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

OP O.K. HAD SOME

HEAVY RAIN FOR A 

SHORT PERIOD, BUT

CLEARED OFF LATER.

ALL TRENCHES RECEIVING

3 0R 4" OF WATER 

& MAKING THING UN-

COMFORTABLE. MY DUG

OUT REMAINED QUITE

DRY THROUGHOUT.

7 October 1942

THE RAIN HAS GONE

BUT THREATENING CLOUDS

STILL HANG OVERRHEAD

BELIEVE IT RAINED 

HEAVILY IN JERRIES

SOUTHERN POSNI: THEY

MUST BE MIGHTY

UNCOMFORTABLE UNLESS

THEY ARE DUG IN BETTER

THAN US  X I

DOUBT THAT_________

STALINGRAD STILL STAND

JAPS BEING PUSHED

FURTHER BACK IN NEW GUINEA

8 October 1942

Wednesday

AT 0150 JERRY STARTED

A BLITZ ON OUR POSI

THE WHOLE FRONT STOOD

TO EXPECTING A SCRAP

BUT AFTER 3/4 HOUR IT

CUT OUT. SOME 300

SHELLS LANDED IN

OUR AREA. - NO INJURIES

RECEIVED 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

POSN ___ RETURNED AT

1715 HRS.

ONE UNIDENTIFIED AIR

CRAFT FORCED DOWN

IN JERRY TERRITORY

30 ENEMY WHO GATHERED

AROUND WHERE DIS

PERSED BY  25 PDRS

10 October 1942

Saturday

ALL QUITE 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

E28 FLEW VERY LOW

OVER OUR LINES &

HE RECEIVED FIRE

FROM S ARMS & MUST

HAVE BEEN DAMAGED

11 October 1942

Sunday

WENT OUT AT 0845

TO BRING IN SALVAGE

GOT ONE TRUCK LOAD

& WILL GET REST TONIGHT.

1030HRS 3 E JKS SEEN

APPROACHING 3500 YDS 

BUT ENGAGED BY [[F3*]]

[[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 HELD OVER TO

L/43 THEN FOUND OUT

IT WOULDNT BE UNTIL

TOMORROW

THE DAY HAS BEEN

VERY QUITE

14 October 1942

Wednesday

PREPARING TO  MOVE

OUT, COMPLETED ARRANGE

MENTS 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

Memoranda

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

EARLY FEBRUARY

LOOKS LIFE  [[HEAR*]]

OR MAYBE IT WILL

-- [[INDIA*]]  & THROUGH

MEMORANDA

BURMA TO TACKLE

THE JAPS. DO NOT

THINK WE WILL BE

IN THE INVASION

OF [[SouthernFrenes *]]

[[xxxxxx]]

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

[[*]] DAY PREPARING

FOR MOVE, WILL HAVE

2 TRUCKS FOR THE PL

MEANING 15 PER TRUCK

AND NEEDING 2 DRIVERS

3 DECEMBER 1942

THURSDAY

STAMP S

./690    4000

80.0*     3313

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