Ordinary HeroesThis is the book about a group of men who soldiered for their country from September 1939 until liberated in May and June 1945. The historical issues opened by these diaries were substantial: Could they really have been the first unit to go to France in 1939 and did some not leave until after the fall of france? Could this small unit have played a significant role in the battle of El Alamein even though they were struggling to survive as POWs by the time the battle took place? Were they present at the birth of the legend that has become the Special Air Service? The answer to all these questions I believe is 'Yes'. Did British soldiers take over and run a death camp when the war ended as they waited for liberation by US 101st Airborn Division.? The photos to prove it. The three subjects recorded their stories and representatives of all the men from Doncaster and surrounding district who formed 106 Army Troops Company Royal Engineers. |
Contents
Map of expanding Germany | 2 |
Facing the facts 3 Alan | 3 |
Kathleen | 4 |
Bill | 5 |
Doncaster | 8 |
Mobilisation | 9 |
Kit inspection | 10 |
Inside the mess tent 11 Showing their stripes 11 Malta | 11 |
Map of North Africa | 98 |
Acclimatisation | 100 |
The Great Pyramid the Sphinx and camel riding | 101 |
Buselli | 103 |
Working at Buselli 105 The hospital at Buselli | 105 |
The Electrical and Mechanical section | 106 |
Meanwhile in Alexandria | 107 |
Senior ranks at Kabrit | 112 |
Erwin Rommel | 13 |
15 | 15 |
Get ready | 17 |
19 | 19 |
Poland | 21 |
Chapter | 23 |
Map of Northwest France | 24 |
Castle at Brest 30 The Central Café Lesnervanes | 30 |
389 The company at Rennes | 36 |
The marshalling yard at Bruz | 45 |
Chapter Three | 47 |
Map of English and French coastlines | 48 |
Stores are for storing | 52 |
Withdrawal | 54 |
The last word | 58 |
The Second Dunkirk | 61 |
The last moments of the Lancastria | 64 |
Back in France | 65 |
The marketplace at Morlaix 67 Service record | 67 |
Chapter Four | 71 |
Map of Scotland | 72 |
A minor miracle | 73 |
Sunnyside follies | 75 |
Reunion | 76 |
Leuchars | 77 |
Bellahouston Park | 79 |
September 1939 | 82 |
Bob and Wynne | 86 |
Chapter Five | 87 |
Map of Africa | 88 |
Aboard the SS Empress of Canada | 91 |
Freetown | 92 |
Cape Town | 93 |
Port Tufik | 95 |
Chapter | 97 |
Chapter Seven | 113 |
Map of the early defences around El Alamein | 114 |
Sunday was dhoby | 122 |
The mechanists alongside their truck | 123 |
Dropping the NCOs tent | 125 |
Chapter Eight | 127 |
The neighbours | 134 |
Tommy Shaftos cinema at Kabrit | 135 |
Christmas 1941 | 139 |
Bill departs | 140 |
Alan Jones and his trusty truck | 141 |
Chapter Nine | 143 |
Plan of water pipelines | 144 |
Railhead | 146 |
A comfortable corner in the desert | 155 |
Chapter | 157 |
Plan of Tobruk Harbour | 158 |
Map of the Gazala Line | 165 |
Chapter Eleven | 177 |
Bobs boots | 201 |
Chapter Twelve | 207 |
Bills story | 209 |
Air photo of Stalag XVIIIC | 225 |
Running the POW camp as war draws to its close | 230 |
Serb and Soviet POWs | 231 |
The role of the Red Cross | 232 |
Bobs story | 239 |
The Russians take over | 258 |
Bob outside his hut in Stalag | 269 |
Postscript | 271 |
Bob Borthwick 272 Alans wedding | 272 |
Alan and Kathleens honeymoon 273 Bill Harvey meets Alan Jones after 60 years | 273 |
| 279 | |
The | 288 |
Common terms and phrases
Alamein Alan Jones Allied Army Troops Company arrived attack barracks battledress began Bellahouston Park Bill Harvey Bill recalls billet Bob Borthwick bombing bread Brest British captured Christmas cigarettes coast command compound convoy cooking defences desert Doncaster El Alamein electricians Empress of Canada equipment escape evacuation fire force France French German army going guards harbour hospital issue Italian jerrycan June Kabrit knew later loaded looked lorries Maginot Line marched miles military months morning move Navy NCOs night officers Panzer parcels Peter Yates POWs prepared prisoners raid railway rations Red Cross Rennes returned road Rommel Royal Engineers rumour Russians sand sappers sergeant ships soldiers soon staff Staff Sergeant Stalag Stan Fox supply tanks tent Tobruk told took town train truck U-boats unit vehicles waiting weeks wire workshop Wynne