71. Cats and Mice

Memoirs of Gordie Bannerman - World War II

• Acquafondata April 1944
  Here in this small village our RHQ was in an old house. Everything was old up here on the mountain. A sort of cat and mouse game began between the RSM and the new survey Sergeant John Wiebe. It was over the issue rum. John was stealing the issue rum that the RSM had in his care and to catch John he would mark the gallon glass jug with a marking crayon at the height of the rum. Well John would take enough to have a snort and pour water into the jug so it was up to the mark. Soon this went nowhere as the remaining rum was getting so diluted that any one could see what was happening. The RSM then came to me as I was the duty sergeant and said tell your friend Wiebe to leave the rum alone as if he continues he will be in big trouble and will disrupt his chance for confirmation of rank. I think John left the rum alone after that.

  I mentioned a mouse. Well I do not care for mice but I had a small mouse visit me when I took my turn on the phone at night. This sneaky little mouse would come around the phones by a different route and divert my attention. Then that little fellow would slip up and steal some fruit cake that one of the officers had left there. I sort of thought this mouse was too smart for his own good. As I smoked then I took a great inhale of smoke and when that little monster appeared at the cake I blew a great blast of smoke in his face. This wee chap leaped into the air rubbed his nose with his front paws and vanished for the night, leaving this mean beggar to have his laugh. I think the mouse came back many nights after when I was not there and filled up with fruit cake, Anything as smart as he was deserved to eat his fill.

  The gun areas were pretty quiet during our stay in this area. The forward observation officers and men had a different time as any movement in day light brought down immediate shell fire. The supply of men and materials up in the mountains was difficult, also the maintaining of communications. Radios did not work well due to the rocky area. Shell fire with resulting shell fragments and rock splinters cut the telephone wire up. Orme Payne, one of the Battery signal sergeants, devised a plan and laddered the wire, which except for a little more work initially and double the amount of wire was able to keep the phones operating.
  He should have had a medal for this.