Diaries of Thomas Currie Derrick, 1940-1941 - Part 2

2 JANUARY 1941
Thursday
UP BRIGHT AND EARLY
AND WHAT A GLORIOUS
DAY. —  — HAD AN INSPECTION
BY CHIEF OF
GENERAL STAFF IN AUSSY
GENERAL STURDEE.
AGAIN WENT TO CANTEEN
FOR TEA AND STILL O.K.
ON THE TOOTH.
THEN WENT TO MOVIES.
SEEN ALICE FAYE IN
ROSE OF WASHINGTON
SQUARE
TURNED IN ABOUT 9 PM

3 JANUARY 1941
Friday
JUST ANOTHER DAY — 
BEEN PICKED No 1
ON THE BREN GUN
OF OUR SECTION
MIGHT GET SOMEPLACE
NOW.
STILL HAVING SOME
BEATIFUL WEATHER

4 January 1941
Saturday
H&O 1^ST LESSON ON L.M.G.
THIS MORNING & VERY
INTERESTING IT IS — 
DONKEY RACES THIS ARVO
AND AM LICENSED BOOK-MAKER,
250 M.LS FOR [[?]]
HAD 5 DONKEY RACES &
GOT KNOCKED TO LEG
LOST 8000 M.LS — 
TRIED TO SQUARE UP AT
TWO UP AND LOST ANOTHER
3000 M.LS, TOPPED IT
OFF WITH A GOOD TE4A
AT THE CANTEEN
AUSSIES CAPTURE BARDIA

5 January 1941
Sunday
OUR DAY OF REST — 
NOTHING MUCH TO DO
BUT PLAY SW1 UP  —  — 
WON 2,000  — PLAYED FOR
48^TH AGAINST 24^TH AT
FOOTBALL, AN EXTRA
GOOD GAME RIGHT THROUGH
UT WERE A LITTLE
TOO GOOD FOR US,
FELT LIKE A GOOD
OLD BEER AFTER  — SO
HAD IT
 

6 January 1941
Monday
GOT MONDAY ITEIS. DONE
A LITTLE FIELD TRAINING
IN MORNING.
LESSONS ON L.M.G.
IN AFTERNOON WHICH
HELPS TO BRIGHTEN
THINGS UP.
HEARD 6^TH DIVVY HAD
BEATEN PORT BARDIA
HOPE SHE'S RIGHT, AND
WOULD LIKE TO BE
GIVING A HAND

7 January 1941
Tuesday
HIA AND WATHA GONE
FOR 2 DAYS LEAE TO
TEL AVIV — REST OF COMPANY GONE FOR
ROUTE MARCH AND IM
ON THE L.M.G. SO
DODGE A MARCH —  —  — 
FELL FOR BATTALION
GUARD 24 HAS STARTING
FROM 1700 HRS
 

8 January 1941
STILL ON GUARD AND

HAVING A VERY EASY
TIME  — CAME OFF
1800 HRS
JUST ANOTHER DAY
PASSED.
[[?]] HOME DURING
AFTERNOON SHIFT.
TOBRUK CUT OFF
FROM WEST BY
B.I.F.

9 January 1941
Thursday
THE DAY OF DAYS
EAGLE FLYS OVER, B&F
WILL NOT DRAW ANY
HAVE ENOUGH TO
CARRY ON WITH
HIA & WATHA CAME
BACK FROM TWO DAYS
LEAVE AT TEL AVIV
BOTH HAD AN EXTRA
GOOD TIME —  — BAD
LUCK BUTCH AND I
[[?]] WITH THEM
WOULD HAVE MADE
THE PACE A CRACKER
 

10 January 1941
Friday
ANOTHER DAY OF FIELD
TRAINING — 
WENT FOR MANOUVRE
LAST NIGHT, AND HAVE
ANOTHER ONE TONIGHT

11 January 1941
Saturday
TURNED OUT EARLY, GOING
ON MARCH AT 0830 HRS
ARRIVED BACK IN CAMP
1600 HRS AND WAS IN
MARCH 10 MILES ACROSS
SAND HILLS — ALL CAME
BACK JUST ABOUT * * *
 — AND THEN HAD TO
GO ON BATTALION GUARD
 —  — AM I TIRED, OR
AM I TIRED.
 

12 January 1941
Sunday
CAME OFF 1800 HRS
AND WAS THE WORST
DAY IVE HAD SINCE
ENLISTING, — WAS A
BIG EFFORT TO KEEP
THE PEEPERS OPEN
 —  — TURNED IN AT
1900 HRS AND NEVER
LOKED LIKE WAKEING
UP

13 January 1941
Monday
ANOTHR DAY JUST
ROLLING BY AND STILL
NO SIGNS OF ANY
ACTION
 

14 January 1941
Tuesday
WENT OUT FOR FULL
DAYS FIELD TRAINING
HAD MACHINE GUN ALL
DAY AND GAVE THREE
LESSONS ON SAME
 —  — RETURNED TO
CAMP 2230 HRS AND
DEAD TIRED — HAAD
SOUP FOR SUPPER.

15 January 1941
Wednesday
SHE'S HERE AGAIN, ON
BATTALION GUARD FROM
1700 HRS, BUT GETTING
FAMILIAR WITH IT NOW
AND ITS NOT SO BAD
 

16 January 1941
Thursday
STILL ON DUTY, STARTED
LETTER TO WIFE —  — 
RECEIVED TWO FROM
HER MIDDAY AND WAS
I PLEASED — GOT A
NASTY KNOCK WHEN
READ OF KID BROTHERS
DEATH.
CONTINUED LETTER
HOME, BUT DOSN'T
SEEM THE SAME
DEC 18^TH 1940.

17 January 1941
Friday
WENT TO RANGE
FOR PRACTICE BUT
DIDN'T DO SO GOOD
 — COULDN'T GET THE
KID OUT OF MY MIND
 

18 January 1941
Saturday
WENT FOR ROUTE MARCH
 — OUR SECTION LEFT TO
PIQUET NATIVE VILLAGE
ON WAY HOME, & GOT
LEFT TO IT. — STARTED
FOR HOME 1615 HRS, BUTEH
AND I WENT DIFFERENT
WAY TO OTHERS, AND
GOT TO CAMP ONE HOUR
QUICKER THAN REST

19 January 1941
Sunday
WENT SICK PARADE
THIS MORNING, AND
HAVE BEEN SENT TO
BASE HOSPITAL, CRACKED
IT FOR MUM IS IN
COFFEE STALLS AND
SHE'S PRETTY SORE
 

20 January 1941
Monday
GETTING ACQUAINTED
WITH THE PLACE NOW
AND ITS NOT SO BAD
BUT WOULD SOONER
BE BACK IN CAMP
HAVE 12 IN THIS
TENT WITH ME MUST
GET THEIR NAMES TOMORROW
AND MAKE A
NOTE OF THEM.
THE COFFEE STALLS
STILL ON THE RISE.

21 January 1941
Tuesday

ALL MY WARD COBBERS
AND 4 [[?]] TEAM
THEY ARE