by aw.muirhead » Fri Oct 17, 2008 11:13 pm
Hi kevin,
Yes, as you suggested earlier, he and the rest of the new SAS mortar team, had never fired a mortar before and they had a steep do it yourself learning curve. This had a big advantage in that they ended up being able to erect and fire their mortars with great speed and an accuracy that was admired and appreciated by their fellows. The disadvantage of course was that their was nobody to tell them when they were getting it wrong. Alex recalled one of his most anxious moments during the war being caused by his own miscalculation. He had placed himself in a forward observation post and then called down fire ahead of himself to realise in horror that the bombs were instead falling on his own post. Luckily he survived to tell the tail but he said it did mean that he double checked his calculations from then on and was very aware of the impact of his team on the enemy and their state of mind!
The incident is referred to in a number of books and I will see if I can find the quotes and copy them for you.
He headed up the very effective mortar unit through the Italian campaign. After that, while his mortar skills were used in France on one or two occasions, his main task was heading up a raiding party for most of the 3 months behind enemy lines and he then headed one of the platoons into Germany and in Norway. Yes - he was part of A Squadron, 1st SAS under Captain Bill Fraser.
But that is enough of the SAS for now. (His Nickname in the SAS was Burty (spelling?) Worcester which I have always thought was as much a play on words for his Regiment as a comment on his personality).
We would very much like to know more about Alex’s time in the Worcesters. Where he would have been and what he would have been up to. Why did he not go out with the Regiment to Egypt earlier and get taken at Tobruk for example.
He started off as a Private when he volunteered at the beginning of the war. I think he was promoted to Corporal as he had another story to tell about that which I am not sure you would want repeated. Did he have a different army number before he became an officer?
Any more feedback would be much appreciated.