STEAM AT WAR 5




In these early days the locomotives and rolling stock belonged to the Egyptian State Railways who maintained an engineering inspection staff at the point where the trains passed out of their control to military control. Their duties were to record the particulars and condition of all rolling stock outward and homeward bound across the demarcation point Changes in condition and perceived defects were charged against the war department. The situation was ready made for conflicts of interest between the army and Egyptian examiners. The latter invariably attempted to declare all vehicles in first class condition on the outward trip and almost worm-out wrecks on their return. In fact all of the locomotives and rolling stock that the ESR directed to this line were in generally rundown condition. We were grateful to be supplied with a fleet of brand new war department locomotives built by British works to the LMSR Stanier "8F" freight design. New 20 tonnes gross 4 wheeled and 40 tonnes gross double bogie wagons and boxcars and LNER pattern 25 tonne brake vans also came on the scene.

By Christmas 1941 railway construction had proceeded a further 128 Km past Mohalfa to Masheifa on the desert plateau 40 Km south in the desert from the small coastal village of Sidi Barrani. The route traversed generally stony desert with gentle descents and ascents across wide shallow wadhis with a final 19km climb to the railhead. A supplies and distributing depot was established at Masheifa with train arrival and dispersal yards and a balloon loop of about 3.5 Km diameter with four curved sidings for train unloading. This circular feature was chosen in order to present a relatively difficult target for enemy aircraft to align on. While I saw none of the trains occupying these sidings come under air attack I was involved in incidents when trains on the straight arrival, departure and shunting roads came under fire. Locomotive servicing facilities and an engine turning triangle were also installed. A spur line branched out to the north/west to a point about 6km away where there was established an elaborate dummy railhead manned by a unit of South African field engineers. From very secure bunkers they ventured out to continually change the positions of dummy rail wagons, motor trucks, armoured tanks and supply dumps consisting of stacks of empty petrol cans as well as genuine war wreckage and fake and real anti aircraft gun emplacements. During the many air raids the intrepid engineers set off most convincing explosions and fires. It is probably a conservative estimate that for every tonne of bombs dropped on the real railhead four tonnes were lobbed on the dummy. German propaganda broadcasters constantly reported the total destruction of the railhead complex.

The 16th Railway Company was moved from El Daba to Similla to work the now completed section to Masheifa. The El Daba to Similla-Mersa Matruh section was handed over to a British railway-operating unit. I became part of a small detachment transferred to Masheifa to run construction trains on a further 112km extension westward to Fort Capuzzo on the Egyptian-Libyan border. As the line progressed a detachment of the 17th company personnel was brought in to complete the section and run trains when required past Masheifa. Our detachment was returned to Similla to continue with the regular train workings. Five to eight trains a day were run each way. The westward loads were troops and their equipment, motor transport fuel, field guns, armoured tanks, food rations, NAAFI canteen stores and two or three ambulance trains a week to relieve the forward casualty clearing hospital. The homeward journeys brought out troops being relieved, war ravaged tanks and armoured vehicles, damaged aircraft and motor vehicles of all kinds and enemy prisoners of war and their equipment all under heavy guard. Prize enemy items of armoury were captured tanks, new long range mobile guns and a high speed eight wheeled armoured car that could be driven with equal facility in either direction. A notable item was a new German Folk-Wolf 190 fighter aircraft practically unscathed.