An Englishman at War

by James Holland

  Last night I had an injection in both arms and as a result have felt pretty rotten today.

  Sunday, 25 January

  In the morning I went to the padre’s service which he had in the men’s reading room. In the evening I went for a ride with the officers from my squadron, Jack Whiting and Sam Garrett. They are a grand couple, both actually commissioned from the Warwickshire Yeomanry, both connected with horses in private life. Old Sam is a really dependable soul, and most energetic and enthusiastic.

  Wednesday, 28 January

  It’s amazing to think that we have been in this camp for almost six months! The CO and I went out to the training ground and watched the troop from my squadron and C Squadron practise their demonstration for the divisional general on Monday. After lunch we had a practice march past with all the tanks. It was quite impressive. At 6 o’clock squadron leaders had a practice and demonstration on the No. 14 set. Again I almost lost Sergeant Leinster to HQ Squadron, but in the end Sergeant Franell went. Old Steve was livid as it was all done without reference to him.

  Thursday, 29 January

  All the tanks went out on a night scheme. We harboured for the night in the open ground a couple of miles from Hadera. Stephen was in command until midnight and then I took over. Reveille was at 6.30, and I had orders to move the squadron at 07.15. Rather a rush to pack up, cook breakfast, warm up and make a getaway but we did it.

  We moved off to a place called Tel-a-dura, from where orders came over the wireless that we should attack enemy transport bogged in the area of our harbour, protected by A/T guns. My force consisted of a composite squadron, 1 Troop A Squadron, 1 Troop C Squadron, and 1 Troop B Squadron. The wireless was most distorted and I had the greatest difficulty in keeping control. Colonel Corney, second-in-command of the brigade, watched the whole thing, and spoke for 80 minutes at the end. I personally didn’t think that the attack had gone too well but he appeared quite pleased.

  We got back to lunch on Friday. I gave a lecture to the rest of the squadron on the exercise after lunch. At five o’clock, Donny Player, John Walters and I went up to Haifa, and I paid a visit to the dentist. I had a tooth out. It gave a little trouble in coming out. John and Donny came in the room while I was having it done. One tooth made quite a noise when it broke.

  We dined at the Piccadilly with Vera Sharp, Margaret Blieby, and one other girl they got hold of for Donny. I didn’t feel too well after my injection[?].

  Saturday, 31 January

  A bad day in every way. The war news is not encouraging. The Hun have re-taken Benghazi, the Japs have advanced to within 18 miles of Singapore. However, the Russians are still pushing the Germans back.

  We had a full dress rehearsal for the divisional general’s inspection on Monday. The wireless broke down during the demonstration, which Ronnie Hepton was giving, which resulted in a rocket for Hepton, the signals officer, and myself. And then I forgot to tell Sam Garrett to be on the range for his demonstration at 11 o’clock. We had to do the whole thing again in the afternoon, and it went off better that time.

  Sunday, 1 February

  The delivery of tanks is not so good. Since the Japs came into the war, America is rather keen on keeping her tanks and all that are coming into the country are going up to the desert.

  The CO has now decided to hand over the tanks in the Regiment to another troop in each squadron. His policy is to have four troops partly trained, instead of one fully trained, in the event of having 16 tanks suddenly given to the squadron. The individual tank crews will be very disappointed, as they have all worked terribly hard and have taken great interest in their tanks. But I think this policy is the lesser of two evils.

  Monday, 2 February

  The Imperial Forces have now withdrawn to the island of Singapore from the mainland in Malaya. The Russians are still pressing the Hun on all fronts; the Hun is still advancing eastwards. Rommel has been substantially reinforced. General Clark, our divisional commander, inspected the regiment. We had a regimental parade and march past, which went off very well. He congratulated me on the turnout of my squadron, and asked me for how long I had had it.

  After the inspection he spent a long time in my squadron office asking all kinds of questions and finding great interest in my crime book. But he appeared quite pleased in what he saw.

  Tuesday, 3 February

  Two air-graphs, one from Cousin Betty and another from Dorothy Walters. Usual busy day’s training. Training is getting more difficult especially to keep it from getting monotonous. It’s quite time we had a move.

  Wednesday, 4 February

  I played hockey for my squadron against the Indians camped quite close to us. They had a couple of British officers playing. They are a fine-looking set of men, and most enthusiastic, especially the onlookers. We beat them 3–2. Mike Parish’s old servant, Bowles, lost his arm in a motor smash coming back from Haraih.

  Kurt Gottlieb gave my squadron a very good lecture on recognition of German uniforms. He showed us some German pay books and epaulettes, etc., representing various units of the German Army.

  My tank driver, Brewster, who has only one eye, had to go before the CO with other B3 men to see whether they were prepared to go into action. I was most disappointed to hear from the CO that Brewster demanded to be sent home. I fear that he was disappointed that his tank had been taken away from him. It would do us all good to get into action, and I only wish that we could get equipped.

  Rommel halted his offensive on 7 February, having reached the Gazala Line, a short way to the west of Tobruk. This setback was as nothing, however, compared with the terrible defeat in Singapore. On 15 February, General Percival surrendered 130,000 British, Australian and Indian troops to General Yamashita’s force of a mere 30,000. It was to be the worst defeat in British history.

  Saturday, 21 February, Khatatba Camp

  We are still getting settled in. Things are rather uncomfortable at the moment, and the food is inadequate, especially for the men. They make a balls of the indenting, so the men are going short.

  I share a tent with Lawrence Biddle. There is nothing else but desert, and desert again. When the hot weather comes it will be rather unbearable, especially the flies.

  Sunday, 22 February

  This is a most enormous camp area – large enough to hold 40,000 men. All our brigade are here, the Staffs Yeomanry and the Greys practically next door. After lunch Donny Player, Pat McCraith and I went out in the Banbaur[?] and did some navigation in the desert. We tried to pinpoint the exact position on the map of our camp. The colonel and others spent the weekend in Cairo. The colonel told me at supper that, owing to the extremely active anti-British activities on the part of the King of Egypt, we demanded his abdication, and even surrounded his palace with tanks, and with cadets from the OCTU with Tommy guns, but he refused to abdicate, although agreed that his prime minister should be turned out of office, and one of our choice should take his place – named Nahas Pasha, who is pro-British. Oliver Lyttelton is going home to become a member of the Cabinet. I don’t quite know who will take his place, and I don’t quite know what will happen to Peter Laycock. I can’t see him coming back to the Regiment, not with Flash Kellett as colonel. But I’m afraid that the Regiment will lose Flash. He is bound to get promotion. His place will be difficult to fill. We may even get a regular colonel. Flash has done a great deal for this regiment.

  Monday, 23 February

  In the morning we had a troop v troop competition against B squadron and then ended up in a general-knowledge competition. After lunch our luggage arrived as a result of which we are all much more comfortable. Stephen Mitchell, Myles Hildyard and Geoffrey Brooks, our doctor, arrived in camp tonight. Old Stephen has been on a senior officers’ course at Karkur. I go on the same course at the end of the month. It will be strange going back to Palestine again. Myles has been ill. He is my second-in-command, I don’t quite know how we will all get on. He is not a natural soldier. I am reading such a good book called The Bl
ind Man’s House by Hugh Walpole.

  Tuesday, 24 February

  I find it most difficult to train the squadron with no equipment, and at the same time to keep the training from becoming monotonous. It really was a most beautiful day, not too hot, and we have had no more sand storms. The whole Regiment did PT before breakfast, which was quite a good thing.

  Wednesday, 25 February

  Myles Hildyard, our second captain in the squadron, gave the squadron a most excellent lecture about what the Regiment did in Crete, how he and Mike Parish were captured, their escape and eventual arrival back to the Regiment after spending three months in the mountains.

  Sam Garrett arrived with his troop and the tanks. They have had a long journey but enjoyed it on the whole. Sam is a most excellent man and a first-class troop leader. After lunch I went out with Pat McCraith (who was for a time in the Long Range Desert Patrol) and Stephen Mitchell and did some desert navigation with a sun compass.

  Friday, 27 February

  I heard today that the Cheshire Yeomanry and the North Somerset Yeomanry are going to cease to exist as regiments and are becoming members of the Royal Corps of Signals. This must be a dreadful blow to them. This will also apply to the Middlesex Yeomanry. We may get some of their officers.

  I spent most of the day clearing up and handing over to Roger Nelthorpe, my second-in-command, as tomorrow I go to Palestine on a senior officers’ technical course at the Middle East Armoured Fighting Vehicle Tactical School. They used to run the cavalry course and are next door to our old camp.

  Saturday, 28 February

  I left for Cairo in a staff car, with Donny Player, Myles Hildyard and Pat McCraith. I went to the bank and did some shopping, had lunch at Shepheard’s Hotel, caught the 2.55 train to Kantara, and so on to Palestine. We had some German prisoners on the train with us. How I hate the journey from Egypt to Palestine.

  I saw quite a lot of people whom I know in Cairo, including Basil Ringrose, whom I have not seen since he won his DSO.

  Sunday, 1 March

  Arrived at Hadera at about 10.30 in the morning after rather a wearying journey. I did have a sleeper but I had to share it with an officer in the Argyll and Sutherlands. I found I know one or two people on this course including Meynell from the Staffs, Roxborough from the Greys, Stephen D. Morgan from the Middlesex Yeomanry.

  We are housed in bungalows with baths and electric light, and I have a room to myself. I am the boss! The mess appears quite comfortable and the food is good. I had a sleep in the afternoon, a walk with Meynell over to our old camp, which looks very forlorn now with all the tents down. The country looks very lovely at this time of year.

  Tuesday, 3 March

  This morning we had our syndicate discussion at 10.45, which was most interesting. I had to speak quite a lot. This was followed by a lecture on the German Armoured Division. In the afternoon new syndicates were formed to prepare a discussion on the German Armoured Division, comparing it with the British Armoured Division, and tactical handling of both. The trouble is that the final decision about the Armoured Brigade Group, and the division has not yet been taken. At six o’clock in the evening I went for a walk with Bill Weymouth. He is in the Wiltshire Yeomanry. At dinner I sat next to David Steele and John Walters.

  Afterwards I had long talk with David about desert warfare. What he said was all most interesting as he has had plenty of experience. It’s great fun seeing him again, and we had a long talk about our last Inns of Court camp at Warminster. I want to ask him some time how he won his DSO in France, and also about his brother Dick, who was killed almost on the same day.

  Wednesday, 4 March

  Another interesting day. I was very pleasantly surprised to hear a lecture from Guy Peyton who came down from the staff college at Haifa and lectured on armoured cars. I had a long talk with him afterwards. We had lectures on the REs and the Motorized Infantry Brigade.

  After dinner I had a long talk with David Steele. He told me all about his sojourns in France, how his brother Dick got killed, and also Jonnie Roul in the Xth, and I made him tell me how he won the DSO. I like him so much. Margaret Blieby rang me up from Haifa. I wrote and told her that I would be coming up. John and I may go up tomorrow night.

  Saturday, 7 March

  Another whole day TEWT, which was a continuation of the same battle.

  As soon as we got back in the evening John Walters, David Steele and I motored up to Haifa in John’s car. We had dinner at the Piccadilly. Margaret Blieby, and another girl in the WAAFs made up the party. The other girl was called Peg. She was fat, aged eighteen, dull, and had a very bad cold, but I suppose a good sort. Guy Peyton and his wife were there. We all stayed at the Mount Carmel Hotel.

  Sunday, 8 March

  We didn’t get up very early. Went for a walk along the Carmel Range. As Margaret was off duty, we took her and the dog Pat (bull terrier). We had a drink at Shimmey’s and lunch at Prosse’s. After lunch David and I did some shopping. I bought a fountain pen, with which I am writing now, costing 25s, a new pipe, which I am smoking now, and pouch.

  We had dinner at the Astoria, which was very good. David and I then went to a film, called Turnabout, which was most amusing. I sat next to Pat Cox at the cinema. She is quite easily the most attractive girl I have seen in the Middle East. A typical English beauty – fair, blue eyes, turned-up nose, very young, and they say quite unspoilt and unsophisticated.

  Monday, 9 March

  Our forces have evacuated Rangoon, which is not too hot. Until America can really get going in production we will continue to have loss out there. The invasion of Australia is extremely likely, and the threat to India very ominous.

  We had another all-day TEWT. I was a leader of a syndicate with Delmar Magan, Middlesex Yeomanry, McCraig, Scot’s Guards, a most amusing person with a DSO. It’s been a most glorious spring day, and the wild flowers in some places form a complete carpet.

  The Middlesex Yeomanry has now been transferred into the Royal Corps of Signals and Magan said this evening that his colonel had phoned him to tell him that he was coming to our regiment as second-in-command to a squadron. I was most surprised when I heard it. If Pat McCraith has taken this special liaison job, I expect he will go to Mephon. If the colonel continues to take on new officers of captain and above, it becomes rather disheartening to the subalterns who look forward to promotion.

  Tuesday, 10 March

  Quite an entertaining day. John Walters went off to Haifa in the evening. After dinner I had a long talk with Pearson in the HAC. There were a few points that I wanted to clear up about the 25-pounder. The Japs are still advancing past Rangoon. They have committed great atrocities both in Hong Kong and Malaya, according to Anthony Eden.

  British troops had evacuated Rangoon on 7 March, having destroyed the port facilities first. Stories of Japanese atrocities were quick to spread and often all too true. British troops had been savagely treated in Singapore and Hong Kong, and reports had emerged of prisoners being bayoneted and of horrendous overcrowding at Changi, the huge ex-British base on Singapore and now a POW camp. News also got out that around 200 Indian and Australian troops had been decapitated on the Muar river, while a further 600 were rumoured to have been bayoneted to death on Amboina Island in the Dutch East Indies.

  Wednesday, 11 March

  In the evening I wrote some letters. Two for Pat, one for Diana Pelham, who still writes rather sentimental letters to me, and one to Bridget Wilkinson. The country at this time of year looks simply lovely, especially the green crops, the violet flowers and the orange blossom. I am thoroughly enjoying this course and Khatatba will be a dismal place, but on the other hand, I am looking forward to getting back to the squadron.

  Saturday, 14 March

  Our course ended today. It has been most enjoyable, and most instructive, and in many ways I am sorry that it has come to an end.

  We worked until midday, then John and I motored to Jerusalem in his small car. We sent our heavy luggage with our
batmen by train. We ran into Hermione Ranfurly in the King David Hotel, and she promised to come and join us after dinner at the hotel, with Araminta MacMichael and Michael and another couple. In the hotel we met Diana McConnell with whom we had tea. David Steele was also with us. I like Diana and think her most attractive. We spoke quite a lot about Seymour who was ADC to her father. They all liked him very much. I am very much looking forward to seeing him again.

  After dinner John, David and I were found by Hermione, Araminta, another girl (dull, plain but nice) and Dick Scarswall, from Government House. One lady is a cousin of the high commissioner. We danced to the very excellent band of the King David. I also met Margot Williams. She married a man in the Buffs and they have been out here for about three years. I knew that I had seen them before. She is such a charming person and so good-looking. She and her husband were dining with a party which included a most attractive Australian VAD. We stayed that night at the King David Hotel, which was most comfortable.

  Sunday, 15 March