Memories of Private AL Broughton

My Grandad was a Driver in the Royal Army Service Corps, serving in Africa and Italy during the Second World War.

Grandad joined the army fairly early on in the war and was in Egypt by Winter 1940. He spoke about the yo-yoing of the lines, going forwards and backwards. In the early stages against the Italians, things weren't so bad, but it was different once the Germans came and reinforced them.

He fought at El Alamein and said how spectacular the bombardment was. During some stage he was wounded, that was through being bit by shrapnel after being strafed. He had the scar for the rest of his life. After Africa, he went over to Sicily, then to Italy.

He participated in both the Anzio and Salerno landings, with Salerno being very bad. He was also at Monte Cassino, which he described as the worst fighting he ever saw during the course of the entire war.