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“Red Tabs” Life and Death in the 6 South

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“Red Tabs” Life and death in the 6th South African Armoured Division, 1943 – 1945 by JAMES FRASER BOURHILL Submitted as requirement for the degree DOCTOR PHILOSOPHIAE (HISTORY) in the THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORICAL AND HERITAGE STUDIES FACULTY OF HUMANITIES UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA Supervisor: Prof F. Pretorius Co-Supervisor: Dr J.E.H. Grobler © University of Pretoria TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION 1 a. Aims and objectives 1 b. Hypotheses 1 c. Elucidation of the title 2 d. The envisaged contribution of the thesis 3 e. Methodology, approach and procedure 4 f. Delimitations 5 g. International trends and prevailing schools of thought 6 CHAPTER 1: RELATED HISTORIOGRAPHY 10 a. Review of the available sources 10 i Campaign histories 11 ii Regimental histories 12 iii Memoirs and published diaries 13 iv Popular and general histories 14 v German and Italian literature 14 vi Social histories 15 vii Academic works and articles 15 viii Primary sources 17 b. Keeping of the historical record 19 i Historical recording officers 19 ii Propaganda, censorship and historical recording via the news media 23 CHAPTER 2: BACKGROUND TO THE CAMPAIGN 29 a. Formation and composition of the 6th South African Armoured Division 29 b. Recruitment and replacements 33 i Enlistment – an overview 33 ii Volunteering 34 iii The Red Oath and conflicting pressures 38 iv Depletion of the ranks and subsequent replacements 40 v Conclusions on recruitment and replacements 44 c. Demographics of the division 45 d. Officer corps 47 e. The South Africans as part of a multinational force 50 f. Summary of movements and the geography 53 © University of Pretoria CHAPTER 3: LIFE IN CAMP AND ON THE ROAD 57 a. Camp conditions and facilities 57 b. Camp routine 61 c. Shelter and billets 64 d. On the road (The mobile phase) 69 CHAPTER 4: SUSTENANCE OF MIND AND BODY 77 a. Supplies and kit 77 b. Meals and rations 84 c. Letters and parcels 90 d. The postal system 93 e. Ouma’s Gifts and Comforts Fund 94 f. Sustenance of the soul 95 CHAPTER 5: RECREATION AND LEISURE 98 a. Reading matter 98 b. Radio, music and film 102 i Film 102 ii Music and radio 103 c. ENSA shows 105 d. Killing time 107 e. Physical and mental exercise 108 f. UDFI, welfare and women’s organizations 112 g. On leave 115 h. Money matters 120 i. Special occasions 125 CHAPTER 6: MISCONDUCT 128 a. General discipline 128 b. Crimes against person 129 c. Crimes against property 132 d. Crimes against performance 133 e. Crimes against civilians and by civilians 135 f. Crimes against prisoners of war 136 g. Enforcement 137 h. Redress of grievances 138 i. The Helwan riots 140 CHAPTER 7: VICE 142 a. Vino 142 b. Venus 145 c. VD (venereal disease) 150 © University of Pretoria CHAPTER 8: INTERFACE WITH CIVIL SOCIETY 154 a. Citizen soldiers 154 i Interaction with the home front 154 ii Separation and homesickness 157 iii Announcement of casualties 159 iv Repatriation and demobilization 161 b. Army of occupation 165 i Experience of the country and climate 166 ii Administration of civilian affairs 167 iii Attitudes towards the Italians 169 CHAPTER 9: COMBAT AND BECOMING A CASUALTY 174 a. Contextualizing the casualties 174 b. Battle casualties 176 c. Life expectancy according to unit and branch of service 178 d. Culture and the attitude to casualties 181 e. Battle Accidents 184 f. Evacuation of casualties 187 g. Facilities for the sick and wounded 189 h. Illness and ailments 192 i. Deaths and burials 194 CHAPTER 10: MENTALITIES, MORALE AND MOTIVATIONS 197 a. Morale and motivation to fight 197 b. Battle fatigue (psychological casualties) 203 c. Killing and hostility 206 d. Fear and heroism 208 CHAPTER 11: FINAL ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSIONS 211 a. Experiential aspects 211 b. Conclusions on casualties 212 c. Conclusions on motivations 213 d. Memory as a category of analysis 214 © University of Pretoria ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1: Men of the Pretoria Regiment wearing the flash of the Guards Brigade behind their headdress badge. 52 Figure 2: Bill Maudlin cartoon illustrating the difference in operating style between the Americans and British, captioned “You blokes leave an awfully messy battlefield”. 53 Figure 3: Image of an original drawing of a home-made bed. 58 Figure 4: Image of an original drawing of a petrol stove. 60 Figure 5: Typical overnight position in an olive grove. 65 Figure 6: Bill Maudlin cartoon captioned “Me future is sealed Willie. I’m gonna be a perfessor on various types of European soil”. 66 Figure 7: Fighting hole with “bivvy”. 68 Figure 8: Bailey Bridge Florence, Ponte Vecchio in background. 72 Figure 9: Manufacturing the road signs which were highly visible throughout Italy. 73 Figure 10: Bill Maudlin cartoon illustrating the proliferation of road signs, as well as differences between the Allies in style of communication. 74 Figure 11: Jeep crossing a stream in Italy, gun tractor (quad) in background. 75 Figure 12: Issue of new boots during the winter in the Apennines. Two soldiers are wearing leather jerkins. 80 Figure 13: Infantryman with battle gear in cold weather. 82 Figure 14: Grapes were plentiful, especially in the Arno River valley in September 1944. 89 Figure 15: Two soldiers of the WR/DLR distract themselves with some light reading before the attack on Monte Caprara. 100 Figure 16: Skiing South African Style – P.M. Johnston on the left. 110 Figure 17: Outspan Club in Castiglione (note the ice on the ground). 115 Figure 18: Rhodesian troops studying a map of Rome. 118 Figure 19: SAWAS selling perfume at Villa Frassineto in Florence. 120 © University of Pretoria Figure 20: Egyptian currency: Five Paistres. 122 Figure 21: Italian Metropolitan bank note, ten Lire. 122 Figure 22: Allied Military currency, one Lira. 123 Figure 23: Wine being rationed at Acquafondata. Picture captioned “Cassino vino”. 144 Figure 24: Jon Jones cartoon illustrating the concerns of reverting to civilian life captioned, “Don’t worry old man, Pte. Blenkinsop assured me he’d fix us up with a job”. 163 Figure 25: Farm work continuing in what is described by the caption as the “Front line”. 167 Figure 26: Tanks outspanned in an Italian farmyard. 169 Figure 27: General Poole attending a children’s Christmas party. 171 Figure 28: Bill Maudlin cartoon captioned “Papa, I think we have been liberated”. 172 Figure 29: Bill Maudlin cartoon illustrating the precarious existence of the infantryman, captioned: “I feel like a fugitive from th’ law of averages.” 179 Figure 30: Examples of temporary graves. 196 Figure 31: J.H. Jackson cartoon illustrating the cynicism with which South African soldiers received the offerings from Hollywood. 218 TABLES Table I Recruitment during the first five months of 1944. 41 Table II Hospital admissions per 1,000 for the week ending June 1945. 152 Table III 6 SA Armd Div Battle Casualties including Officers, ORs and CCs (UDF Personnel only). June to 24 November 1944. 178 Table IV Battle Casualties and Battle Accidents for the period 1 May 1944 to 7 August 1944 in the 6th South African Armoured Division. 182 Table V 11 SA Armd Bde Casualties 1 July 1944 – 31 July 1944. 183 © University of Pretoria Table VI Battle Casualties and Battle Accidents (excluding “Remained on Duty” – including all ranks) 8 May 1944 – 27 January 1945 in the 6th South African Armoured Division. 185 Table VII Admissions to 8 SA Casualty Clearing Station. 192 APPENDICES Appendix A 6th South African Armoured Division Order of Battle at 15 April 1945. 223 Appendix B Chronological table indicating harbour areas and mileages during operations by 12 Motorised Brigade Group Italian summer campaign 1944. 227 Appendix C Chronology of operations in the Gothic Line and Winter Line up until the rest period at Lucca. 229 Appendix D Order of battle and fighting strength at the end of May 1944. 230 Appendix E Breakdown of all 6th South African Armoured Division Battle Casualties and battle accidents. 232 Appendix F Abbreviations of names of regiments and formations. 233 Appendix G Other abbreviations. 234 SOURCES 238 © University of Pretoria ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Although there are many people who have supported me and suffered with me while I have been researching and writing this thesis over a period of almost a decade, there is only one person who played a critical role. Of course, that person is my supervisor, Professor Fransjohan Pretorius. He has put in a huge amount of time, effort, skill and patience for which I am deeply indebted. © University of Pretoria ABSTRACT The thesis seeks to understand, first and foremost, what the members of the 6th South African Armoured Division in Italy during the Second World War experienced in their day-to-day lives on campaign. It is therefore primarily a social history. Although an exhaustive analysis of the demographics of the division is beyond the scope of this study, an attempt was made in Chapter 2 to identify some of the characteristics of the volunteers and their motivations for enlisting. Recruitment statistics and other sources show that in the final stage of the war, volunteers were most likely to be school-leavers and university students. Chapters three to eight detail the daily life in camp and on the road as the division progressed up the length of Italy. The main themes revolve around the necessities of life, recreation, leisure and ways of dealing with long periods of inactivity. The more controversial topics of sexuality, alcohol use, and battle fatigue are not avoided. Regardless of the capacity in which they served, all those attached to the 6th South African Armoured Division experienced the country and its people.
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