186887 Private Alfred John Pratt, (1922-20/3/1944). "my dear son"

March 20th was a difficult day during the Battle of Monte Cassino for NZ's 23rd Battalion - one of many.  The town at the foot of the mountain had been wrecked by Allied bombardment and turned into a snipers' paradise. Each stone wall, each half-demolished house was a protected hiding place.

Alfred Pratt's unit was ordered to advance over the rubble and hunt out the Germans concealed in it.  Smoke could be laid down for them but it wasn't - possibly because it would aid the enemy as much as them.

(Major) Slee's plan was for 18 Platoon to remain in reserve in and around the school buildings and to support with fire from all weapons the advance of 16 and 17 Platoons. No. 18 Platoon certainly fired at the lower slopes of Castle Hill, but its men had no sight of the enemy and therefore no definite target to engage. Nos. 16 and 17 Platoons advanced with sections and parts of sections moving independently on account of the extremely broken nature of the ground. Three Maoris appeared from nowhere and, seeking to revenge the loss of their comrades the previous day, joined in the advance. But, as the men moved down the forward faces of piles of rubble or threaded their way carefully round the edge of cellars or bomb craters full of water, they came under enemy rifle and machine-gun fire. The page 328leading section of 16 Platoon was allowed to move right out into the open before the enemy opened fire: Corporal Les McMillan and all his men, except two, were picked off before they could reach cover.

This simple story has been told at some length because it is one of the very few of even limited success that can be told of those Cassino days, when the general complaint among the 23rd men was that they could see no enemy, no rifle or other flash to indicate the whereabouts of the enemy, who had perfect cover combined with perfect observation, and therefore complete mastery of the situation. Under these circumstances, daylight attacks over ground so cratered and covered with debris that running was usually impossible did nothing more than give the enemy good targets. Certainly, all the attacking sections on 20 March found progress impossible and the majority had to wait till well after dark before they could withdraw their wounded. One of the finer acts of courage that day was performed by Private McIndoe, who saw a mate lying wounded in the open where small-arms and some mortar fire was still falling. Ignoring this fire and disregarding his own safety, McIndoe dashed forward and carried his mate back under cover.

The experience of A and D Companies did not help morale: hours of uncertainty and of being harassed by an unseen enemy who had apparent mastery of the ground over which the 23rd men wanted to move, the casualties, and the failure to take the objective were all rather depressing. It is not surprising, therefore, to find one man in D Company writing in his diary for 20 March: ‘Hell of a day…. Platoon casualties 8 killed 5 wounded. Grim show! Rest of us very nervous and jittery.’

Back at Battalion Headquarters the day had not been exactly quiet. Apart from the hammering of shells and mortar bombs on the top of the cellars and the crypt — and some B Company men counted over one hundred direct hits on their cellar — a ‘stand-to’ was called at 4.30 p.m. as enemy were reported to be infiltrating through the ruins to the right of C Company. Tanks sheltering behind the crypt opened fire on the danger area and, with B and C Companies able to direct Bren and other fire on the same sector, ‘this enemy advance was successfully stopped.’ Throughout this and other crises, the Adjutant, Fred Marett, was, as Colonel Connolly said, ‘a tower of strength’. The Colonel added: ‘I really believe nothing daunts that man. I cannot speak highly enough of him.’ Brigadier Burrows visited Colonel Connolly about 6 p.m. and discussed plans and tasks for the next day. The 23rd was now to hold the area to the north of Route 6, with A Company forward on the left and B forward on the right in the school area, and with the other two companies in reserve. Another attack was to be launched by the forward companies under a smoke screen which was promised for first light.

After dark B Company moved forward from the crypt to relieve D in the school. Although only 600 yards separated the two places, the company took over half an hour to walk the distance because of the bomb craters and the general accumulation of debris in what had once been tidy streets. The relief passed off without fighting or casualties.  -Official History of the 23rd Battalion.

ROLL OF HONOUR. 

IN MEMORIAM.

PRATT — In loving memory of my dear son, Private A. J. (Jack), killed in battle of Cassino, Italy, March 20, 1944; also his father, Private R. T. Pratt, passed away March 27. 1922. 

Until the day breaks and the shadows flee away. 

— Inserted by a loving wife and mother. 

PRATT — In honoured memory of Alfred John (Jack), killed in action somewhere in Italy, March 20, 1944. 

Time does but honour the sacrifice you made. 

— Inserted by Charles and Gladys Morris. Hamilton. 

PRATT — In loving memory of our dear cousin Jack, killed in action, Cassino, March 20, 1944. 

He sleeps beside his comrades, In a grave to us unknown; 

But his name is written in letters of gold, In the hearts he left at home. 

— Inserted by Grace and Bill.   -Press, 30/3/1945.

Oxford Cemetery.