9th-12th-Lancers - Year 2001 - Page 0089
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| Regiment | 9th/12th Lancers |
|---|---|
| Year | 2001 |
| Transcription |
REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE 9TH/12TH ROYAL LANCERS (PRINCE OF WALES’S) 89 The pug did not like the look of Tomasz at all! He dived at Tomasz, bit his ear and they rolled down the hill together, locked in deadly combat. Two guardsmen at the bottom of the hill tried to separate them, but to no avail. One of the guards- men grabbed the pug and held it up by its small tail - still it would not let go. The second guardsman then opened the pug’s mouth with his bayonet: the pug fled. Tomasz’s ear was a nasty mess...I bathed it and covered it up, hoping it would heal of its own accord. However, after three weeks I noticed the ear had turned green. . .gangrene. I took him to a Royal Army Veterinary Corps surgery for help, but they could not help as Tomasz was not an official Army dog. What on earth was I to do? By now the Regiment had moved to Gradisca. I had heard that amongst the local German prisoners- of-war one was prepared to come to Tomasz’s aid. Perhaps he had heard that Tomasz was German? Through a translator, the prisoner laid down his conditions: (I) Tomasz’s mouth was to be bound with wire during the treatment which was to be given without any anaesthetic and (2) I was to lie 7 horizontally - across Tomasz’s body giving him words of reassurance through- out the ‘operation’. In the event I was more nervous than any- one present, Tomasz was entirely calm! The ear was bathed and cleaned 7 it was all over. That must have cost another packet of cigarettes! His ear never caused him trouble again, although it remained badly scarred. Sometime in December 1946 Colonel Tony Cooke announced that the Regiment would be embarking for the Canal Zone in Egypt in January 1947. This immediately posed a problem for me as dogs had been banned from troopships. How on earth was I to get Tomasz to Egypt? I would simply have to find another ship to take him. This was the only real possibility I had of bringing him along with me. I duly visited Lloyds Shipping Office in Trieste who informed me that a Swedish ship was to set sail four days before the 9th Lancers, and it would arrive in Port Said a few days afterwe had landed. Hurrah! This was the answer! A day or two later I visited the ship in question and the Captain kindly agreed to take Tomasz aboard and deliver him safely to Egypt. He did not want any payment. I left Tomasz with him. Two days after the ship sailed, the Colonel announced that the departure of our own ship was to be delayed. Consequently, when the Swedish Captain’s ship arrived in Port Said they discovered we had not yet arrived. The Captain was willing to leave Tomasz with the Egyptian Customs although they could only keep him for one week, after which time he would have to be destroyed. Under these circumstances, the Captain decided to keep him and on the next occasion he visited Trieste he left Tomasz with the Royal Navy HQ. I only learned about this through the Lloyds office in Alexandria when I presumed I had lost Tomasz for ever. Three months passed. The Regiment moved up to the Gaza strip in Palestine where we were once again under canvas. A telegram arrived out of the blue from Lloyds in Alexandria stat- ing that the Swedish ship would be arriving in Alexandria on a given date in April 1947. The Captain could bring Tomasz with him if I was willing to collect him. It was agreed and I was granted a week’s due leave to fit in with the date of his arrival. I was staying at the well known Hotel Cecil when Lloyds tele- phoned to say that the ship would be late in arriving. My leave was expiring and I would once again miss the ship’s arrival! One chance remained. I was told that if I returned to Gaza forthwith I would be able to catch the ship at the Palestinian port ofJaffa. I hastenedback by ’plane to Cairo, then by train to Ismailia and Gaza. The day after my return the first thing I did was to ask to see the Adjutant, John Greenwood. Could I possi- bly go that day to Jaffa to collect Tomasz? John pointed out that whilst I was on leave I had been listed to be Orderly Officer. Because I had not arranged for a substitute in my absence, I had to be confined to camp for the next four days. Crestfallen I returned to my tent. Suddenly I heard a voice behind me... “Clive”. It was James Morris, later to be The Times news- paper’s representative during the ascent of Everest in 1953, and later still to be Jan Morris the well known travel writer. He said he had heard about Tomasz being in Jaffa and that he would collect him. I gave James all the details... John Greenwood must have told him... how kind people were... Later that day James arrived back at the camp with Tomasz. The poor dog was desperately miserable. He did not recognise me; he had had too many masters over the last few months and appeared confused... After several days, however, Tomasz set- tled down and we were able to resume our happy friendship. Some weeks later I was sent out on an exercise into the desert. We were sent towards the Dead Sea with nine Daimler Scout cars, a half track full of supplies..... and Tomasz. We went as far east as we could until we reached a hillside which led down to the sea. I decided that the vehicles might not be able to drive back up this hill, so we halted and camped for the night in a cir- cle, with the vehicles pointing outwards. There was always the possibility ofa rogue Arab penetrating our line and helping himself to stores. I decided to rely on Tomasz as our full time sentry for the night and managed to snatch three hours sleep. In September 1947 the Regiment returned to El Qassassin in the Canal Zone of Egypt. Life was pretty uneventful until, one day, I was walking across the camp when I saw the Egyptian news- The author OUIS/de St Peter’s /n Home |
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