Operation Vesuvius 1961

Taken from the 'Firparnian' magazine: June 1962

OPERATION VESUVIUS
In January 1960 a group of masters and boys met to discuss the possibility of buying an army lorry and having a motoring holiday on the Continent. The object of the trip, was to motor through France and Italy, visit Vesuvius, and finally, return via Venice, Interlaken and Calais, taking a month for the whole holiday. The group was optimistic, and by the end of September 1960 three masters (Mr. Holmes, Mr. Wheeler, Mr. Harrison) and fifteen boys were selected for the trip. By December the lorry had been purchased, and spent the winter in a field in the vicinity of Ilkley. In January 1961 it was brought to school for further alterations. a 35-gallon fresh-water tank and other extras having been fitted during the winter. From there onwards any free time was spent on the lorry; lockers were built above, around, and below the chassis to carry food and clothes. Petrol cans were acquired by shady promises of lava, to be brought back from Vesuvius. Extra spotlights were fitted, a rotary converter (for changing 12 volts D.C. to 240 volts A.C.) was added so that we might use an electric shaver or listen to a far-from-portable radio set. A dozen luxurious foam-rubber cushions were purchased so that we could have a comfortable ride in the rear of the lorry (to be known as the saloon from then onwards). You may perhaps be asking about the cost of this Vesuvius trip. It was thirty pounds, which included the cost of the lorry, the Channel ferry, and food for a month. All we had to provide was cooking utensils, tents, bedding and ourselves.

The following account of the expedition is chiefly expanded excerpts from the log. The eighteen of us were divided into three groups, Red, Green and Yellow, each under the leadership of one master. Mr. Wheeler was quartermaster and co-driver, Mr. Harrison guarded the treasury, and Mr. Holmes, leader of the expedition, was our driver.

AUGUST 1
Our first task was to load food on to the lorry and to fill the water tank. The latter was harder to perform than we had imagined, since the foodstuffs were packed on top of the tank. We were interrupted by a Star representative, who wanted us to pose for a photograph. Mr. Wheeler was delayed, and so we were late in leaving Sheffield. Our goal was the area close to London, so that we should not have far to travel to the ferry at Dover. We stopped first at Huntingdon, where some of us saw the entry of Oliver Cromwell's name in the Baptismal Roll. We then moved to Epping Forest, where we set up camp and tried to cook an evening meal in the dark. Fortunately, Mr. Holmes had bought some paraffin lamps, so the task was not quite impossible (the electric lighting was fitted later). Some of us were wakened in the night by Mr. W------ recounting his life story to Ian Warby, and also by a sudden thunderstorm. We were a little apprehensive about the Channel crossing.

AUGUST 5
Northern France struck us as not particularly beautiful; the long straight roads made travelling a little boring, but the beautiful weather was a consolation. Last night we settled camp on the banks of the river near Dole. The night was made magnificent by thousands of stars and we observed Jupiter through "Dodo" Dawson's telescope. How good breakfast tasted by the river! We left early but seemed to waste a lot of time in Champagnole hunting for supplies (bread, cereals, etc.). The flat open fields had given way to mountains and terraced fields.
After climbing the Foucille Pass, we entered the Genevan Customs. To our utter astonishment the Customs Officers would not allow its to enter Switzerland on the lorry. (What a pity the A.A. had not informed its of this before!) They compromised, however, by allowing those in the "saloon" to walk into Geneva, and Mr. Holmes and Mr. Wheeler to drive in. Later, we were reunited at the Swissair Terminal. While the lorry was being refilled with water and petrol (much cheaper than in France, hence the diversion), the rest of us toured Geneva; then Mr. Harrison led us to a Customs post in the South of Switzerland. We waited for the lorry in one of the "bistros" just inside the French border. I must mention that we were pleased to receive our first passport stamp today.

AUGUST 7
We had camped on the Iseran Pass (9,230 feet high) and spent an extremely cold night trying to sleep. The trouble we had was more than compensated by the wonderful view around us. We decided that lighting a "Primus" stove at reduced atmospheric pressure was not the easiest thing to do. After breakfast about eight of our party climbed a nearby peak, while the rest of us visited a chapel constructed out of the local rock. The lorry seemed to be giving us no trouble.

AUGUST 8
At the six o'clock reveille we were greeted by hordes of flies, and left early for once in order to get as from the flies as possible. We resolved never to use an official camping site again unless we had to.
Travelling through the Galibier and Cayolle Passes we saw some British Army lorries with soldiers on board. Our greetings were acknowledged.
At night we decided, much against (as we thought) our better judgment, to use a qualified camping-site in Entrevaux. It was the best we ever experienced either before, or after Entrevaux. It was clean, fresh water was on tap, there were showers and proper wash basins, two kinds of toilets ("British" and "Continental"), and an open-air bath! We met some English people here, who had cycled from London. We completed our first thousand miles today.
Entrevaux itself is a medieval town which still retains its nightly curfew. It has its castle and is walled. We fell in love with it from the start.
From Entrevaux, to Nice, and then to Monte Carlo and Menton. Here, we saw the "Casino", and some of us aspired to a cabaret. From Menton we passed through the Italian Customs to San Remo and Savona. Besides Chianti and melons, a new hooter was purchased for the lorry, since the one we had fitted was not powerful enough. Near La Spezia we met an Italian farmer who spoke English, Russian, German and Dutch! He invited "Dodo" to visit his farm, to stay to supper and to watch the television. Another example of the friendly nature of the Italians was when an Italian boy returned a bottle of orange juice we bad left at a "bistro". At Pisa, where Mr. Harrison attempted to repeat Galileo's famous experiment to demonstrate that objects of different densities fall at the same rate, there was a beautiful cathedral. Was the sanctuary lamp in the cathedral the same that Galileo used to calculate the acceleration due to gravity?
During our visit to the Basilica and the Colosseum in Rome the lorry and its guard was filmed for an Italian television newsreel - and Berry's camera was stolen!
From Rome, via Monte Casino, on to Naples - a city of apparent paradox, with modern luxury flats side by side with slums and "shanty towns". The people seemed always to be washing their clothes and bedding. We were taken to see cameos being made from large sea-shells, the white outer layer being chipped off to reveal a lower brown one.

AUGUST 16
We proceeded to the lower slopes of Vesuvius and had lunch. The cost of ascending to the top and going inside the crater included a guide. Mr. W----- was most indignant: "Four and six just to climb a ----- ash heap?" It was, however, a very big heap, being over 4,000 feet high. The volcano hardly came up to our expectations. There was no fire or smoke to be seen, as it was in a quiescent period. On climbing about two hundred feet down into the crater we were able to put our bands near a vent of superheated steam which flowed perpetually from the inside.
From Vesuvius we travelled to Pompeii, where a few hours were spent in the excavated city, buried by Vesuvius in A.D.79. Having reached Sorrento, our most southerly point, we started our return journey along the west coast of Italy. This return was made at a much more leisurely pace, longer stops being made for touring the cities and bathing in the warm, sun-soaked Mediterranean.
Our warmest gratitude must be expressed to Messrs. Holmes, Wheeler and Harrison for conveying us so far and safely. Without them nothing would have been achieved.

R. ALDRIDGE, U. SIXTH SC.