The left leg

On arrival at the hospital in Cairo I requested, that the Doctors sew up the bullet wound in my left leg so it would not leave an ugly bullet mark, I did this simply because of the Secrecy Act, and this is what they did. They took all the rough edges from around the penetration hole, then they cut two vertical incisions, one above and one below, then they cleaned the wound and proceeded to sew the wound up from the centre out, when they finished it just look like I had caught my leg on barbed wire leaving a straight scare. When I got back home and was asked about it, that’s what I told them, I caught it on barbed wire. Being a man of very high ethics I was forced to fib due to the WW2 Secrecy Act.
They did this procedure under local anaesthetic, I sat up and watched the whole show, now let me say this about the Australian Army Surgeons who are in my opinion amongst the best surgeons of all, of the highest calibre overall. So much so, that I continued to use them after the war in Macquarie Street Sydney.
Of course this is only my opinion. Got it.

The Little Bugger Made It!

While I was in hospital in Cairo, the officers came to visit me and told me a story which goes like this, when the offices drove east to the end of the top step, they turned left and dove up a sloping incline back onto the Western Desert, in order to come back out onto the battlefield to give the order out to the line to Pull Back. And you may ask what were they greeted by when they drove up over the rise back onto the WESTERN DESERT? they were greeted by trucks screaming pass them heading for Cairo, one after the other. The Commanding Officer knew that the men on that line were being butchered, and knowing full well they would not budge an inch, without orders to do so, that the line would hold till the end just like GALLIPOLI! Got it. That the wounded and dying would have laid in wait for only one thing “the twist of the bayonet” so thank god I made it. I’ll just put it down to my guardian angel who I felt was with me throughout my entire military service. Do you now understand?
They told me that the commanding officer then made the following statement as they came over the incline; he turned around with his eyes bulging out of his head and with a complete look of astonishment and amazement, he then exclaimed with a stutter:
“TH THE LITTLE BUGGER MADE IT.“
He then screamed out the order “Head for Cairo“
Now you may ask what my reaction was when I was told this in hospital? I’ll tell you I pissed myself with tears of laughter, and then some, and the officers that informed of this, did nothing but copied my example. OK!
No Cigar no Scotch and a morale boosting game of chess.
While I was in hospital recovering, it was my observation that the mass morale of the men could be boosted with a little help with a game of chess, so I asked one of the orderlies to go and get my kit bag, so I could retrieve the chessmen I won on the Queen Mary, and have a game of chess or two. I decided to further lift the morale of my opponents by giving them an occasional advantage or two on the chessboard, and let me tell you it worked a treat, really lifting their morale. This technique was working real fine, until I came up against an opponent who I had played previously on the Queen Mary, I gave him a slight advantage on the chessboard he saw it and grab it with both hands, bingo, check mate. He then sat back in a relaxed position, with a big grin on his face he started to laugh, and said the following akin to this, don’t give me that “bullshit for boys” titch, remember, I played you on the Queen Mary at the start of the Chess tournament. you beat me three times straight, you gave me a ruthless ass kicking all over the chessboard, I wouldn’t have had a hope in hell of beating you on any chessboard, and with a chuckle he said something like the following, I think I know what you’re up to and you definitely lifted my morale in one way or another, so keep up the good work old mate, because it’s working. Comprendo.

Red eye Green eye

You ask me did I receive a moral boost while I was in hospital? The answer is yes. A few of the officers knew, I was a diehard South Sydney Rabbitoh Rugby league supporter, the red and greens, I had one red eye and one green eye so to speak. They told me that I ran to the line to give the order out, like a true Rabbitoh man, and let me tell you in no uncertain manner, that compliment really made my day in more ways than I can ever explain. I have been a Rabbitoh supporter ever since I was a child, and all of my life loved and supported the Bunnies, that Rugby League football team. I also instructed my family that when I was buried I wanted to be buried with something Red and Green. Got It.

Footnote:
A red and green scarf was wrapped around his neck on the occasion of his funeral.

Retreat or Pullback.

Now let me explain to the ill informed the difference between a pull back and a retreat, a retreat is when men abandon their post without an order, a pullback happens when the pull back order reaches the line then the men follow the order.
On that day we pulled back, we did not retreat and furthermore every man on that line would ‘have stayed there on that line, to the last man if the order to pullback had not come, also the fact that I was the officer who carried the order to pull back, and I made it to the line, and gave the order out, So this will put an end to the word retreat once and for all, The down side of this was, that some of the officers on that day were put on the back bench after these events, which I felt was unwarranted! but there is no doubt in my mind that those officers made a courageous, and the right decision, and there was no Gallipoli in the western desert on that fateful day. “Titch’s Critique”.
I also keep my word to every mother who belongs to the CWA of Australia. Got it!
Re CWA Chapter.