Gnr. John Joseph Shale
British Army 104th Essex (Yeomanry) Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
from:Liverpool
My Dad, Gunner John Shale started off his war as a Territorial in the Red Rose Artillery, stationed at a Barracks in Leicester. He embarked the MV Athlone Castle at Glasgow, heading for India, via the Cape of Good Hope. They called in at Durban, intending to ship on to Bombay but instead took the Dutch NavaSota up the Persian Gulf and went from Basra to Baghdad. Went into Iran (Kermonshah area) to show the flag. (One day out to shell the Kurds at Mosul – friendly action for the Shah!) There they picked up new 25-pounders. He was then sent to Cairo on a course (14 days on his tod). He took a DRLS truck to Kanakin, then the overnight express to Baghdad, DRLS to Suez, getting off in Palestine for a lift to Haifa and a train to Cairo. Whole journey took 7-8 days. This was a Communication Course.
Meantime Jerry broke through at the Battle of Knightsbridge on 27th of May 1942 part of the Battle for the Gazala Line. He was sent up into the desert, then back to Cairo to complete the course. His regiment, 463rd Red Rose Battery RHA came to Cairo and they went back up the desert to Alamein as part of 8th Army. Notes get a little muddled here in terms of time lines. Something about shooting up Fuka aerodrome and being hit by a shell burst, heading for Hellfire Pass, and being sent to Alamein for 3 weeks to recover. From there to Cairo and a desert hospital for 6 weeks, then problems with skin growth so off to El Arish in Palestine for convalescence. While he was hospitalised, his battery moved on to Syria with the 9th Army (concern about Germans heading for the oilfields) and he was inducted into the 104th Essex Yeomanry RHA. His new mob went off to Aleppo in Syria, then back into the desert with the 8th Army. Then Egypt to train for Greece. Something about General Thoma (On 4th of November 1942, Thoma was captured by the British at the hill of Tel el Mampsra, west of El Alamein) being taken prisoner, somewhere in that timeline. All this is totally confused They were trained to parachute into Greece, but instead took a Liberty Boat (with a crack down the side) USS Thistledown. He walked off ship into Heracles. Something about Jerry having been chased off by Paras and scuttlebutt about 70% casualties because of high winds. A sojourn at Athens and saw W.C. Some action against communist guerrillas (pork sandwiches anecdote). Fels rounded up Reds 23 Feb.
He then moved onto heel of Italy at Bari with 6th Armoured Division. Moved to north of Rome. Something about Casserta to Naples with a day trip to Salerno. Moved on to Florence (spring time along a Yank Road – prefab thing) then Riccione. They crossed the Esino River on 9th of April 1945.
Other anecdotes: Once had to escort a prisoner to Rome Once had to drive a light armoured vehicle out into sight of 88’s, so he could radio their positions back. Once on radio, taking turnabout with another soldier, who, soon after swapping positions on radio, was shot, mid conversation by a sniper, who aimed at radio mast and used friction of dune sand to angle bullet down onto radio. Observed sniper, who had picked off several men, blasted by a bren through the wall next to the window that he had been using. Once got shrapnel in his leg from mine as he helped pull truck from a minefield (cross reference shell burst , could this be a whopper?) Got 100% on mine id course (usual scores of 40%) Got busted from sergeant for being drunk. Sent on recce north of Italy, rounded a corner and came face to face with a German. Both beat a hasty retreat. Got trenchfoot in mud in Tripoli. This was this when he was hospitalised and had to go back to Palestine for skin to heal and a nurse applied Zinc (drying) cream. At some point his battery was attached to an Indian Division.
