Diaries of Thomas Currie Derrick, 1942-1945 - Part 7

Conflict:
Second World War, 1939–45
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
AWM2022.6.145
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

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34 7964 FC Dearit 21o 2/28 19:1:6 ofng teon Enasnon t fe A GrCA Miply ato S Cpeaauk ppere 26 MONYPCI 31 roart peane 3ort4 1p5 a0 11 MMonel 1943 - Feb 17 1944 row nones 2 Having my last night at home feclremoring to Snecely morrow, desfinationsing being known Ier Maach w e dalac p yn camplly ste apor was ready to more it 1030 hs, proceded to itz go0s Hlam per s Phinlif pt 1220 An mysel at Ssnt not langeable to gt eturned to amp auat iny a later brain to nomaw matitel made for home, 27 fes mrack1 Back in cant 2400 lr tree Lo
1 Drd il 75 2000 1802N 19a tn gnd May 245 Transon FLAD
to b Ae robdt 4 fm nest alo Ha ( A feat tare 705 1230s rll 2 2 1
Fre Mv 1om 20 De Ao epnosa at 1050 p Be BoD of lor o 0 cogei i O a 2 tey wsk Hers tht oe po GIER N1 t ge e & w he fo wear Or Ba Sse lao oe et oon 6 teesacelya eatenog f 1 2p820 1efa 1112 2 FD Seas f MG e o rem As DLEBo ohces Rose 64 a 1 Sft W an Por

SUN JAN 30TH

CHURCH PARADE IN MORNING, 

REMAINDER OF DAY FREE.

HAVE BEEN OFF COLOUR

THESE LAST SIX DAYS, SEVERE HEADACHES

& FEELING OF DEPRESSION, FORTUNATELY

NO TEMPERATURE.

MON JAN 31ST 

AM IN THE BN SIDE TO

COMPETE IN BDE SWIMMING CONTEST,
MEDLEY & TEAMS RACE.

SPENT MORNING PRACTICING.

NOT SO BRIGHT IN ARVO SO 

REMAINED ON THE COT

TUES FEB 1ST

NOTHING TO DO IN

THE MORNING. OUR BN TEAM

WILL TAKE A LOT OF BEATING.

DID NOT SWIM IN THE MEDLEY,

MY SUBSTITUTE WON IT NICELY, 

I COULDN'T HAVE.

SWAM IN THE RELAY WHICH WE

WON BY A LENGTH & HALF OF

[[THE?]] POOL. WON THE DAY WITH

[[POINTS?]]  56. 2/48 — 30 BDE  H,Q, - 17

/23 BN. 6 2/24 Bde

WED FEB 2ND

WORKING PARTIES

[[STILL?]] KILLING TIME, CANT BE

[[ING?]] NOW. WEATHER FINE &

[[STEAMY?]]

THURS FEB 3RD

WENT HITCH HIKING

DOWN NEAR FINSCHAFEN, JUST 

[[LOOK?]] ABOUT. FOUND EVERYTHING

[[WELL?]] FURTHER DEVELOPED THAN

ANTICIPATED. ROAD'S IN PERFECT

[[CONDITION?]], WHARVES, AIR STRIPS,

[[SUPPLY?]] [[SHEDS?]], AMERICAN CAMPS,

EVERYTHING REQUIRED TO SUPPORT OUR

NEXT STEP.

 

FRID FEB 4TH

MORE KILLING TIME,

HAVE RECOVERED FROM MY AILMENT

AFTER 7 DAYS, PROBABLY WAS A MILD

CASE OF DANGI OR MALARIA

SAT FEB 5TH

RECEIVED WORD LATE

LAST NIGHT,  = READY TO MOVE

BY 1200 HRS TODAY. ALL SPIRITS

ROSE, THE MEN SEEM FULL OF

LIFE, SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN

MISSING THESE LAST FEW WEEKS.

11OO HRS A MESSAGE NO MOVE

BEFORE 0400 HRS 7TH FEB, WOULDNT

IT.— RECEIVED 14 LETTERS IN THE
LAST 2 DAYS

SUN FEB 6TH

STILL WAITING, BUT ITS

NOT SO BAD NOW,  -WE KNOW

WHEN.

MON FEB 7TH

NO MISTAKE THIS TIME, 

LEFT AREA AT 0900 HRS, PER TRUCK

TO FINSCHABOUR. EMBARKED ON LIBERTY

SHIP "EDWARD N WESTCOTT"  AT 1115 HRS

PULLED OUT AT 1600 HRS

TUES FEB 8TH

EVERYTHING PERFECT, MUCH

MORE COMFORTABLE THAN WE ANTICIPATED.

— WEATHER FINE, SEA CALM.

ARRIVED BUNA 1700 HR, PULLED INTO

WHARF FOR THE NIGHT. I HAVE A

NASTY RASH ON MY FACE.  FEEL

ANYTHING BUT WELL.

WED FEB 9TH

LEFT BUNA 1200 HRS, THIS

IS MORE TO OUR LIKING, SHOULD BE

HOME ABOUT 22ND FEB.

THURS FEB 10TH

GOOD TRIP TO MILNE

BAY ARRIVING AT 1400 HRS

 

FRID FEB 11TH

THROUGH NOT BEING

INFORMED OUR SHIP MISSED THE

CONVOY  MUST NOW AWAIT THE

NEXT ONE WHICH SAILS ON MONDAY.

SAT 12TH & SUN 13TH FEB

STILL ANCHORED

IN MILNE BAY, VERY BORING 

& DISHEARTENING.

HAVE BEEN SLEEPING ON DECK &  IT

IS QUITE DECENT

MON 14TH FEB

AFTER A LOT OF FURPHIES

WHICH PROVED FALSE WE PULLED

OUT AT 1600 HRS TO A HOWLING

OF HO HOS — WEATHER OKAY — MY RASH

CLEARING UP NICELY.

TUES 15TH FEB

SEA A BIT CHOPPY

TODAY, MANY ARE SICK. I WAS

CLOSE.

WED FEB 16TH

TRIP STILL OKAY,

MUCH CALMER TODAY. SIGHTED

[[LAND?]] 1700 HRS, AT 1900 WAS JUST

OUT FROM CAIRNS, DID NOT STOP

THURS FEB 17TH

TOWNSVILLE IN SIGHT

DAYBREAK, PULLED IN & DROPPED

[[ANCHOR?]] 0800 HRS

 

LETTERS WRITTEN
1943

APRIL 9TH BERYL

8

9

MARGARET

LOTTIE

  
  11TH BERYL

12

13

BERYL

BERYL

  
  14 BERYL

14

15

BERYL

BERYL    (36)

  
 

16TH

16TH

MARGARET

TED GREEN

 19 BERYL  
  19TH  BERYL 20 BERYL     37  
  XX xxxxx 22 BERYL     38  
  20TH  BERYL

24

24

BERYL      39

TED

  
  23RD BERYL 25 BERYL  
  25TH [[ BE  ?[[ 27 BERYL       41  
  26  BERYL 27 MARGARET  
  26 VIC 29 BERYL  
  26 BERYL 1 JULY 1 BERYL   43  
  29 BERYL  2 2 BERYL  
  29 BERYL 5 BERYL  
  1ST BERYL 5 LILIAN  
  2 BERYL NOT KEPT    
  4 BERYL 24 TED  
  5 BERYL AUG 26}    
  7 BERYL 27         }    
  10 [[BEA ?]] 28         } BERYL  
  11 MARGARET 29         }       
  12 BERYL 29          MAVIS  
  15 BERYL    " MARGARET  
  16 BERYL      

[*   BERYL 

BERYL

BERYK

BERYL

BERYL

BERYL

BERYL

BERYL

BERYL; *]


 LETTERS RECIEVED

 

APRIL 25      BERYL   1                      29    BERYL  3

26                  BERYL    2 (2)                 1      BERYL  2

MAY    3        BERYL    (1)        JULY   2     BERYL   3

4                    BERYL     1                      5     BERYL   7

5                     BERYL     1                      5     LILIAN   1

7                     BERYL     1    

9                     BERYL     1          NOT    KEPT

10                   MARGARET         Aug 26      BERYL     3 

10                   VIC

12                   BERYL     2                      27        "            2 

12                   ROSE                               28        "             1

17                  MARGARET                    29          TED   

17                   TED                                               MAVIS

19                  BERYL     3                                    ROSE

23                  BERYL     3                                   MARGARET

23            ECHARLIE

"                   LOTTE

"                    ERIC

25                BERYL       

27                BERYL        

29                BERYL     2    

30                BERYL    

JUNE 2       BERYL 

4                  BERYL 

6                  BERYL 

6                  MARGARET

6                   ROSIE

6                   LOTTE

8                   BERYL 

11                  BERYL 

13                  BERYL   (2)

19                  BERYL   (2)

21                  BERYL   (2)

22                 BERYL     1

25                 BERYL     1

27                 BERYL     2

27                MARGARET

 

 

 

 

[[801?]]  A. SHEPHERD

 C. Coy    1ST  A BLACK

[[?]]   SHEPHERD

810     SHEPHERD 59    A BALLARAT

KIRKCALDY    FIFE  SHIRE   SCOTLAND

MRS C SHRIVE
49 VICTORIA ST QUEENSTOWN

X 8031 l.cpl G M THORPE

2 Coy 2/2 AUST S.P.  D.A.P. Coy

A.S. C.  A  I F  AUSTRALIA

______________________

MR F JOHNS

18 MACLAYAN AVE
ALLOWAY GARDENS S' AUST

MISS L. DERRICK 58  TORRENS RD
CHELTENHAM STH AUS

____________________________

 

 

 

 

(4)   29 MARCH  1943 - F3B 1944

SX7964

SGT T.C. DERRICK

9.Coy 2/48 BN

A.I.F.

MY DIARY FROM EXPIRATION

LEAVE MARCH 29TH 1943

WOULD ANY FINDER KINDLY
POST TO MRS T. C. DERRICK

26 MANSFIELD ST

NORTH ADELAIDE

SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

MON MARCH 29
Having my last night at
home we are moving tomorrow,

destination unknown.
TUES MARCH 30th

Arrived back
in camp at 0645 and 
was ready to move at
1030 hrs, proceeded to Mitcham

per M9.  Train left

at 1230 hrs, ,myself and 9 OR
not being able to get on,

returned to camp awaiting

a later train tomorrow 
- I immediately

made for home.

WED MARCH 31st
Back in camp
at 2400 hrs, three hours

 

(5) 

MAY 1945 
TARAKAN ISLAND

[[P W CAYICO ? ]]24 HRS FROM 1200

 

see original - two crossed out illegible pages

 

 

802 by night TO KNOLL (4)

        [[?]] [[?]] TO KNOLL (1)

[[For 2?]] from west along

SYKES?]] also N W W

to KNOLL (4)

[[CHR?]] 912 AGNES

132°  270P

304° 230P  TO LK

Hm   [[?]] RALLY  H2    H 2  [[?]]

 

 

4  7TH May

NOTHING THRU NIGHT
ORDER READY TO MOVE

SAT 1030 - MIDDAY MEAL

PL COMDR BRIEFED - OBJECT
IX OTTWAY FEATURE  2 MILE

][[7 May?]]'
MON  [[?]] 1315 ORDER OF MARCH

 [[?]]  CHQ 9 - 8  PATROL  TER

EVANS - MADE GOOD  PRO-

[[?]] FOR 800X  6TH  BROWN

[[?]]  TROUBLE ON   EVANS

FEATURE - FURTHER  PROBING

LOST 2 DEAD PTE TROTTER

R.S. SCOUT & [[?KERS]]

BREN GUNNER  TRANSFER  EN

DEAVOURING TO G R T  [[?]]
JUMPED UP IN FRONT OF

AKARS  WAS  SHOT  THRU [[ /]]

DEAD - AKERS  ROSE

[[?]] TO TELL US WHAT

 

[[ BAT?]]

[[HOM ?]]

[[COUTS?]]

[[ BADING?]]

[[ MISUDRESS?]]

[[DUSH?]]  [[?]]

[[EVER ?]] [[?]]
NIGHTS - [[?]]

[[En ?]]  1 [[?]]

 [[?]] work

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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