Diaries of Thomas Currie Derrick, 1940-1941 - Part 3

22 January 1941

Wednesday

STILL IN HOSPITAL AND

ENJOYING EVRY BIT OF

IT.

DOSN'T SEEM POSSIBLE

TO BE CROOK IN HERE

EVERY ONE IS SO HAPPY

ONE, WHO IS MOST IRISH,

BLUE MALONEY IS A REAL

TRIMMER AND HAVE

TAKEN A LIKING TO

HIM - HE IS JUST A

MILLION LAUGHS ALL

DAY

23 January 1941

Thursday

WELL IM STILL HERE

SATING AND LAUGHING

MY HEAD OFF AND

GETTING BETTER EVERY

DAY - WILL BE

DISAPPOINTED WHEN I

LEAVE HERE

THE SISTERS ARE XX

EXTRA GOOD SCOUTS

AND ONE ESPECIALLY

IS A GENUINE PAL

NAMED PINKERTON

REDUCED MEANS PINKY

TO US

24 January 1941

Friday

STILL TAKING ADVANTAGE

OF THE LULL

IN MY LIFE

[[?]] [[?]] A REST

HOME IN HERE

TROOPS IN TOBRUK

[[?]] [[?]] [[?]]

[[?]] [[?]] [[?]]

[[?]] [[?]] [[?]]

TAKING [[?]] [[?]]

NOURISHMENT

25 January 1941

GETTING ROUND AND

ABOUT NOW AND

STILL THINK ITS

MONEY, FOR JAM

JUST THINK PEOPLE

2/6 A DAY FOR

LYING AROUND ALL DAY

WITH 3 MEALS A DAY

AND NOTHING TO DO.

AND SOMEONE TELLS

ME THER IS A

WAR ON

TWO LETTERS FROM 

WIFE 

26 January 1941

Sunday

A HA THE DAY OF

REST MUST MAKE
THE BEST OF IT.

THIS HOSPITAL RACKET

IS JUST THE SAME

ON SUNDAY AND

CARRY ON I MUST

WITH A LITTLE MAP

ANOTHER TWO LETTER

FROM WIFE.

WHO COULD BE LIVING

BETTER THAN DIVE?

27 January 1941

Monday

ALAS BUT ALACK

THE DAY HAS ARRIVED

AND THE GOOD THING

COMES TO AN END

 - TOMORROW I GO

OUT TO THE COLD

CRUEL WORLD AND

BACK TO HARNESS

HOPE THE HEART CAN 

STAND IT 

28 January 1941

Tuesday

TAKEN TO BASE H.Q.

AND GOT MESSED

AROUND FOR FIVE HOURS

THEN SENT BACK

TO THE [[?]]

AND WAS NEVER MORE

PLEASED TO SEE THE

[[?]]

29 January 1941

Wednesday

AFTER PITCHING SOME

HORRIBLE [[?]] STORYS

HAD THE DAY OFF

AND DONE SOME

[[PERSIL?]] [[?]]

THE S.M HAS BEEN

KIND ENOUGH TO PUT

ME ON CANTEEN

PIQUET - JUST THE

RIGHT MAN FOR THE

JOB I RECKON
 

30 January 1941
Thursday

AND HOWS THIS FOR

A FATIGUE - IN

THE SERGANT'S MESS

ALL DAY AND DONE

NOTHING BUT EAT

 - THE ONLY BREAK

[[?]] HAD WAS TO STOP

FOR MEALS

31 January 1941

Friday

HAVING A REAL HOLIDAY

NOW - MARCHED ABOUT

3 MILES TO DIG TRENCHES,

BUT STILL A GOOD LIFE

 - NOW HERE'S A BLUE

CHARGED FOR THREATENING

A N.C.O.  WISHED ID WENT

ON WITH HIM NOW.

AND STILL SHES A

GOOD LIFE.

THIS IS ONLY THE 5TH

CHARGE SINCE BEING IN 

THIS BLOODY ARMY

Memoranda
JUST ANOTHER

DAY ON

THE BANJO THINK ITS

WORTH MORE THAN

2/6 A DAY SO WILL PUT

IN FOR A RISE

HERES HOPING

1 February 1941

Saturday

JUST WOKE UP IM

ON THE WRONG PAGE

BUT TILL ITS A

NEW MONTH AND ONE

MIGHT DO ANYTHING

IN FEBRUARY 

2 February 1941

Sunday

BUTCH AND I WENT

TO JULIUS ABOUT 15

MILES TO SEE SOME

CHINA PLATE IN THE

27^th ALSO SEEN BLUE

MALONEY 2^ND 16^TH

GOT TUCK INTO THE

SWY UP AND WAS

LUCKY TO GET OUT OF

IT DOING A LITTLE

OVER 4000 MILS

3 February 1941

Monday
MOUNTED GUARD LAST

NIGHT BUT SHE'S NOT

SO BAD

SEEN IN LOCAL RAG

THE FALL OF DERNA

DOSN'T LOOK LIKE US

GETTING A GO AT THE

DING

CYRENNE ALSO TAKEN
 

4 February 1941

Tuesday

OUT FOR ANOTHER

PICNICK IN THE FIELD

 - NOTHING MUCH

HAPPENING TO FILL

THE PAGES

5 February 1941

Wednesday

ANOTHER VERY QUIET

DAY, SO BUTCH AND

I GOT SOAKED AGAIN

IN THE NIGHT - AND

WERE WE [[?]] OR

WERE WE

8 FEBRUARY 1941

Saturday

HAD A BIG DAY TODAY

DONE A HEAP OF

WASHING AND DECIDED

TO HAVE A GOOD NIGHT

JACK SMITH AN

OLD OPPONENT OF

MINE CAME OVER

AND WENT TO PICTURE

[[?]] HAD SOME BEER.

9 February 1941

Sunday 

CHANGED MY CHURCH

TODAY WENT TO CATHOLIC

PARADE DONT KNOW

IF IM IMPROVED ANY

WROTE? LETTER TO

WIFEY

RECEIVED 6 LETTERS

2 FROM BERYL

2      "       MUM

1       "       BLUE JONES

1       "       BILL STROTHERS  

10 February 1941

Monday

OUT FOR A TWO DAY

MANOUVRE, DUG TRENCHES

ALL DAY - RAIDED

ORANGE ORCHARD IN

NIGHT THEN THE RAINS

CAME SO HOME WE

WENT [[WET?]] ARSE

AND NO FISH

11 February 1941

Tuesday

OUT AGAIN TODAY TO

FINISH OUR STUNT

THE RAIN ALL GONE

 - HAD A QUITE NIGHT

SAVING MYSELF FOR

TOMORROW, GOING ON

LEAVE TO JERUSALEM

-- LOST 8000 MILS

THE SWY, LUCKY

IM A RICH MAN AND

CAN STAND IT