WW2 Slit Trench. A ditch dug just wide enough to drop your pants and straddle to do your business. The sore spot was that we Americans had to dig them for our officers.. Grrrr!
A Normandy veteran who lives near me told me he used to sit on his Battery's loo near Caen and watch the bombers go in. It was a pole across a pit, obviously with a good view!
Frank, The Box was portable and thrown on a 4 tonner to the next location. The trench was doused with fuel and ignited before we moved some were just filled in. I used a GS Chair with a black bin bag underneath
Enlisted accomodations onboard the USS Alabama BB60. Beats the heck out of a slit trench, eh Mr. Frank?
Enlisted accomodations onboard the USS Alabama BB60. Beats the heck out of a slit trench, eh Mr. Frank? Still looks a bit CRAPPY though Jeff.
These German soldiers looks like Skinheads here Actually the German army used pretty normal haircuts like everyone else.
Back in 1992 we took some German friends to Glastonbury Festival. When they came back from the toliets they said, "Those toilets are what our Grandad called Stalingrad toilets!" I never thought I'd hear Glastonbury compared to Stalingrad.
I do believe that we had the best of all worlds by having a hand sanded four holer at our camp in North Africa near Bone - until that is - we were introduced to Dehydrated meat..... In the mire It was decreed from on high, in the army kitchens of the UK, that we were to enjoy the delights of a new development — dehydrated meat. Its main benefit had been that of conserving space in Merchant Navy ships. This allowed them to store more ammunition and guns on the sea passage from home. We were therefore to be served a sufficient quantity of dehydrated meat, which it was, true enough, and also apparently enjoyed — at least, the orderly officer heard no complaints. But then he was a very big, burly, South African international rugby player, who never did get many complaints — one Major Christopher Newton-Thompson, MC, who died in May 2002. Later that evening, when the sun was wending its way towards Morocco, it was noticed that our showcase latrine was quite busy. Very soon busy became a veritable stampede with most trying to get there in time, and many who didn't. It wasn’t too pleasant in the morning, when it was very noticeable. According to the general consensus, this was the result of the dehydrated meat dinner. Everyone suffered its effects, which quickly cleared. At that time the senior NCOs and officers dined later in the day, as only gentlemen should, and thus they were all unaware of the problems attending the dehydrated meat. It was much later, therefore, that the senior NCOs felt the need to visit the facilities, which had been very busy until their visit. The result of so much use was that the main supporting beam gave way with a mighty crack. The Squadron Sergeant Major, along with the Squadron Quartermaster Sergeant, the Squadron Sergeant Cook and the Squadron Sergeant Mechanic/Fitter of A Squadron, 145th Regiment RAC of the 21st Tank Brigade, British 1st Army, landed, as they say, in the mire. It was extremely difficult to keep a straight face for some time after that incident. Meanwhile, no dehydrated meat was ever served again. Cheers
MOD - I should have added this bit as it was not repaired for some days as we couldn't stop laughing...... Our showcase latrine One feature that invariably came up for a gold star was our latrine. It was a work of art, built by a journeyman carpenter, my gunner Harry Gray. The pit itself was a standard 2.4m long x1.8m deep x 0.6m wide (8ft x 6ft x 2ft) but capped by a raised platform with four cut-outs, complete with lids. The whole wooden superstructure had been hand sanded so that the medical staff should not be bothered extracting splinters from its users’ nether regions. The latrine was situated some 100m (100 yards) from the main tent lines and faced south toward the majestic Atlas Mountains. It was a joy to sit and ruminate, with three colleagues, first thing on a frosty morning, or to feel the warming glow of the sirocco, blowing in from the vast Sahara away to the south.
Wendy - you are right that view was truly majestic - I have seen many mountains- Appenines - Alps - Rockies - even your own Mount Cook - but the Atlas with the sun coming up - is something to behold.. Cheers
I first arrived in North Africa on April 13th 1943 but didn't join my unit (The 49th LAA) until the 22nd of May. On the 17th June, the King, George VI, flew to Tunisia to inspect the 78 Div and my unit proudly marched in front of him through the streets of Tunis. As a comparitive newcomer it was deemed appropriate that I, and the other re-inforcements, should guard the vehicle park to ensure that the local citizens didn't make off with sundry parts, including all the tyres. When we were being given our instructions as to the exact perimeters of the sentry beat it was also pointed out to us that we should be keeping a close eye on the latrines. When I queried this last point it was explained to me that it was common practice for the local gentry to steal the by-product of bodily functions which were in great demand for spreading on the nearby fields. To this day I can proudly claim, that whilst my comrades-in-arms marched in triumph through the streets of Tunis I guarded a pile of sxxxt !