Diaries of Thomas Currie Derrick, 1942 - Part 12

4 October 1942  
SUNDAY
ARRIVED HOME A LITTLE
BEFORE SCHEDULE, DID
NOT ENCOUNTER ENEMY
OR HEAR OR FIND ANY
SIGNS OF HIM. - DIRECTION
TO CAMP WAS
EXCELLENT.
SLEPT UNTIL 1330.
BUSY IN PM ON ADMIN
WORK.
AN UNEVENTFUL NIGHT
5 October 1942
MONDAY
ON OUR RIGHT THE 23^RD
& MMGs LET FORTH A
FLAP LASTING 15 MINS,
SOME FIRES STARTED
BY OUR MORTARS.
AT 0925 A VEHICLE HIT
BY OUR ARTY & BURNT
FIERCELY FOR 1¼ HOURS -
A LIGHT SHOWER DURING
ARVO & A VISIT FROM
BN C.O. - 1830 VERY BLACK
TO OUR NORTH & WEST -
1710 & ITS ON US LOOKS
LIKE A WOW OF A STORM
EXPECTING SOME MIGHTY
STAND BY MY DUG OUT

6 October 1942

TUESDAY

THE NIGHT FINISHED

UP O.K. HAD SOME

HEAVY RAIN FOR A 

SHORT PERIOD, BUT

CLEARED OFF LATER.

ALL TRENCHES RECIEVING

3 0R 4" OF WATER 

& MAKING THING UN-

COMFORTABLE. MY DUG

OUT REMAINED QUITE

DRY THROUGHOUT.

7 October 1942
WEDNESDAY

THE RAIN HAS GONE

BUT THREATENING CLOUDS

STILL HOVER OVERHEAD

BELIEVE IT RAINED 

HEAVILY IN JERRIES

SOUTHERN POSNS: THEY

MUST BE MIGHTY UN -

COMFORTABLE UNLESS

THEY ARE DUG IN BETTER

THAN US & I

DOUBT THAT -

STALINGRAD STILL STAND

JAPS BEING PUSHED

FURTHER BACK IN 

NEW GUINEA

8 October 1942

THURSDAY

AT 0150 JERRY STARTED

A BLITZ ON OUR POSN

THE WHOLE FRONT STOOD

TO EXPECTING A SCRAP

BUT AFTER ¾ HOUR IT

CUT OUT. SOME 300

SHELLS LANDED IN

OUR AREA. - NO INJURIES

RECIEVED WHICH

WAS A MARVEL

REMAINDER OF DAY

QUIET

9 October 1942

FRIDAY

WENT OUT TO FWD

O P TO HAVE A LOOK

SEE --

BECAME FAMILIAR WITH

JERRIES F D L & PIN

SPOTTED HIS M G POSNS, 

ALSO HIS STRONGEST

POSNS - RETURNED AT

1715 HRS.

ONE UNIDENTIFIED AIR-

CRAFT FORCED DOWN

IN JERRY TERRITORY

30 ENEMY WHO GATHERED

AROUND WHERE 

DISPERSED BY  25 PDRS

10 October 1942

SATURDAY

ALL QUIET AFTER

STAND TO.

WENT OUT 1000 YDS ON

A SCROUNGING TRIP,

MADE TWO DECENT

DUMPS & ARRANGED

FOR A TRUCK TO GO

OUT DURING DARKNESS

- ONE TWIN ENGINE

EA FLEW VERY LOW

OVER OUR LINES &

HE RECIEVED FIRE

FROM 5 ARMS & MUST

HAVE BEEN DAMAGED

11 October 1942

SUNDAY

WENT OUT AT 0545

TO BRING IN SALVAGE

GOT ONE TRUCK LOAD

& WILL GET REST 
TONIGHT.

1030HRS 3 E TKS SEEN

APPROACHING 3500 YDS 

BUT ENGAGED BY FD

GUNS - DID NOT COME

CLOSER THAN 3000 YDS

12 October 1942

MONDAY

TAKING OUT AN O.P.

PARTY TO W 24 AT 0400

MET A PARTY OF 20

WENT TO GROUND &

LET THEM COME ON, WE

WERE 4 STRONG & I 

WASN'T FEELING TOO SURE

OF THINGS, CHALLENGED

WITH OUR PATROL CHALLENGE

BUT GOT NO CORRECT

REPLY. WAS ABOUT TO

OPEN UP WHEN I HEARD

COL PATONS VOICE-----

WHAT A RELIEF. -

2 PLANES DOWN IN FLAMES

BOTH JERRIES

13 October 1942

TUESDAY

TOOK OUT ESCORT 

PATROL FOR O.P. & C.O.

AT 0530 ALL OKAY.

A DECENT BREKKA, EGGS

BACON, POTATO & TROMBONE

ALL FRIED.

SPENT MORNING ARRANGING

FOR HAND OVER TO

2/43 THEN FOUND OUT

IT WOULDNT BE UNTIL

TOMORROW

THE DAY HAS BEEN

VERY QUIET

14 October 1942

WEDNESDAY

PREPARING TO MOVE

OUT, COMPLETED ARRANGEMENTS 

BY 10.30 HRS TO

SJT JACK SURRIDGE OF

RENMARK - NOW WAITING

FOR NIGHT FALL TO MOVE

OUT.

15 October 1942

THURSDAY

30 November 1942

MONDAY

OUT TO PRACTICE TO

M T & TRAFFIC SIGs,

COY EXERCISE IN AM,

BN IN PM.

MOVE IS TO BE 0800

THURSDAY MORN. -

240 VEHICLES TO THE

CONVOY, 20 TO THE

MILE MAKING CONVOY

13 MILES LONG.

SCHEDULED TO REACH 

DESTINATION 1100HRS

SUNDAY.

A look back at the
last action and
one must feel very
lucky to be on the
active list.
It is very hard
to form any opinion

of our future.
To me Australia
by early February
looks like best
or maybe it will
be India & through

Burma to tackle
the Japs. Do not
think we will be
in the invasion
of Southern France
or Italy - - that
is looking most like
the next front.

1 December 1942

TUESDAY

A MORNING OF THE

USUAL TRG WITH

THE PM FOR ADMIN

WONT BE SORRY TO

GET AWAY FROM 
HERE.

2 December 1942

WEDNESDAY

All day preparing
for move, will have
2 trucks for the PL
meaning 15 per truck
including 2 drivers.

3 DECEMBER 1942

THURSDAY

./690    4000

86.0*     3313

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