The Wartime Memories Project - The Second War

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230876 Pte. Frank Elie Marett South African Army Transport Div. Imperial Light Horse (ILH) Rgt. from:Benoni, South Africa Our father, Frank (Francis) Elie Marett lived in Benoni, South Africa at the start of WWII. He married Ethel Bamford in Pretoria and had a daughter Patricia Anne born September 1940. He signed up for duty and did his basic training at Zonderwater military camp in Cullinan east of Pretoria and in Barberton in the Eastern Transvaal. Sadly, as the saying goes: “Old Soldiers never die, they slowly fade away” - he left us at the age of 99 in 2008. Although he did not relate too much of the war days he did give little snippets from time to time. As far as can be remembered, he and his regiment left South Africa at the beginning of 1941 heading for Bulawayo in Rhodesia where they took possession of their Bedford Trucks that they would drive through Africa to Eritrea, Abyssinia and Somalia. Here they were loaded onto vessels to take them through the Suez Canal to Alexandria North Africa where they disembarked and regrouped. Their task was to supply the ground forces in the desert with provisions and ammunition against the German "Desert Fox" - Rommel. He did mention on one occasion their convoy stopping in the desert. The drivers and crew then lying on top of their vehicles which were loaded with explosives to watch a dog fight taking place above them. He was taken prisoner at Tobruk, along with many others, and marched through the desert to Tripoli. They were herded into the dirty holds of vessels and shipped across to Sicily then Italy. He was sent to a POW camp in Italy where he spent a short time working on vineyards before they were evacuated and transported north to Germany, ending up in Stalag IVB as a prisoner. He was fortunate to be sent to work underground on the coal mines shovelling the coal onto the conveyors which moved the coal to the surface; this was used to produce fuel for the German cause. He survived the ordeal and was released with the others at the end of the war. He was on the last train to arrive at Pretoria Station where he was reunited with his wife and daughter who was then five years old. John Marett Add to this record.  Related Content: Imperial Light Horse, South African Army Siege of Tobruk Stalag 4B Prisoner of War Camp Can you help us to add to our records? Add a record to our website. The names and stories on this website have been submitted by their relatives and friends. If your relations are not listed please add their names so that others can read about them Did you or your relatives live through the Second World War? Do you have any photos, newspaper clippings, postcards or letters from that period? Have you researched the names on your local or war memorial? Were you or your relative evacuated? Did an air raid affect your area? If so please let us know. Help us to build a database of information on those who served both at home and abroad so that future generations may learn of their sacrifice. Contact us. Celebrate your own Family History Celebrate by honouring members of your family who served in the Secomd World War both in the forces and at home. We love to hear about the soldiers, but also remember the many who served in support roles, nurses, doctors, land army, muntions workers etc. Please use our Family History resources to find out more about your relatives. Then please send in a short article, with a photo if possible, so that they can be remembered on these pages.

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