Diaries of Thomas Currie Derrick, 1940-1941 - Part 14

22 August 1941

Friday
THE GENTLE BREEZE 
THE WAILS, THE [[TACKA?]]
YELP ON THE HILL
THE CRACKLE OF RIFLE
FIRE, THE ROAR OF
BARDIA BILL.
THE SCREAM OF A LONE
SEAGULL WANDERING
FAR FROM THE SHORE
YES, THE A DISTANT
CHORD IN MY MEMORY
OF THE DAYS BEFORE
THE WAR 

23 August 1941

Saturday
SO I LIE AWAKE ON MY
BLANKETS, ON MY BED
OF SAND STONE 
I HEAR  AWAY IN THE DISTANCE
ANOTHER INCREASING
DRONE 
ITS THE SOUND OF THE
DISTANT [[SAXAS?]], LIKE
BEES FROM [[HIGH?]] ABOVE
HAVE [[?]]
NOW COMES THE SCREAM
OF THEIR RACING PROPS
AS THE START THEIR
POWER DIVE.

24 August 1941

Sunday
THE HOWLING OF BOMBS - 
THE AK AK GUNS - THE 
SOUND OF SUDDEN DEATH
I LIE & MAKE NO SOUND
MYSELF BUT THE SOUND 
OF MY INDRAWN BREATH
THE SHATTERING ROAR OF [[B?]]
TO BITS OF EVERY 
SHAPE & SIZE
AND THEN A HAPPY SIGHT
FOR US, A STUKA FAILS 
TO RISE 

25 August 1941

Monday
THE BOOM OF EXPLODING
PETROL & A LIVID SHEET
OF FLAME.
GERMAN PILOTS FUNERAL
PYRE ABOUT THE WAR
HEROES ON THE SAME 
TO HEAR THE [[SHREACH?]]
[[?]] OF THE LAST
[[?]] SHELL.
[[?]] THE DESERT
[[???]] MADE
[[?]] WELL 

26 August 1941
Tuesday
TAKE ME OVER THE
OCEAN, BACK TO THE
TALL STRAIGHT GUMS
BACK TO THE HEART OF
THE BUSHLAND WHERE
THE BUSY SAW MILL [[HUMS?]]
OR DROP ME OFF IN THE
CITY MIDST THE SOUND
OF HORNS & BELL
TAKE ME BACK TO AUSTRALIA
& THE SOUNDS I LOVE
SO WELL
SX6726
27 August 1941
Wednesday
STANDING - BY
[[THERE'S A?]] ROW OF WOODEN
CROSSES IN A HOLLOW
IN TOBRUK
THERES A ROW OF SHALLOW
GRAVES, HARD THERE BY
THE TOWN
AND WE SAY A CHARITABLE
PRAYER, FOR THOSE
BRAVE LADS WHO NEVER
LET US DOWN
WHEN THE STORM OF
BATTLE'S OVER, & THE
GUNS HAVE CEASED
THEIR ROAR. 

28 August 1941
Thursday
[[?]] THE GENTLE
BREEZES - BLOWN IN
ACROSS THE SEA
WE'LL STILL HEAR THE
CHEERY VOICES IN
WAVES ALONG THE
SHORE.
AND WE'LL TAKE SOLACE
IN THE THOUGHT
IT HAD TO BE
THEY HEARD THE [[FALL?]]
IN [[?]] & KNEW
THAT THEY MUST GO,
THOUGH ON PARADE
THEY SOON WOULD
STAND AGAIN
29 August 1941
Friday
WE'D [[?]] FOR INSPECTION
BY THE HEAVENLY [[GOD?]]
[[?]] BATTALION [[?]]. -
BE FILLED WITH MORTAL
MEN [[?]]
WHERE JERRY CANNOT
BOMB THEM OR BELT
THEM WITH H.E.
THEY'RE MARCHING
WITH THE ARMY OF
THE BRAVE, THE BOLD & FREE
WE'LL MEET THEM OVER
YONDER. TILL THEN GOOD
SHOOTING MATE = YOUVE
FOUNDED A TRADITION
FOR THE 2^ND 40 EIGHT

30 August 1941
Saturday
THINK A MOVE IS
ON AGAIN & MAYBE ITS
ON THE SALIENT AGAIN
-  GUESS IT WILL BE 
ALL RIGHT, THE BEST
PLAIN IS TO WAIT &
SEE - HAS BEEN A
REAL PICNIC HERE.
31 August 1941
Sunday
ADVANCE PARTY FROM
2/24 HERE AND OUR
POSITION WILL BE
RESERVE COY AND CARRYING
PARTY TO REST OF
BATTALION. 

1 September 1941
Monday
PREPARING TO MOVE
SO AM PRETTY BUSY
ACTING AS PLATOON
SERGEAT. — HUN PLANES
BOMBING OUR ARTILLERY
POSITIONS, — THEN
FLEW OVER OUR POST
AND STRAFED. — MEN
[[?]] TO EMPTY. —
[[?]] INTO THEM
[[?]] SURE OF HITTING
[[?]], BUT DID NOT
ANY DAMAGE —
NO CASUALTIES TO
OUR TROOPS 

2 September 1941
Tuesday
NOT A BAD PLACE AFTER

ALL, HOPED TO BE IN
REAR OF POSTS R 10
& R 11 — OUR Coy TO
BE CARRYING PARTY 
FOR OUR OTHER 3
Coys.
LEFT AT 2000 HRS, WENT
TO DON Coy HQ WHICH
IS 2 MILES FROM [[6237?]]
PICKED UP RATIONS ETC
AND WENT TO 17 PLTN
ANOTHER 1200 YDS, —
RETURNED TO OWN
POST AT 2400 HRS.
3 September 1941
Wednesday
VERY TIRED THIS MORNING.
SLEPT UNTIL MIDDAY
HAD BULLY FOR DINNER
AND FILLED IN TIME
TILL 1630 DIGGING.
— 2000 HRS OFF TO
DON Coy AGAIN — ALL
OKEY DOKE & BACK AGAIN
2350 HRS, NOT AS TIRED
AS LAST NIGHT, BUT
WILL CERTAINLY SLEEP
WELL 

4 September 1941
Thursday
ALL QUIET, — NEWS
OF FIGHTING IN
RUSSIA VERY GOOD
AND FRITZ IS GETTING
A BAD KNOCK
NOW.
2000 HRS & OFF TO
DON Coy AGAIN. HAD
TWO CARRYING TRIPS
ARRIVED BACK 0030
[[H?]]
5 September 1941
Friday
[[?]] TAKING A DAY
OF LEISURE.
[[?]] Coy AGAIN, HAD
[[?]] HEADY NIGHT
[[?]] TRIPS,— ARRIVED
HOME 02.30 AND HAVE
WALKED 12 MILES , AM
NOW READY TO
STOP. - HAVE
[[?]] [[?]] MEAL FOR
[[?]] TIME NOW
WONDERING WHAT
BRINGS THE
DAY

6 September 1941
Saturday
NOTHING TO DO
UNTIL THE EVENING
— OUT ONCE MORE
TO PLAY PACK HORSE
ANOTHER FOUR TRI[[PS?]]
AND BACK HOME AT
0200 — —
A NUMBER OF POLES
IN TOBRUK, NOW I
AM EXPECTING TO
BE RELIEVED BY
THEM SHORTLY
7 September 1941
Sunday
HAVE RESTED ALL
DAY, AND ONCE AGAIN
WE GO FOR OUR MIDNIGHT
HIKE, — ONLY
THREE TRIPS TONIGHT
AND BACK BY 0130. -
— AIR RAIDS ON TOBY
HAVE BEEN PLENTIFUL
LATELY BUT ONLY ONE
[[?]] TW'S PLANES OPERATING.
— STILL NO MAIL 

8 September 1941
Monday
SAME PLACE AND ALL
RUNNING SMOOTHLY.
STILL ON THE CARRYING
PARTY. — 
OUR PLANES CAN BE
SEEN EACH EVENING
HEADING DERNA WAY.
— NEWS MOST HEARTENING
AND THINK
WE MUST BE ON TOP
NOW.
9 September 1941
Tuesday
AS PER USUAL, AND
SAME THING AT NIGHT
HAVE NOT HAD QUITE
SO FAR TO WALK THESE
LAST COUPLE OF NIGHTS.
[[WE?]] RETURNED HOME 2330.
[[?]] RECEIVE 4 LETTERS
[[?]] [[?]] 3 HOME &
[[?]] FOREMAN — BEST
[[?]] FOR SOME DAYS
[[?]] MOST WELCOME