Life in the Western Desert. What was it like for the men?

Discussion in 'North Africa & the Med' started by Volitans, Jan 10, 2023.

  1. Volitans

    Volitans Member

    Hi all,

    Wondering if anyone can point me in the direction of good books/websites/info about what life was like for the men who served in the Desert Campaign?
    I've heard snippets about the flies and the sandstorms, but would like to get a feel for what day-to-day conditions were like.

    Sorry if its a basic question.
     
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  2. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    It's a perfectly valid question. Unfortunately I can't think of one book that would give you all the answers.
     
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  3. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    Born of the Desert by Malcolm James. Available on Kindle which I used. Plenty of supporting photos.
    Also available in paperback on line from the usual sources.

    Not standard 8th Army but plenty of descriptions by the Medical Officer of 1 SAS in 1942-43.
    He lived with the men, treated them when sick and wounded and earned an MC for his activities with them in the Field.
    He goes into some detail about desert sores, diseases sandstorms, distorted vision, mirages, etc.
    A very enlightening book about life and death in the desert.
    He also includes some of the animals and creatures that they lived with,
    that helped them stay sane during long lonely waits for supplies.
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Jan 10, 2023
  4. Andreas

    Andreas Working on two books

    The Wellcome collection has some interesting medical papers on the Western Desert online, and they are a good starting point.

    All the best

    Andreas
     
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  5. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    Thanks for sharing the link.

    Malcolm James is his nom de plume. His given name was Malcolm James Pleydell. He makes a contribution to No Dishonourable Name - the unofficial history of 2nd & 3rd CG in WW2 - regarding his service as MO with 3rd CG during1941.

    SAS - Pleydell, Malcolm James

    Going off at a slight tangent to the OP query but for completeness - The Cpl Drongin mentioned in his MC citation was ex 2nd Scots Guards, 8 Commando etc. The operation performed by Captain Pleydell was ultimately unsuccessful.

    Steve
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Jan 10, 2023
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  6. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    The Kindle Version has an extension which reveals his name and provides follow up as to who many of his patients were.
    He could not reveal this when he wrote the book published in 1945.
     
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  7. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

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  8. Andreas

    Andreas Working on two books

    "A time in the sand: a true account of some personal experiences with the RAMC in the Western Desert 1941-1943", by James David Provins Graham, Captain, RAMC

    All the best

    Andreas
     
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  9. Sheldrake

    Sheldrake All over the place....

    Try

    Alan Moorehead African Triology - a war correspondent's view
    Keith Douglas Alamein to Zem Zem- a War Poet's view
     
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  10. Andreas

    Andreas Working on two books

    Probably not totally related to what you are looking for, but for the soldiers of the Tobruk garrison, prolonged exposure to combat raised some issues:

    ‘Shell Shock’ ‘Bomb Happy’ and the Tobruk Garrison

    Thanks to the understanding of the Australian medical officers of the psychology and situation, the approach to battle exhaustion changed.

    All the best

    Andreas
     
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  11. Uncle Jack

    Uncle Jack Member

    Thanks Andreas. Reading this - got as far as the arrival of his convoy in Egypt. This memoir gives a vivid account of the convoy - Convoy WS7 includes details not in "Winston Specials" of a collision between the troopship and HMS Revenge. Looking forward to his description of the condition in Tobruk during the siege.
    Regards

    Robin
     
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  12. Volitans

    Volitans Member

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  13. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    The thing that has stuck with me regarding desert chaps, is almost every one of them I've spoken to mentioning pouring bully beef from the can as a liquid to make sarnies, fry-ups etc.
    Anecdotal, but always makes me think of humans, fighting, in that environment & what becomes 'fine'

    [I'll second the Alamein to Zem Zem recommendation. Technically a novel, but Douglas 100% knew what he was talking about. Edit: total brain failure - was thinking here about 'Take these men' by Cyril Joly ~A]
    Long time since I read it, so memory may be sketchy, but ISTR John Bierman's 'War without hate' gave a good impression of how the blokes felt about things.

    Brazen Chariots, The Phantom Major etc. etc. too. Lots of those 50s memoirs have a good literary feel about life in the rocks and sand. Though many would (entirely reasonably) debate some of the accuracy of those things, they do have the benefit of immediacy, personal views, and often score highly in literacy/style/readability.


    I'm sure there was a chap on here or WW2F that compiled a substantial list of reviewed desert memoirs (Maybe only armoured... not sure).
    Cannot find the damned thing now.
     
    Last edited: Jan 15, 2023
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  14. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    I have the impression (correct or not, I'm not sure) that Alamein to Zem Zem is a "novel" in the sense that he changed the names - but I'm not sure about more. I suppose he could have taken a few liberties with the facts. Take These Men by Cyril Joly is I think similar. Generally so that anything bad said about someone in the book would not reflect on them quite so obviously.
     
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  15. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    What about infantry memoirs of the desert war? There must be some...?
     
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  16. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

    Bit off thread, but for accuracy. It was Convoy WS10X not WS7. Collision occurred 2 Sep 41 when HMS Revenge suffered a steering fault, veered to starboard and was struck amidships by SS Orion.

    Tim
     
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  17. Uncle Jack

    Uncle Jack Member

    Thanks
    I was put off track as he wrote that they arrived in Egypt in June
    Robin
     
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  18. Andreas

    Andreas Working on two books

    I've not seen one.

    All the best

    Andreas
     
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  19. TTH

    TTH Senior Member

    I covered that subject a little in my own book. The 9th Div really pioneered in the treatment of battle exhaustion. The 9th Division also suffered a rising sick rate over the course of the siege, due in part to poor screening of enlistees by the AIF. Inadequate dental care and poor diet were also part of the picture. By the summer, everyone in the 9th was well and truly fed up with Tobruk and Blamey and the Australian government were quite right to insist on the division's relief.
     
  20. Uncle Jack

    Uncle Jack Member

    Have you seen R L Crimp's 'Diary of a desert rat'. Is it worth reading?
    Regards
    Robin
     

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