During May 1944, the Irish Brigade were involved in their most bitter fighting period since the previous autumn on the Adriatic coast as they joined the spearhead thrust of 78 Infantry Division to break into and through the strongly fortified Gustav Line and move to cut the vital German supply routes along Highway Six, just to the north of Monte Cassino.
During the early part of the month, Major Lawrie Franklyn-Vaile, OC of C Company of the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers (1 RIrF), continued to write to his wife, Olive, about the circumstances of his battalion’s training regimen and in these letters, Lawrie appeared in a relaxed mood but a noticeable change in tone occurred after the onset of the Allied Armies’ assaults on the Gustav Line during the night of 11th/12th May.
Lawrie’s letter home to his wife, written on 16th May from the Gari bridgehead, is a most remarkable testimony to the honorable traditions of an infantry unit on the eve of battle as he describes how he sought to steady the men of his company during a period of disquiet…
This was the final letter sent home to Olive as, at about 0730 on the morning of 17th May 1944, Lawrence Franklyn-Vaile was killed by a concentration of German shells, which fell directly on the Faughs’ start line. Despite this set back, the three battalions of the Irish Brigade were entirely successful in achieving the objectives set that day for them.
The final letter in a most remarkable set of correspondence, written on 18th May 1944, was sent to Olive Franklyn-Vaile by Lieutenant Douglas Room, one of C Company’s platoon commanders, and provides an outstandingly moving eulogy of praise for the period of command of Major Franklyn-Vaile.
Faugh a Ballagh!
1st May 1944.
My Dearest Olive,
May Day and we still seem to have a long way to go to finish the war. Everyone is patiently waiting for the Second Front out here and feels that it is high time that the strain was taken off us here and that the millions of troops at home did their share in winning the war. Personally, I feel that attitude of mind very justifiable – we have had a long and gruelling spell, especially those that have been out here from the beginning of N. Africa and it does appear as if all the fighting is falling on the shoulders of comparatively few troops and one could scarcely ask for worse country to fight over. I sometimes wonder how we manage to advance at all, and you would agree with me if you saw the country, hills and mountains with a few rivers thrown in until one is absolutely sick of the sight of them.
The lads out here feel they have done their fair share – we don’t mind doing a bit of pushing when someone else is doing it as well. There is also a strong feeling that the Second Front is being so glamourised that, when it does commence, people will forget all about this campaign and will be saying afterwards, “What, were you not in the Second Front, oh, Italy, that was nothing”, forgetting all about the terrain, the stern German resistance and the fact that we have not got the advantage the people in France have of being able to get home early. However, perhaps by the time you receive this letter, it will have started although I shall not be surprised if there is no change in the situation.
On Saturday, received two letters from you dated 21/4, 22/4 and on Sunday one dated 23/4. Very nice, your letters are very pleasant and interesting to read and naturally I like hearing about the everyday happenings and all Valerie’s doings and sayings. Funny the way she calls both dogs “Sadi”. Is Sadi her favourite or is it simply the name is easier to pronounce? I dearly wish I could see her now – she must be very companionable and jolly. I gather the garden is rather small. Had an airgraph from Mother and surface letters from Helen and Pat – the first I have had from Pat for many a long day. She enclosed a letter from Tapley who is stationed on some island to the north of Australia. He has been there 10 months and expects to remain another 10 months – he is a Sergeant.
Mother did not sound quite so well in her letter, and she said she hoped she would see her “dear little granddaughter” before she got too old to enjoy her and felt she was going down hill now. Of course she is getting on. One is inclined to forget that but I hope she will live for many years yet. Helen and Pat both say she looks very smart still. I am very glad you have written and hope you will let bygones be bygones and write at regular intervals. I know she will appreciate it and it is the kind thing to do. You had lots of grounds for feeling rather bitter but I am certain you are too big to worry about that now.
Dicky Richards and I went across to see Denis on Saturday and stopped the night there. There are some other “Faugh” Officers at the school and we had rather a gay party in the evening at the Officers’ Club. Yesterday, we brought Denis with us and he is stopping a couple of days here. He looks very well and is very cheerful. I don’t think he is over anxious to return to the battalion. Still, he is doing a good job of work there and there are many people who deserve a break out here. He tells me he has sent you an airgraph. He is amazed at the photo of Valerie and could not believe she was only 20 months. He thinks she looks very much the little girl and is very pretty. I was telling him that Valerie had a very strong will and he said no wonder with two parents both possessing a very strong personality. He said Karin would only inherit a strong will from one of her parents. The last photo he had of Karin was at 16 months. She was walking around, but did not look quite as advanced as Valerie at that age although still retained a very strong resemblance to her father.
I have a new officer by the name of Trousdell, he has recently arrived from England, he is about 23 and was in the 6th Bttn and a very close friend of Denis. He has been commissioned since 1940 and was a Captain for a short time before coming out but had to revert. He says he is anxious to start from the beginning and seems very keen. That gives me my full complement of Officers, Dicky as 2 i/c, Pat Howard, Douglas and Trousdell.
The weather is nice and warm after a couple of wet days. I miss you very much darling girl, and long for the day when we will be together again.
All my love and kisses to you and Valerie.
Lawrence
5th May 1944.
My Dearest Olive,
Received your letter dated 27/4 – very amusing about Valerie and the little daughter of your friend. I suppose Valerie could not understand how anyone could be lazy enough to crawl when they might walk. I am glad you have another friend – she sounds quite a nice girl and it would be very useful for you at night times if you have someone who can occasionally look after Valerie. I have often felt it was a tremendous tie for you and I want you to be able to sometimes get out and about in the evenings.
We have been doing quite a lot of strenuous training over the last few days. Yesterday, I had the honour of commanding the battalion on a whole day exercise on a big scale. The CO was away on leave and the 2 i/c rather sprung it on me the previous night. A slightly awkward situation arose because Collis is, of course, years senior to me but the 2 i/c said he preferred Collis to command his Company and he wanted me to have the experience of handling a battalion. Collis did not like it at all and maintained a very sullen attitude through the day.
It was a big job for me because it was a particularly complicated exercise but it seemed to go off quite well. “C” Coy were rather tickled about their Coy Commander as CO and put up a very good show and Neville Chance worked very hard with bags of energy. In the discussion afterwards, I praised rather highly the efforts of his Company. He is a very decent fellow and I feel he deserves a crown far more than Collis. Well, darling perhaps one day in the future you will see me as a CO. It is a big step forward and very few make it but one can never tell and I am going to do my best.
Today “C” put on a demonstration for the battalion. I gave the running commentary and it went off extremely well. The CO, just back from leave, said afterwards that he had seen this demonstration given at battalion schools etc on many occasions but never done so well as today and as they had had very little opportunity to practise, it was a highly satisfactory performance. A couple of days ago in a tank exercise, the 2 i/c told me that the performance of my men was “notably good” and that same day he told me that at the Arms inspection of the battalion the report was that “C” Coy’s weapons were very much superior to any other Coy. So that is not surprising that the reputation of the Company stands extremely high at the moment. It is regarded as a really crack company and I think I can say without boasting that my stature in the battalion is definitely high.
I have become quite a personality in the battalion – curious how I have always managed to be successful in the Army. I wish I could translate that success to civilian life. Certainly “C” is a lucky Company for me, and everything I do seems to turn out successfully (touch wood). One thing I have often noticed is that when I am unhappy or bored in my work I tend to become very introspective and of course the reverse applies when I am happy in what I am doing. Naturally, the danger aspect which so often accompanies us is very unpleasant and I do miss you and Valerie tremendously, sweetheart, but I suppose I am as happy as one can expect to be under such conditions and it certainly is a much better tonic for the Company than if I went round with a long gloomy face.
Douglas is away on leave. I am not completely satisfied with him as an officer – he has a markedly lazy streak and rather presumes on my friendship by interfering in matters that do not concern him. This is probably due to his long spell at Brigade but he certainly does irritate the CSM with justification when he butts in when the CSM is consulting me. Also, he does not look after his platoon as much as I would like – he finds it very difficult to unbend…. Pat Howard is very strict with his platoon on parade but very friendly with them otherwise with the result that he has an absolutely first class platoon and is very popular with them. He, Plymen, John Glennie and Dicky (when he was a platoon commander) are the best I have met here. I am afraid this letter has been taken up with Army matters but there is nothing else to write about and I know you are interested.
All my love and kisses, most precious of wives to you and Valerie.
Lawrence
8th May 1944.
My Dearest Olive,
Yesterday, I received a letter from you dated 29/4 and today there was one dated 1/5, very quick timing. Fancy Jerry turning up on you like that, amazing girl to come all that distance to Nottingham without a word of warning. Still, it will be good company for you and I expect she is much easier to get on with than formerly. Valerie seems in great form, and I am very glad she is a friendly sociable child – amusing about how she gets you up in the mornings. I imagine she wants to get up quite early. I also got letters from Pat Vaile and two from Mother – she will be glad to receive your letters and is very interested to hear about Valerie. I can only give her second hand news. Interesting to know Myrtle had met Edward (Gibbon). I am not surprised that he was not anxious to talk, as his experiences in the battalion were far from happy… the trouble is that so many regulars are like that. I have seen several cases so far. Incidentally one (Nic) Jefferies was killed last April 12 months ago and there may have been another killed in Leros, as I believe there was one with that battalion.
I have been meaning to tell you for several letters that on 23/4, I became a temporary Major instead of acting which means I am a War Substantive Captain and cannot be reduced below that rank. I was very pleased when the date duly arrived, so my title in Army language as Captain T/(Major whereas before it was Lieut, T/Capt, A/Major.
The weather has become very much hotter and I am getting brown again. We are wearing KD shirts and shorts except for training when we wear KD shirts and denims. We have had quite a strenuous period of training getting up about 5.30 every morning and often not getting back until 7 in the evening. They have all been very big exercises and although I have learnt some useful tips and got still more practice in handling a Company.
I cannot say they have been very popular. After a strenuous spell “in the line”, most people were somewhat annoyed to find themselves engaged in vigorous training – no one more so than the CO. Alright at home but not so good out here. We have an all night exercise tonight and after that we are hoping for a break – as far as the CO is concerned I know we will get it. One rather tends to live from day to day because we never know what the future holds and when we will be at it again.
Douglas is back from leave looking very fit. Don’t of course, when you write to him, give the slightest hint of what I said in my last letter. It is not as if he was bad, far from it – under fire, he is very cool indeed but he just seems to lack that ability to unbend and is rather too fond of his own comfort.
You will be interested to know that another officer is getting “the sack”. He is being sent back to England, it is being done in the pleasant way by saying he has been abroad too long (6 years) and that he deserves a break at home. The irony, of course, is that he does not want to go home and he knows perfectly well why he is being sent. Here again is something in the nature of a tragedy, a man madly keen on his profession and very capable from the theoretical standpoint but utterly incapable of handling men. I have no doubt he would be very brave in action and I give him full credit for feeling a bitter regret that he was not at Leros. He had been with the 2nd so long that like many others, he tried to get out and while he had a staff job, the Bttn moved to Leros. He is just the type that feels he has a mission to avenge his comrades and that, I am certain, is one of reasons why he has driven “B” so hard.
Curiously enough, in some ways, I cannot help but like him but he has absolutely ruined a good Company. Magginis told me that as a young officer he had nothing but his Army pay and while others went to gay parties etc he stayed in and studied. Actually he will probably do very well on the staff as he is a detail and planning man but I hope to heaven he never gets command of men. He was told about the return recently and is obviously feeling very bitter and upset over it. I have never met anyone who could produce such an unfortunately unpleasant manner.
I wish I could see you and Valerie again, darling. It seems a long time since we parted but I hope it will not be too long before we are together again.
All my love and kisses to you and Valerie.
Lawrence
12th May 1944.
My Dearest Olive,
Received a letter dated May 3 from you and then a few minutes ago another one dated May 1 duly arrived. Jerry apparently still has not changed a great deal. Her politics are all right but her experience is very limited and very narrow. I smiled when I read how you stood up to her over the British Army. I had no doubt that would touch you on a sore point. And quite right you are too, as our lads have put up a magnificent show and will continue to do so. I wish some of the people could come here and see the fine spirit that prevails in this battalion.
Naturally, no one is particularly thirsting to fight – when you have been in a few battles, you do not go out of your way to seek more but there is a good steady spirit, morale is high and we will tackle whatever job comes along in best spirit ready to do our utmost. We know what a bloody business war is and have no illusions about it but at the same time we face the immediate future with quiet confidence. You know when it all boils down, one is fighting for very simple things, I thought the CO expressed it extraordinarily well when speaking to the battalion this morning. He said there was a lot of talk about “this and that” and that there are lots of problems and questions to face after the war but we would deal with them when they came and in the meantime what he was fighting for was to return to his wife before he was so old and fat that she would run away with another man.
Of course, this raised a great laugh but everyone agreed with the sentiments. Well, I don’t anticipate my wife will run away with another man but I think I am really fighting for you and Valerie, to sit down in our own house to feel that you are near to me again, to talk to you about all the things we have been through here, to see Valerie grow up and enjoying her, to take Sadi and Sylvia for long ambling strolls, to watch a cricket match at Lords, to have nice cups of tea and plenty of cakes at tea time.
I suppose I will want other things afterwards but it is what I feel I want at the moment. We have had some fine times together – life has not always been easy but I have been more than lucky in having a wife who has stood by me so well and I am tremendously proud of you, my darling. You have meant an enormous lot to me and although there are times when I regret I have not shown it, I can assure you that sitting out here writing this, I more than fully realise it. The good times will come again but, in the meantime, don’t worry more than you can help. I am more than glad that you have our darling daughter – her daddy longs for the day he will see her again.
In times like this, it is interesting to see how men react. There is not much time for a sentimental attitude towards people especially those holding responsible jobs. The test is not of friendship but of reliability. I have two officers commanding platoons (Pat Howard is away for a few days) and Frank commands the other platoon. The more I see of him here, the greater I admire him, not the big brother sentiment of Ballykinler days but as man to man, someone who I admire for his steadiness and coolness and who I feel I can absolutely rely upon. He loves Betty tremendously and has only two days of married life, so has been through it all, seen other NCO.s go off on the grounds of bad nerves yet has continued quietly and consistently,
Lawrence.
16th May 1944.
My Dearest Olive
This letter will have to be written in pencil as my fountain pen has run dry and I have no ink available. Received your letter dated 7/5 – it arrived very quickly. The Lieutenant Day you mentioned joined this battalion shortly after I did and was killed during the Sangro battle. How long is Jerry going to stay with you? I am glad that Phillip is coming shortly, and he should provide pleasant company. I had an airmail from Freda Revill the other day and a letter from Victor Mitchel who is still in N Africa. I understand Dudley Clark is in charge and is stationed in Naples, I had hoped to get down to see him but it is impossible at the moment.
The weather is now very hot and the roads are extremely dusty. Needless to say, they are in an extremely bad condition – the colossal amount of traffic and the lack of repair is absolutely ruining them. My Jeep has no windscreen and on a dusty road it is absolute misery, one gets covered from head to foot with thick white dust and in any long time line of traffic the vision is completely obscured.
(NA 15054) Original wartime caption: British ammunition trucks explode and blaze, setting nearby trucks alight, after direct hits (Map ref. 855175).
It is rather difficult at the moment to know what to write about. The newspapers will give you a pretty good idea of what is going on and beyond that, for the present, there is really nothing I can say. A new officer was very shaky at first and that, of course, rather shook his platoon. We were heavily shelled on arriving in a certain position and while naturally everyone dived for cover, he threw himself flat and buried his face in the ground.
This shook his platoon considerably and a couple of them got shell shocked or “bomb happy” as we call it out here. I sat on the side of the ditch watching them come over, not that I want to occupy such a position, but it seemed the only thing to do to steady morale and best of all Frank Higgins who was in the middle of a shave at the time just calmly continued shaving – a pretty good show I thought.
I had a lot of trouble with that platoon that day. Four men went and deserted and it began to look as if the real rot was setting in. So I had a very straight talk…and got the whole company together and gave a real hard hitting talk “straight from the shoulder”. I spoke of the “white livered gutless skunks” who deserted their comrades, painted a very grim picture of what would happen to them, told them that my risk was far greater than theirs, that I would rather die and “know my wife and daughter could hold up their heads for the rest of their lives knowing I had done my job” rather than “live disgraced and bring shame and misery on my family”.
I spoke quietly but put every ounce of force I possessed into what I was saying and delivered at such a time and place it had a very big effect – some of the NCOs told me afterwards it was just what was needed and morale went up enormously and, since then, they have been quite happy and cheerful.
Fellowes told me the men were talking a lot about it afterwards and it went down very well with them. It is terribly easy for the rot to set in, and a few men can affect the whole Company under such conditions. Denis Hayward had a bad experience with his company during the Trigno spell and unfortunately was not able to check it. Well, I have jumped on it good and hard and I think things are quite all right. Certainly I worked hard enough going around talking with the men, telling them the latest news and endeavouring in every way possible to keep up the spirits and it seemed to have succeeded. Frank told me that a man in his platoon said, “The Major is just the same as us – I bet he feels afraid at times but you never see him show it”. We are still waiting anxiously to hear that the second front has started. Most people out here feel it is rather overdue and it is high time we had some strain removed. The news that it is has commenced will certainly be the biggest morale lifter that we could receive.
I expect you are having some nice weather now. I am looking forward to having news of Sylvia and her progress. I wonder how Sadi will react, Valerie will certainly be very interested. I am now wearing the 1939-43 Star. Just serving in Italy alone in the normal way does not entitle one to it, but having been wounded completes the necessary qualification. Of course it does not mean matter out here but it will be nice to have when I return home. I am feeling very well and so far managed quite a good deal of sleep. I wrote to Susan some time ago but never had a reply from her.
All my love and kisses darling wife, to you and Valerie.
Your ever devoted husband.
Lawrence.
18th May 1944 (Letter from Lieut Douglas Room to Olive Franklyn-Vaile).
Dear Olive,
I have very sad news to give you.
Douglas Room
Yesterday morning, about quarter to eight, Lawrie died. I was about five yards from him when the shell exploded so was with him immediately. I am certain he was not conscious after he had been hit and so suffered no pain. He died in a few minutes. There is so little I can say to help you in your great loss but all my heart and sympathy is with you.
I think you would want to know exactly what was happening, what he was doing and feeling immediately before it happened. Our company was one of the leading ones in an attack. We had moved up on foot overnight and, just before light, were lying up in a sunken road. Lawrie had been away to see the CO and he came back just after light to give us our orders.
There was a lot of noise going on and quite an amount of stuff flying about. But he was so calm, sitting on the edge of a ditch with his map, telling us what was to happen. So calm that he steadied us all just at the time when we needed it. Frank Higgins was commanding one of the platoons and Jimmy Trousdell the other, and myself the third. At seven o’clock, the barrage started and at sixteen minutes past, we moved off. Lawrie was magnificent, quite beyond praise.
He seemed to move everywhere with his tin hat on the back of his head and tommy gun slung over his shoulder. He was with me a good deal to begin with and then went over to the right. A few minutes later, I saw him walking back towards me and as he came near me, he grinned and, at that moment, the shell fell. I went to him immediately but there was nothing I could do. I spoke to him but it was obvious that he was unconscious. I think that you would like to know also that he was in no way disfigured. That was the worst moment I have ever had. There was nothing I could do but take over the company. He would have been happy that the attack was quite successful.
I’m still numb about it and am very grieved. He was such a wonderful officer and the men loved him. He understood them so well and was so wholehearted in his genuine liking for them, cheered them up and gave them courage. When things were difficult, they knew he would be there and merely in being there helped them. So many of the men yesterday and today have spoken to me and said some wonderful things about him and have shown their greatest affection and respect for him.
Just what I have lost as a friend, I cannot begin to put into words and hardly dare think. In some ways, it seems such a little time since I first knew you both in Ballykinler, yet having had that great quality that made him a lifelong friend. I know that, since he came to our company, he has been happy with us all and there are many memories, tricks of speech, odd little happenings, the way he walked, so many that they would fill many pages. I always felt the happier when he was there and he has helped me so much and given me courage.
Frank Higgins was wounded in the leg a short while after but not seriously. Fellowes, I know, is very upset. Lawrie will be buried this morning in a cemetery and I will go and see his grave at the first possible opportunity.
If there is anything I could do or tell you which will be of any help, please let me know.
Do believe that you have my deepest sympathy and that I share very sincerely in your sorrow.
With much love from Douglas.