We eventually got out of the village and came on the main road to Sidi Ben Ali. Incidentally, on the last lap of our tortuous and eventful journey through the village I ditched my tank in an enormous hole and had to change to another.
The road on which we came was being shelled so Patrick McCraith and I endeavoured to get some information from the local inhabitants. Suddenly round the bend came three girls on bicycles, whom we stopped and proceeded in our best French to ask questions as to when the enemy had left the area. They were all terrified and started to make off so Patrick and I gave chase, which made them all the more frightened. However, after we’d shouted, ‘Nous sommes amis,’ they eventually stopped to answer questions. One of them, very young, was one of the most attractive young girls I had seen since leaving England. Their first question was whether we were American or English. A shell then landed about 500 yards away, which scattered them and their bicycles amid shrieks of terror in all directions. We eventually all met again, with other French people at the village post office. They were very helpful and told us that the Germans had left the previous day and were forming a line at Enfidaville. Patrick and I would have liked to stay longer but needless to say urgent calls came over the net asking why we were not pushing on.
Colonel Donny was asked by the brigadier to name a rendezvous for the brigadier and two infantry brigadiers who were following up the brigade. We laughed like hell when he arranged for them to meet at a cross roads in the Arab section of the village, which we had passed and where there were two dead donkeys, one dead dog and one dead camel. Donny pointed out that they ought easily to be able to recognize the place.
Tuesday, 13 April
We arrived in the early morning at Enfidaville and joined up with the rest of the brigade, who had been moving along the coast road.
The New Zealand infantry had entered the village during the night and the enemy had withdrawn into strongholds in the hills. The Regiment moved back behind Sidi Ben Ali and found a most attractive spot for a short rest. The country is really remarkably green and the wild flowers are most attractive. I have never seen so many varieties, not even in the most spectacular spots in Palestine.
Wednesday, 14 April
A day of rest, which we spent on maintenance. Took the opportunity to write some letters. RHQ brought up the mess and the squadron leaders are eating with the colonel.
Stanley took a photograph of them having a meal among the olive groves south of Enfidaville (here). By now the desert had been left behind and the Tunisian landscape had turned decidedly more Mediterranean.
Thursday, 15 April
The Regiment moved north to just south-west of Enfidaville. Colonel Donny and I did a recce on to the main Enfidaville road, where the Staffs are in position. They have had a very sticky time from enemy shelling and John Cunliffe-Lister was hit in the head by a piece of shrapnel and died from wounds.
The area is lousy with partridges so Donny Player took his gun with him on the recce. I only wish the Germans could have seen Donny Player suddenly jump out of the Jeep as we put a brace up, get a left and a right, while enemy shells landed within 500 yards and our Long Toms were firing 800 yards to our rear. We gave one of the partridges to Jim Eadie, colonel of the Staffs.
The mosquitoes at night are quite deplorable and everybody is getting thoroughly bitten, especially as we have no mosquito nets. However, we are told the malaria mosquito does not inhabit this area.
Friday, 16 April
We remained in our new location, which is among the cactus hedges, throughout the day.
Saturday, 17 April
Spent a quiet day, mostly on maintenance, among the cactus hedges. Mosquitoes at night and flies during the day make life hell.
Sunday, 18 April
Some American mechanics visited the Regiment and spent the morning discussing with the fitters of the heavy tanks various mechanical problems which they had met since we were equipped with the American Shermans. I understand they were most helpful and very pleasant personalities. It’s a great shame that English mechanics who actually manufacture the Crusader are not available for the same purpose.
An American brigade major came and had lunch with the Regiment. He was very pleasant but appeared to be the usual type of American and gave us all rather the impression that the Americans still have a great deal to learn about soldiering, like we did when we first arrived in the desert.
Monday, 19 April
During the morning, various conferences about the forthcoming attack. The infantry, consisting of the New Zealanders, the Highlanders and the Indians, are to attack along the whole line and capture if possible some of the high ground from which the enemy has such excellent observation. The Regiment is to be in support of and under command of a New Zealand brigade.
During the day we had a look at the ground over which we are to operate, and at 19.00 hours the Regiment moved out into position. The barrage and infantry attack is to start at midnight.
Tuesday, 20 April
During the early hours of last night the infantry called for 1 Troop to support their attack on the right flank, which was hindered by thick cactus bushes. They said they required the tanks to break a way through the bushes. However, as I rather anticipated, my troop of Crusaders, which I put under Patrick McCraith for a short period, were used in the role of an ‘I’ tank, for which they are thoroughly unsuitable.
Patrick McCraith told me that when the tanks had broken through the cactus they found visibility nil owing to the shellfire, and they came under terrific artillery fire, mortar fire, and sniping from the high ground. Furthermore, after advancing another 100 yards they were immediately engaged by anti-tank guns. They had the greatest difficulty in keeping contact with the advancing infantry who, owing to the intensity of the enemy barrage, were compelled continually to lie flat on the ground.
We were supporting a battalion of New Zealanders who were attacking Takrouna. A portion of this battalion had worked round the right flank of the village and were in grave danger of being cut off or of having a heavy enemy counter-attack made against them before they could get up their supporting arms. In consequence, the New Zealand brigadier ordered the Regiment up to support them. We set out about dawn and I managed to join up with the other two troops, both of whom had rather an unpleasant time.
We came under extremely heavy artillery fire. There were also still enemy machine-gun posts and snipers very well concealed on the high ground where it was quite impossible to take a tank. As a result, we couldn’t show even a finger above the turret. Sergeant McCann in the early stages received a bullet through his cheek from an enemy sniper. He was very fortunate and the latest report says he will recover.
Takrouna is an Arab fortress village situated on the topmost peak of the highest hill, which has perpendicular sides. Half the hill has been captured but the further side remains in the hands of the enemy. Practically every spot had been previously registered by the enemy gunners.
The rest of my squadron worked on forward, endeavouring to reach the foremost New Zealand infantry. We tried to use a wadi for cover but when we were travelling along the bottom the shelling seemed to be concentrated on us. Ian McKay received a direct hit with HE on the driver’s cab, which completely wrecked his tank, killed his driver, but miraculously did not injure any other member of the crew, who all jumped out and took refuge in a slit trench which had been evacuated by the Germans. Ian ran over to tell me what had happened and as he was talking another shell landed about five yards from my tank, but fortunately he was on the other side to which the shell landed. It completely blew off the ration box on the side of the tank, causing a bag of flour to shoot up in the air and cover the turret and myself with flour.
In the meantime, the heavy tanks were endeavouring to follow us but five ran onto mines and were all put out of action. This could not have happened in a more unfavourable position as the tanks were exposed to every kind of enemy fire. Very fortunately the enemy had no anti-tank guns cover
ing that area. I retraced some of the ground in order to contact the battalion HQ of the New Zealanders and on my way back again I also went up on a mine. My driver, Trooper Barrow, was slightly wounded. I found myself about 50 yards from Stephen Mitchell’s tank, also on a minefield. Fortunately I managed to board another tank and rejoined my squadron.
I heard afterwards that today was Stephen Mitchell’s birthday, and that his gunner in the middle of the afternoon, after spending about six hours on the minefield under the most unpleasant conditions imaginable, said, ‘I believe it is your birthday, sir. Many happy returns of the day,’ to which Stephen replied rather irritably, ‘What the devil makes you think that I want to spend another day, let alone a birthday, on an enemy minefield?’
On our way up we passed through the Maori Battalion, who, as usual, had done wonderfully well. I saw the most remarkable spectacle of one Maori stalking and capturing a German machine-gun post containing eight men on the side of a small hill. Pat and I had worked round to the back and we were able to bring fire on to the post, but the Germans were well aware of the Maori who was stalking them and we saw one German throw three stick hand-grenades at the stalking Maori, who appeared to be quite unconcerned. It was a grand sight to see eight Germans coming out with their hands up. As a result of the day 200 Germans were captured.
Wednesday, 21 April
The Regiment moved up to support the infantry behind Takrouna. Colonel Donny wanted to find out whether we could work round a narrow valley on the south side of the village, so I took Sergeant Dring and Sergeant Butler with me to see what we could find out. We passed a troop of B Squadron heavy tanks and pushed forward to the next ridge. From there we got an excellent position and view of the far side of Takrouna Hill, which was still in the hands of the enemy. We also picked up a couple of enemy machine-gun posts on the far side of the valley and we conducted a very successful indirect shoot with B Squadron.
On our way up my tank broke down so I changed on to Sergeant Dring’s tank.
Just before sunset I saw a Maori stalk down from the top of the Takrouna Hill, fire a couple of shots from his rifle and eventually succeed in weeding out a machine-gun post containing 20 Germans. The whole scene was silhouetted against the skyline and to watch all these Germans coming out of their very well-concealed dugout with arms in the air surrendering to one British Maori was indeed an inspiring and spectacular sight. Sergeant Dring had an excellent shoot with his Besa gun on some Germans whom we had disturbed with the HE fire from the heavy tanks.
We saw two Germans carrying a wounded comrade away on a stretcher and I found it extremely difficult to decide whether or not we should continue to fire on them.
The capture of the Takrouna feature by the Maoris was indeed a remarkable piece and I am afraid cost them many lives. Before they eventually gained control of the whole of the village, six Italians had crept up and thrown a hand-grenade into a room where Maoris had established a first-aid dressing station. As a result of this two Maoris ran amok, managed to capture two of the Italians whom they bayoneted to death, later caught another two to whom they gave the option of being bayoneted or thrown over the precipice of the Takrouna feature. The other two Italians were eventually captured by another Maori company, but they, too, were fetched by the same two Maoris and met with a similar fate.
We drew back into leaguer as it grew dark. The sniping from the high ground on either side of the valley was most unpleasant and they still had OPs, which can bring down accurate shellfire.
The 28th (Maori) Battalion had a deserved reputation for being among the toughest soldiers in Eighth Army. Unlike white New Zealanders, who faced conscription, the Maori were all volunteers, and their companies divided on a largely tribal basis.
Thursday, 22 April
The 3rd RTR took over from us and we were in reserve. However, we came in for rather a lot of shelling.
Friday, 23 April
We moved up in position to support one of the Guards brigades to protect them against any counter-attack by enemy tanks. We hid all day in an olive grove.
Saturday, 24 April
We had orders to withdraw as the country does not warrant any tank action and we were still coming in for a certain amount of shelling. About 5 o’clock in the evening Colonel Donny Player and Myles Hildyard went back in a Jeep to reconnoitre a route through the village of Enfidaville and to our next position.
As they passed through a village a heavy enemy barrage came down on to the village and Donny was mortally wounded. He died in the ambulance on the way to the ADS. Myles, who was with him, fortunately escaped all injuries.
His loss is a very great blow to us all, especially as he was doing so well since he had taken over command of the Regiment, even though it was for such a short time.
In the space of barely a month, the Sherwood Rangers had lost the two men who had most shaped and guided the Regiment during its transition from pre-war Yeomanry outfit to an increasingly skilled and proficient armoured unit – first Flash Kellett, and now Donny Player. He was 40 when he died, and a member of the Player’s tobacco family – rich, well-connected and good-looking, and a much-loved officer and commander. He is buried at the Commonwealth War Cemetery at Enfidaville.
Sunday, 25 April
Donny was buried in the little cemetery of Enfidaville in the morning. The padre had a very short memorial service at the graveside, which Michael Laycock, Myles Hildyard, Arthur Leadbetter (Donny’s batman), Trooper Rugman (Donny’s butler) and I attended.
Donny’s grave at Enfidaville.
The cemetery is so very peaceful and there are buried there British, German and Italian soldiers. The whole area of the cemetery is a mass of wild flowers of the most lovely colours and we even found geraniums and two English rose bushes. We planted a geranium bush on Donny’s grave and Myles took a photo to send back to his father. The flowers and the grass in the cemetery have for many months been neglected and everything is running wild. However, in spite of shell firing going on outside, in the cemetery it was all so peaceful.
Monday, 26 April
The Regiment is now in an area just off the road about four miles due south of Enfidaville. We spent the day on maintenance.
Thursday, 29 April
Arthur Cranley from the 4th CLY has been posted to command the Regiment. This came as somewhat of a surprise as we knew there might be a possibility that Sandy Cameron might come but no mention had been made of Arthur Cranley. He is an exact counterpart of mine at Winchester, where I knew him well. At one time he had the Light Squadron at the CLY, where he did very well and was extra ordinarily popular with his men, and Michael is to be second-in-command of the Regiment.
Saturday, 1–Sunday, 9 May
During this period we have remained in the same area, just south of Enfidaville. Officially we are at two or three hours’ notice and ready to move up to support the infantry in the event of enemy counter-attack.
A certain number of new officers have arrived. I was sent down to TGR to collect and select six from a batch of reinforcements. I found there the colonel of the Staffs, the colonel of the 3rd RTR and the colonel of the 22nd Armoured Brigade (the 2 i/c of the brigade). They were all there for the same purpose. We saw approximately 20 officers in all and asked them various questions. We were then asked to make our choices. Of course, we practically all put the same six names down, so the matter had to be decided by drawing out of the hat. I only took three.
As is customary, we held an auction for some of Donny Player’s military kit, the proceeds of which will go to the Regimental Welfare Fund. Some of the articles fetched very high prices, thanks to Stephen, who was acting auctioneer. How Donny would have laughed if he could have seen Michael Gold paying £1.10s for a piece of soap. Everybody paid very generously and we raised about £30 for the Regimental Welfare.
On 6 May Keith Douglas rejoined the squadron after being in hospital recovering from a wound he received in the battle at Zem Zem. He will take over 5 Troop but in th
e meantime he has been sent away to try and collect some NAAFI stores for the Regiment.
I had the greatest difficulty to get Patrick out of bed, his batman having utterly failed to wake him. The previous night he had slightly overindulged and took three hours to get from the mess to the squadron area, which are only about 800 yards apart. When we eventually did manage to get him on the move (it required half a bucket of water to do so), he travelled with me in the front of a Jeep and would keep falling asleep. When going along a piece of road I had to make rather a sharp turn to avoid a bump and he fell out of the side of the Jeep and landed on his face on the hard road, taking all the skin off his nose, giving himself a nasty cut over the left eye and making him bite a bit out of his lip. He is OK but will have a rather painful face. The doctor has completely covered it with bandages and as a result he walks about looking exactly like the Invisible Man.
An Englishman at War Page 34