Diaries of Thomas Currie Derrick, 1940-1941 - Part 4

12 February 1941
TURNED OUT EARLY 5.30
ARRIVED THE HOLY LAND
10.30 HRS - SEEN ALL THE
SACRED PLACES AND HAD
SOME BEERS
THINK THIS IS JUST A
JOINT NOT HAVING A
VERY GOOD TIME.
GOT TWO BOTTLES WINNY
HAD  GOT SLATHERED GOOD
AND PROPER COMING
HOME - LOST FALSE
TEETH IN BUS HOPE
TO CHRIST - GET THEM
BACK
13 February 1941

MOUNTED GUARD 10.AM
TILL 6 PM - HAVE A
SLIGHT HANGOVER BUT
NOT TOO BAD, - NOT
EATING TOO GOOD WITH
THE CHATS OUT 

14 February 1941

THE CORN BEEF
SNATCHERS HAVE ME
WORRIED WENT TO
BARBER AND SEEN
THE BUS PEOPLE HAVE
A CHANCE OF GETTING
THEM.
WENT OUT AT 2 PM
FOR A NIGHT STUNT
MARCHED ABOUT 11 MILES
DIDNT HAVE TEA
UNTIL 2000 HRS
SENT BIRTHDAY CABLE
TO WIFE
BUTCH SENT TO HOSPITAL

15 FEBRUARY 1941
SLEPT LIKE AN OWL
WAS AWAKE ALL NIGHT
STOPPED MARCHING
AT 22 30 LAST NIGHT
AND THEN HAD TO DIG
IN -CALLED 0530 IN
MORNING AND CONTINUED 
DIGGING-
MARCHED HOME MIDDAY
SLEPT TILL CANTEEN
OPENED AND THEN
WAS [[?]] ON - I'LL
TELL THE WORLD

16 February 1941

WOKE UP ON GOOD

FORM CONSIDERING

THE SESSION WE HAD

WENT TO (B) AGAIN

BUT COULDNT GET ON

TO THE TUSKS

MOUNTED GUARD

1800 HRS

WON 8000 MiLS ON

THE TAILS

FOLLOWED UP LAST

NIGHTS EFFORT WITH

ANOTHER HEAVY SESSION

 

17 February 1941

SLEPT MY TWO FIRST

SHIFTS BUT BRIGTHENED

UP LATER IN

THE DAY [[?]]

STRUCK IT RICH

WENT TO (B) AND

GOT THE IVORYS

 - RECEIVED MY

25TH LETTER FROM WIFE

ALSO ONE FROM

BILL Mac 2/10TH EGYPT

TOOK TWO LETTERS TO

[[?]]

18 February 1941
JUST ANOTHER DAY
NO SIGN OF ANY
ACTION YET. [[?]]
WEATHER BECOMING
WARMER BUT STILL
VERY COLD AT NIGHT
SENT TWO CUSHION
COVERS TO BERYL
TODAY IS HER BIRTHDAY

19 February 1941
SAME THING OUT
TO SUGAR LOAF KNOLL
AND RENMARK ORCHARD
WHAT I WOULD GIVE
TO BE IN [[?]] FAIR
DINKUM RENMARK 
ORCHARD 

20 February 1941
SAME AS YESTERDAY
GETTING A BIT
HARD TO PUT UP
WITH AND MISS
THE LONGFELLOW
MOSTLY AT NIGHT
HE IS REAL
CIRCULAR SAW

 

21 February 1941
WHEN WILL WE
GET A MOVE, BEEN
WONDERING IF WE
ARE GOING TO HELP
AT ALL 

22 February 1941

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

WENT ACROSS SAND

HILL TO SEA HAD

A SWIM IN THE

MEDITERRANEAN

AND HAD PRACTICE

WITH PRISMATIC COMPASS

ON WAY HOME

WORKED OUT TRUE

TO SCHEDULE.

LOST 36000 MILS AT

SWY ALL IN ONE SPIN

AM NOW AS FLAT AS

A

 

23 February 1941
A. HA THE DAY OF

REST SLEPT IN TILL

6.30 WHAT A LIFE

WENT TO R.C. CHURCH

AGAIN

WON 400 MILLS PLAYING

POKER

RUN THE DICE IN

THE NIGHT AND THE 

PURSE IS 8,000 MLS

STRONG NOW 

24 February 1941
GOING TO A SCHOOL
TODAY - NOW HERE'S A
CHANCE FOR THE [[?]] TO
MAKE SOMETHING OF
ME - WONDER IF ITS
POSSIBLE
STILL HAVN'T HEARD
ABOUT BUTCH

25 February 1941
BACK TO SCHOOL
AGAIN TODAY AND
IT IS MOST INTERESTING
AM HAVING A REAL
DECENT TIME TOO
HAVE AN EXTRA GOOD
OFFICER FOR TEACHER
LIEUT McLAY. 

26 February 1941
BEGINNING TO THINK

IM NOT ALTOGETHER

HOPELESS AFTER ALL

THINK I AM 
LEARNING HOW TO BE 
[[?]]

 

27 February
SCHOOL AGAIN STILL
THINK ITS EXTRA
AND HAVE LEARNT
MORE THIS WEEK THAN
I DID IN THE PAST
8 MONTHS
RECEIVED 7 LETTERS
5 FROM BERYL  4 [[?]]
1 FROM HOME
1 FROM MARG FOREMAN
HAVE BUILT THE PURSE
UP TO 17,000 MILS

28 February 1941
STILL AT IT BUT 
THE GOOD THING IS
COMING TO A CLOSE
RECEIVED ANOTHER
LETTER FROM BERYL
BOAT MAIL MAKING
29 IN ALL
DONE THE PURSE
AGAIN AND NOW IM
SQUARE ------ WE ARE
ALL SQUARE WHEN
WE ARE BROKE

 

Memoranda
TAKEN AWAY FROM
SCHOOL TO GO WITH
COY TO GUARD NEW
CAMP FOR THREE
DAYS
THINK SHE WILL BE
A REAL HOLIDAY
LETS HOPE SO 

1 March 1941
LEFT LINES 1600 HRS
ARRIVED NEW CAMP 1700 HRS
MY FIRST SHIFT 24OO HRS
TILL 0200 
NO LIFE HERE JUST
AN EMPTY CAMP AND 
NO CANTEEN - WOULD 
THAT ROTATE YOU