Diaries of Thomas Currie Derrick, 1940-1941 - Part 9

18 May 1941
Sunday
SHE'S HERE AGAIN? —
THE DAY OF REST THAT
DEPENDS ON FRITZ.
SEEMS TO BE PRETTY
QUIET ABOUT THIS
LOCALITY BUT THATS
THE TIMES IT GETS

US GOING NUTS ; THE
UNCERTAINTY, AND ALWAYS
WAITING, NEVER
KNOWING IF YOUR
GOING TO WAKE THE
NEXT MORNING. —
WEATHER NOW GETTING
REAL HOT TODAY THE
HOTEST YET.
 

19 May 1941
Monday
NO CHANGE IN OUR
POSITON — FRITZ
STILL PRETTY QUIET.
NO NEWS OF ANY
KIND GETTING TO US.
GETTING VERY HOT
HERE NOW, NO BREEZE
AT ALL TODAY I SHOULD
SAY IT IS EASILY 100°

HAVE BEEN GETTING
ABOUT IN SHORTS AND
HELMET ONLY AND MUST
LOOK LIKE A WOG NOW
CERTAINLY FEEL LIKE
ONE
 

20 May 1941
Tuesday
STILL QUIET, GETTING

PLENTY OF TIME TO
OURSELVES NOW, HAVE
WRITTEN HOME TO WIFE
ALSO TO BUTCH WHICH
WAS A REAL LENGTHY
LETTER.
NO ACTION YET IN
NEW POSITION. — HUN
RECCO PLANE CONTINUES
TO FLY ROUND AT
HIS OWN WILL, —
HAVE NAMED HIM

"OLD HARRY " APPEARS
TO HAVE SOME ARMORING.
 

21 May 1941
Wednesday
ALL QUIET AGAIN
THIS MORN — NO ACTIVITY
BY JERRY FOR
SOME TIME NOW
— WE STILL CONTINUE

TO DIG IN, JUST AS
WELL WE HAVE A TON
OF TIME ITS SOLID
ROCK HERE AND IS NO
JOKE TRYING IT WITH
THE PICK, HAVE A FEW
PLUGS OF JELLY ANDe
T.N.T. WHICH IS
QUITE A BIG HELP
 

22 May 1941
Thursday
JUST THE SAME, STAND
TO IS OVER AND AGAIN
ITS "ALL QUIET"
— — SOME BAD NEWS
ONE OF TRUCKS RAN
OVER OUR OWN MINE
FIELD, DICK BOOTHY
RIDING ON MUDGUARD
WAS BLOWN TO PIECES
DON FLANAGAN IN CABIN
BADLY INJURED IN BOTH
LEGS, DRIVER UNINJURED
BUT BADLY SHAKEN
— TWO LETTERS FROM
BERYL.
 

23 MAY 1941
Friday

SAME AS BEFORE
"ALL QUIET" BAR

TORBRUK. JERRY D.Bs.
OVER AND GIVING -
OLD TOBY THE WORKS
— — HEARD PARACHUTE
TROOPS LANDING IN
CRETE, 1500, BUT HAVE
CLAIMED TO CAPTURE
THEM ALL. HOPE SO -
— TWO ARTY GUNS
25 POUNDERS ANCHORED
100 YDS BEHIND OUR
TRENCHES, BEEN SENDING
SOME OVER TO
FRITZ

[* (2)
24 May 41 - 7 Dec 41*]
24 May 1941
Saturday
WOW! WHAT A DAY
A DUST STORM AGAIN
AND SHE'S A SLASHER

— LEFT FOR BEACH
0900, HAD A SWIM AND
WAS THICK WITH MUD
WHEN I RETURNED
AT 1300, BUT WAS
STILL GOOD IN WATER
— — OUR NAVY ENCOUNTERED
CONVOY OF 32 HUNS
ON WAY TO CRETE
SANK SEVERAL AND
TURNED REST BACK.
— ANOTHER LETTER FROM
BERYL
 

25 May 1941
Sunday
YOU BEAUTY — THE
DUST STORM HAS SETTLED
AND IS A BEAUTIFUL
DAY.
BAD NEWS H.M.S.
HOOD REPORTED SUNK
IN SEA BATTLE NEAR
GREENLAND. —
A FURTHER 3,000 PARACHUTE
TROOPS KILLED
OR CAPTURED IN CRETE
— — A TROOPSHIP AND
A TANKER SUNK BY
OUR SUBMARINE ON
WAY TO TRIPOLI.
NO CHANGE IN OUR POSSY
 

8^th Platoon
26 May 1941
Monday
ALL QUIET AGAIN —
OUR PLATOON COMMANDER

HURTLE MORPHETT
HAS BEEN MOVED TO
C. COMPANY AND THE BOYS

DON'T LIKE IT TOO

MUCH, HE IS WITHOUT
DOUBT THE BEST
OFFICER AND MAN IN
THE BATTALION.
 

27 May 1941
Tuesday
NO CHANGE HERE, AND
HEAR THINGS ARN'T SO

GOOD AT CRETE.
FRITZ CONTINUES TO
BOMB TORBRUK AND
WE CONTINUE TO GET
3 OR 4 OF HIS BOMBERS

PER DAY — A SHIP
WITH OUR CANTEEN SUPPLY
HAS BEEN SUNK, —
LOOK OUT FRITZ WE
CAN STAND A CERTAIN
AMOUNT
 

28 May 1941
Wednesday
SAME THING, WONDER
IF FRITZ HAS ANY
TROOPS HOLDING US.
— — AND HOWS THIS

HAVE A LITTLE JOB
TO DO - TAKE A PATROL
OUT 2000 YDS IN
FRONT OF OUR FORWARD
POST, WILL BE AN
ALL NIGHT JOB, SO
HERE HOPING.
LEAVING AT 2115 AND
FEEL PRETTY CONFIDENT
ABOUT IT ALL.
 

29 May 1941
Thursday
IS NOW 0600 HRS AND
HAVE REPORTED BACK
TO COMPANY.
WENT OUT WITH GREAT
CAUTION 2000 YDS 180°
FROM POST 65, REMAINED
ALL NIGHT, HAD SIX MEN
AND MYSELF — HEARD
MOVEMENT SEVERAL BUT
COULDN'T ENCOUNTER
ANY ONE
AND NOW FOR A WELL
EARNED SLEEP.
 

30 May 1941
Friday
NO CHANGE, OUT AT
0500, AND STILL NOTHING
DOING.
IS A GLORIOUS DAY
ABOUT 100 IN THE
SHADE AND IM OFF TO
BEACH FOR A SWIM

- - - - - AND WAS IT
ANY GOOD, OF COURSE
FRITZ CAME OVER AND
DROPPED A FEW ON
OLD TOBY, BUT DIDNT
GET NEAR US.
SECTION GROWS ONE,

LEVERETT BACK FROM
PALESTINE
 

31 May 1941
Saturday
ALL QUIET AGAIN AND
AM WONDERING WHEN WE
ARE GOING TO MAKE A
MOVE, PERHAPS ‘FRITZ’
WILL BEAT US TO IT
— WEATHER GETTING
HOTTER EACH DAY, AND
FLIES ARE THICKER

THAN THICK.
THE NEW FELLOW LEVERETT
HAS GONE TO PIECES AFTER

HEARING OUR ARTY OPEN

UP, CAN’T DO MUCH WITH
HIM AND HAVE SENT
HIM TO THE R.A.F.
 

Memoranda
MEN LEFT IN OUR PLATOON

*NOT COMING HOME

1 June 1941 

Sunday

THE DAY OF REST PERHAPS.
— AT 1030 7 & 9
PLATOONS OF OUR COMPANY

CALLED TO AND ARE MOVING
UP TO ENGAGE 100

JERRYS ON OUR FRONT
2000 YDS OUT
RETURNED AT 1730 HRS
AND DID NOT ENCOUNTER
THE ENEMY, - OUR ARTY
CLEANED THEM UP GOOD
AND PROPER.
WEATHER STILL VERY HOT
MAIL ARRIVED BUT I RECEIVED
NONE MUST BE A
BLUE SOME WHERE

2 June 1941
Monday
NOTHING YET TO GIVE
ANY SIGN OF AN ATTACK
BUT THINK WE MUST
START OUR PUSH FORWARD
VERY SHORTLY, HOPE TO
CHRIST WE SEE SOME
OF PLANES SOON, ALSO
OUR ARMOURED TANKS
HAVE HEARD OF VERY
HEAVY FIGHTING IN CRETE
WITH GREAT LOSSES TO
BOTH SIDES, THE HUNS
BEING ENORMOUS.
 

3 June 1941
Tuesday
TOOK OUT A PATROL
LAST NIGHT 1500 YDS IN
FRONT OF B. COMPANY,
DID NOT STRIKE ANY
THING OR SEE ANY HUNS.
RETURNED AT 0500 HRS
AND IS IT COLD, WILL
GO RUGGED UP LIKE
HORSE NEXT TIME.
NEWS RECIEVED THIS
MORNING, - CRETE EVACUATED,
LOOKS LIKE FRITZ
HAS THE BEST END OF 
THE STICK. - - FEAR THE
WORST HERE NOW.
 

4 June 1941
Wednesday
NOTHING DOING AGAIN,
ONLY A CHANGE IN ATMOSPHERIC
CONDITIONS.
IS STILL AS HOT WITH
A DECENT DUST STORM
— D.BS. OVER TORBRUK
THROUGH THE NIGHT.
 

5 June 1941
Thursday
SAME OLD THING WITH
NO ACTION YET
RECIEVED TWO LETTERS
ONE FROM WIFFY.
ONE FROM CHAS BUTCHER
WHO IS DOING ALRIGHT
AND SHOULD BE WITH US
AGAIN SOON