Private Stan Blay

Well we were supposed to get out there and have a good blow out and that would be our last meal before we went into action. Well unfortunately there was a bit of rough seas blew up and the convoy got behind and the convoy could not call in there so we had to go straight on, we made do with whatever it was, bully beef and a cup of tea, we were hungry so anything would have been alright. Well we did not know where we were going but they told us they knew we were going to be here, someone else told us we were going to be there, sort of thing, I remember the only thing that worried me was if I got shot before I got ashore I did not want to be shot and drowned as well and anyway when we went in the captain of our landing craft, a born naval officer, said he would not hazard our ship on rehearsals because then you can guarantee you will have a dry landing when we actually get on the job and we did. We heard the bottom of the boat grate along and then there are two ramps one down each side and we ran down there to dry land but then we were then at Salerno and we had not gone that far before we discovered that the Jerries had opened the sluice gates and the place was flooded so in spite of our dry landing we were still up to our waist but any way we went on, we went up a little lane and our job was to take the airfield. The name escapes me now you may remember it.