Diaries of Thomas Currie Derrick, 1940-1941 - Part 17

26 October 1941

Sunday

HAD A BAD NIGHT

AFTER GETTING LAGER

WITH BUTCH JOCK & IKE

AND HAVE A DECENT

HANG OVER.

1230 HRS AND READY

FOR LEAVE, - FEELING

O.K. NOW, SO LETS GO

ARRIVED TEL AVIV

AT 1430.

RETIRED ABOUT MIDNIGHT
& HAVE HAD A 

REASONABLY GOOD TIME 

 

27 October 1941

Monday

Good Luck from a 

girl in Tel Aviv.

27^th October Tel-Aviv

Caffe "[[Lieobio?]]" Allenby

rd. 77.

Palestine.

Claire Flanflig.

28 October 1941

Tuesday

WELL TODAY SHE' EN

AND BACK I MUST

GO - - I HAVE HAD A GOOD

TIME AND AM LOOKIN

FORWARD TO THE NEX

LEAVE.

BACK IN CAMP AT

1300 AND STRAIGHT

INTO HARNESS. - HAD

TO ERECT TWO TENT

FINISHED EARLY AND 

HAD AN EASY AFTERNOON. 
- MORE BEER

AT NIGHT. 
 

29 October 1941

Wednesday

CHAS HAS RETURNED

TO TRAING BATT

AND WILL BE A FEW

DAYS BEFORE HE IS 

SENT BACK TO THE

BTN.

THIS IS A GREAT

LIFE AND CAN STAND

A LOT OF IT.

30 October 1941

Thursday

BACK TO THE OLD

BULL RING TRAINING

BUT THE TRUMPS ARE 

MAKING IT VERY

EASY FOR US. -

DO NOT KNOW HOW

LONG WE WILL BE

HERE, MAY BE TILL

XMAS, BUT I HAVE MY

DOUBTS. 
 

31 October 1941

Friday

THOUGHT 

SAME OLD THING

AND ITS NOT BAD.

HAVING A DISASTROUS

TROT WITH THE 

HEADS & TAILS AND 

THE OLD PAY BOOK

HAs BEEN HIT TO 

KEG.

Memoranda

I THOUGHT THIS

BLUDDY WAR WOULD

BE OVER BY NOW

AND WAS SURE A 

MOVE WOULD HAVE 

BEEN MADE IN 

LIBYA.

OUR NEXT MOVE 

LOOKS LIKE BEING 

SYRIA OR THERE

ABOUTS. 
 

1 November 1941

Saturday

AND TODAY WE GO

FOR A SHORT MARCH.

- ARRIVED BACK IN 

CAMP AT 1200 AFTER

A 6 MILE TRAMP, AND

THAT WAS PLENTY

FAR ENOUGH, IT

BROUGHT THE GRAVY

OUT OF DINER.

THE WEATHER IS 

VERY HOT, AROUND THE 

HUNDRED I AM SURE

2 November 1941

Sunday

FORGOT TO MENTION

MY WEIGHT IS NOW

11S 13LB JUST 2 STONE

HEAVIER THAN I WAS 

WHEN FIRST ENLISTING

- MY STRIPES HAVE 

NOW BEEN CONFIRMED

- BUTCH ARRIVED 

BACK TODAY AND 

IS IN MY SECTION

 

3 November 1941

Monday

BACK TO THE OLD 

ROUTINE AGAIN

SEEN MORRY MITCHELL

FROM BERRI YESTERDAY..

WENT FOR A SWIM

IN FRESH WATER

POOL WHICH IS RIGHT

ALONG SIDE OUR CAMP.

4 November 1941

Tuesday

HAVE A JOB INSTRUCTING 
ON BAYONET DRILL

- MY FIRST ATTEMPT

AND BELIEVE I WENT 

ALRIGHT.

WAS WINNING £20

AT TWO UP BUT 

FINISHED UP LOSING 

IT ALL

(NEWS FLASH)

SKIPTON WINS

MELBOURNE CUP 

 

5 November 1941

Wednesday

TODAY IS FIREWORKS

DAY, BUT YOU'D NEVER 

THINK IT, IT IS 

DEAD QUIET ABOUT 

THESE PARTS.

SENT PARCEL OF 

SMOKES TO CHARLIE

SNOW OF THE 206

ALSO WROTE HOME

TO BERYL & SISTER

HAVE RECIEVED 

10 LETTERS SINCE 

ARRIVING HERE.

6 November 1941

Thursday

AM NOW ATTENDING

AN N.C.O.s CLASS.

DREW £12-10-0  FROM

THE BOOK AND SHES

PRETTY WEEK NOW

- BACK IN AFTERNOON

FOR A SWIM, HAD

A GOOD TIME.

RECIEVED A VERY

NICE XMAS PARCEL

FROM BERYL.

HAD THE PURSE LOOKING 
SICK AT SWY BUT

GET OUT OF IT.
 

7 November 1941

Friday

AT N.C.Os CLASS

AGAIN; GOING OVER

OLD WORK AND REFRESHING
A LITTLE

ON IT.

A REAL EASY TIME

A LETTER FROM

BERYL. - WROTE TO

HER AFTER TEA,

WHICH I MIGHT ADD

WAS A FIRST CLASS

MEAL. 

 

6 November 1941

Thursday

AM NOW ATTENDING

AN N.C.O.s CLASS.

DREW £12-10-0  FROM

THE BOOK AND SHES

PRETTY WEEK NOW

- BACK IN AFTERNOON

FOR A SWIM, HAD

A GOOD TIME.

RECIEVED A VERY

NICE XMAS PARCEL

FROM BERYL.

HAD THE PURSE LOOKING 
SICK AT SWY BUT

GET OUT OF IT.
 

7 November 1941

Friday

AT N.C.Os CLASS

AGAIN; GOING OVER

OLD WORK AND REFRESHING
A LITTLE

ON IT.

A REAL EASY TIME

A LETTER FROM

BERYL. - WROTE TO

HER AFTER TEA,

WHICH I MIGHT ADD

WAS A FIRST CLASS

MEAL. 

 

 

8 November 1941

Saturday

GOING FOR A MARCH

THIS MORNING. - - -

RETURNED 1130 HRS. [[WE?]]

6 MILES.

HAD A SWIM IN AFTERNOON 
IN THE POOL.

- GAVE THE DICE A

TRY AT NIGHT AND 

WON 1100 MILS.
 

9 November 1941

Sunday

RETURNED FROM R.C.

CHURCH PARADE AT 0900

AND HAD REST OF THE

DAY OFF.

IT IS VERY COLD TODAY

AND LOOKS LIKE RAIN

- WON ANOTHER 8000

AT THE DICE IN THE

EVENING

10 November 1941

Monday

OUT GO N C Os

SCHOOL AGAIN TODAY

- A PRETTY EASY DAY

- WON 3000 AT THE 

DICE IN THE NIGHT

WROTE A LETTER [[HO?]]

ALSO ONE TO ENGLAND

- WEATHER STILL COLD

NO RAIN YET AND 

MAY BLOW OVER - - -

WILL BE A BAD PLACE

HERE IF IT RAINS. 

 

11 November 1941

Tuesday

OUT WITH THE Coy

TODAY, GAVE LESSONS

ON BREN GUN IN THE 

MORNING, - HAD SPORTS

IN THE AFTERNOON.