Here is a synopsis of a book written by John Bosman about his time when he was captured at Tobruk. I first met John in 1998 at my mom’s funeral. John was with my dad's brother Claude Austin in one of the POW camps in Italy. John wrote a book called Providence was my guide. Here is some information extracted from the book which may help others with their research.
On the 9/6/1941 General Smuts announced they would be sailing to Egypt. The next day the division travelled to Durban and embarked on The Mauritania, The Ile De France and The New Amsterdam. John was on the first ship and at 4 PM the convoy left Durban. Ten days later (20/6/1941) the ships entered the Suez Canal and docked at Port Tewfik. From here they disembarked and travelled by train to Amaryia arriving there on the 22/6/1941. From there they later travelled to Mariopolis. While there John found out his brother William who had joined sixths months before him was at Amaryia, so he went to visit him. William was attached to the 4th Armoured Cars who then went to Mersa Matruh.
On the 18/11/1941 the Division left headed for the Front. Along the way John saw a vast array of burn out Lorries, Tanks and Jeeps. This was after the battle of Sidi Resegh which lasted from the 22-25/11/1941. John was based at a spot called Point 207 where he spent Christmas and New Year there. On the 1/1/1942 the Germans surrendered at Bardia and on the 4th Sollum surrendered. On the 18/1/1942 Halfaya pass was captured without a battle. A, C and D companies remained with 4 and 6 Brigade at Sollum to fortify the area. While at Tobruk 3 German 88mm guns were captured. John was allocated with some others to man the gun on which they had had no training. However, they were later given training by the Transvaal Heavy Artillery.
By the 17/6/1942 General Ritchie withdrew his troops to Egypt, his allowed to Germans to capture El Adem airfield along the Stuka bombers to attack Tobruk where John was. On the 20/6/1942 the main onslaught on Tobruk began with bombing raids, this allowed Rommels tanks to break through the defences. At 8 AM on the 21/6/1942 General Klopper surrendered.
John decided he would make a run for it. Packing some stuff into a small patrol bag and with some meagre rations and water he set off in a Southerly direction. After covering about 10 miles, he stopped to have a rest. In the morning he proceeded in a Easterly direction but as the day got hotter his pace slowed down. Just then he saw British vehicles approaching but when they got close, he saw it was Italians in the captured vehicles and he had to surrender. The Italians proceeded to take his valuables and then prepare lunch. A short time later a English speaking German officer pulled to talk to John. When John told him the Italians had robbed them, he pulled out his Luger ordering them to return the goods. An Italian officer kept John`s ring so when John told the German he fired 2 shots into the ground in front of the Italian officer who then returned the ring. The German officer told the Italians to leave, and he took John`s pistol and compass and took John prisoner. John was taken back to Tobruk and put in a POW camp where he met up with George Hurford, Jan Pucjlowski, Phillip Cohen, Freddy Silberstein. The 5 of them made a pact to stay together. About a week later the Italians put them on a truck and drove them to Derna for the night. The following morning at 6 AM they got onto another truck which drove them to Benghazi where they were to remain for several weeks. On the 11/7/1942 John and his friend’s part of 3000 troops boarded the Monviso. The other 3000 troops sailed on the Nino Biscio. At 3 PM on the 13/7/1942 the ships docked at Brindisi and from there they marched to Camp 85 POW Tuturama arriving on the 14/7/1942. Three days later Red Cross food Parcels arrived but there was only enough for 1 tin between 6 men. This was where John met my uncle Claude Austin who had been in the RDLI. Being a sergeant Claude had to take some soldiers to collect several Red Cross food Parcels and then distribute them. Amazing that 46 years later John still remembered Claudes name. From Tuturama they were sent to Camp 60 POW Lucca. The British troops were put in Settore 1 and the SA troops were put in Settore 2. From Camp 60 POW Lucca they left on the 16/11/1942 bound for Camp 65 POW Gravina. Here they were placed in Settore 3&4. Settore 2 was a mixed bunch of soldiers from various countries who were not English. At Christmas time a play was organised by Dan Bosman (no relation to John) Ted Pearson and Don Proctor.
