Diaries of Thomas Currie Derrick, 1940-1941 - Part 5

2 March 1941
Sunday
My SECOND SHIFT
1 HOUR 0700 TO 0800
AND NOW 6 HOURS OFF
NOTHING TO DO BUT
LAY AROUND
RAINING LIKE HELL
AND DOSN'T LOOK LIKE
EASING DOWN
3 March 1941
Monday
STILL ON THE HOLIDAY
GUARD AND HAVING
PRETTY DECENT TIME
— AND STILL RAINING
HELL FOR LEATHER
— PLAYED PONTOON
AND POKER ALL DAY— 
NOT A BAD ARMY
AFTER ALL
ONE FELLOW FIRES A
ROUND IN THE HUT
AND CHRIST KNOWS HOW
IT MISSED US ALL — 
WENT INTO THE FLOOR
 

4 March 1941
Tuesday
THE LAST DAY OF
THE GOOD THING AND
HAS RAINED ALL THE
B- TIME —  BUT
STILL MADE AN EXTRA
GOOD TIME OF IT
— ARRIVED BACK IN
CAMP 1800 HRS AND ARE
THE TENTS MISSED
LOOKS LIKE A RIVER
HAS GONE RIGHT
THROUGH THEM
5 March 1941
Wednesday
NOW WOULD THIS DO
ANY THING TO YOU — 
WE MOUNT BATTALION
GUARD THIS EVENING.
I GUESS THEY ONLY
GIVE IT TO US BECAUSE
WE ARE EXPERIENCED.
RECEIVED 32^ND LETTER
FROM BERYL
 

6 March 1941
Thursday
AM NOW DOING MY
DOOTY JUST LIKE A
GOOD SOLDIER, HAVE
WRITTEN TWO LETTERS
AND PLAYED A DOZEN
GAMES OF TABLE TENNIS
— BEGINNING TO LIKE
THIS GUARD RACKET.
7 March 1941
Friday
BACK AGAIN TO THE
OLD ROUTINE AND WAITING
TO LEAVE— GOING
SOME PLACE SHORTLY
— — BUILT THE PURSE
UP TO 9½ THOU PLAYING
DICE
  

8 March 1941
Saturday
ITS ON AGAIN TODAY
OUR LITTLE SATURDAY
RECREATION — — A
TRAMP ACROSS THE
SAND HILLS TO THE
BEACH
ARRIVED BACK IN
CAMP 1600 HRS, NOT AN
EFFORT.
WENT TO TEL AVIV
COST 3600 FOR TAXI
BUT HAD AN EXTRA GOOD
TIME, GOT BACK TO CAMP
0500 SUNDAY MORNING
PRETTY WELL LAGERED
9 March 1941
Sunday
HAVE MY DOUBTS IF I
WILL BE ABLE TO TURN
OUT AT ALL.
DID SO 0845 AND STILL
FEEL SOAKED 
NO CHURCH TODAY SO
LOOKS LIKE GETTING
STUCK INTO THE SWY
— LEFT THE SWY AT
1800 HRS AND AS FLAT
AS T — 
 

10 March 1941
Monday
STILL WAITING TO MOVE
OUT, MUST BE GETTING
CLOSE NOW.
HAVE NO IDEA WHERE
WE ARE GOING
RECIEVED 33rd FROM
BERYL.
11 March 1941
Tuesday
HAVNT HEARD WHEN
THE HOUR IS, BUT
AM EXPECTING IT ANY
TIME NOW.
HAVING A GREAT TIME
NOW NOTHING TO DO
AND A HEAP OF TIME
TO DO IT IN
MADE ENQUIRERIES
ABOUT BUTCH, AND HE
DOSN’T LOOK LIKE BEING
BACK IN TIME — WISH
TO CHRIST HE COULD
 

12 March 1941
Wednesday
THINK ITS ON TONIGHT
HAVE JUST SCRIBBLED
A NOTE TO BERYL AND
SENT SOME PHOTOS OF
JERRY.
GOT WELL LAGERED
LAST NIGHT JUST AS
A TOKEN OF GRATITUDE
TO A GOOD CAMP
(NICE EXCUSE EH)
13 March 1941
Thursday
TURNED OUT TO FIND
IT RAINING HELL FOR
LEATHER — HAVE JUST
RECIEVED THE NEWS
ARE MOVING 2220 HRS
AND HAVE WE ANY THING
TO CARRY AND THE LYING
B- - - - - TOLD US IT WAS
ONLY A 90LB PACK TO
CARRY, IF THIS ISNT A
CWT YOU CAN B- - - - - 
WELL - SO YOU CAN
IM EASY.
LETTER 34
 

14 March 1941
Friday
ENTRAINED GAZA 0030 HR
HAD A TERRIBLE NIGHTS
SLEEP, REACHED KANTARA
0830 HAD BREAKFAST
CROSSED CANAL & ENTRAINED
AT EL-QUANTARA
TRAVELLED ALL DAY
PASSED A NUMBER OF
VILLAGES & TOWNS — 
STOPPED AT 1930 HRS TO
HAVE TEAM MET “ONE
HOLE JIM POCOCK"
& DRANK A BOTTLE OF
ALE WITH HIM. — 
LEFT AGAIN 2100 HRS
15 March 1941
Saturday
0600 HRS AND HAVE
JUST TURNED OVER FOR
THE 30^TH TIME — TRIED
TO SLEEP ON THE
SEAT FIRST, BUT FINISHED
ON THE FLOOR
REACHED MATROUH 1030
& DETRAINED — WENT TO
EGYPTION BARRACKS
— MET THE TEAM FROM
BERRI IN THE 2^ND 10^TH BATT
BILL MAC, BULL OSBORNE,
BUCKY OCONNOR, PETER WADE
STAN NORMAN, HOPE TO BE
GOING TO SCRAP WITH THEM
 

16 March 1941
Sunday
SLEPT LIKE A DRUNK LAST
NIGHT. — THE 10^TH LEFT 1000h
& ARE GOING TO TAKE A
VILLAGE HELD BY THE
DINGS, & WE ARNT GOING
WITH THEM,- WOULDNT THAT
- - - - -  You.
SEEN THE OFF AFTER
DRINKING SOME 3 DOZ
BEERS
WENT TOURING IN AFTER
NOON & SEEN SOME VERY
INTERESTING BATTLE
SCENES — FIRED A BREDA
MACHINE GUN.
17 March 1941
Monday
TURNED OUT EARLY - INTO
TRUCKS AND OFF SOMEWHERE
TRAVELLED ALL DAY &
DUG IN AT 1830 HRS — SLEPT
WELL AND GETTIG USED
TO SLEEPING OUT
HAVE JUST FOUND OUT
THE TOWN WE PASSED
WAS SID1 BARRANI &
THERE WASNT A BUILDING
LEFT STANDING & NOT A
SIGN OF LIFE ANYWHERE
 

18 March 1941
Tuesday
ON THE MOVE AT 0730
ROAD ROUGH AS - - - - - 
PASSED THROUGH BUG-BUG
0830 THEN ON TO SOLLUM
AND THIS ALSO IS A MASS
OF RUINS — — HAVE NEVER
SEEN SO MUCH DESTRUCTION
ALL ALONG THE TRACK CAN
BE SEEN MILITARY GEAR ALSO
CRASHED PLANES. — PASSED
THROUGH FORT CAPPUZO
AGAIN WE SEE RUINS
& STILL HUNDREDS OF
DING TANKS, LORRYS, SHELLS
L.M.Cy AK.AK, HEAVY GUNS
19 March 1941
Wednesday
AND CRASHED PLANES, SOME
OF WHICH WERE DESTROYED
ON THE GROUND — ROAD
IMPROVING — WENT PASTxx
BARDIA BUT DID NOT ENTER
IT, STILL THE SAME SIGHTS
ONLY MORE OF THEM.
STOPPED FOR DINNER A
FEW MILES OUT. — TROUGH
TORBRUK 1600 HRS, HERE A
NUMBER OF SHIPS SOME
IN HARBOR, — TOWN NOT DAMAGED
MUCH, CAMP CO 50 MILES ON
FROM TORBRUK FOR (TUES) NIGHT
 

20 March 1941
Thursday
OUR COMPANY ARRIVED
DERNA YESTERDAY DONT
KNOW HOW LONG WE
WILL BE STAYING HERE
— HAD A LASH AT THE
CONEAC LAST NIGHT &
AM I CROOK, NEVER
HAD A HANGOVER LIKE
THIS BEFORE
JUST REALISED TODAY
IS MY 27^TH ANNIVERSARY
OF BIRTH — HAVE MY
DOUBTS IF ILL SEE TOMORROW
IM DEAD BUT NOT
LYING DOWN.
21 March 1941
Friday
OUR SECTION ON AK AK
DUTY AD STILL NOT
FEELING THE BEST
NOTHING MUCH TO DO
HERE. HAVE JUST FINISHED
DINNER AND THE HEAD IS
ON THE IMPROVE.
HAD A LITTLE RIFLE
PRACTICE & GRENADE THROWING
WITH DING — HEAR
THERE IS 100s OF TONS
OF DING AMMUNITION &
EQUIPMENT HERE ALSO
A NUMBER OF DING
PRISONERS.