IN THE DESERT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 196, 22 December 1941, Page 2

IN THE DESERT

SVORK JUST PRIOR TO LIBYAN PUSH

WITH THE RAILWAY CONSTRUC-

TION COMPANY

News of life in the desert immediately prior to the push into Libya ts told in a letter reading asl follows:— "We are working from daylight to lark at top pressure laying a railway—even breaking the army record of miles a day. We have had three shifts of camp—you can see how necessary this is when we do 15 miles or more a week. Indian labourers are employed on the job und arc wonderful workers. So great is the interest taken in our work that even General Frcyberg and General Auchinlcek, who is commander of the Middle East Forces, have visited us. "Hectic nights were experienced <n the cam]) before this, but it is luict here so far. Moving pictures are being taken of the whole job rind you may see them in New Zealand in a month or two."

Talking of weather conditions Sapper Shaw said the dust storms, which had started much earlier this rear, were very bad. However, the (lies at the time of writing were nearlv finished.

He described the land surrounding the camp as a vast desert. The desert was not all sand as expected, but just, a great river bed, flat as a pancake, with a slight rise here and there. Roads were a thing of the past at the camp, as the trucks were •ible to travel anywhere in that country, travelling about 150 yards apart in case of air attack. It was quite a common o?currence for 1000 t.o 1 000 trucks to over the desert as far as the eye could see. At the last camp the men had seen a picture show-—it seemed funny sitting out in the desert with machine guns, looking at pictures. There was one interruption—-from a man who had been stung by a scorpion. Fortunately for him, scorpions were not poisonous at that time of the 3-ear. Talking of snakes, although Sapper Shaw had not seen one as yet, he describes them as by no meaps being in short supply. "It is rough life here," he "writes. "There is very little water, but under the circumstances very fair food. Tobacco is in very short supply." Sapper Shaw mentions receiving n parcel from the Women's War Emergency Committee, which, he said, was extremely Avelcome.