Escape from Tobruk

The following account is taken from a transcript of a diary presented to the Highlanders Museum by the son of Private Frank Jarvis. He wrote this during an arduous trek across the deserts of Libya and Egypt during June and July 1942 where midday temperatures would have been over 40°C, with very little natural cover and even less fresh water. Not surprisingly the diary notes are brief and in places hard to read so some of the details are missing. Unfortunately, only the first names of the Cameron men who accompanied Frank are given and so we have no way of knowing who they were.

Some of the place names mentioned in his account are unidentifiable on most maps of the Western Desert but this one from the Desert Rats organisattion gives a good overview of the places between Tobruk and El Alamein, many of which feature in Private Jarvis’ account.

The first Private Jarvis’ platoon knew about the German advance on Tobruk was when heavy shelling and dive bomber attacks started at daybreak on 20th June 1942, but he didn’t realise how close they were until a German officer appeared on the other side of the protective minefield to tell them to come out with their hand’s up. Anti-tank gun fire directed at the Cameron position persuaded ten men to surrender but instead Frank took two of his wounded colleagues back to the Regimental Aid Post.

The 21st was relatively quiet so after an uneventful three hours sentry duty, he was surprised to be informed that Tobruk had fallen and the battalion would march in to surrender at 05:00 hrs the following day, but those that wished could make a break for it. Pairing up with his friend Sid, they grabbed tins of water, bully and sausage, said “cheerio here’s luck” and set off through the wire at 00:30 hrs on 22nd June.

They hadn’t gone far before running in to an Italian position and after an exchange of shots they removed their boots (so as not to leave a trail) and retired to an unoccupied dug out to lie low for the day. Of more concern than how little distance they had made was the tin of sausage that proved too salty to eat.

At nightfall on 23rd, just as they were ready to try again, they spotted two heads in a slit trench about 15 yards away that turned out to be two South African’s, Lieutenant Baillie and Sergeant Norton. Deciding to stick together they made for the El Adem escarpment to the south, then spent the day sleeping in a dugout at Sidi Rezegh, about ten miles to the west of El Adem. Owing to the number of enemy tanks and transport, they decided to make for the coast. Holed-up in another dugout, they were spotted by a lone Italian so moved to a slit trench 20 yards away. The Italian returned with two others and fired into the dugout before retiring.

“…he was surprised to be informed that Tobruk had fallen and the battalion would march in to surrender at 05:00”

On 25th they descended the Bel Hamed escarpment with lots of enemy transport seen heading to Gambut. On 26th they crossed the Bardia-Tobruk road and came across a lone truck. A sentry challenged them before they could get in so they continued to the coast on foot. On reaching the sea they rested and washed their cloths on the rocks whilst exchanging information with two other escapees. The group walked along the coast for a few miles and then tried to make a raft but abandoned the attempt. Continuing along the coastal cliffs they skirted two camps around Wadi ?? then back to the coast, but the rocky beach proved difficult to traverse. In the afternoon of 27th they encountered a group of local Arabs who gave them bread and water and told them where to find their camp. The next day they came to the camp and were given bread, biscuits, watermelon and the all important water. They were advised them to stay on the coast road as the Germans and Italians were further inland. Two more escapees came into camp, and unnamed Royal Artillery soldier and a South African, Van der Neuve. They bought eggs for two and a half Accas* and five cigarettes for three Accas which he considered “pretty dear but what enjoyment it was worth it”.

They set off for Bardia but had not gone far before a local advised them that the enemy were already in the town, so they made for the coast once again. By the end of June they were holed up in an old tomb somewhere on the coast, antagonised by fleas and flies but able to make a bully stew. On 1st July they set off for Sidi Azeiz, to the south-west of Bardia but after 30 miles could go no further and rested up. A sandstorm blew up and the poor visibility gave them a scare, fortunately they were able to follow the railway line towards Fort Cuppuzzo on the Libya/Egypt border 60 miles due west of Tobruk. They slept under an overturned truck and roasted a rabbit that foolishly thought to join them “very nice but one rabbit to six men not much”.

*(Accas most likely refer to the British Army military currency)

Early on 3rd July they set out for Hellfire (Halfaya) but there were too many enemy troops there so made their way down the escarpment to the well at Bir-el-Suff. Whilst resting there one of the more extraordinary episodes of this desert odyssey occurred. In Jarvis own words: “Saw two troops coming across minefield (to) put broom handle in cairn of stones. Sid and I went to meet them. They were Italians, gave us their pistols we took him (sic) to Lt Baillie. They gave us the positions of all troops, amount of tanks and arms. They said their tank had broken down and they were going to Sollum. We got bully, biscuits, M&V, cheese, tea and sugar…Italians stayed with us that night. Had a good feed of Bully, biscuits, duff and tea”

By 6th July they were all well fed and rested. Jarvis’ account continues: “Had porridge for breakfast not bad with jam. Italians left us said they would not say they had seen us…no heart in the war”. On 7th Sid struck out on his own for Mersa and the following day Bob set off after him. On the 10th the Italians returned with “plenty of propaganda – Jerry Panzer Division fighting around Alex(andria), Italian units going across desert to Cairo, Jerry with 2,500 tanks and Italians 800″*. They stayed at Bir-el Suff until 14th July by which time their feet had recovered after improvised treatment with grease. They passed abandoned Allied positions and were buzzed by an unidentified aircraft so hid in a dug-out about two miles from the aerodrome. After dark they walked around the aerodrome and arrived on the coast the next morning where they washed and swam before retiring to a beach cave to sleep. The final two weeks of their 500-mile trek through the North African desert are best described by Private Jarvis himself:

*(This was completely false. By mid-July the German advance had stalled at El Alamein after what later became known as the first battle of El Alamein)

The news reporter may have been from the Times, which published an account of the escape on 30th April 1943. Private Jarvis survived the war and was awarded the Military Medal for his exploits.

By Craig Durham, Volunteer at The Highlanders’ Museum (Queen’s Own Highlanders Collection)