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Flash Kellett Takes Command
Lt-Col E. O. ‘Flash’ Kellett.
Sunday, 22 September 1940
THE HEAD PADRE from Sarafand came over and gave us a service. I had to be here to meet him. He gave us a very moderate sermon, and I didn’t think he was much of a man. He gave us a sermon on brotherly love and, over a glass of lemonade afterwards, did nothing but slate and run down his junior chaplains. Donny instructed me not to ask him for lunch if I could avoid doing so.
Peter Laycock and Anne Feversham came over to lunch. Peter seems absolutely bats about the girl. I suppose in some ways you could call her attractive, but he really is nuts on her. It really is most amusing to watch. Jim Feversham, her husband, is a major in the Yorkshire Hussars. He came over and joined us after lunch. That, however, didn’t stop Peter sniffing round. If I were Jim I wouldn’t stand for it. But, still, it’s no business of mine.
Monday, 23 September
Until we are reorganized into squadrons again Henry bloody Trotter has come to take over this battery. God help us!
Tuesday, 24 September
All officers’ wives left today. I should like to have said goodbye to Rona. I wonder whether I shall see her again.
Thursday, 26 September
Dan Ranfurly is becoming ADC to Neame (OC Palestine), John Walters machine-gun officer, and Derrick Warwick gas officer.
I do enjoy my cricket. It brings back England more than anything else. Today I had a letter from Daddy dated 1 September, which was very recent. Both he and Mummy seem to be spending a lot of time in London, which is most worrying with all those raids. I also had a letter from Malcolm Christopherson, who was full of interest, but rather depressing. There is still no news of Nevill, which is bad. John Rowell, who was commissioned to the Xth from the Inns of Court, has been killed. It is most disturbing, as he was such a nice person. Malc told me that John Hanson-Lawson got back all right, so did David Steele, but his brother Dick is missing, believed prisoner.
We heard on the Italian propaganda news that the Italians were coming to bomb the power station at Tel Aviv, and raze it to the ground. This was going to happen today, according to the news, so when the alarm did go off, the men fairly bolted for the trenches.
Saturday, 28 September
Today we had a practice alarm. We telephoned a report that parachutists had landed at a certain point. Previously I had taken 16 men out to act as parachutists and take up offensive positions.
Stephen took charge of the defence of the hangar with the mobile patrol. The whole thing was kept from the troops, except, of course, my party. They were not very quick in turning out. We had quite a good battle. I dressed two men up as fifth columnists in civilian clothes, Lacy and Ellis. One of them managed to get right into the hangar. Lacy looked a dreadful tramp!
On the whole Henry Trotter is not too bad. Stephen and I are making him more human, and making it quite clear to him that there are many more important things in life, besides Henry Trotter and hunting.
On the news we heard that in the air battle over England yesterday the Germans lost 137 planes. The RAF certainly takes all honours. We also heard about the new agreement between Italy, Germany and Japan, by which Japan agrees to attack any other country that enters the war against Germany. This is all directed against the USA, who are not at all impressed.
At 6 o’clock I rushed down and had another bathe. The sun, a great red ball, was just about to disappear below the horizon, and sea was beautifully calm. The whole place looked lovely and I stayed in for about ½ an hour.
By late September 1940, the Battle of Britain was still raging over the skies of southern England, but the Luftwaffe were no closer to clearing the skies of the RAF. Hitler had already postponed any planned invasion and was shortly to postpone indefinitely. The very strong isolationist lobby in Washington was still pretty powerful and, with a presidential election coming up, Roosevelt seeking a third term, there was no way the USA was going to be drawn into the war just yet. Nonetheless, increasing numbers of American factories were now producing war matériel, not least for Britain, and the Tripartite Pact Stanley refers to certainly helped subtly shift the mood in the USA. Slowly but surely, the isolationists were beginning to lose ground . . .
Monday, 30 September
I gave a test paper to the NCOs on map reading and compass on which I have been lecturing for the last fortnight. The results were good. They all got about 70 per cent.
Henry Trotter came back from Sarafand with a rumour that officers were going to be allowed to have their chargers back. Stephen and I had a bathe in the afternoon.
Today the clocks go back to winter time. That will make the evenings very long especially with the blackout. I had a sea-mail letter from Mummy dated 10 July.
We had cricket here in the afternoon.
Tuesday, 1 October
Derrick Warwick came over and gave us all a lecture on gas. He had attended a course in Egypt. He spoke and knew his subject. The new gas, which the Germans have called Arsine, sounds rather deadly. At 11 o’clock I had to take the battery less NCOs at arms drill and marching.
In the afternoon we had a cricket match, officers and NCOs v the Rest. We lost. Both Henry Trotter and Stephen played. I don’t suppose Henry has ever played cricket with the men before.
I believe that Henry Trotter is to be made a captain in the near future. The idea is quite fantastic. In civilian life he has never done a real day’s work, except hunting hounds. He is quite illiterate. The sergeant major has to dictate orders, Stephen and I have to suggest the training programme for the men, and give the lectures. He had a letter from Rona, on her way home, she sent her love, which he passed on rather grudgingly.
Thursday, 3 October
Henry Trotter went off after tea to RHQ at Sarafand for dinner and to spend the night there so Stephen and I were left on our own once again, for which we were not sorry. I mounted the guard and wrote out orders. After supper Sergeant Sewell (now acting sergeant major) and SQM Tandy came in and had a drink with us. Sewell got on to relating his experiences of the last war. He certainly had a very rough time. He told us that the men who were in the Regiment with him during the last war seemed to be of a different type from the men in the Regiment today.
Friday, 4 October
I had a sea-mail letter from Bridget and also one from Daddy.
Usual routine during the day. Bathed before breakfast, and some men from the hangar came down with me. In the evening Henry Trotter and I went over to RHQ Sarafand to attend a lecture on Dunkirk from a Major Chap who was actually there. He belonged to the Royal Corps of Signals and was attached to Corps HQ of the 3rd Army Corps. He chiefly related his own personal experiences.
The three army corps were holding a line running east to west, just south of the France-Belgium frontier, ready to move into Belgium if the Bosch should break through. When the Bosch did break through there, they started marching in according to plan, but were rather disturbed to find that they had made a nasty gap in the French line, which was on their right flank. The extraordinary thing was that no effort was made on the part of the French to stop that gap, or even to liaise with the British on their left flank. After being surrounded the only course left to the BEF was to make for Dunkirk.
Major Chap actually spent six days on the mole supervising the embarkation of troops. At one time they were getting 3000 men off in the hour. All rifles had to be thrown into the sea to make more room, and save weight so great was the crush on the boats. He saw very little of what took place on the beach but the mole was continuously shelled and bombed. He was just about the last to leave, and came across the Channel to Dover on a destroyer, which, unfortunately, was sunk on its way back. He eventually ended up in Bristol, his home being in Salisbury!
Saturday, 5 October
I have a dreadful feeling that this war might last the hell of a time, and if we do invade Germany in the end, the war for us has not really begun. I see that Ita
ly has sent 5000 pilots to Germany. This may be a result of the tremendous losses of pilots the Germans have sustained in the aerial battles over England.
Monday, 7 October
In the morning I set the NCOs a compass march over the desert. It took the form of a treasure hunt, and I made out three different routes. It took a hell of a time to make out and hide the clues. The winner got a bottle of beer but it ended up by all the NCOs having a glass. Sergeant Thompson easily won with his party.
Heard today that I am going on a rifle and machine-gun course at the Middle East Weapon Training School on the 22nd of this month for a month. It will be a change. Our address now is Middle East Force, and not Palestine.
Monday, 14 October
Exactly one year ago today I joined this regiment, at Malton in Yorkshire, as a second lieutenant, commissioned from the Inns of Court. At first, after an interview with Gerald Grosvenor, the adjutant, I was attached to B Squadron, but I ran into Micky Gold, in those dismal church dorms, which was RHQ and he asked for a transfer to C Squadron. I was very pleased to find that I knew Mike Parish as well in C Squadron.
It hardly seems a year ago. John Walters and Lawrence Biddle also joined with me from the Inns of Court. The third new officer was from the Cambridge OTC, a dreadful shit called Birch-White. When we came abroad he was left behind in England, and as far as I can gather, owing to his unpopularity, has been pushed round from station to station. It hardly seems a year ago. To celebrate the anniversary I went over to RHQ for dinner at Sarafand. Jack Abdy, John Walters, Lawrence Biddle, Doc Bob and Derrick Warwick were at dinner. Also Stephen Mitchell, who had gone over there to try and get rid of his earache.
He is going on a few days’ leave to Egypt to stay with a cousin of his in the army who is billeted at Ismailia. I left here after guard mounting on a motorbike. It was a beautiful moonlit night, so the going was comparatively easy. I have never ridden at night before. After dinner we all went to the garrison cinema.
When I left I had rather trouble in starting the bike, and when eventually I got it to go, I heard a dreadful clattering noise behind, and on turning round found that two tins had been fixed on behind the motorbike. I ran over a heap of stones in Tel Aviv on my way home, and went A over T; neither the bike nor I was damaged and I got home safely.
I hear that Flash has put in for seniority for Lawrence Biddle, John Walters and self. Up the Inns of Court! The application will go to the secretary of state for war by the special government daily air service.
I only hope that it goes through.
Thursday, 17 October
The rains seem to have begun in earnest. We had a terrific downpour at lunchtime. In the afternoon Henry and I took a gun and went for a long walk out into the country. We saw quite a few quail but Henry missed them all. True to type he never let me have a shot. I don’t think I could stand living with him alone for very much longer. What a life Rona must have with him.
The secretary of state for war, Anthony Eden, has arrived in this country. He arrived at Lydda airport by plane from Egypt. We gave him a guard of honour, which was commanded by Basil Ringrose, as at the moment he is guarding the airport with B Battery. We sent eight men from here. I chose the men with Sergeant Sewell.
Friday, 18 October
I understand that Flash Kellett had quite a long talk with Eden. He told him that quite definitely the 1st Cavalry Division would be mechanized, in all probability tanks, and we should be the first regiment to be mechanized, but not for a considerable time yet. It was, however, absolutely certain that we should never get our horses back again. All the stuff now is going out to Egypt. To Flash’s question about the air raids in London, he answered that if you flew over London, you would never know that it had been touched but on the other hand if you walked from Marble Arch to Victoria via Berkeley Square, one would see extensive damage to some very familiar buildings. The morale of the people was good; they were more grimly annoyed than anything else. London was carrying on but under somewhat difficult circumstances.
The arrival of Anthony Eden, the foreign secretary, did much to reassure troops in the Middle East that they had not been forgotten at home. His visit, along with the recent arrival of a number of tanks, also showed that Britain intended to fight on in the theatre. In fact, General Wavell had already drawn up orders for the two British divisions in Egypt, the 7th Armoured and 4th Indian, to attack the Italian forces at Sidi Barrani. Even so, despite Eden’s promises, the Sherwood Rangers were no closer to becoming mechanized. They were experiencing the reality of the vast mountain Britain had to climb to build up its army’s strength.
Monday, 21 October
Stephen Mitchell arrived back early this morning from Egypt. He has been away for a few days’ sick leave. He is not really fit yet, and is still having trouble with his ear. Frank Barley came over to tea from Bir Salim. He is in the Greys, and at the moment is adjutant of the Middle East Weapon Training School. I go there for a month’s course tomorrow. I did some boxing in the evening with the men in the hangar.
George Luck told me yesterday that during the middle of September the Germans had actually set sail across the Channel to invade England but the RAF had inflicted tremendous damage by pouring oil on the boats, then setting fire to them by machine-gun bullets. I don’t know how much truth there is in this, it certainly never came out in the press.
There was no truth in it at all!
Tuesday, 22 October
Today I left the power station to start my month’s course at the Middle East Weapon Training School at Bir Salim. I left the power station at about 9.30 with Smith, my batman.
I arrived at about 12.30. From outside it is rather an attractive place. Before the war it was an orphanage school, where they taught farming. The buildings are white with red-tiled roofs. Rather lovely gum trees surround the courtyard, in the middle of which there is an attractive well. The view over the countryside is also good. But inside it’s not too hot. We are three to a room, without any kind of furniture. The mess is not really big enough, and there are not sufficient chairs to sit down even.
After lunch we had a lecture from the CO, telling us to be good boys and to work hard; we were then divided up into squads with a staff sergeant as instructor. I am squad No. 13, with one other officer, from the NSY (North Somerset Yeomanry), and the others are NCOs from various regiments. Two NCOs have come with me from my regiment.
Tuesday, 22–Friday, 25 October
I am working on the Hotchkiss gun, anti-tank rifle, rifle and pistol. There are about 30 other officers drawn from every kind of regiment, including Australians, NZs, Rhodesians, officers from the Western Desert, from the TJFF, Indian regiments, and from every branch of the army, cavalry, infantry, gunners, RASC. As well as the officers, NCOs also come. I brought one NCO from my regiment, Corporal Campbell from Y Battery.
In lectures we are divided up into squads of seven or eight. In my class we have two officers and six NCOs all from Yeomanry Cavalry units. Our instructor is a sergeant from the Warwick Yeomanry, a very nice person and an excellent instructor. The idea of the school is to produce instructors, so that we can instruct our units on what we have learned when we get back.
We have one period before breakfast from 7.15 to 8 o’clock; one hour for breakfast and off again until 1 o’clock with a twenty-minute break during the morning.
After lunch we have one other period and that finishes the lectures for the day. In the evening you have to do a certain amount of revision work.
Halfway through the course there is a practical exam, and at the end a written exam. If you do exceptionally well you get a D (for distinction) and that is what I am after. A full report on your work to your colonel follows when you leave. It’s hard work here, but full of interest and quite fun.
I like all the other officers whom I have met so far, especially the Australians and NZs. I have not met the colonel, only seen him. The chief instructor is a Major Reeves from the Buffs. Strangely enough he married Cy
nthia Barrow, whom I have met quite a lot with the Burdens.
There is also Captain Court, an Australian, a grand person and a first-class instructor. George Luck is also here as an instructor. When war was declared we trained together at Edinburgh. We got our commissions at the same time and he went to the Warwickshire Yeomanry. I have not come across the other officer instructors yet.
I share a room with two other officers, Peter Seleri, just out from England, also Inns of Court, and commissioned to North Somerset Yeomanry, and a fellow called Downing. He started the war in HAC (anti-aircraft). Went to Norway where he had rather a rough time, had a few days’ leave and then came out here. Life, in fact, is very similar to university or school. We work to a programme, sleep in dormitories, eat at long tables and work at ‘prep’ in the evenings. But I am enjoying it all.
Monday, 28 October
A long day and I worked most of the time. Rather startling news over the radio.
(1) Italy has waltzed into Greece.
(2) The Empress of Britain has been bombed and sunk two miles off the north coast of Ireland. Apparently there were 700 people on board, and about 46 have not been accounted for. They told us that the passengers mostly consisted of families evacuated from this part of the world; which is most disturbing news, as the colonel, Lady Yarborough, RSM Wallace, our squadron sergeant major, Heathershore, and various of the sergeants all left the east on the Empress of Britain. Also all the evacuated ‘wives’ of our regiment, which included Rona Trotter, Hermione Ranfurly, Sydney Morris’s wife, and Toby Wallace were on the ship. Whether they were taken off at the Cape and did the rest of the journey on a Union Line steamer remains to be seen; likewise they may have been landed at a south port in England.
An Englishman at War Page 9
