DESERT SAWS

Korero (AEWS), Volume 2, Issue 13, 3 July 1944, Page 6

DESERT SAWS

Newsletter of the 6th Brigade in the Alamein Line A KORERO Report

Most soldiers have heard of N.Z.E.F. Times and Kiwi News, and a good many know the Eighth Army News. Parade, and other Army newspapers produced, some in the field, to cater for troops away from their, home countries. In the Pacific, at any rate, there have also been several more circumscribed publications, or unit news-sheets, serving isolated garrisons on various lonely islands, and there has hardly been a troopship that left New Zealand without yielding a ship’s magazine by the end of the voyage. Perhaps one of the least known but most interesting news-sheets produced in the field, often actually under shellfire, was Desert Saws, or the 6th N.Z. Infantry Brigade’s Newsletter, published daily in the Alamein Line for about six weeks during August and the first half of September, 1942. Second only to the flies, boredom and uncertainty were the main bugbears of life in the Alamein Line during that period between the stabilization of theline towards the end of July and Rommel’s last vain attempt to smash through to his goal. Both sides spent those searing

summer days improving their defences, building up their offensive power, and continually probing the other’s lines to keep au fait with probable intentions. Rumours, always at a premium among soldiers in the field, . flew thick and fast, for the fog of war is always thickest in the; most forward areas. Intelligence summaries were issued as often as the information merited, of course, down • to Divisional H.Q., but these contained fairly technical information, not always available or of particular interest to the ordinary soldier. Sponsored by Brigadier G. H. Clifton, Commander of the 6th Brigade, and produced on the orderly-room duplicator, the first number of the Brigade Newsletter, as it was at first called, was published on the last day of July. It consisted of a half-sheet of foolscap, distributed down to infantry companies and equivalent sub-units, and contained a brief summary of local news, comprising mainly reports of the previous night’s patrols. The third number, produced on August 2, was more ambitious, being typed on both sides of a full sheet, and containing news of local operations,

enemy dispositions, extracts from captured diaries, and the morning’s 8.8. C. news. Issue number four, however, saw the newsletter reach full-blown maturity. It was headed “ Desert .Saws,” carried as house motto Shakespeare’s ” . . slippered age, Full of wise saws and modern instances.” The title, of course, was a pun on “ desert sores ” —the prevailing affliction among the troops. Another innovation that came to stay was a daily “ latrinogram,” the universal army term for any imaginative rumour. The origin of " latrinograms ” was thus described, in verse, in one number :— Actual evidence have I none, But my officer’s batman’s friend’s son Heard a picquet on his beat Say to a cook in a desert.street, That he had a brother who had a friend Who knew when our duty was going to end. A typical item ran as follows :— The Story ■: ■■ That 2 N.Z. Div. is to be relieved to-day by an Indian Brigade. The Proof: Indian transport was seen moving up in our rear. .Currency Grading : Two Gold Stars. The Truth : An Indian unit composed almost entirely of untried recruits is now digging a defensive position .in rear of 2 N.Z. Div. . • ~ Another new feature, designed to be practical ip operations, took the form of lessons, in German, and contained useful phrases such as ” Hands up !”, ” ■Quickly ! ”, “ Shut up ! ” in the enemy’s language, There were other items of general interest, and also a few “ fill-up ” jokes —-of the “ men only ” flavour. Household hints, ■ such ■as methods of making fly-traps, also occasionally made their appearance, and during the second week a limerick competition was run, a sample of the entries being “ The Machine-gunner’s Lay ” : —- Our widely assorted establishment caters For giving a bash to various Dictators, ■ . And all the best pickers Believe in the Vickers The quickest and nastiest Jerry-rotators. Next day the signallers chimed in with the following : — The signallers, too, have a feud with old Herman, Not only friend Hitler, but every damn German, . The Emperor “ Hito,” And bandy Benito, ~ Including the rest of their low crawly vermin. Not of high literary merit perhaps but certainly of . high morale value.

Another competition, sponsored by Brigadier Clifton, who offered a prize of six cans of beer, was for the best suggestion on how to annoy “ Jerry.” The line was static, but that was considered no reason at all for letting the enemy have a quiet life, and ideas were called for on night raids, camouflage and deception, booby-traps, and so on. The first idea to come in was a suggestion to line dummy trenches with sand-bags containing anti-tank mines, as the panzers had shown a predilection for running over our pits. There were other suggestions, including the following whimsical thought:— A Brain has suggested a means of surprise, .By crossing mosquitoes with these —— flies ! And now the committee, In doubt or in pity, • Propose to award him the Desert Saws prize. All through Rommel’s last attack at Alamein, from August 30 to September .6, Desert Saws maintained daily publication and kept the troops informed of all developments, both in their own theatre of war, and overseas. An artist, in the person of the Brigade H.Q. draughtsmana former Canterbury School of Art student—was occasionally employed to brighten up the paper with cartoons. His most popular and most appealing effort was for the last number, on September io, the day before the division was finally . relieved to move out for a month's rest and manoeuvres. The tail piece to this number, a “ Late Extra ! ” is reproduced here.