The start of December 1943 saw Captain Lawrence (Lawrie) Franklyn-Vaile taking part in the Irish Brigade’s advance north of the Sangro river to San Vito and onto the River Moro. For a short while during this period, he takes over command of A Company as several of their officers become casualties.
In Lawrie letters home to his wife, Olive, he describes the desperate realities of the advance towards the River Moro, when at one stage the Faughs were the spearhead force of the 8th Army’s progress northwards. His letter home dated 6th December perfectly encapsulates the experiences of an infantry unit in the front line, and is clearly written under the most trying of circumstances.
The Irish Brigade are replaced in the front line by Canadian forces, who will soon face some desperate fighting of their own at Ortona. After coming out of the line, Lawrie takes over command of B Company as the Faughs are able to spend two weeks in relatively benign conditions well behind the front line in central Italy. After some days of rest, Lawrie’s letters re-focus on Olive’s life in England, and he also describes some of the social activity of the battalion, including cross country running. He is acutely aware that his command of A Company may be subject to change if more senior officers are posted to the battalion in the New Year.
The Faughs are able to spend a relatively restful and comfortable Christmas period and Lawrie describes a day of relaxation and occasional libation spent with his comrades and friends across the battalion. Positive spirits are most certainly the order of the day.
At the end of December, the Faughs are moved forward to positions near to Castel di Sangro and encounter blizzard conditions as they start to face the realities of being overlooked by German defensive strong points in the mountainous area to the north.
December 6th.
My Dearest Olive,
I am sorry I have not been able to write for some time but the BBC and newspapers probably made the reason fairly obvious. Sometimes I wondered if I would ever write again but thank goodness I came through alright and now I think we are in for a nice long rest.
Well, I thought the spell in October pretty bad, but I think this was even worse. A brief day by day description will give you some idea of what we went through.
(NA 9394) Fossecesia, heavily damaged by our bombers. In the foreground is a Sherman tank which came to grief on the narrow road.
We spent several days in a concentration area right by the artillery and day and night we were kept awake by the thunder of their guns. Then one night, we marched about ten miles, waded across a river (Sangro), and lay up in an assembly area. I will never forget my runner, severely wounded since, poor little fellow, following me into the river and exclaiming in tones of great surprise, ‘Jesus, it’s cold’. The following day and night we lay in our slit trenches and the next morning moved forward. We were subject to some very heavy shelling, which caused a number of casualties including Alan Smyth (Lt Albert Smyth), killed. He was the third officer in the Company. We had another icy cold night without any blankets, greatcoats, or food and the following day went into a big attack. For once, the ‘Faughs’ had an easy time: the line being broken for us. Though we advanced quite a distance, we met with very few casualties and captured a lot of prisoners. That night, coming back to the ration point, I fell over a cliff and crashed down about 40 feet. I was rather stunned and very sick for a time.
The next day, we ‘mopped up’ over a considerable area of rough country. That night, we were fairly comfortable in a farmhouse and managed to get some sleep at last. The next day and night was fairly quiet. Early the following morning, I received a message to take over command of ‘A’ Coy immediately as Toby Jewell had been wounded. This Coy has just come back from a violent 36 hour patrol and I found I had one officer Edward, 1 Sergeant, 2 Corporals, and 2 L/Cpls. I spent the day reorganising and that night we marched forward about 12 miles and took up a position on a ridge as the most forward troops of the 8th Army.
The next morning, it was discovered the Germans had come up onto the same ridge that night and the most confusing battle imaginable occurred. The CO kept my Company in reserve for a time but suddenly the Germans broke through the centre and brought heavy MG fire to bear on the Battalion HQ. The CO said to me, ‘Take what’s left of your Company up as quick as you can, Lawrie, and clear the ridge’. God, what an order!
Somehow, we reached the top and then came the task of locating these posts. At first, I put a section in front but the men were tired and jittery and would not push forward and I had to go in front myself. We were being fired at all the time but could not locate the position. Eventually, I got a pretty shrewd idea and got my Brens down to fire and found only one of them was working, so this Bren gunner and I, with my Tommy gun, kept a fire duel with the Hun. Suddenly, he stopped, but we kept on for a short time and then worked round to find that we had killed 3, wounded 2 and the rest had managed to get away, but they left their weapons behind.
When I told the CO over the wireless he said, ‘Well done, well done indeed’. That night, we dug in on the ridge and the following day were subjected to very heavy mortar fire. We were being relieved in the evening and I had two most unpleasant recces to make. That night, we were relieved and marched back 12 miles and even then we were shelled most of the way back.
Casualties reached a fair number: Tommy Wood (Major Richard Wood) killed, McNally wounded, we have very few officers left but Denis, Edward (who supported me splendidly) and Dicky Richards are alright. Poor little ‘Ginger’ Rhodes (L/Cpl Bertram Rhodes) who I told you about was killed, 19 years of age. He was 2 L/Cpl of a Section and the Corporal in command of the Section had struck up a tremendous friendship with him and he initially went mad, starting to push forward, shooting and shouting wildly. He had to be knocked unconscious and is at present insane. That is war, Olive, stripped of all the nice wireless and newspaper talk. We certainly hated the Hun yesterday, one man waved a white flag and then shot down two of our men. He did not live long.
The strain has been appalling, I feel an old tired man but I suppose will recover after a rest. I have just taken over command of ‘B’ Coy, my old Company and the men seem delighted to have me back with them and I am overjoyed to be commanding my own boys who I know will support me through ‘thick and thin’. We are all desperately tired. I have not had a change of clothing for about 3 weeks and feel absolutely filthy. Last night, I took my boots off for the first time in 9 days.
All my love to you and dear little Valerie, darling.
Your devoted husband
Lawrence
December 9th.
My Dearest Olive,
Already one is feeling very much better after a couple of days rest. I seem to be unable to completely get rid of these ‘desert’ sores, I have still got one on my hand and a painful one on my foot just by the instep which is very unpleasant with boots on but otherwise I feel quite alright.
I am now commanding ‘B’ Coy. As I told you, I took over ‘A’ Coy in the middle of the battle and Dicky Richards told me today that when he was at Battalion HQ on the night following my action against the German MG posts he heard the CO say to the Adjutant, ‘I am very pleased with the way FV handled that Coy, he certainly made things get a move on’. After the battle was over, and as McNally was wounded,
I asked the CO if I might go back to command of my old Company as I knew and liked the men and got on very well with them. He readily acceded saying he had been thinking about making the change before I spoke to him as he knew I got on very well with ‘B’ Coy. So on Monday, I returned to ‘B’ Coy and they all seemed very pleased to have me back as their Coy Commander. How long I keep it depends on what reinforcements arrive among the officers. If some senior officers turn up, as may well happen, I will have to step down to 2 i/c again – otherwise I hope it will not be too long before the Majority appears.
It is pleasant to be commanding a Company again – it gives me a stimulation, and certainly there is plenty to do as I am the only officer in the Company and there is an enormous amount of re-organisation.
(NA 9393): Some graves of British soldiers with a blazing lorry in the background.
It certainly has been a grim and fearful show. You have probably read in the papers how the 78 Div smashed the Sangro Line – well in actual fact it was 4 Armoured Brigade and the Irish Brigade. Once again, our people put up a magnificent show – the officers of the unit that finally relieved us said to me “’Well you guys have got a great reputation around here. I guess we have something to live up to”. I am glad to say that my talk with Edward did him a lot of good, and he put up an excellent show and supported me splendidly in ‘A’ Coy, and he did his very best. He said he was deeply grateful to me for my help. I was able to give him a very good report to the CO, and so he has gone back to his first love, the A/Tk platoon and regains his Captaincy. We are now in a rest area and are promised at least a month’s break (Castelnuovo) which is something to be thankful for. My Company is billeted in a school and I am sharing a room in an Italian house with (Major) Jimmy Clarke and Dicky Richards.
I am very pleased that you have at last secured a house. It is difficult to comment from here on the question of buying or renting, because I do not know the terms your uncle was prepared to offer. I was rather favourable towards buying because we seem to have spent so much money on rents with nothing to show for it and I should imagine it will not be at all difficult to sell the house after the war if we wish. In fact, we will probably do so at a profit. The best plan is to let me know what are his terms for buying and what the likely upkeep of the house will be and then it will be easier to make a decision. However you are on the spot, and I feel the final decision should rest with you but I will advise as best I can when I know the facts. At any rate, the main thing is that you have some central base and it greatly pleases me to know that I will have a home of our own when I return too. Your uncle has been very good and I will write to him. It was quite alright about the cheque – I presume the total amount for the three cheques was £35.
Well, darling, I hope you are keeping well and not worrying too much. I know if must be very difficult when you read of all these actions occurring. We took a large number of German prisoners, actually quite a number were Poles who fought extremely hard for the Hun. Most of our fellows say the Russians can have as much of Poland as they want. I had the experience of suddenly coming around a house and running into 10 Germans. For the moment I did not realise they had already been disarmed and it was a nasty moment. I was just about to fire when their hands shot up and they frantically signified they wished to surrender. Was I relieved!
Give my darling Valerie a great big kiss and also a whole heap for her lovely Mother.
Good night, sweetheart
Lawrence
December 12th.
My Dearest Olive,
Two airmails dated 25/11 and 9/11 arrived; also a surface mail enclosing letters from Mother and the snap of Valerie and Roger arrived a couple of days ago. It was a pity Valerie was taken side face. I quite agree with your remarks about Mother’s requests to help Pat. Why she herself should help I cannot understand – surely Tapley cannot be so hard up and his own family is a large one. If Mother herself was in need, I would not hesitate but I cannot see why I should send money to be passed on to Pat when you may well need every penny in the future. Hence, I am taking ‘no action’, a favourite Army phrase. Today, I received four airgraphs from them, three from Mother and one from Helen. This was in answer to my airgraph sent from the battalion. Apparently this is quite a good means of communication with Australia as there is no airmail service. The letters were written between 15/11 and 27/11. Helen says she is very happy indeed and looking forward to the day they will visit us, she says Mother worries rather more now she knows I am out here but that is only natural. Mother however wrote quite cheerful letters and is very anxious to hear from you. Please do write, darling: after all she is my Mother and it would be a long time for her to hear if anything did happen to me. If anything ever did, let her know as soon as possible.
We have got quite comfortable billets and are having a decent break. Eight of us have established a very pleasant Mess in an Italian house with a nice roaring fire to sit beside and with a gramophone and some good food and sleep, we feel very different men from a few days ago. Denis (Haywood) has just left to become an instructor at the Allied School of Infantry. Not a bad job and a pleasant change for him. The battalion had to provide an officer and the CO thought that as Denis has had a long spell of fighting, he deserved a break. Personally, I am rather happy with the battalion and it would take a lot to drag me away. I still miss poor Johnny (Glennie) a terrible lot but get on very well with most of the officers in the battalion and seem to be rather popular. Edward (Gibbon) told me a couple days ago that my action in returning so quickly after being wounded was very greatly admired and very favourably commented upon. He also said I had the most amazing gift of getting the best out of my subordinates. He said he has never met an NCO or man who has served under me who has not got the utmost praise for me. Incidentally he is returning to me as my 2 i/c.
I am very friendly with Jimmy Clarke (Major Jimmy Clarke). He studied at Cambridge University and had just qualified as a barrister. He has a most brilliant mind and very ‘left’ in his opinions. He has been with the battalion for about 2 years and has done extremely well out here, and is now a Major commanding ‘D’ Coy. We do not always agree in our views and have some grand arguments and as he has a very keen sense of humour, we get on famously.
I have just had another letter from Muriel Glennie. She is very anxious to get in touch with you so I hope you have written. Denis thought her first letter was a wonderful effort under the circumstances and that she must have a very fine character. I hope we see them one of these days. Poor Johnny, I have just written his obituary for the ‘Faughs’.
Benton Blood, Dougie and the people they were with are wiped out. They were in the Leros affair (2 RIrF) and the best we can hope for is that they have been taken prisoner. Bob Ambrose was also with them. I gather the battalion has been written off as a dead loss. I don’t think there is anyone else we knew with them. Good job I did not agree to go to them 2 years ago.
Very glad you are settling down nicely and my darling is coming along in such fine style. I would dearly like to see you both again.
All my love and kisses, dear heart
Lawrence.
December 14th.
A summary of each day will give you some sort of idea of what we went through. For several days we lay up in a concentration area right across to the artillery guns and the noise at times was deafening and we got very little sleep during that period.Then one night, we marched about 10 miles, waded across a river. It was icy cold in the middle of the night and about 2 miles the other side dug slit trenches and spent the remainder of the night in them.
(NA 9390) The wreckage of supply vehicles hit during an enemy air attack in the Sangro valley, 29-30 November 1943.
DAY 1 (Nov 28th). We stayed in this area all day unable to move about much as we were close to the enemy and slowly our clothes dried on us.
DAY 2 (Nov 29th). We moved forward to an assembly area and were very heavily shelled and suffering a number of casualties. We stayed here all day and had a miserable night.
DAY 3 (Nov 30th). The big attack was launched and it was the day of very fierce fighting but we had an easy time regarding casualties. We took up positions on the ridge that night and as I was going back I slipped on a cliff and fell 40 feet which left me feeling rather sick for a time. I got no sleep that night.
DAY 4 (Dec 1st). We spent the day mopping up small enemy pockets of resistance and must have covered 20 miles over rough country.
Day 5 (Dec 2nd). Had managed to get most of the Company in farm buildings for the night but we had to move at 4 am. However a quiet day after we had “dug in” in the new area.
DAY 6 (Dec 3rd). I was sent for early in the morning to take command of “A” Coy as the Company Commander had been wounded. My new Coy was very depleted in strength and I spent the day reorganising them. That night we moved forward about 10 miles and took up positions on the ridge, the most forward troops of the 8th Army. No sleep again.
DAY 7 (Dec 4th). An incredible day. While we had gone up one side of the ridge the Germans had come up the other side and when dawn broke, the two armies faced each other with a very small distance in between. The most confused battle imaginable occurred, my Company was down below in reserve being the weakest in manpower. Suddenly, the Germans broke through in the centre and brought very heavy fire to bear on Battalion HQ. The CO sent for me and said “Take your Company up to ridge, Lawrie, and clean them off”. What an order and my God what an afternoon it was. They had managed to get well concealed positions and fired heavily upon us and we could not for a long time find where the fire was coming from. Finally we got to near close quarters with them and engaged in a fierce fire duel which ended in us killing and wounding most of the Germans. The CO was delighted but no more so than I was relieved. My batman told me a few days later that the men said I led them with great coolness and always went to the front myself. That night we dug in and again had no sleep.
DAY 8 (Dec 5th). A most unpleasant day. We were very heavily shelled and I had to go forward twice on most unpleasant recces made all the more unpleasant by the knowledge that we were to be relieved that night. However pulled through safely and at night fresh troops took our places but even as we marched back we were shelled, the Hun would not leave the Irish Brigade alone.
We are now well back resting and never has there been a rest more well deserved or appreciated. The “Faughs” have, as usual, put up a magnificent show but have suffered very heavily and many good friends of mine have gone.
Lawrence
December 17th.
My Dearest Olive,
Received an airmail dated 28/11, which actually arrived several days after the one written on the 9/11. Today, two letters arrived from Susan – one written on the 31/10, the other an airgraph written when she heard I was in hospital. She says she wishes I was near enough for her to make me a Madeira cake – so do I, and it would be very acceptable. She gives me some of the Omagh news, apparently Mack has departed to the Queens’ OTC and someone by the name of Hynes has taken his place. GC is supposed to be expecting to be out here shortly, I should not give him a week in front line conditions. In any case, I am certain he will never arrive here – he will find some cosy job on the way up. It is an absolute scandal the way people are able to do this and there is a lot of feeling on the matter – decent fellows like Dicky Richards carry on throughout and these swines pick up soft jobs on the way out. All the base depots are full of them. I have had a letter from Mrs. Glennie and another one from Muriel. I think it is giving them some satisfaction to feel they still have someone they can write to. The mother is very broken up by what happened and I should imagine it is made all the worse in Ireland by the fuss everyone makes.
(NA 9920): View of the bridge and River Moro valley, as seen from the West.
Something to remember – at one stage of the Sangro battle I must have been the most forward man in the British Army. Towards the end, when we were on the ridge, the CO told me to place a section right forward overlooking the next river (Moro). I went forward with my runner to recce the position and sitting on the slope looking down on the German ‘lines’, it suddenly occurred to me that as the ‘Faughs’ were at that time the spearhead of the 8th Army, I was presumably right in advance of anyone else – a curious position. Of course, there was no actual danger unless some snipers were about because we had already pushed them on to the other side of the river and the only danger was if they spotted me and put across a few mortar bombs. It was an interesting experience looking down on their positions from comparatively close quarters.
Over the last couple of days, I have been defending five individuals in a Court Martial – all charged with ‘desertion in the face of the enemy’. All five asked for me rather to my annoyance as I had plenty of other things I wanted to do but the CO adopts the view that if an officer is asked for, he should do the job if humanly possible. Out of curiosity, I asked each man why he had requested me as Defending Officer and got the sort of replies, ‘I served under you at Ballykinler, Sir,’ ‘I served under you at Omagh, Sir’. ‘All the chaps say you’re very good at it, Sir’, (a gross exaggeration). ‘The chaps say you give us a fair deal, Sir’. Under the new system, all the cases are conducted at the 8th Army Court Martial Centre, so I had two days in quite a fair sized town (Campobasso) and as Dicky Richards and ‘Pixie’ Brown were there on leave, we had quite a decent time. A number of “Skins’ officers were also there and a rather wild party was held at a hotel. Dicky and I retired at about 10pm and it was a good job we did so, for the party became extremely wild and a portion of the place was smashed up and the Brigadier is absolutely furious. The wild Irish!
At the moment, we are making preparations for Xmas which we should be able to spend in peace. It should be quite a good affair for the battalion. Although, I have been 4 years in the Army it will be the first Xmas we have spent apart, darling, and let’s hope it will be the last.
The CO had a talk with me on promotion. He told me he is expecting, with very mixed feelings, the arrival of a number of senior officers from England but he said that, unless they were either very senior or of outstanding ability, I will obtain ‘B’ Coy and be promoted Major. So I am rather ‘sweating’ on their arrival as the saying goes and am hoping for the best. At present, the Company is going along in fine style.
We have a gramophone in the Mess and I am rather teased because of my fondness for the record ‘My Blue Heaven’. Remember the refrain ‘Just Molly and me and baby makes three’. Jimmy Clarke always says to anyone coming in ‘Just you watch the look in old Lawrie’s eyes when we put on ‘My Blue Heaven’.
Well, sweetheart, I wish it was the three of us together, I hope it will be before too long.
You ever loving husband
Lawrence
December 20th.
My Dearest Olive,
Received 2 airmails dated 3/12 ad 5/12 from you on successive days, and a parcel containing the ‘Manchester Guardian’ and ‘New Statesman’ with a few Daily Workers inside. They were dated Nov 19 so I thought the speed of delivery was very good. I have also had a letter and an airgraph from Susan. The airgraph was written, when she heard from somewhere or other that I was wounded. She seemed pleased to have got my letter. I am writing back to her and have asked Muriel Glennie to call and see her. They are both religious so that should be a useful basic to start with. Muriel is, of course, a good deal younger, in mind apart from age which is important. She would possibly find Renee easier to get on with but I rather gather Renee is no longer there.
The parcel for John from the Glennies arrived yesterday. They were very anxious that I should accept it. I thought the nicest action would be to distribute the cigarettes, soap, razor blades etc, amongst the original members of his old platoon now only 11 in number so I got them together and told them about it and they were very pleased and are writing a joint letter to John’s mother thanking her. It is remarkable the way they still talk about him. I have seldom met an officer who had the affection of his men to such a remarkable extent. It is not just to me but I sometimes hear them talking about him and telling newcomers to the platoon what he was like. A wonderful tribute under these conditions: if only he had lived through our night battle he would have probably learnt just that touch of necessary caution and would have been a marvellous officer. It certainly would have been wonderful having him with me now I am commanding the Company.
My Company is billeted in a large school and is fairly comfortable. We have made an excellent ‘rest room’ and have managed to collect a number of papers and periodicals. The CO was very impressed with it and when the Divisional Commander (Major General Evelegh) visited us today, the CO brought him round specially to see our ‘Rest Room’ and I was duly congratulated. We had a very successful evening of ‘housey-housey’ last night and my idea of providing tea at the end proved very popular. I must say the Company are pulling well behind me and despite the shortage of officers and NCOs, things are going well.
You are a terrible person for getting presentiments, darling. You say in your letter of the 5th that you had been feeling depressed in the same way as previously. It was the 4th & 5th that we were engaged in some very violent fighting and several times, I wondered if I would ever be returning home. However, I think there is a good chance that you need not worry for some little time ahead.
These Italians are a poor lot, the youths strut about the town with their long coats, greasy hair and arm in arm, staring at us in a most impertinent manner. In most places, they were glad enough to welcome us when we arrived but after a time start to get very uppish. I believe there is a wave of sentimentalism towards them at home – well take it from me, they don’t deserve it. I have much less sympathy with them than when I came out. The peasants are very pleasant and most of the older people and children are rather nice but those who have grown up under the influence of Fascism are an unpleasant crowd.
I expect by now you have settled in, dear heart. I eagerly look forward to the day when we will be together again. It has been a very big job for you and I think you have done magnificently. I am very proud of you.
Give my darling a very big kiss, I love reading about her.
All my love, precious wife
Lawrence
December 22nd.
My Dearest Olive,
As you will see from the above, I have at last achieved the exalted rank of Major. The CO sent for me this afternoon and told me he was promoting me. He said, ‘I want you to realise, Lawrie, that if some of these senior officers arrive I may have to bring you down, but you are doing a fine job of work and I see no reason why you should not have the benefit of the pay. Also these officers may not come or they may not prove satisfactory when they do arrive so I am ‘putting you up’. He is a splendid chap and I fully appreciate his position – his hand is forced to a large extent if they do come. However, once having held a rank, it is always very much easier to regain it again as was proved with my Captaincy.
So I am ready to enjoy it while I can and hope for the best. It means an extra 12/- per day, so that in all it means that our weekly income is now £4/13- which is quite a respectable sum, Probably a damn sight more than I will ever get in peace time. It is back dated to Dec 5th, another satisfactory state of affairs. It will be some time before it is credited to me at Lloyds so it is inadvisable to increase your allowance at the moment but if you, say, need £10 for anything, write and let me know and I will send an airmail to Lloyds, crediting it to your account.
Well, I know you will be pleased, darling. I must confess I am and I only wish we were able to enjoy it together. It gives me great satisfaction to feel that more money is being accumulated for you and Valerie and it is nice to feel that one has been reasonably successful out here and that I was not just a ‘home’ soldier.
Today has been a good day, for the Battalion Cross Country Race was held over a strenuous course of 4 miles and resulted in a smashing triumph for ‘B’ Coy 165 points to ‘S’ Coy 307, ‘D’ 485 and so on. Curious. how I can always produce a good cross country team, we had first and second and seven in the first 12. Your old man came in 13th, which quite pleased him. I had rather wondered how I would perform but I found I still have plenty of stamina and actually the race was rather too short for me – I was steadily gaining at the end.
The ‘boys’ of Ballykinler who are still left did well, Frank (Higgins) came 2nd, Williams 5th, Hartshorn 8th. Frank only came back from hospital yesterday and was posted to ‘B’ Coy which is his old Coy. I don’t quite know what to make of him – he complains of feeling very nervous and says he is frightened of going into action again. No one is eager for it but at least, we look at the thing from a reasonable angle. The CO used to be his Coy Commander and told me Frank was an excellent NCO at home but very timid out here. One day, he had the misfortune to kill his officer, a pure accident but naturally upset him greatly and the CO told him to redeem himself by doing really fine work in the next action. This he did, racing into a German position and killing about 6 and was very unlucky to miss a decoration. The CO thinks very well of him for that but at the moment I have my doubts although I will try and pull him together. However, I’ve got several very fine young NCOs, and I am afraid I will just have to pass over him unless he shows a better attitude. One cannot afford to be sentimental when life or death is in the balance.
The CO asked me where I thought I would come in the race and I said I would be well pleased if I got in the first 30. He laughed heartily and said he would be well pleased if he got in the first 100. We are the same age incidentally.
Well, precious, look after yourself, I dearly wish I was with you for Xmas, even allowing for the unkind rib about my going to sleep. I was just telling the Sergeant Major about it when your letter arrived. All my love, darling, to you and my dearest little daughter.
Your Major husband
Lawrence
December 26th.
My Dearest Olive,
We have successfully got over Xmas and it has proved a big success. I was hoping for a letter from you, but none have arrived for the past few days – I hope everything is alright. A good deal of liquor has been consumed over Xmas. We had a very gay party on the night of my promotion, and the CO was in great form and he and Magginis “pulled my leg” a lot.
A magnificent dinner was provided on Xmas day – there was keen competition for the best dining hall, with each Company having their own. We were fortunate in having an artist in our Company and he made a very good job of the walls.
The CO was very pleased with the turnout when he paid his customary visit and Magginis told me afterwards that it was easily the best dining hall in the battalion. As old Magginis spends most of his time trying to tell me about the rotten state of “B” Coy, (all in good humour, of course), I was well satisfied with his remark.
Afterwards, we adjourned as usual to the Sergeants Mess but I was not quite in such a bad state when I returned. We had our own dinner about 7 and then in the evening, another very gay party took place in the Sergeants’ Mess. I must admit I was very merry and the CO was in terrific form. He really is a grand fellow. About 2 am we adjourned to the Bttn HQ Officers’ Mess and I suppose it was sometime about 4 am that Jimmy Clarke and I successfully wended our way back to our own mess. I would not like it too often but once in a while does not harm especially in these conditions.
You remember Dawson at the 30th. He has just arrived here and has taken over command of “A” Coy. He is full of talk about getting “into action”. Dicky Richards and I told him we did not mind if we never saw another shot fired in anger, so he said we must lack his adventurous spirit. I told him that once he had been in action, he would see precious little adventure about war. Have excellent friends killed and see fine chaps lose their lives and the adventure and romance seems singularly lacking. Of course, John and I felt the same way when we first came out and used to wonder why people, some with decorations, talked as we talked to Dawson.
The CO said to me when we were by ourselves, “It’s a damned shame, Lawrie, these senior officers….coming out here now and my hand is forced over putting them in command of Companies. If this continues, I will go into action with Coy Commanders I know nothing about and have no confidence in”. I strongly agreed being a somewhat interested party.
Douglas Room has arrived back and is with the battalion. He looks quite well and is with “C” Company as a platoon commander. His people wrote and told him I was wounded.
Jimmy Clarke and Brian Clark spent 4 days in a town where Jimmy Geddes is stationed and had a very good time with him. He was just the same as ever and is very anxious that I should come and spend a few days there which with a bit of luck I should be able to do. Appalling stories seem to have got around about my wound. Jimmy G said to them “What a pity poor Lawrie Vaile had such a short stay with you”, and was amazed when Jimmy Clarke said, “What do you mean, he is very much in evidence at the present time”. Dawson told me that the story he heard when he was with the 5/Innis was that I had been badly wounded. Apparently Huband and Tim Coughlin are fairly well dug in with the 7/R.U.R but they may well find themselves caught in the “Second Front” for which plans seem to be going ahead. I am glad the Russians have survived the German counterattacks. 1944 ought to see the climax.
I hope you had a reasonably good Xmas, darling. Next year Valerie should know what it is all about. All my love, precious, to you and a great big kiss for Valerie.
Your devoted husband,
Lawrence.
March 29th 1944 (excerpt) – with description of the Adriatic campaign.
After censorship restrictions were lifted, Lawrie was able to describe the days from October to December 1943 when the Faughs advanced from Termoli to the Moro River.
My Dearest Olive,
Certain censorship regulations have been relaxed and I am now allowed to give you the address of certain places at which I fought, up to a given date. We landed at Termoli at the beginning of October after having first set foot on Italian soil at Taranto and then came up through Bari to Barletta. We left Barletta one morning and went up the coast in small boats. It had been anticipated that we would land at Termoli to find the town in our hands but, as we came nearer the town, it was surprising to find it being shelled. The CO, 2 i/c, Adjutant, Dennis Dunn, Denis Hayward and I were in the Captain’s wardroom having cocoa when all of a sudden a Commando Sergeant burst in and said ‘The Bosche are counter attacking and half the town is in their hands’. Quite a dramatic moment good enough for the films.
Well, the CO decided to land and in the pitch blackness with shells bursting around, it was quite an exciting experience, especially as they were by this time ranging on the harbour and one ship had already been hit and was sinking. We got ashore and got up to a building near the harbour. No one knew what was going to happen next but eventually the Companies were guided to various positions and we occupied a large building on the outskirts of the town. The following morning, we were heavily shelled and mortared. I felt as cold as the proverbial cucumber and then Dennis Dunn was sent for, to attend an “O” Group and afterwards I received orders to withdraw the Coy to another point. I have already described to you how the Germans almost cut us off and he was firing at us as we crawled down a ditch. Then came the famous battle of Termoli which will live as one of our great days. The Canadian tanks that supported us said we were the finest infantry battalion they have ever worked with. We came under a good deal of shelling and small arms fire but it was not too bad.
The next big affair was the advance on the River Trigno at night which apart from the hard going was fairly comfortable with only one Coy getting really involved. “B” and “C” Coys crossed the river and took up positions in the woods on the other side and then followed seven of the most uncomfortable days in my life, with continuous shelling and mortaring, and a number of casualties which culminated in the night attack on San Salvo on Oct 27th, a battle which I will never forget and which I think I have already described sufficiently well. John was subsequently buried in Termoli beside our late CO. The following day was hell and that night we were withdrawn across the river and I was evacuated to hospital.
The next big affair was the battle of the Sangro. We lay up waiting for several days, crossed the river one night, lay up on the other side for two days and then went into a big attack. It was very easy meat, and the whole thing was a magnificent example of Montgomery’s planning. A feint frontal attack was made and we swung in from the left and took the Germans by surprise. Two days were spent mopping up and then two Coys were involved in a daring attack on San Vito and after the “Skins” had taken the town, we had a gruelling night march forward which culminated in our taking a position on a ridge near the river Moro with 2 days very confused and bitter fighting….