Diaries and documents of John Dominic Palandri - Part 28

Attached in Crete to B. Coy. 2/7 Fld.

Amb. from medical personnel

2/11 Btn.

H.Q.Coy. 2/7 Fld. Amb. Missing from

P.O.W. Hospital No. 2.

26. March '41 -

The unit arrived at Amriyah during the afternoon from

Mersa Matruh. Transport vehicles with bulk of heavy/sto

stores, but excluding ambulance cars, went to the marshalling

yards, prepartory to the trip to Alexandria.

On this day contact was made with the 2/13 Fld Amb.,

another West. Aust. unit.

27.      "     '41 -

Transport, commanded by Lt. Oakley, left early for

Alexandria, and our mobile A.D.S. arrived. It did 

not come up to expectations, as some of the canvas

off the walls was missing, and the design was not as

originally submitted by Lt. Col. Clark.

29.      "     '41 -

Visited by Lt. Col. Clark of the 2/9 A.G.H. Ambulance

cars sent to marshalling yards. 2/5 Fld. Amb.,

A.I.F. lend us two vehicles to see us through the remainder

of our stay in Amriyah, and Capt. P. Thomas

joined us from 2/5 Btn. replacing Capt. D. McPherson

with whom he had changed places.

30.      "     '41 -

Ambulance cars left early for Alexandria. Capts.

Bryan, Thomas and King joined transports to act as

M.O.s for trip to Greece.

1. April '41 -

9. April '41 -

Maj. Wallace took advance party to wharf to prepare

for units embarkation.

10.    "    '41 -

Early rise at 0400 hrs. reached wharf by train at

0930 hrs. and embarked. Reached open sea at 2230 hrs.

12.     "    '41 - 

Uneventful voyage, arrived at Piraeus. Unable to

disembark, put to sea again.

13.    "      '41 -

(Easter Sunday) Disembarked, met by our own tranport,

told that vessel carrying our ambulance cars had been

hit during air-raid injuring drivers Hillman and Moore.

Taken to Voulos No. 2 Camp where lads settled in. Of

Officers already landed. Capts. Bryan and King and Lt.

Oakley were present, Capt. Thomas and Capt. Mayrhofer

being forward with other units.

14.    "      '41 -

News of a move. A.Coy. amd H.Q.Coy. moved off at 1400

hrs. Major Palandri remaining with rear party. Driver

Moore suffered a secondary haemorrhage on this night

and died.

15.    "       '41 -

German raiders bombing Piraeus passed over camp lo

down/on return trip, one limping badly. Capt. Mayrhofer

returned to unit. Arrangements in hand to establish and

conduct a tented convalescent depot for sick and lightly

wounded. After driving all day and night, A. & H.Q.Coys.

returned during late afternoon and all  available transport 

with two M.O.s and party went to Reuff Station to

receive casualties. Everything ready by 2000 hrs. but

they did not arrive in any great numbers until late the

following morning.

16. Apr. 41.  -

Morning spent in preparation for and reception of cases.

Dvr. Moores' funeral in the afternoon.

Orders to move. A.Coy. led off at about 1500hrs. followed

by greater part of H.Q. with some B.Coy., all by road.

B Coy., and remainder of H.Q. were to remain as rear party.

However after striking camp, they were transported to Reuff.

Station, there took delivery of goods from Medical Stores

and Red Cross and pulled out at 2200 Hrs.

Road party arrived at Gravia 0930 hrs. A.Coy. under Major

Wallace continued over Brallos Pass and established A.D.S.

just south of Lamia on flats. Gravia Party retired at about

1530 hrs to Leleia and there established M.D.S. in trees

along a river flanking the main road. This spot was distant

about 1/4 mile S.W. from Leleia Station where road had

crossed railway. Train party had reached Leleia at 2100hrs.

and were conducted to M.D.S.

Lt.Col. Le Souef, Major Palandri and Capt. Gallash went

up Brallos Pass, contacted Brig. Vasey re siting of rear

A.D.S. and looked over north-end of the pass just after

J.U.87.s had bombed the road not far from A.Coy.A.D.S.

During the afternoon Major Wallace brought his men back to

a spot just west of main road 2 miles south of M.D.S.

which had been working at almost full bore since going into

action. Capt. Gallash took a small party  and established

A.D.S. in late afternoon at south end of summit of Brallos

Pass, not far from 19 Bde. H.Q., unfortunatley near twin

dumps of ammonal and gelignite, the/only available spot at

which ambulances could turn. Two of B.Coy.s nursing

personnel were left at Gravia Station to conduct a small

post.

0700 hrs. at M.D.S. a high flying Heinkel dropped a medium

calibre bomb in the camp site, wrecked an M.A.C. ambulance,

killed the crew of two, and wounded two H.Q. med, severley

damaging the operating tent. At about the same hour a

lucky bomb blew up the gelignite dump at the A.D.S. wrecking

or damaging all vehicles in the vicinity, but miraculously 

not affecting the ammonal. Of nearby troops, one

was killed and five wounded, but no ambulance personnel

were touched. Capt. Mayrhofer, with a road convoy returning

from the C.C.S. had his trip made more exciting by the constant

attention of enemy planes.

During mid-day and early afternoon the main portion of the

M.D.S. was shifted from what promised to be an unhealthy

spot to another about a mile around the western limb of

the Leleis-Gravia-Brallos-Leleia loop, but half through

the move,with a lot of gear and tentage, most of the M.T.

and half the personnel still on the old site, 14 J.U.87.s

dropped everything they had on them. The target was obviously

the road and the two bridges near but the shooting

was bad and, again very luckily, no man was hit and no gear

or transport was damaged.

A.Coy. wasmachine-gunned without casualties, and reinforcements 

were sent to Capt. Gallash.

Ambulance patrol maintained on road through Brallos to

pick up localcasualties. Another stretcher-sqad to

Capt. Gallash, and a post established 1/2-1 mile north along

pass at the 'beer house".

Work slacking off a little at the M.D.S. for 2-3 days.

Major Palmer, 17 Bde. Salvation Army Officer had done

excellent comfort works for patient amd personnel at

M.D.S. Separated from their unit and with the M.D.S.

since 18 April, were also Lt.Col.Salter, Capt McIndoe

and Padre Frean, all of 2/2 Fld. Amb. A.I.F. The first

two rejoined their unit this day.

During the evening Lt.Col. Le Souef, acompanies to A.D.S

Major Palandri, who relieved Capt. Gallash and brought

extra squads and two ambulances. The three Officers

visited 19 Bde. H.Q. to go into the question of evacuating

casualties from 2/1 and 2/11 Btns. forward. These units 

were inaccessible to hand-carriage and attempts were made

to secure mules.

The nursing orderlies at Gravis were transferred to Brallos,

as work at the former was impossible due to continuous

bombing.

During the morning Bde. H.Q. informed Major Palandri that

arrangments for evaculations from forward units were to

be disregarded as the Btns. were to withdraw. The M.D.S.

was ordered to dump all gear and to prepare for evacuation

the following day. During the evening the "beer-house"

party returned to the A.D.S. and at 2000 hrs, the

whole party went back to the little village 1 mile south

of Brallos, picking up the Brallos party on the way.

Capt. Mayrhofer took the bulk of the men back to the M.D.S.

Major Palandri and 12 O.R.s remaining at the post. An

ambulance remained on the pass to bring back late casualties,

with orders to retire at 0600 hrs. on 24 April, but

as it was learned that an intervening bridge was to be

destroyed at 0500 hrs. the withdrawal hour was changed

from 0600 hrs. to 0300 hrs.

A.D.S. awakened early by

three M.E. 109's bombing its village and putting an M.G.

burst into an ambulance before recognising it-- no serious

damage. Information received that M.D.S. was to withdraw

10 miles south of Leleia at 1100 hrs., he A.D.S. to

follow at 1500 hrs. On reaching the rendezvous the M.D.S.

convoy well red-crossed, was bombed by a number of Heinkels

and three of its' ambulances ruined, with marvellous

escapes by personnel from injury and death. A.Coy. a few

miles  further south was not so lucky, four men being

wounded by M.G. fire. Four ambulance care were left one

with each of 2/1, 2/4 and 2/11 Btns. and 2/1 Fld. Regt.

At 2030 hrs. the unit's transport embussed all personnel

and joined a large convoy going south. Tentage and

material of M.D.S. were left in site undamaged

25. Apr. 41. -

In very early morning arrived at embarkation port, left

transport in a large assembly area where it was camouflaged,

men joining other units in a large olive-grove

where day was spent lying doggo from searching German

planes. During late afternoon transport was destroyed

and during the night 3000 odd troops and nurses were embarked

without mishap.

Those of the unit who travelled on destroyer had as

uneventual trip, those on a transport had a thrilling

time from air-raids, the only casualty being C.O.

with a small splinter in one hand. Both parties landed

in Crete, being taken to different camps.

The bulk of the unit after marches varying from 12-19

miles arrived at campsite in olive-grove N.W. of Neon

Korial alongside 2/2 and 2/1 Fld. Amb. waifs and strays

blowing in during the next few days.

Still at Neon Korian on 19th Bde. area. H.Q.Coy. took

over from 189 Fld. Amb. (British) the school-house which

was used a s a small surgical centre. The gear left by

the 189th was all we possessed apart from a few field-dressings

and shell-dressings and a little morphia. Cases 

were to be evacuate to Souda and Kania.

Padre Frean and Major Palmer returned to units. Our unit

shifted short distance away to an olive-grove south of

the school-house.

Capt King detached for duty with 19 Bde. H.Q. as M.O. to

'odds and sods". Capt Mayrhofer returned to unit.

Major Wallace, Capt Mayrhofer and 24 A.Coy. men sent to

Georgiopolis to conduct a dressing-station, with a few

stretchers, two R.D. tents, a small box of dressings and

drugs etc. blankets and rations. Capt. King returned to

unit.