[2002] SID’S WAR

0033 - Sidney Lane War Diary 24

[this is an extract of the war diary, 'An Ordinary War', by my uncle (Sid Lane, my mother's brother) which covers his time on Sicily] 

4/10/43 

I returned to the troop. I found them on Magnesia Peninsula. The whole battery was there forming an 8 gun site, part of the defenses of Augusta. It is more of an island connected to the mainland by a narrow causeway. There are Marines manning the coastal guns, searchlight units and Light Ack Ack - Quite a party.

31/10/43 

Life on the island has become monotonously boring. Still, an amusing epidemic is sweeping through 7 Troop (Because of the number of men, I have 30, and my bivvy area is well away from the rest of my troop I have to put up with that 7 Troop business). 

Each bivvy has drawn upon it the insignia of its occupants. On mine I have the one which indicates that I am the Half Pint Dictator. On Len Carr's tent (which he shares with Chippy Price, the pocket carpenter) a subtle joke of mine, for Len is our radio mech and the "Erg" is the minimum measure of work. This has been cunningly twisted on the next bivvy, which lodges two of our sex starved fairy fanciers, in the portrait of a beautiful girl with the caption "The Erg(e)." 

Then of course there is HD, not the highland Div. in this case but friends, Harding and Dutton. Here I find the notes break off and Les Everdale had written;

"I might mention that along with such 'trade marks' as 'The Erg', 'Half Pint' and the rest the control room has been fittingly posted "The Crazy Gang, Continuous Performance". 

This coat of arms kept changing right up to the last day [of the war]. In fact the adding of "In Tauro" came after V.E.day when we expected plenty of spit and polish. 

3/12/43 

I also got a Christmas card from Bob in the middle of November which is a good effort considering that only a few days ago I received Harold's Christmas greetings for 1942 mark you. 

16/2/44 

Seven days before Christmas we came out of action on the peninsula and went into billets in a little village outside Catania. We were very pleased to enjoy Xmas free from duties of Ack Ack. 

Aci-Castello is a delightful little spot right on the coast directly under a big rock on which there is an ancient castle in fairly good repair. It gives a fairy story atmosphere to the little town. The boys lost no time in making friends with the people, and the wine bars, of which there are seven, did a roaring trade. 

It became the O/Sgts. duty each night to close these bars at 9.00 p.m. and it could be amusing or annoying dealing with the slightly drunk and having the helpless ones taken back to their billets. By the time you completed your rounds, and had had numerous drinks by way of humouring them, you were quite goggle-eyed yourself when you had your final drink with the orderly officer. 

I remember Gordon being escorted by Bobby Howes back to the Sgts. billet (a delightful flat). The latter had a few drinks then Gordon had to conduct him back to the officer's billet. Next thing we knew, Bobby had again escorted Gordon back to our billet, and it looked as if the thing would go on all night. So Snooky and I got up and put both O/Sgt. and O/Officer to bed. 

Christmas was a great success and will live in the memory of all of us. We all had an excellent time though parts are very vague. These Sicilian wines are beautiful but treacherous. we visited Catania a lot and I saw a number of Operas at the gorgeous opera house there. 

The only gloom over our stay was the knowledge that in the new year we were to lose a lot of men and the guns in future are to be manned by Basutos. 

On New Years day I was sent to the village of Nicolosi which is right on the snow line of Mount Etna. Here I had to run a G.L. course, training new men to replace those we were losing. I hate lecturing and with a class of forty who know nothing of electricity and radio it is hard work. Still I must blame myself. My efforts in action and the smashing report from Marine Brigade recommending that I should be sent home to train as a T.I. are now bearing fruit. Knowing that the colonel (our own colonel not Mather) had been very impressed by a semi-automatic plotting board that I had designed and constructed I had, during a fit of depression, sent him my application for a T.I. course. He turned me down (which was just as well. I had got over the depression and I wouldn't have gone anyway). He said I couldn't be spared and that as the Regt. T.I. had gone home I was to take the job on until a new one arrived. So I am now the acting Regt. T.I. (for what its worth).

I remained at Nicholosi a fortnight and then we moved to a firing camp outside Catania to do practice work. I spent another five weeks at this game and then returned to my Bty. They were now at San Govani outside of Catania. It was not the same. So many faces were missing and I was a long time getting used to seeing blacks in their places. 

Everything was organised confusion, as guns were overhauled. A new GL set arrived and new vehicles. Yes, we are to move soon but Where? Italy I hope. 

20/2/44 

What now? we move again tomorrow for Italy and, presumably, the front. I often wonder, if it were possible to look into the future, I should have the courage to draw aside the veil. I think not. 

This afternoon the officers and sgts. were assembled for a pow-wow by the Brigadier. When the old boy walked in I thought "Oh Oh here it comes we are in for another do", and strange to say my inside chuckled with glee. 

But I was wrong - he happened to be an old member of the Rgt. and had just come along to wish us luck.

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