Sound: Orsogna and the Italian Campaign

Campaign memories: Orsogna, Joseph Bacos

Private Joseph Bacos, 42209, enlisted in January 1940. Upon arrival in the Middle East, he was posted to the Divisional Ordnance and served there during his time in North Africa. When the 18, 19 and 20 Battalions were withdrawn and turned into an armoured brigade, Joseph seized the opportunity to retrain as a tank gunner. He went to Italy with the 20 Armoured Regiment in December 1943. Here he talks about his first time in action at Orsogna.

Hear Joseph Bacos speaking about his time at Orsogna.

Click on arrow to play (331kb)

Transcript

'C Squadron of the 20th were supposed to support the Maori Battalion on the attack on Orsogna. It was a mountain town. Well, our tank had to go to the workshops because our gun was not recoiling properly. It was coming back very slowly. So we went to the workshops and I renewed acquaintances with my old comrades - the Ordnance. We were there three days and went up to join the Squadron and found out they'd gone into action that afternoon. And thirteen tanks had gone in and nine had been shot up and several of the boys were killed. That was the worst night I've ever experienced in my life. I wasn't afraid so much. I felt quite sad. Fellows I'd been talking to about a week earlier. You know, stiff and dead. Never see their home country again. I don't think I slept that night.

The next day we went up to support the Maori Battalion-the attack failed. But that's when we got hit. We got a direct hit... 11 o'clock at night. And it killed the spare driver, Shorty. A young boy of 22. It landed right in front of the turret. It was high explosive. Had it been armour-piercing we would have all been killed. But he was killed. Shorty. He got shrapnel all over him and he died the next morning. That was my first tank battle. Well, it wasn't a tank battle-first time in action in a tank. '

Snow covers a New Zealand tank near Orsogna on New Year's Day, 1944.