Diaries of Thomas Currie Derrick, 1940-1941 - Part 6

22 March 1941
HOORAH THE HANG OVER
HAS VANISHED AND IM
NEARLY NORMAL AGAIN -
HAVNT HAD ANY LETTERS
SINCE THE 13TH AND HAVE 
NOT BEEN ABLE TO 
GET ANY POSTED HOME
- ON GUARD TODAY
AND RATHER AN EASY
JOB - GETTING SICK 
OF THIS JOINT AND WOULDNT MIND A 
MOVE SOME PLACE

23 March 1941
MY SECTION HAVE
THE DAY OFF, SO
HERE GOES FOR A 
STROLL ROUND DERNA
- - IS NOW 16OO HRS
AND HAVE RETURNED
TO THE HOTEL AND
DIDNT SEE VERY 
MUCH, THE BEST BEING
A HI TOMB WITH
ABOUT 200 SKELETONS
IN IT.
WILL WRITE HOME TONIGHT
& CHANCE GETTING 
IT AWAY.

24 March 1941
ANOTHER WEEKS STARTS 
AND STILL HAVNT BEEN
IN ACTION YET, BUT
THINK ITS GETTING 
CLOSE, AM EXPECTING
 A MOVE UP TO FRONTLINES
[[?]]
STILL PUTTING UP WITH 
HOTEL LIFE, HAVE FAILED
TO MENTION WHERE WE 
ARE BILLETED - 
THE LARGEST HOTEL IN DERNA
& HAS RUNNING WATER
HOT & COLD BATH ROOM TO 
EVERY BEDROOM

25 March 1941
JUST ANOTHER DAY
OF LEISURE - WENT
INTO MARKET PLACE AND
[[?]] A COUPLE OF 
TINS OF CHERRIES THEN
HAD A DAINTY LITTLE
SUPPER
HAVEN'T HEARD WHEN
WE ARE MOVING , HAVE
BEEN HERE A WEEK NOW
AND A CHANGE WOULDNT
DO ANY HARM

26 March 1941
HAVE BEEN PLACED ON 
GUARD, ON THE BENGHAZI
ROAD - A VERY QUIET JOB,
SEEN  LARGE CONVOY OF
ARTILLERY MOVING UP, SO
THINK SOMETHING MAY HAPPENED
AROUND TRIPOLI SHORTLY & 
WE MAY BE IN IT.
RECEIVED LETTER, THE FIRST 
FOR 13 DAYS & TOTAL NOW 35

27 March 1941
ON THE SWEET JOB
AGAIN TODAY, AK AK PIQUET
- FOUND A GERMAN M.M.G
& FINALLY GOT HER IN
WORKING ORDER, FIRED
ABOUT 2,500 ROUNDS & ITS
NOT A BAD JOB AT ALL
WAS A FIRING RATE OF 
ROUGHLY 400 PER MINUTE
STOPPED FIRING AT 1700H
AND AM AS DEAF AS DOOR
POST
HOME TO A NICE HOT BATH
& TURNED IN ABOUT 2030H 

28 March 1941

ON DUTY AT HOTEL TODAY
WENT OUT 10 MILES TO
FORT. BEN SEOIL  AND
GOT AN ITALIAN M GUN
BROUGHT BACK TO HOTEL
STRIPPED AND CLEANED IT
THEN TOOK 2 HOURS TO
PUT TOGETHER AGAIN
i AM BECOMING AN 
EXPERT ON MACHINE GUNS
NOW
HAVE DECIDED TO KEEP 
THIS GUN IN THE PLATOON
ITS MAKE IS FIAT

29 March 1941

HAVE PACKED ALL GEAR
INTO PLATOON TRUCK AND
STANDING TO, WAITING TO
MOVE 0900 HOURS
IS NOW 1600 HRS AND
HAVE RETURNED TO OUR 
ROOMS - EXPECT TO [[?]]
TOMORROW,.
WENT INTO MARKET PLACE
AND HAD A [[?]]
DAY, 4 TINS FRUIT [[?]]
AND PAIR OF LADIES
WHITE KID GLOVES

30 March 1941
OUT TO THE PICNIC
[[?]] TODAY, SO DEOSN'T 
LOOK LIKE GOING TODAY
- TOOK THE FIAT M.G.
AND FIRED HER ALL DAY
- HAVE NO DOUBT ABOUT 
OUR BREN L.M.G. BEING
A BIT ON THE [[?]]
I HAVE RECENTLY TRIED
POSTING GLOVES HOME
TO BERYL COST 4/ BY
AIR MAIL

31 March 1941
ANOTHER DAY OF PLAYING
GENTLEMAN
WENT FOR A ,MARCH
ALONG BENGHAZI ROAD
SOME 8 OR 9 MILES & 
WAS GOOD TO DO 
SOMETHING AGAIN
HAVENT HEARD WHERE 
WE ARE MOVING &
DON'T THINK IT WOULD 
WORRY YOURS TRULY
IF WE WERE TO STAY 
HERE FOR THE DURATION

1 APRIL 1941
CANT TELL YET IF
THIS IS A JOKE BUT 
WE'RE [[?]] ANOTHER
MARCH, AND TOO
MUCH MARCHING ISN'T
GOOD FOR TOM
WOULD LIKE A LETTER 
OT TWO FROM HOME
BUT HAVN'T MUCH CHANCE 
FOR A WHILE YET.

2 APRIL 1941
STILL ON THE SAME 
RACKET - MARCH IN THE
MORNING AND AFTERNOON
FREE
PLSYED ENGLISH AX AX
CRICKET SAND DEFEATED
THEM BY XX RUNS.
T.C.D. XXCTED CAPTAIN
OF TEAM AND MADE
HIGHEST SCORE 12 RUNS
IM NO BRADMAN
- HAD AIR RAID ALARM
WHILE PLAYING, 2 JERRYS
CAME OVER AT 27000 FT
HAD A FEW SHOTS BUT
DIDN'T SCORE
3 APRIL 1941
OUR SECTION ON HOTEL
DUTY - JUST A REST FOR
US
HAVE BEEN PICKED WITH
THREE OTHERS BOB, [[?]]
CLEM [[???]]
TO BRING IN [?]]
[[?]] JERRY [[?]]
NIGHT  [[???]]
THE [[???]]
[[???]]
JERRY CAME OVER ABOUT
0430 IN MORNING & LAID
A FEW NO DAMAGE DONE 

4 APRIL 1941
HAVING ANOTHER
DAY TO MYSELF
HAVE HEARD BENGHAZI
HAS BEEN RECAPTURED
BY THE HUNS.
WENT INTO WOGS
MARKET PLACE AND
HELPED OURSELVES TO
2 CASES OF TINNED
FRUIT -  A COUPLE 
OF SHOTS SOON PERSUADED
THE WOGS 
TO HAND OVER, AND 
ARE NOW, LIVING
LIKE MILLIONAIRES
5 APRIL 1941
STILL AT THE HOTEL
DERNA - TOWN GETTING
VERY QUIET ALL THE 
CIVILIANS ARE EVACUATING,
AND THINK WE 
MIGHT BE SKRAMMING
SOON --- 8 JERRY
PLANES CAME OVER
ABOUT 1600 HOURS, AND
OUR AUSSY SQUADRON
WENT UP AFTER THEM
BROUGHT 2 DOWN WITHOUT
LOSS - ONE CPL
OF GROUND STAFF
- KILLED

6 APRIL 1941
HAVE NEARLY FORGOTTEN
HOW THE DAYS RUN
NOW - HAVNT MOVED
YET, HEARD WE ARE 
HOLDING JERRY AT
BENGHAZI CANT MAKE 
OUT TGHE IDEA OF 
LETTING JERRY ADVANCE
SO EASY, GUESS THE
TRUMPS MUST HAVE
SOMETHING UP THE
SLEEVES - PLAYED 
FOOTBALL AFTER TEA
HAD A SHOWER & FEED
OF CANNED PEARS & 
TURNED IN AT 2100 HRS
7 APRIL 1941
AWAKENED 0130 HRS &
ALL THE COY OUT OF
DERNA BY 0210, TAKEN
BY T RUCKS TO TOBRUK &
LOST REST OF COY [[?]]
[[?]] AND SLEPT IN
A TERRIBLE DUST STORM
- EVERYONE BEEN
EVACUATED FROM DERNA
& VALUABLE ITEMS BLOWN
UP -- JERRY ATTACKING 
AT BARCE ABOUT 100
MILES FROM DERNA &
SEEMS TO BE MAKING
THE RACE A CRACKER 

8 APRIL 1941
AWAKENED AT 0900 &
COVERED IN DUST, & THE
STORM IS STILL ON.
HEARD THE REST OF BTN
ARE 50 MILES BACK. -
CALLED TO [[?]] 1600 AND
TAKEN BY TRUCK BACK
DERNA WAY 20 MILES,
DUG IN & WAITING FOR
JERRY TO COME ALONG
- TWO OF OUR BOYS
CAPTURED FRITZ CAR
WITH 6 IN THE CREW; 4
OF WHOM WERE SHOT, 2
FATALLY - OUR S MAJOR
SHOT IN ARSE, ONLY FLESH WOUND 

9 APRIL 1941
ORDERED TO STAND TO
AT 0600, AFTER A QUIET
NIGHT, - A SQUADRON OF
JERRIES FLEW OVER AT
20, 000 FT TO TORBRUK
- 0730 8 HUNS 2 ELEVATED
OVER 8 MACHINE GUNNED
US FOR 20 MINUTES, NO - 
INJURIES - RECEIVED 5
LETTERS & PARCEL FROM
WIFE, ALSO LETTER FROM
b tHORPE WHO RECKONS HE
WILL BE BACK WITH US
JERRY ATRILLERY OPENED UP
ON US AT 1900 HRS, AND
LANDED TWO WITHIN 20 YDS