Journey to Iraq
We never did get to Siwa. About half way there, we, the 8th Brigade, were ordered back to Palestine - exactly the same journey in reverse. A revolt had broken out in Iraq led by Raschid Ali, and all the British forces had been taken south from Palestine to Egypt. It was necessary to put down this revolt. There was terrific fighting and destruction. Habbaniya Airport had all the runways destroyed.
How we worked when we got back to Sarafand! We worked day and night, sorting vehicles (they were shaken to bits), loading petrol, ammo, food, and at last we were ready for off - setting off to Baghdad to quell this revolt under the command of Lieut General Kingston. We were to become known as "Kingston's Column". There were 7,000 of us, viz. the First Battalion Essex Regiment, the Household Cavalry in assault trucks, a regiment of Artillery up from Egypt, a` Light Aid attachment of Ordnance, First Corps Signals, Field Ambulance Co and two Battalions of Infantry. The column was 6-7 miles long. We were divided up, in case of attack, or some disaster. In other words, the signals, say, were all dispersed throughout the column. It was known as "dispersation of resources".
We set off up to Trans Jordan, up the 'H' pipeline - there were pumping stations every hundred miles or so. At Mafraq we were met by "Glub's Girls" - native troops(named after Glub Pasha!) who came with us as navigators. I was Asst Driver on our lorry. In the back, beside the requisite kit of tools, we had ten Essex infantrymen. It was to take up to three weeks to reach Baghdad, across the desert. We used old tracks; there were no roads. Sometimes we had smooth hard sand, sometimes soft sand that we sank in. We would also come across acres and acres of large boulders and we had to find the best way through - we would lose our sense of direction. The mileage travelled per day varied hugely. Lots of drivers couldn't read the surface and so many got bogged down, and it was out with the sand tracks, ropes, spades, etc and get the b-----s out. We couldn't leave any of the vehicles. They were all necessary.
