Mission Report Tab A to Tab H

Tab A

Except for difficulties with the mess, required to feed a large number of transients, which sometimes total 300 daily, the situation at Georgetown appears to be highly satisfactory. Although the climate is extremely hot and humid, troops are comfortably located. Moving pictures are shown every night. Georgetown, which is approximately twenty miles away, can only be reached by boat and presents a venereal problem. The Commanding Officer, Colonel Matthews, has been there eighteen months and desires relief. He feels that, since the difficulties of establishing the station have been overcome, the base could be commanded by a retired officer. He also feels that a plan to rotate the troops there by sending them to Trinidad or another base would be a mistake. He frankly stated that he (and the troops) would prefer Georgetown to Trinidad, and if troops are to be relieved because of the isolated nature of the station, they should return to the United States. The U.S.O. establishment in Georgetown is not satisfactory, but the matter has been taken up directly with the Special Services Branch. The temperature at the base sometimes reaches 155^o Fahrenheit in the sun.

Atkinson Field Guyana

Tab B

Natal, has a splendid airport suitable for night operations. Command is also faced with problem of feeding large number of transients. This base also handles a sizeable amount of airfreight. General Walsh, who commands the wing of the ferry command located at Natal also commands the South Atlantic Theatre and alternates between the South Atlantic Theatre at Recife and the other station.

Apparently relations with the Brazilians were excellent. A regiment of Brazilians was guarding the airport.

Parnamirim Field, Natal Brazil

Tab C

Ascension Island is approximately four by seven miles and is of volcanic rock. With no vegetation of any kind except for a few trees on the top of a 2800-foot peak which dominates the island. Landing field has been cut through the volcanic rock, and from all appearances, an excellent engineering job was accomplished. In performing its primary functions of servicing the continuous stream of airplanes, which flows through this island, excellent results are being accomplished.

Ascension Island

However, drastic measures are required with regard to the personnel located there. There is no fresh water on the island, and all water for drinking and bathing purposes must be distilled. It is understood that the five distillation plants now located there are able to furnish sufficient fresh water for a ration of only one gallon per day per person for all purposes. As a result, the personnel are dirty and depressed. There are very few buildings on the island, due to the shortage of lumber, and practically all of the personnel live in tents without floors. The movie theatre consists of an amphitheatre built in the side of a hill with the projection room in a cave. Seats consist of sandbags. The frame for the screen is made from crating of some kind. The mess was dirty and unappetizing. Apparently facilities are not available to prevent latrines being overrun by flies. From the standpoint of the personnel stationed on this island the situation is particularly difficult, because the men must be constantly on the alert and are living under conditions similar to actual combat. Under these difficult conditions they are further harassed by seeing the continuous stream of passengers and planes going through with evidences of cleanliness and civilisation, which is denied them. Except for the fish they are able to catch, their diet consists of food from cans. The Commanding Officer of the post made no appearance during our visit. General Walsh is cognisant of the conditions there and is doing everything he can do to help, but a big push is needed from the top.

Conditions at Wideawake Airfield Ascension Island

Refrigeration should be furnished, and fresh meat and vegetables shipped from the mainland. If shortage of shipping is a decisive factor, instructions should be issued that every plane, which passes through Ascension, should carry fifty or one hundred pound of cargo for this island. This could be fresh vegetables, meat, magazines, milk…anything that will raise the living conditions above its current level.

Aerial View of Wideawake Airfield

Apparently the movies are satisfactory, and plenty of beer is available for the men. Additional distillation plants should be installed to insure an adequate supply of fresh water. A club of some kind should be built where the men could get off the ground and read magazines and escape living under animalistic conditions. Even if only a few men a day go, they should be given passage on planes going through and permitted a chance to see a bit of civilisation.

Tab D

Accra is a splendid establishment; good mess, good quarters and evidence of civilisation. Native help is cheap, and apparently the personnel live substantially under the same conditions as those living in the Philippines before the war. General Fitzgerald is both Theatre Commander and Wing Commander and has separate staffs for both commands. These appear to be an overlapping of duties, which is complicated by personalities.

Tab E

Kano is a going concern in an isolated part of Africa, due principally to the efforts of its Commanding Officer, Major R. E. Fell. Mess was excellent, and morale of command appeared to be high.

Tab F

Met by General Andrews and Maxwell and Aides and furnished an itinerary which had been carefully prepared prior to our arrival. 4:30 p.m. called on Mr. Kirk, the American Minister. From there called on General McCreery, British Chief of Staff, Middle East Theatre and General Devers called on Air Marshall Tedder. Dinner that night at General Andrews quarters which resemble those of an oriental potentate. On December 20th conferred during the morning with General Norman, Chief of Armoured Fighting Vehicles of Middle East Command, General Richards, whose command corresponds to our SOS, General Penny, Chief Signal Officer of Middle East Command, Colonel Bragdon of General Norman’s Staff and Colonel Drafin, assigned as Liaison Officer. The conference brought out the fact that the principles of training now followed in our Army are sound and in accordance with the lessons the British have learned on the battlefield.

(For points of discussion, see Ordnance Annex)

Lunched at the Mohammed Ali Club as guests of General Maxwell.

During the afternoon visited the American Ordnance School at Heliopolis, where an American Force is training the British in the use of American tanks and in maintenance. Project appeared to be excellently handled. For further details, see Ordnance Annex. Control of training all British on American material has been transferred to the Heliopolis Depot. Dinner that night at the turf club as the guest of General McCreery.

December 21st visited the British tank School at Abassa. Observed training in tank maintenance, gunnery and witnessed a demonstration of the Scorpion and Hedgehog. For further details, see Ordnance Annex. Proceeded to Mers el Kebir for lunch. Spent the afternoon touring Mers el Kebir, which is on the site of a tremendous British Ordnance and Quartermaster Depot, located about seventy miles from Cairo. All American tanks, which are sent to the Middle East, are passed through Mers el Kebir where they are serviced and prepared for combat duty. For further details see Ordnance Annex. Also all British tanks which are damaged in combat and which cannot be repaired in the field are sent to Mers el Kebir for renovation. Proceeded by car along the Suez Canal returning to Cairo at 8:00 p.m. just in time for dinner at Mr. Kirk’s, the American Minister.

Tab G

Departed from Cairo at 8:30 a.m. In about half an hour reached the El Alamein Line, which was still littered with vehicles of all kind…tanks, trucks, guns, trenches, piles of stores etc.

In Tmimi visited the Command Post of Major General R. Briggs, Commanding General, First British Armoured Division, which participated actively in the El Alamein Battle. The slogan of his division is ‘Dig or Die.’ He considers infantry as an indispensable part of am armoured division and cited the following example:

During the early stages of the El Alamein Battle, the Germans held a particular piece of ground, which must be captured if the armour was to be exploited. This position was attacked by a battalion of infantry reinforced by sixteen six-pounders in a night attack and was captured purely by the use of the bayonet. Repeated tank attacks the following day were repulsed by the artillery. This incident serves as an example of a possible future rule of the Infantry Artillery Team…namely, where the Infantry stalks the enemy at night, with the Artillery assuming the principal role in the defence against armoured units. This action is described by the following citation:

“On the recommendation of the Commander in Chief, Middle East Forces, the King has approved the award of the Victoria Cross to Major (Temporary Lieutenant Colonel) Victor Buller Turner, Rifle Brigade, for most conspicuous gallantry, outstanding devotion to duty and courageous leadership in action against the enemy at El Wishka Ridge in the Western Desert on 27th October, 1942.

“Lt. Turner led his battalion of the Rifle Brigade in a night attack over 4,000 yards of difficult country and captured his objective together with 40 prisoners and two 88mm guns. He then reorganised the position for all round defence against counter attack. This position was so isolated that replenishment of ammunition was impossible and no support could reach the battalion owing to the heavy concentrations and accuracy of the enemy’s fire.

“From early morning until late in the evening the battalion was subjected to repeated attacks by nearly 100 German tanks, which advanced in successive waves, all of which were repulsed with heavy losses to the enemy, 35 tanks being burnt out and a further 20 immobilised.

“Throughout the action Lt. Col Turner never ceased to move in turn to each part of the front as it was threatened. All day long, wherever the fire was hottest and the fighting fiercest, there he was to be found bringing up ammunition, encouraging his men and directing the fire of his guns. Finding a six-pounder gun in action alone of its platoon, the others having been knocked out of action, he himself acted as loader and destroyed five enemy tanks at point blank range. While manning this gun he was wounded in the head by a machine gun bullet, but he refused all aid until the last tank remaining had been destroyed, when only one round of ammunition was left.

“His superb personal bravery and complete disregard of danger resulted in the infliction of a severe defeat on the enemy armour in one of the finest actions of the war, and set an example of courageous leadership which was an inspiration not only to the whole battalion, which fought magnificently, but also to the entire British Army, in the critical days of the offensive.” …Citation Ends.

The first Armoured Division had made the main thrust at El Alamein. Sappers and infantry were clearing the mine fields, but in order to avoid further delay, the First Armoured Division had to be thrown in as a spearhead, with the result that one hundred and fifty tanks going in, only twenty-two came out. However, it destroyed hostile tanks in the ratio of 4.8 to 1. General Briggs had previously set as a goal the ratio of five enemy tanks to be destroyed to one of his own. The First Armoured Division was located in Tmimi for the purpose of renovation and refitting and was dispersed over an extensive area. One brigade headquarters was approximately five miles from Division Headquarters.

Tab H

Visited Tank Reorganisation Group. This is an Army Field Maintenance Unit which makes all field repairs possible, and all tanks which go into combat pass through the Tank Reorganisation Group. Despite careful servicing which is given at the rear base (Mers el Kebir and the careful repair work which is done in the field), the Inspection Unit of the Tank Reorganisation finds defects in nine-tenths of the tanks enroute to the front. For details, see Ordnance Annex.

The drive along the area furnished opportunity of observing the tremendous wastage of material incident to the German retreat. This equipment is literally strewn all the way between El Alamein and Marble Arch. It consists of burned trucks, water tanks, blankets, tyres, gas masks, steel helmets, minefields (which are marked and surrounded by wire), canteens, oil cans, telephone wire, all parts of vehicles from steering wheels to transmissions, German cemeteries and piles of salvaged metal.

Flew back to Benina in the afternoon and spent the night at the Army rear headquarters. Benina is about twenty miles from Benghazi, and the airport was strewn with approximately sixty German planes, which had been destroyed on the ground. During the night Benghazi was bombed.