Getting to Naples

My mind was set for the 166 but at that time the 166 was in action in North Africa and Italy and the 59th was just sitting idle in England. There were no action see, the second front hadn’t started. So I was quite pleased and that’s where I wanted to go and join the 166.We were put on a troop ship, the Duchess of Bedford. Now that troop ship, the Germans they tell us, I’m only quoting from someone else. That ship was torpedoed in the harbour in Liverpool and they refloated her again. She was a cruise ship, you know, in peace time. And they used her, of course they used all the ships in those days, even the Queen Mary, for troop carrying boats. So they put her on the, on that run from South Hampton, England to Naples. Now our regiment was way up Northern Italy then, at that time, fighting, in action, you know. We disembarked in Naples and then they transported us over to the Allied holding depot.