’re firm friends now, both being in the First Aid section of their battalion. Dick is actually in the Australian Army Medical Corps [AAMC] attached to the 31st battalion as Sergeant of the RAP and Ken is corporal of the stretcher-bearers.

Dad’s suggestion about writing a book with such characters as Schultz and McDonnell – well, as wags and wits they’re not in the race with a lot of the chaps in my platoon – a better selection of various types of wit you’d never meet in a months travel especially when one person becomes the object of a concerted barrage such as I encountered after my nose dive into the cactus bush when for the whole hour in which I extracted thorns from my skin I faced the combined witticisms of the other seven occupants of the tent. Their wits are kept sharpened by the endless interstate repartee and no matter how tough things are at all times and on all occasions humour dominates the scene. If one could keep a faithful diary of the humorous incidents of our everyday life, Ripley’s ‘Believe it or not’ would be put in the shade.

We spent the Easter in some of the keenest manoeuvres we’ve had, in very desolate sandy country around Gaza Ridge and other places familiar to dad in the last show. Sometimes in sand storms in which you could hardly see your hands in front of you – but it was a great experience and had many humorous incidents. During a break on Easter Sunday night the padre conducted a short but very impressive service and we [joined a] short sing song of hymns before going back to work.

A couple of parcels came in yesterday addressed to me but the bigger one was for McDonnell from Mrs Toomey – socks and handkerchiefs – very welcome indeed and as they were sent last October it gives reason to hope that some more of the Christmas parcels will come in.

As I write two letters have just come in – they are boat mail written about the middle of February – yours on the 17th Mother and one from Jack on the 15th. Both very cheerful epistles and very enjoyable. The barracks certainly gave you appropriate information when they told you we’re moving about a lot – we’re world tourists in a big way. Just what job was Mick going to do with the military?

I mentioned the fact that you hadn’t any letters for six weeks to another chap in the tent and he said that they told him in his letter that his people hadn’t had a letter for three months so my letters are not the only ones that haven’t been getting home. The mail from England to here is very slow too. The latest letters are January mail but there should be some more in very soon now.

So Anne has started school. I’ll bet she likes it too – she’d be the boss of the gang alright.

Well Mother I’ll say cheerio now. My love to you, dad, May and Anne and best regards to Laurie & the boys.

Max

PS I must make my letters shorter mother because of difficulties with the mail authorities and I might even have to write in pencil. Tell May and youngster that I may not be able to write often but will write as soon as I can.

Wags and Wits

The cartoon below was printed in Active Service – the AWM’s Christmas Book for 1941 – and is indicative of the humour referred to above.

Manoeuvres in the desert

The Carriers were in their element in the desert – unfortunately for those like Dad who were trained for this role, the action they were to see was in territory where these vehicles were of little or no use.

Photo from Active Service (‘Christmas Book’ 1941, Australian War Memorial)

From The Footsoldiers (p28)

On the 14th to 16th April we had our first taste of the Khamsin (desert dust storm). Blowing in from the west, it mingled the red dust of the Western Desert with the sand of Egypt. So thick was it that we were unable to see the tips of our fingers at arms length. Wearing towels over our mouths and noses, and the eye shields from our respirators for protection, we endeavoured to pack our war kit and sort out our belongings so that our kitbags could be returned to kit stores, leaving only the essentials with which we could live and fight in the field.

On 16 April ….the CO assembled the battalion and gave us the news that we would shortly move west into action and would train as a battalion until we did……From 16 to 20 April we practised the classic open desert warfare ‘box’ formation in advance, in attack, and in movement across the hard stony desert. In our serge uniforms it was blistering hot by day and freezing in the bitterly cold nights – even in our greatcoats.

At long last the movement order arrived on 21 April and that night, the advance party entrained for the west. On 23 April the battalion entrained at the rail siding into a 3rd class Egyptian passenger train at 1130hours and moved west…..

Can’t see our way for dust….

Although the letter makes no reference to it, Dad’s diary does reinforce Bill Crooks’ comments above (from The Footsoldiers):

Tuesday 15th

working in Q store for morning some mail at lunch time. Two parcels of woollens – one for me, one for McDonnell from Mrs Toomey – very nice pullover & socks. Pete McCowan goes to hospital with dysentry. Letter from Mother written on 31st March – have received mail from Palestine but not Durban mail.

Wednesday

Camouflages with nets – Brens, Carriers etc – Mess orderly – sand storm – left tent to go on parade at ten to two. Met Lieut Mitchell – said I was going the wrong way – wandered for hours in storm – could hardly see hand in front of you – must have been within a few yds of tents all the time – got back to tent at 4.20 – all in – went to RAP – had dose paraffin and aspro and went to bed straight after tea.

Thursday

Manoever in sand in carriers – a good morning but guns in a hell of a mess – took two hours to clean – lecture in the evening on direction by stars – clean up and go to bed.

And spare a thought for the field hospitals…

Close to where the 2/33 was camped, the 2/9 Australian General Hospital was preparing to receive casualties from Greece and Tobruk. The following extract comes from A Special Kind of Service by Joan Crouch –

The first impressions of Abd El Kader were of desert, dust, heat, fleas and lack of baths or showers….Dysentery, sandfly fever, malaria, enteric fever, influenza and purulent skin diseases kept the medical wards busy…But the dust storms, with their fine penetrating sand, made working conditions almost impossible in the operating theatre, so surgery was limited. On one occasion it blew for three days and visibility was thirty feet. The temperature reached 120F …

Posted in Africa, parcels, Posts and telegraph, training, Uncategorized | Tagged desert manoeuvres, field hospital, sandstorms, wags and wits | Leave a comment

War Diary March 21 – April 14 (Easter Monday) 1941

Posted on April 14, 1941 by felicityh54

Friday 21st

Wrote some letters during morning – afternoon ceremonial parade – marched to Brigade – welcome for Brigadier Baxter-Cox – a good show. Long march back with fixed bayonets at attention – 1 1/2 miles. When we got back were issued with Christmas hampers – mine came from Mrs Russell Grimwade, Orrong Rd Toorak . Went to pictures – “It’s a wonderful world”.

Saturday 22nd

Early parade 8.30 – Rain stops march. Had a shower at Hospital (1st AGH) – met Jim Castley- had been in Palestine 14 months – knew Max & Audrey Phillips. Should have been relieved at 5pm but arrangements between brigade and 31st misunderstood – was on Ac Ac from 3 – 8 then put on main guard rest of night. General confusion – when came off at 5.30 had cup of tea – toast & eggs at nurses cook house.

Sunday 23rd

Came off guard at ten o’clock – pay parade at eleven o’clock – had a bath and wrote some letters.

Monday 24th

Fire orders and stalking on Gaza Ridge – hell of a feed of oranges – Dick Lewis took snaps in orange grove – very pleasant morning. Lecture in afternoon on grenades then a short march and back to camp. Stunt at night – distribution of mail – tons of letters and newspapers

Tuesday 25th

Compass reading in morning – interesting couple of hours. Route march in afternoon. Guard at 5.30 – squires lines (?) when there not wanted – returned to camp – called out for Gaza Ridge then orders cancelled – went to YM to write letters – but lights fused – a general muck up. 11pm Hqrs Company called to Parade. laid on bed – shamed (?) sleep and then went to sleep fully dressed. passed off alright.

Wednesday 26th

30th birthday – compass reading in the morning. 2 o’clock parade detailed for guard (Brigade) – mounted guard 5.30 – received more old letters and two recent ones – first relief. Wrote to Skinny J.

Thursday 27th

2-4am relief. wrote to Rob Cameron. D R Haigh appointed CSM Hqr company – Frank Dredge gets J Reinke’s stripes – good luck to him – another diplomatic appointment. R Cole to be sergeant ……Doc Trenow interviewed by Trump – probably get a pip.

Friday 28th

Pay parade – Doc broke everyone in tent at two up. In the afternoon embussed and taken to Jaffa Range. Put on guard duty. Went through with J Black, Pete McCowan & Pat Lowe – went to Rishon – small Jewish town – several good cafes – beer and supper – back to camp about midnight.

Saturday

Battalion went to range for stunt – guard stayed in camp. Talk with men from Jewish Battalion – one German one Hungarian – knew their Europe well. Had a snack at canteen and went to Tel Aviv with Aggie Lloyd & Mick Patton – all business places closed (Sat Jews Sunday). Tel Aviv quite modern in design but buildings very badly finished. Went from Tel Aviv to Jaffa – Arab centre adjoining – dirty place. Toured all the low dives – came back to camp in taxi. Abyssinian driver – offsider a Turk – drive like mad – put their foot on the accelerator and their faith in Allah.

Sunday

Went to the Range for stunt – Demonstration shot first then manoever – Platoons in attack. Later had a throw of 2” grenade – Guard again at night.

Monday 31st

On guard till midday then out to range to see the mortars. Back to camp at 4 o’clock – tea then back to Kilo 89 in buses – through some fine agric country – orange groves and grape fruit – pictures with CS & KJ

Tuesday 1st

Ceremonial parade – clean & oil guns. Broken off at 2 o’clock – took washing to laundry (2 hours mucking about) – wrote letters – Mother.

Wednesday 2nd

Mortar & Tommy gun instruction in morning. Maintenance on guns & carriers in the afternoon. Wrote to Skinny J & Mrs Worby

Thursday

Field stunt – went in carriers – Doc’s section to Gaza. Battalion in attack – carriers to assist – left flank attack – crawling through sand – Lecture by CO & Capt Graham Sutton

Friday

Cleaned guns – Bren & Anti Tank – Bludged in afternoon. Friday night went to 31st RAP had drink with K Jenkins & Dudley Raynor – Ken had been to Jerusalem on leave. Bought some nice souvenirs – said he had a great trip.

Saturday

Pay parade – Medical inspection dressed in Great Coats and boots only – car load of nurses passed and waved – didn’t know what was on. Did the roll at two up and went to canteen to have drink with Leo Earea & Bing Henderson – met Roy Jelley – wanted to see Ac – went down and got Ac – He & Jelley like two long lost brothers

Sunday

Cricket match with mortars. Good morning’s outing – went to bed in afternoon.

Monday

Stunt across the sand – hell of a march through narrow lanes of Arab village. Hot as hell – stink and dust – got back to camp about 4.30 everybody feeling ——. Had a wonderful shower. After tea had a couple of pots and went out on another stunt – home about half past ten.

Tuesday

Up early to go on leave to Jerusalem – just getting dressed when Barclay came into tent and said leave was cancelled – orders to pack ready to move out. Bad luck but if its a show then leave doesn’t matter. Guns cleaned oiled and packed blankets rolled – standing by all day – bamboo beds stripped – sleep on ground – one blanket – cold.

Wednesday 9th

Standing by all day – packing in Q store etc

Thursday

In working party on truck carting gear back from Kilo 89 to Barbera (?) camp – ordnance. Received letter from Lil Murray Mainsbridge Hotel Liverpool NSW. Camps breaking up and standing by all along the road.

Friday 11th

Good Friday – clean up camp – struck tent & rolled ready to move – kit bags collected – went to Hospital to post some letters and small parcels – tried to get a drink – missed out. 9.15am parade with pack and equipment and marched to Gaza station – entrained at 2am – reached Kantara 9am. Breakfast, swim in Suez Canal – saw a couple of ships go through – gypoes trying to sell all manner of rubbish – one told me – Aussie blood relation Wooloomooloo. Entrained again at 2.15. Train journey in afternoon very pleasant – glorious sunshine – through Nile irrigation area – miles of rich plain land – crops mostly barley and lucerne – banana palms – ruins of ancient cities – women look better type than arabs in Palestine. Mohammedans at prayer – passed through El Zaezic. detrained at 2.30am on Sunday morning – marched to camp”Ikingi Mahru”about four miles – slept where we halted – reveille at 7.00am – wash – shave – breakfast (mess orderly) – camp a desolate wasteland – wind and sand all day. Food light on – “Laugh and grow fat” – short interesting church service (Easter Sunday) in evening. Cold night.

Easter Monday 14th April

Reveille 6.30. talk by new OC – tightening up – digging trenches all day and pitching tents – Food still very light on – “old soldiers just fade away”. Pete McCowan, Bob Cole (Tom Tits) Viv Abel and Jim Hocking sent to another Battalion for instruction. Route march at night – enjoyable cup of tea when we got back.

Christmas hampers

I’ve been wondering how the Comforts Fund parcels were organised, and have come across an article via Trove and another from Museum Victoria:Firstly, from Trove, a description of the process of financing, packing and sending parcels in 1942 which appeared in the Cairns Post onSeptember 12 of that year http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article42359915 and second the extract below from the Museum Victoria site http://museumvictoria.com.au/collections/themes/10608/australian-comforts-fund-world-war-ii-1939-1946

The aim of the ACF was to provide free ‘comfort’ items that were not supplied by the services to all Australian servicemen. These items included singlets, socks, pyjamas, cigarettes and tobacco, razor blades, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste and reading material (newspapers and magazines). Additionally, the ACF also provided recreational facilities, rest rooms, sporting equipment, gramophones and records to the troops, as well as regularly providing writing materials such as pencils, paper and postcards so the soldiers’ could write home.

The ACF relied on fundraising and donations to supply these items to the Australian soldiers. The ACF raised thousands of pounds though various activities, such as door knock appeals, fetes and button days, to cover the cost of materials and shipping of items to the troops. The number of goods supplied, funded and distributed by the ACF volunteers is quite remarkable.

The ACF also regularly dispatched Christmas hampers to troops abroad. The Christmas hampers generally comprised of a plum pudding, cake, small tin of fruit, tinned cream, razor blades and tobacco and were donated or sponsored by members of the public. These hampers were generally supplied to each army unit and then distributed by a number of ACF commissioners. By the close of operations in 1946, more than 1.5 million hampers had been dispatched to troops by the ACF.

The ACF provided a source of comfort, support and encouragement for the troops abroad and offered a means for women at home to contribute to the war effort and identify with the men in the trenches. The ACF acted as a vital link between home and the battlefields. The Australian Comforts Fund officially closed on the 27th June 1946.

Bad luck but if it’s a show then leave doesn’t matter…

From The Footsoldiers (pp27-28)

With the threat of General Rommel’s Africa Corps in the Western Desert and the withdrawal of our forces from Tobruk, our 25th Brigade was ordered to prepare to move on 11 April. During the waiting period, steel helmets were painted buff and soaked in sand while the paint was wet. Vehicles were treated in much the same way, and the windscreens removed…..

On 12 April the transport of the battalion left by road and at dawn next day the battalion entrained at Gaza, crossed the canal in the same old train at Ismalia and arrived at Ikingi Maryut in Egypt at midnight. From the rail siding the battalion had a four mile march to our camp out in the desert.

In full marching order, carrying LMG’s , magazine boxes and the section one-gallon hot boxes, this night march out into the bitterly cold desert was our first taste of real hard going. As dawn was breaking on 13 April we looked around the ‘camp’ which consisted of a great heap of EPIP (English Patent Indian Pattern) tents that had to be erected. With breakfast of bacon rashers and baked beans mixed with dust and sand, we looked around at this flat desolate land, not impressed with what we saw……[this] was to us the end of the earth, made exciting only by the prospect of action….

Kilo 89, Gaza

The camp known as Kilo89

Photo of a watercolour by Harold Herbert, published in The Footsoldiers

Camouflage

Camouflaged truck at Rishon-le-Zion: painting by Harold Herbert, published in the ‘Christmas book’, Active Service

Posted in Africa, guard/ picket/ orderly room duty, training, Uncategorized, unit and personal diaries, weapons, armaments, equipment | Tagged Tel Aviv | Leave a comment

AWL from guard duty – but what they don’t know…

Posted on April 1, 1941 by felicityh54

TX 1004

Private Max Hickman

2/33rd Battalion

AIF

Abroad

1st April 1941

Dear Mother

We came back to camp last night after a very interesting weekend. The Battalion went out on a stunt last Friday. We were taken in buses to the centre of manoeuvres and Friday night found us camped in a stretch of desert. I struck guard duty the first night and when the battalion went out on Saturday morning the guard stayed at the camp.

There was a section of a Jewish regiment camped nearby. It is the most cosmopolitan unit I’ve ever encountered, made up of Jews from Palestine and nearly all the European countries ar present occupied by Germany – two chaps who spoke fluent English were from Hungary and Bavaria. The Hungarian’s father lost his leg fighting for Germany against the Italians in the last show. They had an extensive knowledge of Europe and told us some interesting stories of the war position in Jugoslavia. They said that unless the Belgrade government allowed the Germans to move troops through the country Germany could never conquer them because the rugged country could never be crossed by tanks and as it is entirely agricultural there are no large towns so that the bombers would do little damage, added to which the Jugoslavs are a ruthless barbaric people who fight for the love of fighting rather than for patriotic reasons. They are big men and use barbed bayonets – very interesting.

The camp was very quiet in the afternoon so a couple of other chaps and myself went for a walk without any definite destination – however by the aid of buses and the last stage by taxi we got to Tel Aviv, the most modern city of Palestine and in peacetime the scene of a lot of Jewish and Arabian squabbles. The streets are reasonably wide and the buildings though of steel and concrete are built as one would expect in a Jewish community with an eye to cost rather than workmanship. The finish leaves much to be desired – all the buildings whether business blocks, residential flats ro houses are severely modern – everything being on the straight line basis. Hipped or gabled roofs are as rare as horses in the rural areas.

The shops, cafes and hotels were all closed because Saturday is the Jewish Sunday. There are three Sundays in the week here – Friday is the Arab Sunday, saturday the Jews and Sunday the Christians which I imagine somewhat complicates international trading. Bordering on Tel-Aviv is the ancient Arabian town of Jaffa and here business of all types was being negotiated. It is a vey dirty place in striking contrast to the modern Jewish centre and reeks of the most unsavoury odours.

The Jewish people are dark haired and sallow skinned with the unmistakeable features of their race – some of the women are quite good lookers but they are all very stout and classified according to the number of axe handles across. Very few of them speak or understand English or at least they don’t choose to understand it.

It was getting late buy the time we had walked around both places and as we did not relish the consequences of getting back to camp later than the battalion, began to look for a means of getting home and had ultimately to engage a taxi which cost all the mils of our three belts aggregated. The taxi was driven by an Abyssinian who was accompanied by a Turk. The taxi drivers drive like hell: they put their foot on the accelerator and trust to Allah. Although the Battalion were home before us we were not missed.

After tea one of the chaps who had won a few bob at two up asked me to go with him to Reshon – a small Jewish town and we were presently on our way. Reshon though only a small place houses a very important industry – The Palestine Brewers – makers of Eagle and Golden Star Beer. There are quite a number of good cafes where in addition to eating they serve all and every type of liquor including Youngers Scotch Ale. The middle of the floor is given up to dancing and going from one cafe to another we had a most enjoyable evening.

Sunday and most of Monday we spent in stunts in the sand which though solid were very interesting and enjoyable. About three o’clock yesterday afternoon we went back to the camp and after a delightful shower, a dixie of stew and a couple of dog biscuits we embussed again for the home journey. As it was still daylight we were able to see the country through which we passed. Palestine is a very fertile country. There are miles and miles of orange, grapefruit and lemon groves. It looks as though the war must have disorganised the markets because the ground is literally a carpet of oranges and grapefruit. I’ve eaten more citrus fruit in the last three weeks than in ay previous twelve months – I’d like to have forty or fifty acres of them in a position handy to Melbourne or Sydney. One of the chaps took some snaps of us in an orange grove. He’s away at a school now but when he comes back I’ll try and get some and send them to you.

John Smith came down to the tent to see me last Thursday night – I’d made several inquiries as to his whereabouts from the several hospital and medical units but was unable to locate him so you can imagine my surprise when he poked his head into the tent and told me he was at the CRS within the same camp area. He looked well, but like most of the chaps who have been here for a long time, has seen enough of the Holy Land. I’m going up when I finish this letter to try and see him.

And now Mother I’ll say goodbye for the present. Best regards to the boys and love to you and dad.

Max

PS I had a letter from Shirley last week. She said they have two feet of snow there but the weather here is perfect.

Jugoslavia

The confidence of the Jewish soldiers was clearly misplaced: the Germans and their allies invaded from all sides on April 11 and after a short campaign, had brought the country under the administration of a puppet government.

Tel Aviv – ‘severely modern’ – photo from The Footsoldiers

Reshon

This was presumably Rishon-le-Zion, a colony founded by Ukrainian Jews in 1882. The settlers were supported financially by Baron Edmond James de Rothschild. They were very industrious, planting over a million vines as well as orchards of almonds, figs, pomegranate, apples and citrus, and 20,000 mulberry trees for silkworm culture. There was (According to the Jewish Encyclopaedia) an enormous cellar with modern machinery producing wine and brandy. Rishon-le-Zion is now Israel’s fourth largest city.

Stunts in the Sand

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