成人快手

I had only the personal kit which I had salvaged from my old tank and someone loaned me part of a mess tin, but I don鈥檛 remember going for a meal. We drew bedding, then paraded in order that the colonel could address us, by then I was in great pain and my arm swollen. I was seeing all around me as if in a mist and feeling faint, wishing his speech would soon end so that I could lay down before passing out.
Since the battle I鈥檇 not felt too well but when asked 鈥渉ow are you?鈥� I had been able to say 鈥淥kay, thanks鈥� but at that time I felt extremely ill with pain. While I was swaying on my feet the colonel was congratulating us on our performance in the recent campaign
In the barrack room I got my bed down on the floor while others about me were preparing to go out on pass but seeing that I was not too well and had seen my swollen arm, they and I thought it would be better in the morning after a night鈥檚 sleep. It was not thought necessary to call the MO, I must have had a temperature and the pain kept me awake; the arm was heavy and difficult to move and swollen from shoulder to fingertips; someone said afterwards that the fingers resembled a string of sausages.
I can only assume that the lads on returning saw my condition or the Orderly Officer, or whoever it might have been, because the next thing I remember was the blur of white coats and a pad of what I learned later to be ether was placed over my nose.
I found later that on arriving in hospital I was operated on immediately. On coming round afterwards I felt quite bright and alert; I was told that they had removed shrapnel from my elbow and that my bursa had been removed. I was not aware then that ether is commonly know as the 鈥榣aughing gas鈥�, or of its effects but the orderlies who carried me up the flights of stairs to the ward told me that everyone coming out of the theatre were happy and expected to sing; I took their word for it and willingly obliged, I don鈥檛 know why, it鈥檚 hardly my favourite song, but I burst out with I belong to Glasgow....., that happened to be my choice and I lustily belted it out, continually being urged to sing it 鈥渓ouder, louder鈥� until I reached the ward where I was greeted by handclaps, cheers and the shouted comments of about half-a-dozen Aussies just inside the door with 鈥淕ood on yer, Cobber鈥� and 鈥淪ing it, Bluey鈥�, all calling out until sister came along and called for quiet. I was settled in bed, whether from the anaesthetic or from the singing, I don鈥檛 know, but I suffered from a terrible headache.
There was then a period of which I have no memory whatsoever and it wasn鈥檛 until I found that I had been moved further up the ward that I was informed that the reason for the move was that I was then off the dangerously ill list, which accounted for about four days. The move saw me bedded next to another young 鈥榯ankie鈥� from the 3rd Battalion. We had a lot to talk about and a lot in common, both being the same height and aged 22. We were favoured by the nurses and sister called us her 鈥榣ittle twins鈥�, that caused a lot of comment all round and many remarks from those rough tough Aussies, all in good spirit though because they respected tank men. We had shared many battlefields together.
Letter-writing became difficult, although I tried with my left hand I was not very successful so someone else wrote them for me. I didn鈥檛 have any love letters to write so there was no cause for embarrassment.
When I was fit again I did the same for other poor unfortunates, many times I wrote to a man鈥檚 wife or girlfriend while he dictated, sometimes I could even make a few suggestions. We had many laughs when compiling these letters; it was funny to have to write on the envelope one of the fashionable abbreviated codes such as SWALK, (sealed with a loving kiss) or GUTS (get up them stairs) there were lots of them but at the moment that鈥檚 all that come to mind.
Life on the ward assumed a pattern, which of course is the way with hospitals. My dressing was attended to daily and patches of my hair had been cut away where a nurse probed away removing tiny splinters of metal from my scalp. I had my leg pulled over the fact that my hair being quite long there were those round patches of skin about the size of a penny.
When I was on my feet I attended the eye department because it was feared my eyes were damaged but it was not too serious, small pieces of metal dust had caused some slight abrasions, and I was informed that I would eventually receive glasses.
Boys from the regiment came in to see me in small groups bringing me news of changes back with the regiment due to the losses we sustained in the last campaign, and the new intake of men. All of them wished me well and hoped for me soon to be back with the them; soldiers do not readily or easily dispense praise on another, but each and every time one of these groups called there was always something said which surprised me coming as it did from men that I knew, most of them hardened by war and reticent in the manner of soldiers, such things as 鈥渨onderful job you did, Dig鈥�, or 鈥渨hat a good job you did鈥� or just 鈥渨ell done, Dig鈥�. I was very touched, but at the same time couldn鈥檛 understand what caused them to express themselves in such a way.
Then, on one occasion, one of them said 鈥渨e have come to tell you something, we鈥檝e been told of your action - and it鈥檚 good news, you have been put in for a Military Medal鈥�. I don鈥檛 know how I received the information, I suppose with some disbelief because it was certainly not any thought of mine that such a thing could happen to me. I knew that I had carried out my duties as well as I was capable. The praise and approval of my mates was ample recognition and something I treasured above any award, although at the same time I would be proud to be the recipient.
There were I am sure many others who fought at Sidi Rezegh, deserving and worthy of recognition. The battle itself unfortunately has found very little cover in the many writings of the historians of the Desert armoured war, but up to that time it was the biggest armoured battle of the war, one where two lines of tanks fought out to a finish.
I celebrated my 23rd birthday in hospital, the 63rd General, at Heliopolis, just outside Cairo. That was the day that the Japanese had bombed the American fleet in Pearl Harbor, destroying most of it and causing America to enter into the war. It was at that time that I was allowed to get up and I was able to assist in the kitchen, serving the special diet cases in the next ward to the yellow-faced men suffering from jaundice.
An old soldier of the Service Corps seemed to have control of the kitchen, he had been a patient earlier but although fit again appeared to be so settled in that he could be mistaken for one of the staff. He was performing an essential service there and I don鈥檛 think he had any desire at all to be 鈥榬eturned to unit鈥� I enjoyed working with him and wondered whether he reigned there throughout the war.
When being much improved I was allowed out in the evening to the hospital cinema along with some of the other patients and one one occasion while there, without warning, I slumped down unconscious and was carried back to the ward. It was found that I had a blood clot so it was back to bed and the wound was reopened. It was quite a setback after recovering so well, however I was soon well again.
According to the news in my mail my photo and details of my wound were apparently published in the local newspapers, and the other news of the family was that brother Ern was in the Shetlands with the RAF and Arthur had arrived in India, and my parents assured me that they were well.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.