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Thread: On this Day |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Wednesday, 9th August 1944
We move on again, past a cross roads on that lateral route. About 100 yards further on a footpath crosses the road. Out of this come the tanks of the 11th Armoured Div, and we take the orchard they have just vacated. This is behind a house called “La Martiniere”. The young ladies of the house hand us flowers from their garden, while the local men folk prepare to barbeque a whole cow. As casualties have not yet started coming in, the flying squad takes the opportunity of carrying on a mile or so further down the road where there is an MBU (mobile bath unit). The lads there showed us their Spandau. This is supposed to have extra barrels to prevent overheating, but they had only managed to “liberate” one. On their return Bundy and Jackson go with another farmer to his garden, where he has buried a German soldier, and hands us the dead man’s property - one pay book, one metal helmet, one pair of I.D.s and (of all things) a Spandau barrel. We tie one I.D. to the chinstrap of his helmet, which we hang on the stake at his head. The rest we take back with us, the I.D. and book for the War Graves Commission and the barrel for the M.B.U. This evening, Bundy and Farrier, who is from Jersey and now calls himself “Anglo-Norman”, are invited to join the ladies and their father in the cellar of the house to open a bottle of champers which has been hidden from the Germans. Afterwards, Bundy pockets the cork, as the cork of his water bottle is not too reliable. He prepares to go, saying, “Je regret, il faut partire”. One of the young ladies accompanies him to the footpath, handing him a bottle of their own Calvados, asking, “Tu te couches avec un bel ami?” He replies “Malheureusement, none” and makes his way to the C.C.P., thinking “Did she say “gun bel ami” or “une belle Amie””? No matter which - he is on night duty tonight. Thursday, 9th August 1945 This day, almost exactly, Bundy and some others moved to Melle, a small village on the Brusselsche Steenweg outside Ghent to join a Field Ambulance in 3rd (British) Division. This is a Div. we have not heard mentioned before, but it was the spearhead div. in the landing of XXX Corps in Normandy and suffered heavy casualties. Apparently it only got as far as Belgium because General George "Blood and guts" Patton had purloined most of the logistics, leaving barely enough for our other spearhead forces. No doubt, they are also under strength because of the discharge of group 1. Nevertheless, the fighting now seems to be over, so why do they need reinforcements? The answer is not long in coming, but meanwhile we can only make apprehensive guesses. |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Thursday, 10th August 1944
Bundy returns to the slit trench he would have shared with Hall. He had found an old Mae West, which he had inflated, intending to use it as a pillow. This is now deflated and a Spandau bullet rests inside it. Rowley remarks, “It’s lucky your head was not on that pillow!” This is a busy day. Among the other, unremembered, ones, two casualties stand out. One is a man who appears to have shot himself in the foot. After treating him, Capt. Kilpack starts to make out a self inflicted injury report, then, with a mild expletive, tears it up - the only time Bundy has ever heard Guy Kilpack say anything un-gentlemanly. The Spandaus rattle on all day and H.E. ensues, just as two bearers arrive with a casualty. The bearers lay down the stretcher and run for cover. Thinking this is rather cavalier treatment, Bundy approaches the moaning casualty, who is neither bleeding nor restricting his movements. As Bundy smells his breath, the man murmurs thickly, “They’ve poisoned the cider”. |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Thursday, 10th August 1944
Bundy returns to the slit trench he would have shared with Hall. He had found an old Mae West, which he had inflated, intending to use it as a pillow. This is now deflated and a Spandau bullet rests inside it. Rowley remarks, “It’s lucky your head was not on that pillow!” This is a busy day. Among the other, unremembered, ones, two casualties stand out. One is a man who appears to have shot himself in the foot. After treating him, Capt. Kilpack starts to make out a self inflicted injury report, then, with a mild expletive, tears it up - the only time Bundy has ever heard Guy Kilpack say anything un-gentlemanly. The Spandaus rattle on all day and H.E. ensues, just as two bearers arrive with a casualty. The bearers lay down the stretcher and run for cover. Thinking this is rather cavalier treatment, Bundy approaches the moaning casualty, who is neither bleeding nor restricting his movements. As Bundy smells his breath, the man murmurs thickly, “They’ve poisoned the cider”. Friday, 11th August 1944 We pack up for another short move, back to a field near the cross roads. This is a concentration area, and we are waiting for the whole division to arrive so that we can counter-march in convoy along that lateral, as soon as the Engineers can clear it of the obstructions caused by wrecked enemy vehicles and material. |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Saturday, 12th August 1944
Now we are driving along that road. The first few miles we are able to move rapidly, but then begin to slow down. The cause of the congestion is not obvious at first, as the whole road is in our hands and we do not need to follow the armour but as we enter what was the Falaise pocket, the reason becomes clear. Both ditches are now overflowing with wrecked enemy vehicles, leaving only the centre for one way movement. We keep stopping, presumably to give the bulldozers a bit of leeway. At one point we stop abreast of a burnt out amphibious Volkswagen. This has been made mostly of wood, so all that is left are the wheel hubs, the engine and transmission and the skeleton of the seating, with the skeleton of the driver in the driving seat. All that is left of him are calcined bones and the contents of his rectum. There is no sign of an ID, so we leave him in the vehicle to be identified as its driver. Eventually, we arrive at our overnight stop, a row of slit trenches alongside the hedge of a meadow, with a wheat field on the other side. The wheat is already in stooks, which some of the men raid to make bedding for their trenches, until the farmer arrives and offers us dry straw instead. Sunday, 13th August 1944 This time we stay at a spot that is not so much a field as a piece of waste ground. The O.C. has received an order that all alcoholic drinks are to be cast away and this seems to be a suitable place for it. The place is somewhat fly infested. Bundy feels, nevertheless that the order comes somewhat late. Anyone who misuses alcohol will not have kept it until now. Dr. Kilpack agrees, but “orders is orders” and the whole lot has to be consigned to the flies, including Bundy’s own bottle, which he has carried, untested, all the way from La Martiniere. Bundy is considering using the cork to replace his water bottle cork, with its rusty ring bolt, but Capt. Kilpack dissuades him, saying “The old stopper may be rusty, but you always know where it has been”. |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Monday, 14th August 1944
Off we go, past the newly captured Mont PINÇON over the Odon and the Orne, to another wheat field. This one has much wider and untidier stooks, which arouse Bundy’s curiosity. Taking a comrade with him, he goes off to examine the nearest stook. On the side away from the gate, the stalks are separated enough for a man to pass through, doubled. Inside, there is a slit trench with an unmistakeable whiff. This is unoccupied, of course, but has traces of past occupation, including a kidney shaped can, containing a sloppy off-white food mixture. The smell of real cooking tells us it is time to return. After the meal, a small group, apparently a family of refugees, stops by to ask, “Avez vous des conserves pour nous?” Bundy translates and Angus shakes his head, sadly, but firmly. Tuesday, 15th August 1944 We move on to another anonymous field, recently vacated by enemy troops. The same smell hangs over the slit trenches, but either it dissipates or we become accustomed to it, as the day wears on. New recruits find their uniforms stiff and smelly because of the anti-gas chemicals impregnating them, but this seems to wear off, or we become accustomed to it. Bundy finds a copy of the German army newsletter, entitled “Die Wermacht” and an allied flyer entitled “Behr: Behandlung deutcher Kriegsgefangener”. These will eventually reside in his scrapbook Sunday, 12th August 1945 Bundy's main job will be in the M.I. (medical inspection) room. His other job will be unit education, a job he has done before, in 163 Field Ambulance, where he taught French. This, however, will be a novel form of education aimed at troops who are preparing for civilian life. It is organised by a new bureau "ABCA" (Army Bureau of Current Affairs). Monday, 13th August 1945 Most of the unit now have comfortable civilian billets and Bundy's is one of the most comfortable. His hosts are M. & Mme. van Anderlecht, and their young son Pieter. Papa is a man with a complex personality. He is an electrical engineer, the local cinema projectionist, the village blacksmith and well digger, the chief of the local volunteer fire service and the mayor of the village. Most strange of all, he has been both the commander of the local resistance movement and the chief Nazi collaborator - simultaneously! |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Wednesday, 16th August 1944
----------------------------------------Bundy and Farmer are now off to join Dr. Makin in the Royals R.A.P. This is in a vacant house, on the ground floor. At meal times, the regimental piper, in kilt and full ceremonial dress, plays “Polly, put the kettle on”, or something that sounds like that. The RAP does not need the reinforcement that our presence provides but the same holds true for the field ambulance. Everyone is in good health and spirit; there is no sign of any enemy shelling or other missile for us to dodge; no sniping or other need to dig in. Everyone walks around with unaccustomed ease, singing or whistling Scottish ballads or whatever was new during the last spell of leave, six months or more back. The sun is shining, and warming. We have a happy battalion. [Edit 1 times, last edit by Former Member at Aug 17, 2007 9:10:50 AM] |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Thursday, 17th August 1944
If it were not for the flies buzzing around the latrines (which are near the house) this would be a pleasant spot. The latrines are not up to standard, but, here in the house, everything is clean and friendly. R.M.O.s always make us welcome like a part of the unit and Dr. Makin is one of the best. |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Friday, 18th August 1944
We now return to B Coy., which is in a field somewhere east of Caen, still in Normandy, but only just. The atmosphere is hot, close and sweaty. Bundy is feeling somewhat weak and queasy. Is this due to the hot weather or can it be the result of too much of that delicious, salty, Scottish porridge? Saturday, 19th August 1944 Bundy rises before dawn. He can’t wait for the completion of the latrines, so makes a little one of his own. Later he needs the latrines urgently. They are now complete, but fully occupied, so the others urge him to use the officers’, which he does. Mr. Coe turns up, looking very embarrassed, but has not long to wait. Bundy goes off to help Farmer load the 15 cwt. for the next move. When they get to the small medical pannier, Bundy opens it, hoping to use the clinical thermometer, as he is feeling flushed. Farmer takes one look at him, saying, “close it, you’re going sick”, and accompanies him to Dr. Kilpack. Dvr. Fairbanks has already reported sick with the same condition and Dvr. Dorfman takes the two of them back to C.C.S. (Casualty Clearing Station). |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Sunday, 20th August 1944
Bundy receives a dose of Magnesium Trisilicate, which is the only treatment for gastric disorders here, and goes off in a truck to Field Hospital for 24 hours bed rest, fluids and starvation. The latest treatment for dysentery is Sulphasuccidine or Sulphathalidine, but he does not receive either of these. Presumably they are in short supply and are only used for severe, or confirmed bacterial, cases, and Bundy has had no bacteriological or other investigation, as far as he can tell. |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Monday, 21st August 1944
What is memorable about 24 hours’ starvation? Soldiers who seem to be in the know, like generals and MOs are probably getting those primitive “antibiotics”, which are poisoning their bone marrow, while the common soldier is recovering on a starvation diet. The same will be happening in Britain in years to come. NHS patients will be dying of blood dyscrasias, while Africans will recover on glucose saline drinks. |
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