Roly Poly in Africa

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Louise Treloar of the 'Action Desk — Sheffield' Team on behalf of Mr Dennis Turton, and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

When I first joined the army, I was stationed on a Dummy Drome. When our planes came back over the drome, German fighters used to follow them to try to take us out. We were watching out one night when a German bomber came flying overhead towards us, 50 feet off the ground. He swooped down, and we dived to the ground. He took out our gun, but no-one was hurt. We brought him down - came down 7 miles away. One of the men put his hand down into the bread and jam we’d been eating, and when he stood up, he held his hand up and thought he’d been shot!!

I was in Africa, in action on the ports, with the 56th division, 56th Light Ack-Ack. The regiment I was in was rubbish - I wanted action! The Jerries came over, and we attacked them. They had to take the Captain away once, he was stood there crying. We went into the port and there was a ship in the harbour, with its stern in the air, and there were bags of flour on board. We’d been eating Arabian bread, so we were ready for something different. Cook was off, so I said I’d be cook, and made Roly Poly. It wasn’t difficult — currants, sugar, flour. I had it wrapped up, and when it was ready, shouted to the men to come and get it. When I lifted it out, it fell on the sand, and you should have seen the faces drop! We just picked it up, brushed the sand off and they loved it!

We were on the front line in Italy. The Captain used to send for me if anything haphazard was to happen. I was the first. I went over the front line 2 or 3 times.

I was on guard one night in the trenches and we were told to expect a Jerry coming down the hill. I’d just carried a dead Italian in to the operating table. They put him in a bed, with candles all around him. I was on guard in the trenches at about 3 ‘o’ clock in the morning, with shells coming overhead. I was dozing, then I heard the shale, and someone moving down the hill. I was instantly alert, and shouted one warning — “Who goes there?”. I only gave one warning, then I used my Tommy and fired out. When I’d finished, I went out to look for who it was, but there was no body. The next morning, an Italian came in for the body and said “Who was on guard last night?” “I was,” I answered — turned out I’d fired at him! If I’d shot a moment earlier, I’d have killed him.

After that, the war was about over. I joined the London Irish Rifles, and joined the boxing team. There were 5 Northerners, and all the rest were Irish. There was fighting just about every day.

I’ve done all sorts, been everywhere. I met Gracie Fields in Rome and some American took a photo of us. I’ve never seen that photo, and I regret that. I also met the first German fighter who bombed the Shetlands. He just killed a rabbit, and I told him that when I met him.

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