A Sapper’s War - 12 Fld Coy RCE History, Part 9 June 1944 (Clearing the Route to Rome)
A Note on Blog and Book
This
series of blogs, entitled "A Sapper's War" follows some units of the
Royal Canadian Engineers in World War 2, primarily the 12th Field Company,
which was my father's unit. The main sources are the unit War Diary, Daily
Orders, official military histories, and The History of the Corps of Royal
Canadian Engineers Volume 2. I will also include some personal accounts
of his, when this is appropriate to the history.
The
blogs will mostly relate to their time in Italy, from Oct 1943 to Jan 1945,
though it will ultimately be extended to the later events in Northwestern
Europe and the earlier events in the U.K.. They will be put together in
book form eventually, but until that time the blogs will be available for
interested readers on this "Dodecahedron Books" blog site. I
encourage anyone who in interested to read the blogs, and buy the book when it
comes available.
Naturally,
I am claiming copyright, though you can make "fair use" of content,
of course, if you are writing about similar times and events.
Though
the overall history of the war will be noted, as context, the text mainly
relates to the experiences of the 12th Field Company, as indicated in their War
Diary and related orders, and other documents. If you want a more general
history of the war, there are many other sources to more completely fill in
those details.
There
will be a fair bit of focus on what might be called "social history",
in addition to the sometimes routine, sometimes harrowing military activities
of a group of Allied sappers in the Italian Theatre of WW2. The daily
orders and company War Diary often provide an interesting window into this
day-to-day world that the strictly military lacks.
Though
this account is based is a Canadian engineer company, it is likely that
British, other Commonwealth and American sappers would have lived through
similar experiences at this time, so families and interested parties from those
nations might also find it interesting.
I
will fill in links to the blog series below, as they are posted.
Dec
1943: https://dodecahedronbooks.blogspot.com/2019/11/a-sappers-war-12-fld-coy-rce-history_30.html
Feb
1944: https://dodecahedronbooks.blogspot.com/2020/01/a-sappers-war-12-fld-coy-rce-history_27.html
Jun
1944: TBA
Jul
1944: TBA
Aug
1944: TBA
Sep
1944: TBA
Oct
1944: TBA
Nov
1944: TBA
Dec
1944: TBA
Jan
1945: TBA
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June 1944 – Building Bailey Bridges Near the Front and Clearing the Route to Rome
June 1944 saw two extremely important
events of World War 2 – the capture of Rome and the D-Day landings on the
beaches of Normandy.
The final phase of the Canadian offensive
in the Liri Valley took place during the first week of the month. It stopped just short of Rome, with the
Canadian Corps going into reserve after June 4.
That was a disappointment to a lot of people, who had hoped to be part
of the liberation of Rome, which had been declared to be an open city (i.e. the
contending armies had agreed not to fight in the city).
The Canadian army would then go into
training, readying for the next big battles, which would occur further up the
Italian boot, at a location known as the Gothic Line. And, of course, with the D-Day landings on
June 6, the western allies would be fighting hard on two fronts, though the
Italian front would now be considered quite secondary. Nonetheless, the fighting in Italy continued to
take a deadly toll on all parties, throughout 1944 and into 1945.
As for the sappers, there was plenty of
other work to do, now that there was no need to support the offensive. That meant bridge construction and
maintenance, road work, demolitions, and additional training for future action.
Following is a condensation of the 12 Fld
Coy War Diary notes for June 1944.
June 1 to 3 –Frosinone area, Italy
The beginning of
the month saw the company employed on bridge work, route maintenance and dam
repair. 3 Platoon did the latter
job. That was followed by work on BROWN
route, which required the company to work all through the night of 2nd/3rd, to
keep up with the speed of the allied advance. That also involved putting up two
more Bailey bridges, and the construction of a tank track.
June 3 to 5 – Frosinone area, Italy
While working on
a crater, a D-6 cat hit a mine, blowing off a track. Further inspection revealed over a dozen
mines buried in and around that crater.
The operator had a narrow escape, but fortunately no sappers were seriously
hurt. That was followed by more bridging
and route work, and clearing of bomb craters.
Work on the dam was also finished up.
Word came that the 1 Canadian Corps troops would be going into reserve
soon, a much desired rest after a month of heavy fighting. Some sappers left for the Salerno rest camp.
June 6 to 10 – Frosinone area, Italy
Work continued
on CLUB route, making it a two-way road.
Camp inspections also took place.
There were some demolition experiments, to see if captured enemy mines
could be used to destroy gun emplacements.
The results were satisfactory.
Now that there was a break in the war, there was time for a Formation Sports
Day, in which the unit won the Volleyball championship. The war diary also notes on its June 6 entry,
somewhat languidly, that “The “SECOND FRONT” was started by a combined attack
of Canadian, British, and American troops on the Northwest coast of France”.
June 11 to 14 – Frosinone area, Italy
More men and
officers had the opportunity for a leave, some to Naples, others to the Salerno
rest camp. Work proceeded on highways
and bridges. Work started on the
Ferentino by-pass, a 4000 yard road needed by the Americans for the advance to
Rome and later movement of men and materiel.
The town of Ferentino itself had seen significant destruction during the
Liri Valley battles.
June 15 to 19 – Frosinone area, Italy
The Ferentino
by-pass continued to be a major project, with most of the company working on
it, along with some other units. It
rated 2 D-7 dozers and an auto-patrol (a type of grader). Maintenance of the CLUB route and some of its
bridges was also taken care of. Some men
and officers continued to go on leave.
June 20 to 24 – Frosinone area, Italy
Work continued
on the Ferentino by-pass, as well as on the Number 6 Highway, on the way to
Ferentino and Rome. A gravel chute was
also developed. The unit had a sports
day field meet, which was very successful.
Some officers recced the highway to Rome.
June 25 to 28 – Colonna, Italy
The C.R.E.
(Commander Royal Engineers) came for a visit.
That entailed inspections and preparation for a move. Road work also continued. After the move, 3 Platoon continued with the
Ferentino by-pass, then was assigned demolition work in Frosinone (clearing
routes through the bombed/destroyed buildings, etc.).
June 29 to 30 – Colonna, Italy
Work continued
on Highway 6, resurfacing parts of it.
Vehicles that were broken down and damaged during the advance also had
to be removed from the side of the road.
Bomb craters were repaired. Work on the by-pass continued, along with
demolition work in Frosinone. A plant
was installed at a quarry, which was needed to provide stone for the various
road projects.
Department of Defence Historical Documents and Miscellaneous Sources, June 1944
Following are some selected quotes from the
report on Operations during June 1944 in Italy, written by the military (Report
Number 143, Canadian Operations in Italy, June 1944 to Feb 1945 and The History
of the Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers, Volume 2):
1 - Rest and Recreation after the Liri Valley Battle
“As noted in Report No. 121, on 4 Jun 44 1 Cdn Corps was
withdrawn from the operation which had broken the Hitler Line and had opened
the way for the capture of Rome. The Corps was concentrated in the upper
Volturno Valley, with Corps H.Q. at Castel San Angelo, for a period of reset
and training which lasted till the end of July. Leave facilities were organized
in Rome, Bari, Salerno and Amalfi, while bathing beaches at Minturno were set
aside for unit 48-hour expeditions. Other unorganized forms of recreation led
to putting most of the other towns of Southern Italy "OUT OF BOUNDS TO CDN
TROOPS", a necessity which was not always appreciated by the other ranks
whom it was designed to protect. Various sports competitions were organized and
training in infantry-cum-tank tactics was carried on in the surrounding hills,
where terrain was a fair approximation of the future areas of 1 Cdn Corps
operations.” (Page 2, Report 143)
And here are some of the events noted
above, from the Engineers’ perspective, as found in “The History of the Corps
of Royal Canadian Engineers”:
2 - RCE Tasks after the Liri Valley Battle:
“Following the
Liri Valley operation 1 Canadian Corps had passed to Army Reserve and had been
withdrawn to Raviscanina to rest and re-fit.
However, the R.C.E. remained in the Liri Valley battle area to get the
routes into order… The task involved lifting of more than 100 Bailey bridges on
roads no longer needed and their return to dumps or dispatch forward, as well
as the normal surface maintenance and general improvements…” (Page 220)
3 - 12th Field Company Tasks:
When the 12th
Field Company built “Swindon” Bridge across the Gari the sappers said “It was
just like an exercise”. How much more
they might have likened the whole operation to the interminable bridging
“gallows” they had done in England; even in action the bridges had to be taken
down again.
...
The 12th
Field Company went north. On 13th
June it was given the task of building a 4000-yard by-pass around the town of
Ferentino, a task which lasted most of July.
By 27th June its headquarters had moved ahead to Colonna,
half-way between Valmontone and Rome, as road maintenance beyond Valmontone
fell to the Company’s lot.” (Page 221)
4 - D-Day Landings as Experienced by the 18th Fld Coy RCE
As noted
earlier, June 1944 saw the D-Day landings in France, the next front in the war,
and the most important in the eyes of the world, at least as far as the western
armies were concerned. Below are some
snippets from one engineering company during the landings that day. Contrary to most people’s expectations, the
landings and move inland from Juno Beach on June 6 (the Canadian Beach) were
not as horrible as was imagined (about 1000 casualties with a third of those
deaths). It got worse as they moved further inland.
“L/Sgt. Semple
and party of 23 ORs plus 4 armoured D7s landed at approximately 0800 hours..The
party worked in at least 4 feet of water clearing beach obstacles which in many
cases were mined…gap was cleared in approximately 30 minutes…The party, unable
to continue work assembled under cover of the dunces and assisted in removing
wounded infantry from the beach as well as assisting in taking 19 prisoners
from a pill box…Casualties – 2 ORs wounded.” (War History, 18th
Field Company Royal Canadian Engineers 1944-1945, John Sliz).
Orders and Documents Archived with the 12 Fld Coy War Diary, June 1944
Following are some selected quotes from the
documents associated with the 12 Fld Coy War Diaries during June 1944:
1 - Mine Fields:
The main battle
for the Liri Valley and Rome might have been over, but mines and minefields
still presented a formidable risk. This
was especially true during the early part of the month, when the retreating Germans
were being pursued, and men and equipment had to quickly advance up the
dangerous routes that the engineers had previously cleared. And the war between the engineers of the two
sides was a deadly game, including deceptions such as booby-trapping mines and
other objects.
June 1, 1944
MINE
CLEARANCE AND MARKING
1
There is a tendency within engineer units to be too casual about mine
clearance. It is not realized that an entire Corps advance can be held up
because one mine is missed and a vehicle blows up and blocks the road. It is realized that it is NOT possible to get
every mine but every effort should be made.
German minefields usually follow a pattern
2
The marking of minefields sand swept areas is NOT good. It should be borne in
mind that the average driver will go the wrong way unless shown the right
way. He also may have to pass through a
minefield at night. Therefore all
officers and N.C.O.s in charge of mine clearing parties will ensure that
minefields and swept areas are marked for day and night use even to the point
of exaggeration.
June 27, 1944
HOLZ
MINE
1
Personnel will check when lifting the HOLZ MINE. Some of these mines have been found to be
booby trapped on the bottom.
2 - Congratulations from the King, for Success in Battle:
It’s easy to by
cynical, but I imagine this message was appreciated by the lads.
June 5, 1944
CONGRATULATORY
MESSAGE
1
The following message has been received by the Supreme Allied Commander from
His Majesty King George V1.
“Will
you please convey to General ALEXANDER and to all under his command my
heartfelt congratulations on the notable successes that they are achieving in
what we all know to be an exceptionally difficult and hard fought action.
I
pray that these successes may continue until the forces of the enemy fighting
in Italy are finally overwhelmed.”
2
The following reply has been dispatched to His Majesty by the Supreme Allied
Commander.
“With
my humble duty I beg to thank you for your gracious message which will prove to
be the greatest inspiration to all ranks of the forces engaged.
Success
has been due to the fine fighting qualities of the soldiers of the Allied
Armies, and the magnificent co-operation of the Allied Air Forces, the whole
sustained by the ceaseless efforts of the Allied Navies whose untiring efforts
to build up the forces and supplies in the Bridgehead are now reaping their
just reward.”
3 - Experiments with Enemy Weapons:
Though there was
some experimentation with enemy weapons, informal doings of this sort were
strongly discouraged, for fairly obvious reasons.
June 2, 1944
UNAUTHORIZED
FIRING & ENEMY WEAPONS
1
Unauthorized firing of Allied and Enemy weapons in the camp area is prohibited. This also applies to experimenting with enemy
arms and equipment.
4 - What to do if Captured by the Enemy
In case of
capture, the troops were informed of the possible means of interrogation,
including trickery, that the enemy might use.
Compared to the endless WW2 movies with the line “we have ways to make
you talk”, this comes across as pretty civilized. However, it would still violate the Geneva
Conventions on treatment of prisoners of war.
As noted earlier, capture was a serious possibility for sappers – in
fact, my father had at least two close calls.
Several members of 12 Fld Coy were taken prisoner, and they in their
turn took German prisoners at times.
June 15, 1944
GERMAN
INTERROGATION METHODS
1 It
is known that the Germans are making considerable use of microphones and
stool-pigeons in their interrogations of PW.
One example of the German use of stool-pigeons is as follows:
The
stool-pigeons work in pairs (one of them invariably being and German) and are,
after being briefed, put in a cell to await the arrival of the PW. The stool-pigeons lead off with a catalogue
of their own woes, going into considerable detail and “giving away” a good deal
of information. This method inspires
confidence in the genuine PW, who thereafter, usually talks freely, having been
“softened up” by “wine and heavy food”.
The PW is after a time called out for interrogation, and on his return
the stool-pigeons play on his reaction and get the details which have not been
divulged at the interrogation.
Periodically the stool-pigeons are called out for “interrogation” and
present their reports.
2
There is reason to believe that this method is achieving a certain
success. The possible use by the enemy
of microphones and stool-pigeons from the moment of capture will be impressed
on all ranks immediately, and will be a regular point of instruction to newly
arrived personnel.
5 - Concerns About Food Supplies for Civilians
War and famine
were traditionally two of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse, so the Allies
had to be mindful of the needs of the newly liberated (or conquered) civilian
population. So, reminders were given, to
ensure that food sources (i.e. crops and farm animals) would be spared, unless
military needs were paramount.
Unfortunately, wheat fields were sometimes the scene of fierce fighting,
as in the Liri Valley.
June 5, 1944
FOOD
SUPPLIES – CIVILIANS
1 In
order to ensure an adequate food supply for the civilian population as the
Armies advance and thus economise in shipping it is most important that all unnecessary
damage to crops should be avoided, and that there should be as little
interruption as possible to the harvesting. Troops will NOT occupy granaries,
barns, threshing floors, etc. unless operationally essential.
6 - Malaria Takes its Toll
Another Horseman
is disease, and war breeds that too. As
the message to the troops states, several members of 12 Fld Coy had already
come down with malaria, so precautions were increased. Clearly, there was some trouble getting the
troops to take their mepacrine, since the tablets were now being handed out
during the evening parade, presumably to ensure compliance.
June 19, 1944
ANTI-MALARIAL
PRECAUTIONS
1 In
the past month there have been 3 cases of malaria in this unit.
2 To
combat this, the following regulations will commence effective immediately.
(a)
All platoons will prepare a roll and each evening under the supervision of the
Platoon Officers or Senior N.C.O. (not below the rank of L/Sgt.) a parade will
be held at 1830 hours.
(b) On this parade all ranks will be given
a mepacrine tablet and will have their dress checked to ensure that sleeves are
down and long trousers are worn.
(c) Platoons will inspect mosquito nets
daily.
7 - Trade Qualifications
Though it seems
a bit odd to think of soldiers as tradesmen, sappers generally were highly
qualified in one or more technical trades or professions. So, they were very interested in up-skilling,
which would lead to better pay and better post-war opportunities. My dad’s military records have several
entries of this sort.
It is also worth
keeping in mind, that these skills were what set sappers apart from most
troops. It made them very valuable, as
the army couldn’t move without bridges, roads, clean water, minefield clearing,
demolitions, ferry services, landing strips and other services provided by the
Engineers. That included engineer help
during assaults, of course, such as river crossings in storm boats and mine
gapping. So, the army had a big stake in
keeping these highly trained technicians alive, in so far as that was possible
during a war. And naturally, they wanted
to stay alive, so it made sense to make oneself as valuable to the army as
possible.
June 19, 1944
TRADE
QUALIFICATIONS
The
following personnel having been Trade Tested qualified as Carpenter Group “C”
w.e.f. 20 May 44.
Spr
Dougherty, Spr Palahnuk, Spr Suisham, Spr Musick, Spr Bolduc
8 - Smoking in Vehicles
Rules against
smoking in vehicles aren’t as new as we might assume. No doubt, smoking around explosive materials,
such as would often be carried on military vehicles in war-time was
dangerous. Plus, at night it was said to
make one a good target for a sniper, or to draw shell fire. My dad always said that he quit smoking
during the war for this reason (though he chewed tobacco on occasion after the
war).
June 25, 1944
DRIVERS
– SMOKING IN VEHICLES
1
Drivers are still smoking in their vehicles. This will stop immediately. In future disciplinary action will be taken
against all offenders.
9 - Drinking on the Road-Side
Vino continued
to present problems. The commander seems
a bit exasperated here, requesting that the fellows at least hide it, if they
are going to do it. It reads a bit like;
“Oh, and if you are going to drink wine on the roadside, at least do up your
tie and tuck in your shirt.”
The army
obviously had a conflicted relationship with stimulants like tobacco and
alcohol – they needed to control it, but they also recognized that people under
this sort of stress needed a release.
After all, these men worked hard and risked their lives every day,
during the battles in the Liri Valley.
So, it seems as if it was a fine balance.
June 25, 1944
DISCIPLINE
1
With minor exceptions, discipline in this area has been good. There was one
case of three men of this unit standing on Highway 6 drinking out of a vino
bottle. Behaviour like that not only
disgraces a unit but makes it necessary to bring in restrictions. If you wish
to drink, pick a less public place.
Particular attention will be paid to uniformity of dress when walking
out.
10 - More on the Problems of Saboteurs and Spies
Concerns about
civilian employees acting as spies or saboteurs for the retreating Germans
continued. This was to be an ongoing
problem throughout the remainder of the Italian campaign. Note that AMG means Allied Military
Government.
June 30, 1944
SECURITY
– CIVILIAN LABOUR
1 As
the Army advances, there is grave danger of units unwittingly employing agents
and saboteurs left behind by the enemy as he retreats.
2 In order to eliminate this danger as far as
possible, units will not engage civilian labour except through the Civil Labour
Unit or AMG as provided by the “Rules Governing the Employment of Civilian
Labour in EIGHTH Army” forwarded with 1 CRO 132/44.
3
All civilians, except unskilled labour, will be vetted by FS prior to
engagement in accordance with 1 CRO 141/44.
4
Chief gangers and gangers will be carefully vetted and held responsible for the
bona-fides of the personnel in their charge.
5
Civil Labour Units and AMG Officers will pay particular attention to the
selection of personnel for gangers and Chief gangers.
6 No
applications for employment will be considered in respect of:
(a)
Persons who come from, or whose homes are in, enemy occupied territory, except
those for whom authority has already been granted by DDL.
(b)
Persons not in possession of a valid identity document issued in territory
under Allied Control.
7 On
no account will units employ individual Italian soldiers unless these personnel
are of an Italian unit allotted to the formation concerned by authority of GS
(D) EIGHTH ARMY.
8
Sever disciplinary action will be taken against anyone contravening this order.
Some Family Stories Related to May 1944 Events
Prisoners of War (2)
One of the
orders above discusses “what to do if you are captured by the enemy”. This was obviously a real problem that every
soldier faced – my father was nearly captured on a couple of occasions, and my
uncle (mother’s brother) actually was taken as a prisoner of war, at Dunkirk
(not everyone got off the beaches).
Her half-brother
(or step-brother) joined the British Army (reserves), before the Second World
War. He was somewhat of a reluctant
soldier. During the late thirties, he
lost his job, for being late to work.
There were always plenty of desperate men around, so being late, even
once, could easily be a firing offence.
Jobs were tough to get during the depression, and he was married, so he
signed on with the army reserves. It was
the only way to earn some money. When
the war broke out in 1939, he was immediately assigned to the regular
army.
He was posted with the British
Expeditionary Force, and sent to France.
With the collapse of France, he was captured at Dunkirk and spent the
rest of the war in a German POW camp.
He stated that
the older German guards were quite decent towards the prisoners, although the
younger guards could be tough.
Evidently, they were young enough to be influenced by the Nazi
propaganda, while the older guards could see through all that. In fact, one of the older German guards
taught him how to play the accordion (those who are not fans of the instrument,
might almost consider that to be a war crime).
He survived his internment, but died shortly after the war from a
respiratory illness. He picked up a cold
from walking in the rain, which proceeded to turn into pneumonia and killed
him. It is entirely possible that the
years in the prisoner of war camp weakened his constitution, and thus
indirectly brought on his death.
During his
incarceration, his wife got pregnant by another man. My mother said she 'got rid of the
baby'. When I asked if it was adopted
out, she said no. When I asked
"How, then?", she looked quizzically at me and said,
"Drowning?" She said that
another woman she knew, perhaps an aunt, also had to 'get rid' of a baby in a
similar mysterious manner. It seems
rather fantastic, to hear such stories, but it would explain my mother's deep
belief in the necessity of giving women relatively easy access to the expedient
of abortion.
Book now on Amazon (Kindle and Print)
The Sappers' War: 12th Field Company Royal Canadian Engineers
Are you a history buff, particularly interested in World War 2?
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so, you might want to read about the journey of a military
engineering company, throughout their time in action during the war.
The book focuses on one particular company of soldier/sappers in the Canadian Army, but many of their experiences would be common to any of the Allied units in the European theatre. Some of the major battles in which they were involved included Ortona, Monte Casino, the Gothic Line, the battles for Ravenna and the Po Valley, the Liberation of Holland and final defeat of the Third Reich.
In addition, some content relates to the experiences of civilians in Britain during that time. Appendices also look at some of the details of military engineering (e.g. bridging, mines, storm boats, the M-test), casualties, the Aldershot Riots and other issues of post-war rehabilitation and return to civilian life.
Much of the material comes from company war diaries and related materials, though a brief sketch of the wider campaigns relevant to the experience of these men is included, as are some interesting side-bars (e.g. the unit served alongside the celebrated irregulars known as Popski’s Private Army during their time in Northern Italy). To get a more “micro” feel for the on-site experiences of the time, some of my own family’s stories are related (a soldier/sapper, a war bride/war worker, a P.O.W., and an Atlantic convoy merchant marine sailor, among others). The summations of the War Diaries also include much interesting information about day-to-day life, both military and non-military.
So, grab your Lee-Enfield rifle and your mine-detector (and don’t forget a shovel and a hammer), and check out the life of a war-time sapper.
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What follows is a journal of two summers of adventure, biking most of the trail in the late 1990s. It is about 33,000 words in length (2 to 3 hours reading), and contains numerous photographs of the trail. There are also sections containing a brief history of the trail, geology, flora and fauna, and associated information.
After reading this account, you should have a good sense of whether the trail is right for you. If you do decide to ride the trail, it will be an experience you will never forget.
The trail passes through a great variety of geographical and geological regions, from mountains to valleys, along scenic lakes and rivers, to dry near-desert condition grasslands. It often features towering canyons, spanned by a combination of high trestle bridges and long tunnels, as it passes through wild, unpopulated country. At other times, it remains quite low, in populated valleys, alongside spectacular water features such as beautiful Lake Okanagan, an area that is home to hundreds of vineyards, as well as other civilized comforts.
The trail is a nice test of one’s physical fitness, as well as one’s wits and adaptability, as much of it does travel through true wilderness. The views are spectacular, the wildlife is plentiful and the people are friendly. What more could one ask for?
What follows is a journal of two summers of adventure, biking most of the trail in the late 1990s. It is about 33,000 words in length (2 to 3 hours reading), and contains numerous photographs of the trail. There are also sections containing a brief history of the trail, geology, flora and fauna, and associated information.
After reading this account, you should have a good sense of whether the trail is right for you. If you do decide to ride the trail, it will be an experience you will never forget.
On the Road with Bronco Billy
What follows is an account of a ten day
journey through western North America during a working trip, delivering lumber
from Edmonton Alberta to Dallas Texas, and returning with oilfield equipment.
The writer had the opportunity to accompany a friend who is a professional
truck driver, which he eagerly accepted. He works as a statistician for the
University of Alberta, and is therefore is generally confined to desk, chair,
and computer. The chance to see the world from the cab of a truck, and be
immersed in the truck driving culture was intriguing. In early May 1997 they
hit the road.
Some time has passed since this journal was
written and many things have changed since the late 1990’s. That renders the
journey as not just a geographical one, but also a historical account, which I
think only increases its interest.
We were fortunate to have an eventful trip - a mechanical breakdown, a near miss from a tornado, and a large-scale flood were among these events. But even without these turns of fate, the drama of the landscape, the close-up view of the trucking lifestyle, and the opportunity to observe the cultural habits of a wide swath of western North America would have been sufficient to fill up an interesting journal.
The travelogue is about 20,000 words, about 60 to 90 minutes of reading, at typical reading speeds.
We were fortunate to have an eventful trip - a mechanical breakdown, a near miss from a tornado, and a large-scale flood were among these events. But even without these turns of fate, the drama of the landscape, the close-up view of the trucking lifestyle, and the opportunity to observe the cultural habits of a wide swath of western North America would have been sufficient to fill up an interesting journal.
The travelogue is about 20,000 words, about 60 to 90 minutes of reading, at typical reading speeds.
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