I found I was assigned to "D" Battery 60th. Spence finally discovered his name on a sheet that bore the heading "A" Battery 60th. He informed me that A Battery was a searchlight outfit. Corporal Wall told me that "D" Battery was his outfit and it was a 3" AA gun battery located on Topside. Spence would be quartered at Middleside Barracks, and I would live in Topside Barracks. We would have preferred to serve in the same battery, but there was nothing to be done about it. Tomorrow we would be leaving the tents and moving into our permanent barracks! Boy, were we ever ready!

I found "D" Battery was located at the southeastern end of Topside Barracks. My bunk was situated in the squad room on the second floor. I learned yet another squad room was located on the third floor. After making my bunk, I was shown the rest of the Battery .

The first floor contained the mess hall, the kitchen, the recreation room and the supply room. Everything looked neat and comfortable and orderly after living in the tents during the training period. I wished  Spence and I were together. We gave each other additional strength and it seemed rather strange to be here alone, although I knew some of the men also assigned to "D" Battery from recruit training.

All the new men were called out in front of the barracks and told to line up. An old sergeant with a large beer belly moved out in front of us. He has a campaign hat on, brim turned up slightly, front and back.

"Were gonna go out there and police up this place" he says, "were gonna pick up all them cigarette butts's!" We found it quite difficult to refrain from laughing. This man was an old time sergeant. He looked like one, and he talked like one.

We were issued one each broomstick with a nail sticking out of one end, and away we went, spearing bits of paper if we could find one that is. The landscape proved to be quite free of any paper, or trash. I stood looking along the endless stretch of the barracks. Somehow it didn't seem possible I was standing on this beautiful tropical island in the southwestern Pacific, standing with a broomstick in my hand, searching out errant bits of paper and cigarette 'butts's'.

Topside Barracks was an impressive sight, almost disappearing in the distance. A street ran along the front, beyond a wide, grassy area. Large palm trees bordered the road.  Beyond the road a very large open space began. This was the Topside Parade Ground. Beyond the far side of the parade ground another road was visible, and on the far side of this road a long row of two story buildings were apparent. These buildings appeared to be identical. Tall palm trees partially obstructed my view, but I could see people walking about.

The road that ran along the front of Topside Barracks made a sharp, 90 degree right turn before reaching the end of the barracks, then ran south toward the row of two story buildings which I later learned were Senior Officer's Quarters. To the right of the road lay the parade ground, and to the left of this south bound road stood several imposing buildings. The nearest to our barracks at first appeared to be a church, but my guess brought several chuckles. It proved to be the Topside Theater, or Topside Cine in the local vernacular. The architecture was attractive,  but unlike any that I was familiar with.

Beyond the "Cine" was a long two story building, skirted by a wide veranda, both upstairs and down. In appearance, it was a very plain structure. This proved to be the Bachelor Officer's Quarters. The end of the "BOQ" was adjacent to the road, or street, and stretched eastward with a wide walkway running along the front.  Steps led up to the veranda. At each end of the veranda, concrete stairs, complete with railings led up to the second floor.

"Midst the Encircling Doom."
 © Al McGrew

Photographs of Topside Barracks from this angle are rare - There were two radio antenna at Topside. The photo is from Al McGrew's collection.