Description
Object description
Ts transcript (555pp) of a detailed, well-written diary, June 1941 - August 1945, recording his service as an NCO with the 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade and, from March 1945, the 10th Battalion Rifle Brigade, initially as a signaller in Egypt, North Africa and Palestine (July 1941 - April 1944) but then in Italy during the Allied advance (May 1944 - May 1945) and finally as an interpreter in Austria (May - August 1945), including useful descriptions of his initial voyage out, the Battle of Sidi Rezegh (November 1941), the capture of Benghazi (December 1941), Battles of El Alamein (October - November 1942) and the Mareth Line (March 1943), 'desert weariness' and the lifestyle of a Desert Rat, the qualities of a Cockney soldier, the desertion of a comrade, the evacuation of another for loss of nerve and a court martial for 'circumventing the censor', the street life, brothels and tourist attractions of Cairo, Jerusalem and Bethlehem, inspections by HM King George VI and Field Marshal Montgomery, low morale resulting from disallowance of leave, criticisms of the film 'Desert Victory' and both German and British propaganda, visits to Rome and Florence on leave, a comparison of the types of warfare in which he participated, his fraternisation with Italian and Austrian girls despite the official Allied ruling against it, and an example of ill discipline among British soldiers in the British Zone of Austria.
Content description
Ts transcript (555pp) of a detailed, well-written diary, June 1941 - August 1945, recording his service as an NCO with the 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade and, from March 1945, the 10th Battalion Rifle Brigade, initially as a signaller in Egypt, North Africa and Palestine (July 1941 - April 1944) but then in Italy during the Allied advance (May 1944 - May 1945) and finally as an interpreter in Austria (May - August 1945), including useful descriptions of his initial voyage out, the Battle of Sidi Rezegh (November 1941), the capture of Benghazi (December 1941), Battles of El Alamein (October - November 1942) and the Mareth Line (March 1943), 'desert weariness' and the lifestyle of a Desert Rat, the qualities of a Cockney soldier, the desertion of a comrade, the evacuation of another for loss of nerve and a court martial for 'circumventing the censor', the street life, brothels and tourist attractions of Cairo, Jerusalem and Bethlehem, inspections by HM King George VI and Field Marshal Montgomery, low morale resulting from disallowance of leave, criticisms of the film 'Desert Victory' and both German and British propaganda, visits to Rome and Florence on leave, a comparison of the types of warfare in which he participated, his fraternisation with Italian and Austrian girls despite the official Allied ruling against it, and an example of ill discipline among British soldiers in the British Zone of Austria.
History note
Cataloguer APR
History note
Catalogue date 1996-10-03