Diaries of Thomas Currie Derrick, 1942 - Part 3

6 February 1942  

FRIDAY

TOURBOL AGAIN &

AGAIN PLTN COMMANDER

-MORE TROOPS HAVE

MOVED OUT THERE &

THE PLACE LOOKS QUITE

AN INDUSTRIAL CENTRE

- 2/2 M. GUNNERS ARE

RIGHT NEXT US PREPARING
GUN POSITIONS
AND ANTI TANK UNIT &

ARTILLERY - FEEL SURE
THIS PLACE COULD HOLD
OUT INDEFINATELY. 

7 February 1942

SATURDAY

AGAIN TO OUR DIGGINGS 
HAVE PUT IN TWO

GOOD DAYS WORK AND

CAN NOW SEE THE

RESULT OF OUR TOIL

 - GOT INTO SOME

STRIFE WITH AN

OFFICER AND TOLD

HIM OFF HOT AND STRONG

LOOKS LIKE NO GOOD

COMING TO THOMAS C

DERRICK.

8 February 1942

SUNDAY

THE DAY OF REST &
NO WORK.

AM TO BE PARADED

TO THE C.O. APPEARS

MY ATTITUDE TO OUR

OFFICERS HAS NOT BEEN

APPRECIATED.

RESULT - - ESCAPED ALL
PUNISHMENT BUT STOOD

UP TO SOME SOUND
LECTURING ON DISCIPLINARY

MANNERS

9 February 1942

MONDAY

ANOTHER WEEK & NO

MORE VISITS TO TOURBOL

HAVE HANDED OVER TO

2/24^TH AND ARE TO CONCENTRATE

ON TRAINING
 - NEWS FROM LIBYA

IS SCARCE & BAD, HUNS

HAVE AGAIN PUSHED OUR

FORCES BACK TO  GAZALA

- THE EAST  --- JAPS

ENDEAVORING TO LAND ON

SINGAPORE ISLAND

10 February 1942

TUESDAY

SAME THING AGAIN

TODAY, BUT THESE

STUNTS ARN'T REAL BAD

- THIS MORNINGS PAPER
HAS NOT BROUGHT

VERY GOOD NEWS FROM
SINGAPORE. - - APPEARS

IT IS IN A VERY DANGEROUS

POSITION.

11 February 1942

WEDNESDAY

BAD NEWS FROM SINGAPORE.

JAPS ONLY 10 MILES

FROM MAIN DEFENCES

OUT DOING FIELD MANOUVRES

TODAY. A GLORIOUS

DAY & HAD A GOOD TIME

- N C Os CLASS AT NIGHT

PREVENTED ME GOING 

TO TRIPOLI

12 February 1942

THURSDAY

OUT TO DO FIELD EXERCISES,
AND AM PLTN
COMMANDER. - ALL WENT

SMOOTHLY & WASNT A

BAD DAY. BACK IN
CAMP AT 1600

FURPHYS ABOUT THAT 
SINGAPORE HAS FALLEN

ALL ARE ANXIOUSLY AWAITING

THE CORRECT NEWS

& DYING TO GET BACK TO 

TO AUSSIE.

THE EAGLE FLEW OVER

TODAY - DREW 30

13 February 1942

FRIDAY

FIELD MANOUVRES 

AGAIN TODAY.
SINGAPORE IN A BAD

POSITION & THINK IT

IS JUST A MATTER OF 
HOW LONG BEFORE 
IT IS TAKEN.
BIG AIRIAL BATTLE

IN DOVER STRAIGHTS

WE LOST 42 PLANES

16 February 1942

MONDAY

MORE FIELD CRAFT
TRAINING.
HAVE BEEN ALLOTED A
NEW TRAINING AREA.

17 February 1942

TUESDAY
SAME THING, — MORE
TRAINING.

18 February 1942

WEDNESDAY

MY WIFES BIRTHDAY
25 TODAY. LOOKING

BACK TO THE FIRST

DAY I MET HER IS 

ABOUT 9 YEARS AGO.

BEGINNING TO THINK
WE ARE GETTING UP

IN YEARS.

WROTE TO HER IN THE

EVENING.

19 February 1942

THURSDAY

GOING TO  A N C Os

TUTE TODAY.

COMPLETED AT 1500

& VERY INTERESTING

DAY.
AM ON CINEMA PICQUET
THIS EVENING.

NIPS DAMAGED DARWIN

LAST NIGHT

2 MONTHS OF THE 
NEW YEAR WITH THE

WAR GETTING EVER

CLOSER TO AUSTRALIA

AM NOT IN A 
POSITION TO DO ANYTHING
ABOUT IT
THE WHOLE OF THE
DIVISION ARE MOST

DESIROUS TO RETURN

HOME AND FIGHT Fritz

& Japs IN THEIR OWN

COUNTRY

A STRONG BELIEF

HERE IS THAT THE

6^th & 7^th DIVISIONS ARE 

EITHER IN JAVA OR

AUSTRALIA AND WE

ALL EXPECT A MOVE

BY OUR OWN DIV IN
THAT DIRECTION SHORTLY

NOTHING OF INTEREST

TO WRITE ABOUT AM
USING NEXT FEW

PAGES FOR A CUTE
LITTLE  DITTY THAT
I'M SURE WILL PLEASE

EVEN THOUGH A LITTLE

NAUGHTY.  - 

1 March 1942

SUNDAY
I'LL TELL YOU A DITTY

THATS CERTAIN TO PLEASE

OF A GRANDING FARTING 

CONTEST AT STOCKTON ON TEES

WHERE ALL THE BEST ARSES

PARADE ON THE FIELDS
& COMPETE IN A CONTEST
FOR VARIOUS SHIELDS 

SOME LIFT THEIR GASES

AND FART UP THE SCALE

TO COMPETE FOR THE CUP
AND A BARREL OF ALE

WHILE OTHERS WHO'S ARSES

ARE BIGGEST & STRONGEST

2 March 1942

MONDAY

COMPETE IN THE CONTEST
FOR LOUDEST & LONGEST

NOW THIS EASTER EVENT 

HAD DRAWN A LARGE CROWD

AND THE BETTING WAS

EVENS ON MRS McLOUD

IT APPEARED IN THE PAPER
THE EVENING EDITION

THAT THE LADYS ARSES

WAS IN PERFECT CONDITION

NOW OLD MRS JONES HAD

A PERFECT BACKSIDE

3 March 1942

TUESDAY

WITH A BUNCH OF RED 
HAIR, & A WART ON EACH SIDE
SHE FANCIED HER CHANCE
OF WINNING WITH EASE

HAVING TRAINED ON A DIET

OF CABBAGE AND PEAS

MRS BINGLE ARRIVED MIDST

ROARS OF APPLAUSE

AND PROMPTLY PROCEEDED TO 

PULL DOWN HER DRAWS -
BUT THOUGH SHE'S NO CHANCE

IN THE FARTING DISPLAY

SHE'D THE PRETTIEST ARSE

YOU'D SEE IN A DAY