Our Despatches from the Front (No., 159),
Page 18
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A Motor Lorry in the Wilds of East Africa.
M.T. EXPERIENCES IN EAST AFRICA.
(Continued /rim pap 237.) •
In the afternoon parties qf us would go out exploring the place within•it radius of about two rndes. One day I and two others went down for a bathe. Whilst enjoying the coolness of the water, we were suddenly surprised by a big splash, and turning round I saw a big crocodile, about 12 ft. 'long, making for us ; we got out of the water a lot quicker than we got in, and simply flew, with the result that one of nS lost his socks, but we did not bother to go back for them. The next dat we 'returned with rifles and I fired at one of the crocodiles, but only wounded it. The. skin is so hard that a rifle fired at 'shOrt range, only just penetrates, finally embedding itself in the skin. It is only possible to kill one of these reptiles by a wellplaced shot just behind the shoulder ; not an easy mark when the crocodile is moving.
A Scout in a Light Car.
When we received our.lorries we took 26 of them out on test, I being in front in a light car as scout. My orders were to go about two miles in front of the rest, and to report anything I saw at all suspicious to the captain of the column. We had gone about six miles when a bullet went through the bonnet of my car. I seeded up a bit for another quarter of a mile and then turned round in order to report an ambuscade.. I passed the same spot at about 60 miles per hour, ands four shots were fired at me, but I got well away. On my reporting, the rest of the column were turned back
• to camp. When I examined my car I found that the bullet had gone through the bonnet and broken the fan belt.
A few days later we had to go down the line for about 18 miles with the pioneers who were making a road through the bush for the troops, as German forces were established there. This necessitated a nightly patrol along -a line of 30 miles. To do this we used a small motor running on railway lines. Frequently we were sniped at during our excursions in search of water. On one such occasion, when I had four men with me. I decided to route out this sniping party. Leaving the car, we proceeded on hands and knees through the bush, whilst I left instructions with the driver to start the engine about 20 minutes later, so that any Germans concealed in the bush . would imagine that we were coming up the road as usual, and thus their attention would be drawn towards the road away from where we were actually, concealed. Soon we heard the sound of the engine, and perceived one or two German black soldiers creeping towards the road in order to have 4 shot at us. . There were four of them about 150 yards away from us. The Men I had with me were also blacks, but good geldiers, and only one of the enemy succeeded in getting away, two of them being shot and the other taken pris,oner by my part.. •. When we reached camp the. captain in charge was very pleased with our morning's.work, and we got a good deal of useful infoymation from the prisoner. . We were never 2 bothered with snipers again along
that road. .
A'Lorry in Ong Bush.
When we took the scouts out, we used to start at four o'clock in the Morning and take our food with us for the day, consisting of bread, bully beef, and cold water. We dared not make, a fire, as the enemy would ,have seen the smoke, As we were very near one of their positions. . We used to cover the lorry with branches, in order to hide it as much as Possible from . any. prowling Germans, making At. camp, 'about 50 or 100 yds. away under bush .cover, to grie us a. chance of getting away in ease the lorry should be found, or, at any rate, of -reconnoitring the position and numbers of the enemy. The scout had a pass-word.