February 14 Eritrea.

We had made our way through the Sudan after three or four times of being in action and we went straight into action out side Keren,We were under heavy gunfire on 14 feb and it was my turn to go to the cookhouse for a meal,there were about thirty of us sitting in a circle having our bully and biscuits when a shell exploded amongst us.
the man next to me had a piece of shrapnel through his right eye and out by his ear his right leg had been shattered I was half carrying and half dragging him away from the cookhouse where shells were still exploding. and first aid men came rushing up to render help,a young highland soldier lying close to me had his stomach torn open and he was trying to hold his entrails in he was asking for water which we could not give ,then he started crying for his mother, a very short time later he died.It was then I looked at my left leg and there was blood running down my leg I had sustained a wound enough to put me into hospital for a month.
But the very next day my gun got a direct hit, one gunner was killed instantly and three more gunners off my gun came into first aid but
they died the following day.
If I had not gone to the cookhouse on the 14 feb I would have been killed.

Autum 1940.

After we left Freetown we headed south through the tropical seas and the crossing of the Line Ceremony took place, some unfortunates were grabbed lathered up with a very large brush and shaved by King-Neptune who used a six foot razer.they could'nt catch me I was half way up one of the mast.We used to shower on the open deck mainly at night in sea water and we never ceased to be amazed at the many coloured sparks
which used to cover us from head to toe.when we looked over the side the
ocean was alive on the surface with colour. After zig-zagging for about two weeks we docked in Capetown.We were mobbed by the residents taken to their homes and treated like royalty
Two days later loaded with fresh food and water we set off around the cape through very stormy weather reached the Indian ocean and headed
north, finally after seven weeks and four days we landed in Egpyt.
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