Cairo
Sometime early in '43, the test staff and workshops staff started to be withdrawn, and a new draft came in for duties to replace them. Shortly before this, a proclamation came that all military personnel in the work shops be transferred to the R.E.M.E. The C.O., Major Gayford, put me in charge of the Test Staff, because his WO2 had been posted. I was only a Lance Corporal but there was no opening for promotion unless I changed to Engineer/Fitter. This I was unwilling to do. I knew Major Gayford quite well. He lived in a big house in Heliopolis and I collected him every morning and brought him to the Officers Mess, in the camp, for breakfast.
The Staff being withdrawn were posted to a depot to form another company. We found out eventually that it was in readiness for the invasion of Sicily in July '43.
About this time, February '43, Kenny Campbell died. He had been complaining for some time of chest pains - indigestion, he thought. One day, when he was very pained, I said to him that it was time he reported sick. He was sent to hospital and died. He was buried in the cemetery in Heliopolis - I was one of the bearers. I remembered getting on the train with him at Waverley, and seeing him say goodbye to his wife and little daughter. I found later a family history of early death from heart disease.
We were still very busy in the workshops, and test staff. I went on short leave with Alan Nicolson to Alexandria. We stayed at the Tipperary Club there. Sicily fell, and the forces landed on the Italian mainland in September '43, and Italy surrendered four days later.
The Med was now opened to ships and the African campaign virtually over. Italy was occupied by German troops and the fighting was bitter. We were still working hard. We had the odd troop concert in Abbassia. I particularly remember Lena Horne. Churchill decided to give us 3d a day extra, to even up with what munition workers were making at home. What a bloody farce! What a nest egg that would give us!
In July '44, Alan Nicolson and his fiancee Joan Morgan were married in St George's church, Abbassia. I gave the bride away. That morning, Major Gayford asked if I was going to the wedding. "I'm not pleased, you know", he said, "I usually sleep in the afternoon". On being told that I was giving the bride away he tutted, "That's her father's job, surely". I pointed out that her father was in Wales; he had never thought of that!
Prior to this, I heard that my brother Edward, was in Basra, then that he was in the Canal Zone. I had to go to Tel el Kebir for supplies and there I spoke to a green and told him I would like to meet up with Edward. "Take a motor bike", he said, "and go to the General Post Office and look him up". Off I went to the GPO and gave his squadron number on his last letter. They insisted he was in Basra and I insisted he was in Alex. Away they went to enquire, and came back with the information, "He was in Basra, but they've left". I had to leave, having got nowhere.
Next letter from Edward was cryptic. It said, "I am in the same place as Muriel Reucassel". I knew that Muriel, in the WRNS, was in Alex (she was from South Africa, but was born in Currie). We were not allowed to name places, in case the enemy was opening the mail!
Jimmy (right), with his older brother, Eddie
Well, I got a pass out from Abbassia, and took the train to Alex. Once again, I went to the GPO, found where he was, found the place, found the squadron, found his tent, gear etc, and found that he and his pals were off into Alex for the afternoon! I hung around, and then asked about and got a bed for the night. I found him next morning. We had one day together, in Alex, got out photos taken, and I stayed over another night and left for Cairo in the morning.