Diaries of Thomas Currie Derrick, 1942 - Part 2

18 January 1942

SUNDAY
ALL READY BY NOON
AND REARING TO GO.
- SEEN BUCK OCONNOR
& TONY DAVIS 2/10^TH THEY
ARE ADVANCE PARTY &
ARE TAKING OVER OUR
POSITION. - ALSO SEEN
LEN MAHONEY 2/27^TH AND REG
GOBETT 2/3 MGs BOTH ARE
AT JULIUS.
LEFT JULIUS AT 2030 AND
WENT TO AL MAJ DAL
STATION, - ENTRAINED
AT 2330 AND ON OUR
WAY

19 January 1942

MONDAY 
ARRIVED HAIFA O530
HAD A PRETTY DECENT
TRIP. - DETRAINED, HAD
BREAKFAST ON STATION
THEN AWAY AGAIN IN
MOTOR TRANSPORT.
PASSED THROUGH BEIRUT
AT 1230 AFTER 1 HOURS
SPELL, SEEN RACE COURSE
AND A LITTLE OF THE
TOWN. -
QUITE A NUMBER OF
FREE FRENCH SOLDIERS
ABOUT. - ARRIVED AT
BARRACKS 1 MILE PAST
TRIPOLI AT 1700 HRS.

20 January 1942

TUESDAY
AWAKE AND UP AT
REVELLE 0700 AFTER A
GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP.
HAD RAIN DURING NIGHT
CAN SEE SNOW ON MOUNTAINS
ABOUT 3 MILES
AWAY.
THESE ARE FRENCH BARRACKS
AND QUITE GOOD

21 January 1942

WEDNESDAY
WENT ON A MARCH
TODAY & HAD A LOOK
AT THE COUNTRY WHICH
IS VERY BEAUTIFUL.
HAVE A BATTALION
JOB RUN SIMILAR
TO A CANTEEN, ALL
PROFITS BELONG TO
THE BN, - QUITE A
GOOD & SOUND SCHEME
WE ALL THINK

22 January 1942

THURSDAY
IS THIS ANY GOOD
BEDS TO SLEEP ON,
ELECTRIC LIGHT, HOT
SHOWERS, BUT LEAVE
IS SCARCE

23 January 1942

FRIDAY
WENT THROUGH TRIPOLI
ON A MARCH TODAY,
APPEARS TO BE A
FAIRLY DECENT PLACE,
ALL THE INHABITANTS
HAVE A MUCH CLEANER
APPEARANCE THAN IN
PALESTINE. - POPULATION
IS LEBANESE & WOGS

24 January 1942

SATURDAY
ITS STARTED AGAIN
ROUTE MARCH TODAY
- RAIN IS PLENTIFUL
HAVE NOT BEEN IN
THE SNOW YET.
SITUATION IN FAR
EAST NOT TO BRIGHT

25 January 1942

SUNDAY
A CHANGE, ALL NCOs
GOT TO MOUNT TOURBOL
TO SEE OUR SECTION
POSTS. WHICH ARE NOT
COMPLETED.
A MAGNIFICENT VIEW
FROM OVER 2000 FT
ABOVE SEA LEVEL.
GIVING A VIEW SIMILAR
TO AT GIA-GL AND
A VERY ROUGH ROAD
OUR POSITION.

26 January 1942

MONDAY
ALL THE Coy GOING
TO TOURBOL TO DAY
TO COMMENCE WORK
ON POSITIONS. - WILL
BE FAR BETTER THAN
STICKING ABOUT THE
BARRACKS ALL DAY.
- - RETURNED AT
1700 HRS AFTER A FAIR
DAYS EFFORT. - WILL
TAKE A LONG TIME.
FAR EAST BECOMING
VERY GRAVE.

27 January 1942

TUESDAY
TOURBOL AGAIN AND
WOULDNT MIND REMAINING
OUT HERE, THE
RIDE IS A LITTLE TIRING
& ROUGH & TOO LATE
WHEN WE GET STARTED
HOWEVER NO CHANCE OF
THAT. - MY IDEA IS WE
WILL BE LEAVING. SYRIA
ABOUT THE 1^ST MARCH

28 January 1942

WEDNESDAY
PUTTING IN THE DAY
REPAIRING THE ROAD
HAD A FEW SHOWERS
INCLUDING ONE OF HAIL
- ALTHOUGH WE ARE
NOT EXPERT ROAD MAKERS
WE DONE A CREDITABLE
JOB & ARE HOPING FOR
A BETTER RIDE IN
FUTURE.
CANT DO A THING RIGHT
AT THE TWO UP, HAVE
LOST APPROX. 200 SYRIAN
POUND SINCE ARRIVING
HERE

29 January 1942

THURSDAY
FINISHED WITH TOURBOL
FOR THIS WEEK AND
WILL CONTINUE FIELD
CRAFT TRAINING.

30 January 1942

FRIDAY
DOING A FEW STUNTS
By PLATOONS AND MOST
OF THE BOYS ENJOY IT
- REMAIN OUT FOR DINNER
& IS MUCH LIKE A
PICNIC, EVERYTHING IS
SO BEAUTIFUL, QUITE, &
PEACEFUL THAT ONE MUST
THINK AGAIN TO REALISE
THE WORLD IS AT WAR.
IT IS HARD TO IMAGINE
WITH ALL THIS PEACEFUL
COUNTRY HOW HUMAN BEINGS
CAN DESTROY EACH OTHER.

31 January 1942

SATURDAY
ANOTHER PICNIC TODAY,
A GLORIOUS DAY WITH
CLEAR SKIES AND SUNSHINE,
AND GOOD TO BE
ALIVE. - HAVE NEVER
WANTED TO LIVE SO
MUCH ALL MY LIFE.
EVERYTHING IS MARVELLOUS
& BEAUTIFUL

1 February 1942

SUNDAY
GOING TO SNOW MOUNTAINS
TODAY.
ARRIVED AT BECHAREE
AT 1245 TOO LATE TO
CATCH THE UP ROAD TO
LES CEDRES OPEN, REMAINED
IN BECHAREE.
PLENTY OF SNOW HERE,
WENT HIKING ABOUT IN
IT HAD SEVERAL SNOW
BALL FIGHTS. - A GLORIOUS
DRIVE IN THE MOST
BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY. -
ARRIVED BACK IN BARRACKS
AT 2030 HRS

2 February 1942

MONDAY
CHANGE IN PROGRAMME
FIELD CRAFT TRAINING
FIRST 3 DAYS, TOURBOL
LAST 3.
DOING THESE STUNTS
IS RATHER GOOD AND
WELL RECEIVED BY
ALL THE MEN. -
HAVE BEEN PLTN SGT
SINCE 23^RD DEC AND
OFTEN HAVE BEEN PLTN
COMMANDER, HAVE A
GREAT LIKING FOR THE
JOB AND WOULDNT MIND
ANOTHER STRIPE

3 February 1942

TUESDAY
REGARDS THE OTHER
STRIPE DO NOT THINK
THEIR IS MUCH CHANCE.
AM SENIOR CPL IN OUR
PLTN BUT HAVE 4 CPLS
MY SENIOR IN THE Coy.
MEBBE I MIGHT
FLUKE THE THIRD SOME
DAY.

4 February 1942

WEDNESDAY
MORE TRAINING, -
HAS BEEN RAINING
ALL LAST NIGHT &
IS STILL ON, BUT
STILL WE GO OUT
TO OUR TRAINING
AREA.

5 February 1942

THURSDAY
OFF TO MT TOURBOL
THIS POINT IS 481 METRES
ABOVE SEA LEVEL &
GIVES THE MOST GLORIOUS
OF VIEWS.
CANNOT SEE MUCH IMPROVEMENT
IN OUR
SECTION POSTS.
IM IN CHARGE OF
PLTN TODAY.