Part 9 (1/2)

Thornton Thornton 5 5.

Radford Radford 8 8.

Milligan Milligan 1 1.

Sherwood Sherwood 4 4.

12.30.

Pinchbeck Pinchbeck 3 3.

Gordon Gordon 6 6.

Fildes Fildes 9 9.

Wenham Wenham 2 2.

Thornton Thornton 5 5.

12.30.

Sherwood Sherwood 4 4.

Hart Hart 7 7.

Birch Birch 10 10.

Pinchbeck Pinchbeck 3 3.

Gordon Gordon 6 6.

4.30.

Thornton Thornton 5 5.

Radford Radford 8 8.

Milligan Milligan 1 1.

Sherwood Sherwood 4 4.

Hart Hart 7 7.

4.30.

Gordon Gordon 6 6.

Fildes Fildes 9 9.

Wenham Wenham 2 2.

Thornton Thornton 5 5.

Radford Radford 8 8.

8.30.

Hart Hart 7 7.

Birch Birch 10 10.

Pinchbeck Pinchbeck 3 3.

Gordon Gordon 6 6.

(Scotch up) (Scotch up) (Scotch up) (Scotch up) (Scotch up) (Scotch up) .

25 25th Night Night Scotch up Scotch up Hart Hart .

Milligan Milligan .

Scotch up Scotch up .

Will Duty Sig. Will Duty Sig.

on at 0430 on at 0430 .

call Mr Wright call Mr Wright .

Each signaller did three hours at night, thus giving him a good few hours' sleep.

A big attack is going in tonight. The Grenadiers and Scots Guards are the poor b.a.s.t.a.r.ds. They've got to take the hill to our immediate right to deny Jerry observation and put our OP on it. The sirens have gone and an air raid starts on Naples. 0430: the Artillery opened up and fired non-stop until 0624, then a silence. From the distant hill we hear the dreadful sound of Spandaus and Schmeisers that are spraying the early morning with bullets, and I can't but wonder at the courage of these lads in the Guards Brigade going forward into it. What a terrible, unexplainable lunacy. There must have been a lot of casualties as there was talk of us having to send gravedigging parties. In the end they sent some Gunners from the Wagon Lines. When they came back they spoke of Italian civilians being shot out of hand by Germans. There must be a lot of needle between these two nations. I should hate to be a German prisoner thrown to an Italian mob...The mosquito-bites and the scratching have turned our faces into what from a distance look like uncured bacon. In desperation I had rubbed Sloane's Liniment on my face, and lo! it kept them away!!